Iguazu Falls

Voted as one of the seven natural worlds, Iguazu falls is one of the most imposing natural attraction in Argentina as well as the world.

Probably one of the most debated question is whether to visit falls on both countries. And the next question would be the visa requirement.

Should you see both Falls?

Time permitting, by all means, do both.  

The Brazil side gives you a more panoramic view of the falls.  The time needed here is really between 3-5 hours.  We did three hours without the helicopter ride.  The trail here is short. Most people found Devil's Throat impressive.  But I found the walkway here as impressive as well.  To me, it was rather nerve-wrecking experience to walk the edge and literally on top  of the plunging falls. The thundering sounds and the view of looking down the treacherous waters right underneath your feet are priceless and scary at the same time.  With just a tiny bit of negative imagination of "what ifs", I could sense some chill crawling up my spines within seconds.  

Both sides provide boat rides to the falls.  We did ours on Argentina's side.  Do keep in mind, only Brazilian side provides helicopter ride.

In terms of national park, I prefer the one in Argentina. It takes at least a full day if not more to visit all trails to see various falls.  You feel more like walking in the jungles/woods and at every few turns you would be greeted by another remarkable view of falls.  Some elevated metal walkways are slippery, therefore wearing flip-flop might be convenient but truly not recommended, unless it has great grip.   

Should you take the speedboat ride?

If your heart condition is not an issue, and your love for adrenaline rush is more important than your concern of "safety",  Yes! Yes! Do it.  I had great memory for the boat ride in Niagara Falls.  That one was in a much bigger boat, slow and steady.  But the one in Argentina is on a speedboat:  small, fast.  Once the driver signaled us to sit tight we knew what was coming... I held tight and be ready to rock.  We screamed our heads off as the driver sped in and out of the falls, subjecting us to the pounding water..  We were doused thoroughly.  The dangerous current rocked the boat back and forth.  LOVE it. Do pack all your belonging into the provided water-proof bag, especially your camera, unless you want to total yours.  It was a marvellous, unforgettable experience.

Visa to Brazil?

Yes, for Americans, it requires visa to see the Brazil falls.

Where to stay?

In Puerto Iguazú of Argentina or Foz do Iguaçu of Brazil? Foz do Iguacu, being a much larger city than Puerto Iguazu, has more hotels/hostels and at a more competitive prices to choose from. Due to our next flight being in IGR, we stayed at Residencial Arcoiris, a B&B in Puerto Iguazu.  We loved it.  The host and his wife were incredibly friendly and helpful.  He speaks zero English and me zero Spanish. So, could you imagine how we communicate?  We literally communicated via translate.google.com on our smart phones and tons of body language.  It was a great and funny experience.

How to get around?

There are public buses travel between the Falls on both countries. Tickets can be purchased at the stations.  To save time, instead, we hired a taxi for a day (9 hours) for AR$600 to take us to Itaipu Dam and the Brazil falls.  It was money well spent. The driver speaks fluent English. He satisfied my curiosity about Argentina and Brazil. His remark on Argentine and Brazilians was suprising.  He attributed the poverty of Argentina to the laziness of her people.  The prosperity difference between Foz do Iguacu and Puerto Iguazu is enormous. One is a big and clean city; the other tiny and filthy town.  From his sharing, we were glad that we stay in Puerto Iguazu.  At average, a bottle of water in restaurants in Argentina ranges from AR$20 to AR$30, but in Brazil, it would be at least double if not triple.  

We also shared taxi with the other two tourists from the town center to the Iguazu Falls at the bus station.  Be flexible and vigilants.  That could save you $$.

What to eat?

Seafood seems big here.  But we had steak, and of course wine..  :)