Richard Bangs' Quests: South America
Quest for Wonder
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Richard Bangs' South America: Quest for Wonder
Richard Bangs' South America: Quest for Wonder unlocks the mysteries of South America’s most revered sites. Join him on an odyssey through stunning displays of nature, historical landmarks and the colorful culture of today. Dive into the world of Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, famed for its lava-hewn moai statues. Trek across Machu Picchu, “The Lost City of the Incas,” where there is a harmony of architecture, function, space and form. Visit the Galapagos Islands which harbor giant tortoises, sea lions and renowned species of birds. Explore the massive Iguazu Falls, which spill between Brazil and Argentina. Let Orbitz and Richard Bangs guide you through this journey to South America.
South America has never been closer with LAN Airlines
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LAN Airlines is a leading airline providing travel to and from South America, operating out of major U.S. gateways including Miami, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Whether you dream of seeing the awe-inspiring moai in Easter Island, visiting the magnificent Iguazu Falls, exploring Ecuador's Galapagos Islands, or discovering Peru's ancient mystery of Machu Picchu, LAN Airlines and its affiliates can take you there.
Take off on your journey to South America
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Find more information on flights to:
Discover South America: Suggested length of stay
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Make the most of your trek across South America with our suggested duration in each destination. We recommend spending at least two days in each location, to explore everything these wonders have to offer.
Explore one destination:
- Machu Picchu: 3 days
- Easter Island: 3 days
- Iguazu Falls: 2 days
- Galapagos Islands: 5 days
Combine two destinations:
- Machu Picchu and Iguazu Falls: 6 days
- Machu Picchu and Easter Island: 6 days
- Machu Picchu and Galapagos Islands: 8 days
Combine three destinations:
- Machu Picchu, Iguazu Falls and Easter Island: 10 days
- Machu Picchu, Easter Island and Galapagos Islands: 13 days
Maximize your journey with four destinations:
- Machu Picchu, Easter Island, Galapagos Islands and Iguazu Falls: 20 days
Easter Island
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Easter Island is a singular destination. Historically intriguing, culturally compelling and scenically magical, Rapa Nui, as it’s known to its local inhabitants is an alien landscape. In this isolated, unpolished gem it's hard to feel connected even to Chile, over 3700km to the east, let alone the wider world. Just you, the indigo depths and the strikingly enigmatic moai scattered across an eerie expanse.
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Your adventure begins in Easter Island
A minimum of 5.5 hours from the nearest continent, this island between Polynesia and South America can be easily reached with LAN Airlines offering flights from Lima, Peru and Santiago de Chile.
Flights to Easter Island
| Departure | Arrival | Travel dates | Round-trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lima | Easter Island | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| Santiago | Easter Island | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| Miami | Easter Island | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| New York | Easter Island | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| Los Angeles | Easter Island | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| San Francisco | Easter Island | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| Chicago | Easter Island | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| Washington DC | Easter Island | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| Boston | Easter Island | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
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Mystery
Known to locals as Rapa Nui, Easter Island is one of the most isolated islands on earth. Its enigmatic stone giants, or moai, mark the landscape and spark a sense of wonder about the island’s ancient inhabitants. Evidence shows that the stone statues were built by large communities, a testament to the once thriving settlement on the island. Today, the statues remain as a representation of their mysterious past, and serve as a connection to ancestors long since passed.
Easter Island Hotels
Hotel Oceania
Flight + Hotel
Book a package for more savings!Hotel only
Tupa Hotel
Flight + Hotel
Book a package for more savings!Hotel only
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Additional baggage fees and entry/exit fees may apply.
Machu Picchu
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Whether you take the train up from Aguas Calientes or hike the Inca Trail, when you reach this famed overlook, the mystery and beauty of the city will silence you. The pre-Columbian 15th-century maze of ruins was discovered in 1911, but even today no one knows exactly why the city was built, or why it was abandoned. Its precarious position at 7,970 feet above sea level, perched on a rugged shoulder of the South American Andes, reinforces the enigma, transforming all preconceived notions into a quiet, respectful sense of awe.
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Your adventure begins in Machu Picchu
Fly nonstop from any LAN Airlines' four U.S. gateways including Miami, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco to Lima, Peru where you can connect to the ancient city of Cuzco. From there, continue your journey to Machu Picchu by rail.
Flights to Machu Picchu
| Departure | Arrival | Travel dates | Round-trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lima | Cuzco | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| Miami | Cuzco | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| New York | Cuzco | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| Los Angeles | Cuzco | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| San Francisco | Cuzco | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| Chicago | Cuzco | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| Washington DC | Cuzco | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| Boston | Cuzco | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
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Architecture in balance
Machu Picchu is a place of enduring architectural harmony. Visitors flock to the site to stand in awe of the ancient Incan beauty. Order is combined with complexity in perfect balance, creating an effortless relationship among its parts. Your next study in timeless design begins with a trip to Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu Hotels
Hostal El Santuario
Flight + Hotel
Book a package for more savings!Hotel only
Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge by Orient-Express
Flight + Hotel
Book a package for more savings!Hotel only
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The trail to Cuzco
The Andes are the world’s largest mountain chain, crowned by the highest peaks in Latin America. Nested at over 11,000 feet above sea level, the ancient Inca capital of Cuzco is a striking blend of European and native sensibilities. Most travelers who hail from lower altitudes make sure to take it easy on the first few days of exploration. To help acclimatize, locals sip cocoa tea infused with key lime.
Cuzco Hotels
Del Prado Inn
Flight + Hotel
Book a package for more savings!Hotel only
Terra Andina Hotel
Flight + Hotel
Book a package for more savings!Hotel only
San Agustin El Dorado Hotel
Flight + Hotel
Book a package for more savings!Hotel only
Libertador Palacio del Inka, Cusco
Flight + Hotel
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Novotel Cusco
Flight + Hotel
Book a package for more savings!Hotel only
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Additional baggage fees and entry/exit fees may apply.
Galapagos
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The Galapagos Archipelago is a legendary world heritage site. Situated on the equator some 600 miles off the coast of South America, this remote volcanic archipelago remains much as it was millions of years ago. Here you can visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to see the land tortoises, or Galapagos, which once greeted Darwin so peacefully. The Galapagos experience offers world travelers a way to step back in time, to visit an isolated, relatively untouched place on earth.
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Your adventure begins in the Galapagos
Flights to the Galapagos are easy to arrange and depart with LAN Airlines offering daily departures from both Quito and Guayaquil and inter-islands flights are also available for jaunts between islands.
Flights to Galapagos Island
| Departure | Arrival | Travel dates | Round-trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quito | Santa Cruz Island | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| Quito | San Cristobal | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| Guayaquil | Santa Cruz Island | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| Guayaquil | San Cristobal | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| Lima | Quito | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| Lima | Guayaquil | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| Miami | Santa Cruz Island | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| New York | Santa Cruz Island | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| Los Angeles | Santa Cruz Island | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| San Francisco | Santa Cruz Island | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
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Home to diversity
The landscape of the island is barren, ragged and raw. Despite its primeval exterior, the Galapagos have flourished to host one of the most biologically intact ecosystems on the planet. When the first Europeans landed on the islands in 1535, they found no trace of any previous settlers. Over the next 300 years, only sailors and whalers landed onshore, to find that the island remained colonized only by a crew of mismatched creatures.
Galapagos Hotels: Santa Cruz Island
Hotel Solymar
Flight + Hotel
Book a package for more savings!Hotel only
Villa Laguna Hotel
Flight + Hotel
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Red Booby Hotel
Flight + Hotel
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Mainao Hotel
Flight + Hotel
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Castaway creatures
The creatures of the Galapagos continue to intrigue scientists and visitors alike. Some of the island’s inhabitants, like the iguanas, drifted on rafts of debris from South America. Evolved to adapt to their environment, these iguanas are the only marine species and often dive over five meters to hunt for their seaweed meals. Others, like the finches, were blown off course in passage across the Pacific. The diverse tenants of the Galapagos are descendants of these castaways.
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Additional baggage fees and entry/exit fees may apply.
Iguazu Falls
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Nestled between the Argentinean and Brazilian borders, the Iguazú Falls is one of the world's most spectacular waterfalls. As more than 5,000 cubic yards of water per second roar over the evocatively named Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Throat), swallows flit through the mist beneath the sheer volcanic walls. The park is more than the falls, though—there are thousands of acres of well-preserved subtropical forest, crisscrossed by foot trails, plenty of colorful bird life, and even large mammals ranging from the gregarious coatimundi to the shy but predatory jaguar.
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Your adventure begins in the Iguazu Falls
The falls are easily accessible with LAN Airlines offering several flights a week from Lima, Peru and Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Flights to Iguazu Falls
| Departure | Arrival | Travel dates | Round-trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lima | Foz Do Iguacu | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| Miami | Foz Do Iguacu | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| New York | Foz Do Iguacu | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| Los Angeles | Foz Do Iguacu | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| San Francisco | Foz Do Iguacu | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| Chicago | Foz Do Iguacu | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| Washington DC | Foz Do Iguacu | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
| Boston | Foz Do Iguacu | Sun, May 26 - Sun, Jun 2 | Check rates |
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Iguazu Floodgates
Beauty and violence collide at Iguazu. These bone-rattling falls exceed the imagination. Formed by volcanic activity about 100 million years ago, the average water flow at Iguazu is the equivalent of about 100,000 fire hoses at full blast. Awe inspiring and terrifying, a visit to Iguazu Falls is an unmatched experience.
Iguazu Falls Hotels
Exe Hotel Cataratas
Flight + Hotel
Book a package for more savings!Hotel only
Hotel Saint George
Flight + Hotel
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La Cantera Jungle Lodge Iguazu
Flight + Hotel
Book a package for more savings!Hotel only
TURRANCE GREEN HOTEL
Flight + Hotel
Book a package for more savings!Hotel only
Hotel das Cataratas by Orient-Express
Flight + Hotel
Book a package for more savings!Hotel only
Best Western Hotel Taroba & Eventos
Flight + Hotel
Book a package for more savings!Hotel only
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Additional baggage fees and entry/exit fees may apply.