AA Adventure Travellers: South America Book

Very few guidebooks manage to cover all of South America while doing it justice. The eclectic range of cultures and landscapes ensures that such offerings are usually piecemeal. Written by experienced hikers, divers and rafters, Adventure Travellers: South America aims to be different. The authors concentrate on a few specific "adventures" in the most dramatic parts of the continent. Using organised tours which are open to everyone, the authors go biking in the Venezuelan Andes, explore the Atacama desert in Chile, go ranching in Brazil and come face-to-face with the exotic wildlife of the Galápagos. Each "adventure" is written up by the author as a long article, while the usual practical information is provided at the end. This ambitious format is slightly vitiated by the cloying style of some of the authors, which is often too close to a cross between GQ and a Trailfinders' brochure. However, although the book is almost completely devoid of historical and cultural content, it is redeemed by superb photography, and manages to give a genuine idea of the sorts of organised adventure that even moderately intrepid people can experience in South America. Read in this vein, it could make a useful addition to The South American Handbook--which is, in this reviewer's opinion, the best overall guide to the continent. --Toby GreenRead More