I'm looking at traveling to Paraguay and Algeria (on two separate trips).
Does anyone have experience traveling to those countries and any tips that they can provide?
Thanks for your help!
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Another way you can do this is to do Border traveling. Like this Summer 2025; I'm going to Somalia and Kenya but I'm going to border of Djou Biti-Somalia border to experience both countries. That's how I save money! Rather than taking seperate trips to different countries; I try to do them all in one trip.
I was unable to spare the time to organise an Algeria trip last year (but LOVED this advice!) I ended up visiting Morocco, and while I loved the early morning running options along the various waterfronts :) I found it as a whole too touristy and a little underwhelming. I'm determined to get to Algeria this year and want to start the planning and visa wrangling process soon.
Would anyone be able to propose a basic suggested itinerary I could work with to start looking at booking accommodation (I need to have flights and accommodation booked to record on the visa application form)? I like Pamela's advice of backpacking solo where there are good public transportation links, but then using Fancy Yellow to get to Timgad and other key desert archaeological sites (history teacher, author and tragic here :)) I would have roughly 3 to 3 1/2 weeks to work with.
Any suggestions very very welcome!
I would probably look to stop in Spain for an additional week on the way back (studied part of my undergrad in Madrid way back when, but haven't been able to get back for a visit, apart from dropping into Ceuta in January) and maybe even try to get to Andorra if it's feasible ...
Thanks, Jonathan!
I have been to Paraguay! You will absolutely love it. The easiest way to see Paraugy if you are on a budget is to fly to Brazil and then do the cross-border trip Tres Fronteras. You will be able to land in 3 countries in one day without taking too many flights.
Fly to Brazil and then do also Igazu Falls.
Thank you so much for all of that great information and advice, Pamela! I'll definitely forge ahead with the trip planning then, and look into the company you've recommended.
Hi Raquel,
I’m an independent female backpacker (who posted above about the visa for Algeria), and I don’t do groups either. I looked long and hard about going into Algeria and just winging it on public transportation. You can easily travel between cities, but if you want to get out to places like Timgad and points in between, you’ll have an enormous hassle of dealing with share taxis in the middle of nowhere. I had thought about renting a car at the Algiers airport, but then thought to myself:”do I really want to drive out of Algiers with the sun going down while jet lagged out of my skull?” In the end, I contacted a company called Fancy Yellow/Fancy Algeria, told them what I wanted, and they came back with a price that wasn’t all that more than if I had done it myself. The guides they assigned me were absolutely terrific people who made the whole time fun. I did not go all the way to the southern desert areas, and for these places you can’t do them on your own. Security wise, as a female, I felt very safe everywhere, and where my hotels were I had no problem going out in the evenings alone. That said, when my guide took me through the upper Casbah in Algiers, she stopped by the police station and told them what we were doing. It’s a super interesting country, and I’d go back anytime.
Hi everyone and happy new year :) I've just had a lovely week of hiking on Santorini.
For my next trip I would like to get to Algeria (likely leaving just before Christmas and returning in mid to late January 2025). What I'd like to know is the feasibility of independent travel - I always seek to backpack independently and use local transport unless it's country where you're required to go on an organised tour (I did a tour of one in both Libya and Turkmenistan :) ). Has anyone done this recently? I was after an idea of the security situation, ease of finding transport, time that might be needed (would love to combine with Tunisia if possible), what it's like for a solo woman, etc. Obviously my main goal is Timgad, but the country as a whole looks amazing.
Also, does anyone have experience of the Algerian embassy in Canberra / know how likely it is to issue tourist visas?
Would appreciate any information!
Thanks, Pamela!
I’ve a US passport, live in California, and my Algerian visa took exactly two weeks door to door. I’m a single female traveling independently. This was in the month of August. They also gave me a 2-year, multiple-entry visa, good for 90-day stays, which I didn’t ask for but am delighted to get. There was a lot of paperwork involved, but my ducks were very much in order.
I’ve no idea why those other people were denied; perhaps there was evidence of a border crossing into Israel or maybe there was a piece of paperwork missing, so who knows.
Many thanks! Years ago I visited Igazu Falls and visited Ciudad del Este which was known Puerto Presidente Stroessner. However, this time I would like to visit Asuncion and other parts of Paraguay. Thanks again!
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