13-day South America Honeymoon Review: A dream bucket-list trip before life got busy!

💬 Please introduce yourself!

We're newlyweds who dated for 4 years and just got married :) We had both been living such hectic lives because of our busy jobs, but while preparing for our wedding, we promised each other that we'd make time just for the two of us and create memorable experiences.

💬 Why did you choose South America as your honeymoon destination?

📌 Because if not now, we might never have the timeHonestly, we both had always dreamed of traveling to South America. I was really impressed by the show "Youth Over Flowers Peru," and I kept thinking that someday I absolutely had to see Machu Picchu in person, just like they showed on the program.

My husband has loved Paddington Bear since he was little, and the fact that the bear's home is Peru made him want to go even more.

We both love travel documentaries, and we still remember the scene from KBS's "Walking Into the World" where the Uyuni salt flats looked like a mirror all around. We couldn't help but say, "We really have to go there."

When people think of honeymoons, they usually think of Europe or resort destinations like the Maldives. We'd already been to Europe, and island-focused trips felt like they might be a bit boring for a honeymoon. Plus, it felt like we could go back to those places anytime. On the other hand, South America requires over a day of flying, has no direct flights, and has a huge time difference. We thought we should go while we still have the energy and at least some free time, so we ended up deciding on South America for our honeymoon.

우유니사막에서 밤에 찍었던 은하수

화성같았던 칠레 아타카마 사막

💬 Were there any difficulties while preparing for your South America trip?

📌 Lack of information about inter-regional transportation routes and bookingsAt first, we tried to plan and book everything ourselves, linking Peru-Bolivia-Chile together. But while there were so many places we wanted to visit, connecting them into one itinerary turned out to be much harder than we thought.

For example, places like Machu Picchu and the Uyuni salt flats aren't accessible just by renting a car, and when we tried to plan flying into Peru and out of Chile, there were many segments without direct flights. Machu Picchu tickets also require advance booking, so we went to the official website, but it was only in Spanish, and our Korean cards kept getting rejected for payment—it was truly panic-inducing... I kept thinking, "What if we mess up the reservation and end up lost on-site?" That's when I found Ahmo Travel through searching, and they organized everything from the itinerary to accommodations, transportation, and activities, all focused on the experiences we really wanted—it was such a relief.

📌 Issues with local companies not responding or responding lateWe tried to prepare the trip ourselves, but it felt like we were just wasting time, so we reached out to local companies—but most didn't respond at all... There were some that did get back to us, but between the time difference and either no response at all or extremely slow replies, it was mostly frustrating. I kept feeling like I wasn't getting proper answers to my questions. And I'm... not fluent in English... so it eventually became too overwhelming for me to handle ^^; That's when I found Ahmo Travel while searching for domestic agencies, and they said they do South America in addition to Africa! So I sent an inquiry, and they responded so thoroughly and quickly! They solved all the problems we couldn't handle so fast that it felt like experiencing a miracle ㅜㅜ

마추픽추 기차여행, 기차 내 공연

📌 First time in South America—what if something happens during our honeymoon?It's not like we had no overseas travel experience, but since it was our first time in South America, we worried about whether safety would be okay and what we'd do if problems arose. This being our honeymoon, we wanted more than ever to avoid any headaches and just have a smooth trip.

💬 What was the most memorable moment or destination during your trip?

📌 Camping under the stars at the Uyuni salt flats

볼리비아 우유니 사막에서의 글램핑, 캠퍼들의 로망 에어스트림 캠핑카에서!

The most memorable moment was camping at the Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia! When we visited, it was the dry season, so we couldn't see the typical water-filled mirror image from photos. But instead, we got to have the special experience of glamping on the endless white salt desert under blue skies!

When we arrived at the empty salt flats and saw the Airstream camper and all the setup prepared just for us, it still feels like a dream even now. Having a meal prepared by a personal chef and taking photos under the Milky Way that night is something I'll probably never forget 🥹

📌 When the clouds cleared after the hard climb and we could see Machu Picchu below from the summit

Getting to Machu Picchu was honestly one of the hardest treks I've ever experienced. First, we drove about 6 hours from Cusco through the Sacred Valley, then took a train at night to the village next to Machu Picchu. The next morning, we woke up at 5:30 AM, waited in line for the only bus to Machu Picchu, and then climbed about 1,000 steps for about 3 hours to reach the Machu Picchu mountain summit. In the rain... ㅠㅠ

When we got to the top, it was raining so the fog was really thick and we couldn't see anything. I desperately prayed for the clouds to clear, thinking we couldn't come all this way and go back down without seeing Machu Picchu. About three times it looked like Machu Picchu was about to appear, but then other clouds kept coming from the side to cover it! The Western tourists next to us and we all sighed in disappointment each time, and it was all caught on camera ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Then finally, as the sun rose, the clouds moved aside and Machu Picchu appeared—I still can't forget that feeling. Actually, when you see it up close, you just see ruins left like remnants, but from above, you could picture the castle that used to be there! I kept thinking how could such a castle have been built at such high altitude... I was filled with wonder and awe, and even as our guide warned us we might miss our return train, I remember not being able to bring myself to leave that spot 🥹

💬 What were you most satisfied with about traveling with Ahmo Travel?

📌 They designed the safe and comfortable travel itinerary we dreamed ofOur wedding date was set, but both my wife and I were so busy with work until the honeymoon. But the more we looked into a South America honeymoon, the more concerns kept piling up. I kept hearing stories about people suffering terribly from altitude sickness everywhere they went, and Pani Bottle talked about struggling in South America—it made me worry, like "Oh, what should we do?" Also, I realized there's quite a bit to experience beyond just Uyuni and Machu Picchu. Beyond Peru and Bolivia, there's also Brazil and Argentina... but our vacation time was limited, so I got such a headache that I asked friends who'd been to South America for their honeymoon how they did it, and they recommended Ahmo Travel!

한국에서는 스키장, 라파즈에서는 대중교통이였던 케이블카 그리고 환성적인 view!

So I quickly sent an inquiry and explained our situation, and they really got things done right away! We told them everything we preferred and were worried about through a video consultation.

Based on that, they created two alternative itineraries for us, and we kept discussing what we liked and didn't like, and they kept revising it. I was so grateful that they listened to us and kept asking questions to understand our preferences even better. When I mentioned hearing there are dangerous neighborhoods in Peru and Bolivia, they explained in detail what behaviors to avoid in those places and reflected that in the itinerary too.

📌 Meticulous reservation management from accommodations to activitiesSince we were visiting multiple places, there were tons of accommodations to stay at and activities like Machu Picchu entrance tickets that needed advance booking. I really don't think we could have handled searching for, contacting, and booking all those different vendors on our own. But Ahmo Travel booked everything—accommodations, pickups, transfers—all perfectly aligned, so we could travel smoothly throughout the trip without any disruptions.

📌 Thorough on-site managementI read online that one reason South America travel is difficult is because many unexpected things happen. For example, airline staff going on strike or flights getting suddenly cancelled due to very bad weather? I read that Bolivia has the lowest GDP among South American countries and is one of the drug trafficking hubs, so I was especially worried about safety and such. But Ahmo Travel's local partners really took care to ensure we could travel comfortably and safely at the destinations.

First of all, the vehicles we rode in were really clean, and the guides and drivers were incredibly kind. I remember when we were traveling in Lima, Peru's capital, the surrounding cars were driving really aggressively. There were lanes but they weren't followed, people cut in without turn signals... haha. Each time, our driver drove carefully to avoid accidents, and I was so grateful. I suffered from altitude sickness in Bolivia, and I'll never forget our guide then. There's no better medicine than someone making you laugh when you're struggling. He kept making jokes ㅋㅋㅋ and I was literally holding my stomach laughing while traveling from Uyuni. That's how I got through that difficult time. I'm so grateful to Raul, our guide who took care of us then ㅠㅠ Thanks to them, we were able to travel safely and happily until the end without major problems.

South America is definitely the farthest and most challenging destination among places you can travel to. But if you're considering honeymoon destinations, I really want to recommend it. It's a place with incredible nature and culture unlike anywhere else, and thanks to a much better-prepared trip than expected, it became a honeymoon we'll remember for life. Before it gets any later, go to South America while you're still young! 😊

아타카마 사막

👉 Ahmo Travel is a 1:1 customized travel agency specializing in remote destinations, optimally coordinating everything from luxury hotels to budget-friendly accommodations according to travelers' schedules and budgets, so feel free to contact us and we can propose a customized plan for your once-in-a-lifetime South America trip.