Chile

Chile does not get the backpacker hype it deserves. While everyone queues for Machu Picchu or argues about which Colombian city wins, this razor-thin strip of a country is quietly running some of the best nightlife, cheapest craft beer scenes, and most genuinely welcoming hostel cultures in all of South America. This is the survival guide that gets you through it without blowing your budget, missing the best spots, or spending your first night in the wrong part of Santiago.