Try to focus on one particular area of Latin America if you go during your gap year, or you will spend the whole time on buses, says Mike from Tucan Travel Budget Expeditions.

He suggests including some of the following highlights, whatever your itinerary:

• Iguazu Falls - between Argentina and Brazil. Best to see the waterfalls from the Brazilian side, he advises. Take a raincoat, as the spray hits you on the platforms while you listen to the roar of about 75 different waterfalls.
• Rio de Janeiro - book well in advance for Brazil's Carnival week - scheduled for 17th-20th February, 2007. Prices skyrocket, he says, but you can still obtain tickets for the Sambadrome for as little as £12. Spend a week enjoying the street parades, and visit the beaches, the statue of Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain.
• Moreno Glacier - 5 km long - in Patagonia, Argentina.
• La Boca - colourful neighbourhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
• Peru - he calls "the crown in the South American tourist economy". You can see most of the main sights in two weeks.
• Ballestas Islands - he says 'the poor man's Galapagos Islands' in Peru are a good place to spot seals and birdlife.
• Salar de Uyuni - reflections from Bolivia's salt flats provide the perfect photo opportunity.
• Torres de Paine - scenic national park in Southern Chile.