PARAGUAY
In March 2021 I had the opportunity to visit Paraguay! I have this itch to finish out South America since I only have a few countries left, and I saw a cheap ticket to Asuncion from Miami. Often times I look for the cheapest route from cities like LAX, Chicago, Miami, and Atlanta and then using my Southwest points I’ll book a flight to that city before taking my international flight.
eNTRY REQUIREMENTS
From Miami, all I needed was a health declaration form, negative PCR test, and a crisp $150 USD for the visa on arrival. And when I mean “crisp,” I mean, straight-off-the-press brand new bills. I had $20 bills that were 2017 or later plus no tears or markings, but they wouldn’t accept them! They really had to be brand new, but in the US a lot of banks aren’t getting new bills because of covid. Luckily there was an ATM next to the visa on arrival booth that I could withdraw money, but don’t count on it.
Another thing to note, the only reason I was flying into Asuncion was to get the visa on arrival. It’s the only way to get it without having to go to a consulate somewhere else, otherwise I would have rather flown to Iguazu Falls and crossed the border into Paraguay that way.
WHAT TO SEE IN ASUNCION
Originally my plan was to hop on a bus and go straight to Monday Falls in Ciudad del Este, but apparently the government decided to shut down the whole bus system for Easter week, which put a wrench in all my plans. I usually avoid taxis, but I found a wholesome driver to take me to get a sim card and find a hostel to stay at for the week (Policarpo +595984159826).
WHERE TO STAY IN ASUNCION
I stayed at Hostal El Nomada, which was walking distance to all the sights in the city center and had a really nice atmosphere. Policarpo also picked me up one day to take me to Jardin de Yacare Yrupe, where they have these giant lilypads. The locals will take you on their boat and you can paddle around on the water. For me, that was the highlight of my stay in Asuncion, Paraguay. I would’ve liked to stay longer and explored the waterfalls near Ciudad del Este and the Jesuit ruins of Trinidad in the south, but maybe one day I’ll be back! Especially now that I have that handy visa!
