Take a deep breath.  The world has changed.  Solo women travelers are no longer bizarre object of pity.  It’s perfectly OK to go to Latin America by yourself, and you will have a great time doing it.  Here are a few tips from the intrepid women of Exito, who have traversed Latin America from top to bottom.

- Trust your instincts.  If something feels off, it probably is.  Remove yourself from the situation so you can think clearly.  People sometimes worry that, by being cautious, they will miss out on some amazing, authentic local experience.  Don’t worry about that.  You will have plenty of authentic local experiences that don’t endanger you.  If it’s something you wouldn’t do at home, don’t do it in another country.  And if it feels bad, it probably is!

- Beaches and alcohol are a dangerous combination.  Most people in Latin America are kind, generous, and respectful.  Some are not, and unfortunately they tend to be drawn to beach scenes.  After a few drinks, your wits and reactions are both slow.  Something as simple as going outside to pee may end horribly.  One Exito employee spent 5 years working with tourists in South America.  She estimates that 95% of the rapes and assaults that she heard of took place at beaches, usually with alcohol involved.  Be careful where you drink and with whom.  Party at your hotel’s bar, so you don’t have to walk home.  Or find a group of other women to go out with, so you can all keep an eye out for each other.  While this is good advice anywhere, it’s especially important in a beach setting.

- Be aware of cultural norms.  These can vary widely from country to country, or even from city to rural areas of the same nation.  Tight skirts and revealing shirts are commonplace in Brazil, but would be quite inappropriate in Bolivia.  Look at the local women.  How are they dressed?  You don’t need to adopt local dress (and honestly, foreigners often look ridiculous in local garb), but check the level of modesty.  Do they generally cover their legs and arms?  If so, do likewise – it will save you a lot of unwanted attention.  While you are looking around, note where you do or do not see women.  If there are no women on a particular street at night, that’s a very good indication that you shouldn’t be there either.

- Be willing to start the conversation.  As a solo woman traveler, you have a unique opportunity to connect with people who would normally never talk to foreigners – elderly women,  mothers with children, young women.   They may assume you are not interested, don’t speak Spanish, or they might just be shy.  Break the ice, and see what happens.  You get a whole different perspective on a place when you learn about it from a 70 year old woman!

- On that note, learn as much Spanish (or Portuguese, in Brazil) as you can.  You don’t have to be fluent to have a great trip, but it’s easy to learn enough to have basic language survival skills.  Be able to shop, ask for directions, get a hotel room, and order food in a restaurant.  Consider doing a quick week (or more, if you have the time) at a language school when you first arrive, just to get yourself up to speed.

- And on the flip side, know when to forget all your Spanish.  When some annoying guy is trying to chat you up, a blank look and an apologetic shrug can do wonders for getting rid of him.

- Ignore, ignore, ignore!  Men in Latin America often will call out to women walking by.  Just ignore it and keep moving.  Yes, it’s annoying, but you aren’t going to change an entire culture single handed.  Avoid making eye contact, keep going, and act as if they don’t exist.

- if that doesn’t work, be willing to make a scene.  If someone is really bothering you, yell at them as loudly as you can, in whatever language comes to mind.  This is not what they want or expect, and on the street they will usually melt quickly away.  If someone gropes you in the subway, grab their hand and bend their fingers backwards until they start screaming.  Then yell at them. Tell him what a pathetic, miserable little twit he is, who can’t even…..ok, ok, you get the picture.  Yeah, it makes a huge scene, but it’s a lot more gratifying than just moving away.

Finally, be your adventurous self!  Revel in the fact that you can do whatever you want, when you want.  You always get to choose the restaurant, and no one will drag you through a museum or ruin that you’d really rather skip.  Enjoy every minute, knowing that you will have great memories and more self-confidence for the rest of your life.

Fast forward to 2007, when 100 million votes were collected by internet, SMS and phone, as part of the “New 7 Wonders of the World” campaign, culminating in a list of seven monuments valued for their significance to the globe’s diverse cultural heritage. The goal: bring awareness and appreciation to these treasures, in hopes of conserving them.  Among the “winners” are the awe-inspiring sites of of Machu Picchu in Peru, and the pyramids of Chichenitza in Mexico.

The same non-profit group is behind the current “New 7 Wonders of Nature” campaign. The world is now being called upon to nominate and vote on the most treasured natural, rather than man-made, sites of the globe. Hundreds of places, from the Amazon Basin to K2 Mountain to the Red Sea, have been nominated, and the voting will continue through mid 2009. (Yes, YOU can vote! Check out: http://www.new7wonders.com )

Meanwhile, in Costa Rica, the newspaper La Nacion, perhaps as a kind of marketing ploy and hopefully at least out of curiosity, has already conducted a similar project of it’s own, collecting almost 30,000 votes to arrive at what it calls the “Seven Wonders of Costa Rica”. With so many stunning natural sites to choose from, it wasn’t difficult to come up with an impressive list:

* Isla del Coco, a Unesco World Heritage site known for clear waters and abundant marine life
* Arenal Volcano , providing amazement with an almost daily pyroclastic show, at close-enough range.
* Cerro Chirripo, a 3820 meter peak containing incredible biodiversity, and even a bit of snow.
* Rio Celeste, a clear-turned-bright-blue river containing waterfalls and hot springs, winding through the rainforest
* Tortuguero, a network of dense waterways, including the coastal nesting grounds of several sea turtle species.
* Poas Volcano, the largest active crater in the world with molten sulfur bubbling under huge crater lakes.
* Monteverde,  a cloud forest and wildlife refuge, housing hundreds of species, including the colorful Quetzal

Consider that many of these diverse, breathtakingly gorgeous, and often remote places are still located within a day’s drive of Costa Rica’s international airport, and of each other, albeit on a sometimes rough and windy road. No need to buy an around the world ticket or take the summer off to see all seven of these “wonders”. Technically, one could see all seven of them in seven days, but to really do them justice it would be better to (at least) double that.

Regardless of exactly who voted, or whether these are all really “wonders” or just wonderful places, the value of these sites is hard to question. Bringing attention to them can serve as a source of inspiration to learn a bit more, perhaps enough more to warrant exploring them in person. Hopefully if we can all manange to do so responsibly, we can hope to keep them around for a while, and let them disappear like the ones from the first list.

Argentina: (Buenos Aires EZE) $18 to be paid in USD upon checking in for international flight from Argentina.

• El Calafate: $18 to be paid in USD at local airport for domestic flights.
• Trelew: $6.05 to be paid in USD at local airport for domestic flights.
• Ushuaia: $15 to be paid in USD at local airport for domestic flights.

Belize: (Belize City BZE) $20 Paid in cash at the airport prior to departure.

Bolivia: (La Paz LPB) and (Santa Cruz VVI) $16 airport toll plus $25 traveler tax. ($100 USD reciprocal VISA fee now required for US citizens… check before you fly)

Brazil: (Rio de Janeiro GIG) or (Sao Paulo GRU) None (Included in ticket price). Visa required in advance including $100 reciprocal fee for US citizens.

Chile: (Santiago SCL) $100 to be paid in USD, Visa, Master Card or American Express upon arrival at customs. (This is actually a reciprocal Visa fee)

Costa Rica: (San Jose SJO) and (Liberia LIR) $26 to be paid in USD or local currency prior to checking in with the ticketing booth. Costa Rica now accepts credit cards… however a cash advance fee may apply. Use your debit card to avoid the fee.

Ecuador: (Quito UIO) and (Guayaquil GYE)

• Guayaquil: $27.15 to be paid in USD upon checking in for international flight.n (Cash only)
• Quito: $40.80 to be paid in USD upon checking in for international flight. (Cash only)
• Shell: $3 to be paid in USD upon checking in for domestic flight to & from Kapawi.
• Galapagos: $10 to be paid in USD for Galapagos Transit Control Card upon checking in for domestic flight to Galapagos. National park fee currently USD 80 per person

Guatemala: (Guatemala City GUA) $30 for international departure, plus $5 per domestic flight, plus $5 fuel surcharge per domestic flight.

Mexico; (Mexico City MEX) Included in ticket price (but over $70… paid when you buy your ticket). The same tax applies to all airports in Mexico

Panama: (Panama City PTY) $20 paid at airport upon departure

Peru: (Lima LIM) $30.25 for international departures, $6.05 for each domestic flight to be paid in USD or local currency after check-in before entering gate area. (cash only)

Uruguay: (Montevideo MVD) $29 to be paid in USD after check-in, before entering gate area.

This information is estimated and is subject to change. Check with the appropriate embassy prior to confirm accuracy prior to departure

In the current airfare market, there is an inherent risk of paying more tomorrow for what was quoted today. Even when a “guaranteed” group rate is available, this guarantee typically applies only the base fare, and not to taxes, or the ever-increasing fuel surcharges, which can be as much as $300 per ticket. A group fare booked today can end up being hundreds higher by the time the group is ready to issue tickets.

There is a refreshing exception. Exito group specialists can now offer a guaranteed rate on select group fares INCLUDING taxes and fees. Book today with a deposit, and lock in todays total price, even if the final purchase is months away. While other group bookings fluctuate from rising fuel costs and annual tax adjustments, Exito’s qualifying group rates stay put, allowing groups the chance of actually staying within a set budget.

Here’s how it works:

1. Contact an Exito Group Specialist and request a quote for a group flight, specifying an interest in a guaranteed total rate. Phone: 800 655 4054 . *Minimum group size is 10 people, traveling on an identical itinerary*

2. Once a suitable itinerary is confirmed for the group, pay a standard group deposit, up to $100 per seat, to lock in the space and the price for the group. Deposits are either refunded or applied to the purchase price, provided the group abides by the airlines stated cancellation and minimum utilization policy. Note: Flights departing within 90 days may have special deposit and payment requirements.

3. Provide all passenger names and payment by the airline’s quoted deadline; typically 30-60 days prior to departure. *No surprise fees or extra taxes will be charged on qualifying fares, according to the initial quote*

This option is available to groups of at least 10 people traveling together, on select airlines, subject to availability of group space and according to specific airline policies, which are subject to change. Round trip travel must originate in the US, and include select destinations in:

Mexico – Guatemala – Costa Rica- Honduras – Belize – El Salvador
Nicaragua – Ecuador – Peru- Venezuela – Chile – Argentina – Brazil – Colombia

Contact an Exito Group Airfare Specialist for further details and to find your guaranteed group fare, now.

Phone: 800 655 4054

Email: groups@exitotravel.com