Hola! Around South America on LAN

[JohnM]

Be prepared for Disneyland-like crowds. It took an hour in the queue to enter the park at around noon. Make sure to do the bird park - it’s exceptional.

 

[RooFlyer]

Of course we at the Belmond don't have to worry about queues and such ( sniff). TKWIW!

@JohnM , I hope you are doing the restaurant, not the 'Brazilian buffet'. I couldn't get a restaurant booking, so had to do the buffet, which was a tour bus hangout and very ordinary ( see above).

 

[JohnM]

Definitely not the buffet - my pet hate.

 

[Myrna]

We plan to fly into IGU (on the Brazil side) arriving 1pm, may take an afternoon tour to look around the falls on the Brazil side, then go to the hotel (Melia) on the Argentina side for 2 nights - giving us one full day to look around the falls on the Argentina side. We plan fly out from IGR (on the Argentina side).
RooFlyer and JohnM: Can you please suggest the best way of doing this? Tour recommendation? Cost of transport (eg taxi) from IGU to Melia hotel?
Many thanks for any suggestion.

 

[JohnM]

IGU is very close to the park entrance, so just take cab there - and join the queue. No need for a guided tour. It’s all straightforward once you get into the park. Take the shuttle bus to the viewpoints.

Your biggest issue may be what to do with your luggage while in the park...

I can’t give any advice on the Argy side yet as I’m just about to depart for there now.

 

[RooFlyer]

Any hotel will arrange a tour, but the Argentinian side, like the Brazilian side, is very straight forward and you don't need it. One boardwalk along the Brazilian side - easy. I took a hotel tour (actually just a driver) from the Brazilian side to the Argentine side because I was flying out later that day and I wanted someone to keep my luggage safe, and also to take me to the Sheraton on the Argentine side, so I could shower and change before my flight .

When I went there, Argentine park admittance was CASH ONLY. There is an ATM at the entrance, but I was told usually broken, and it was on the day I went. When you get in, there is a little train that takes you from the park entrance to a couple of stops along the extensive Argentine falls. From each stop, you can walk along good metal boardwalks along the brow of the various falls. One track descends to the river level where you can take boat trips. I didn't do these. When I was there, there was a plan to connect them all the walk segments up, but back then you had to take several segments on the little train. The final stop is for the Devils Throat; there is about 1km of metal boardwalk out across the river and little islands, till you are right above the major part of the falls.

On the Brazil side, make sure you go upstream beyond the high tower and visitors centre. You can take boat trips on the river upstream of the falls . Don't undervalue the time needed on the Brazil side - the best pano views are from that side.

Watch out for the racoon-like animals on both sides - quite aggressive for food (even when carried in bags) and act like big rats.

Tip for IGR. One you go into the departure lounge, there are virtually no amenities. I joined a queue an hour before the flight, but that was a mistake. Having OW 'Preferente' was a God-send; 1 pax priority boarding (me) and a scrum of over 100 other pax, following.

 

[Myrna]

Thank you both, JohnM and RooFlyer, for really helpful advices - much appreciated. If you think of anything else, please post. Will add them to our itin for next September.

 

[RooFlyer]

Check out Destination trip report index for other AFFer reports on Iguazu Falls.

 

[Myrna]

Watch out for the racoon-like animals on both sides - quite aggressive for food (even when carried in bags) and act like big rats.

Tip for IGR. One you go into the departure lounge, there are virtually no amenities. I joined a queue an hour before the flight, but that was a mistake. Having OW 'Preferente' was a God-send; 1 pax priority boarding (me) and a scrum of over 100 other pax, following.

Yes, have read about these creatures (the coaties?) - so will definitely keep away from them.

Apparently there is a Priority Pass lounge in IGR. So, we will make use of it. We both have OW status, so maybe it will help with boarding.

 

[JohnM]

Update on the park fee on the Argy side. They now take credit cards. But if @Myrna is staying at the Melia, that is within the park like the Belmond, so are the park fees built into the hotel charges?

The helicopter rides, the best boat trips and the bird park are all on the Brazil side.

The crowds were as bad, if not worse, on the Argy side. Last year, about 1.8M people visited the Brazil side; it was over 2M on the Argy side.

 

[RooFlyer]

That's a lot of visitors, but I wonder if you have caught school holidays JohnM? I don't recall uncomfortable crowds when I was there in May 2015 and my pics show nothing over the top.

 

[JohnM]

It turns out that I have caught the last week of school holidays.