South American frolics for ‘Survivor’ wannabes

If you’ve been watching the “Survivor” TV series and thinking you’d like to try an eco-tour -- without eating grubs or building your own shelter -- G.A.P. Adventures may have what you are looking for.

The company is known for guided small-group eco-adventures that give travelers a close look at foreign cultures. The groups often use public transportation and stay in small, family-run guesthouses.

Late this summer G.A.P. will introduce Evotreks, tours in exotic locations, with some accompanied by “Survivor” cast members. As on the TV series, participants will be divided into tribes and will take part in competitions, including scavenger hunts and cross-country races.

This spring two of the company’s standard tours, which visit South America, will be accompanied by two “Survivor” cast members: Lex van den Berghe (from “Survivor Africa”) and Rob DeCanio (from “Survivor Marquesas”).

They will lead a two-week tour to Peru’s Inca Trail, the Amazon and Lake Titicaca, starting May 17, for $1,695 (airfare to Peru is extra) and a seven-day “Amazon Lodge Adventure” in Ecuador, starting June 1, with hiking, canoeing and birding, for $1,250 plus airfare to Ecuador. For details, (800) 465-5600, www.gapadventures.com.

If you have more time on your hands and less money, here are two great information sources for do-it-yourself adventures to South America.

This year “Let’s Go,” the guidebook series researched and written by Harvard students, issued its first edition of “Let’s Go: Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia” ($22.99, St. Martin’s Press).

During her two-month research adventure, editor Megan Brumagim hiked the Inca Trail, flew over the mysterious Nasca lines of Peru (“a great $50 flight,” she said) and crouched in a bat cave in the Amazon Basin.

Brumagim discovered that traveling in the Amazon gave her new skills -- patience, for one. “I like to plan things pretty rigidly. I was just shocked at how the transportation system worked,” she said. “You would be scheduled to leave at 10 a.m. and you’d end up leaving at 3 in the afternoon.

“Things are not always going to go as smoothly as you would want, and it’s a great idea to be as prepared as possible.... Have water, clothing, malaria pills and insect repellent with you at the time, so you can make the best of a bad situation,” Brumagim said.

“After I accepted the fact that there are going to be these things I’m going to run into that I won’t have ever expected, it turned out to be fun.”

Another great source of advice and information for South America-bound backpackers: the South American Explorers ([607] 277-0488, www.samexplo .org). It costs $50 per year to join, and it’s money well spent.

The club has offices in Lima and Cuzco, Peru, and Quito, Ecuador, where travelers can drop in and read trip reports, get recommendations for local tour companies and more.

It also has an online message board with helpful pre-trip information.

*

Until April 30, Greyhound ([800] 229-9424, www.greyhound.com) is offering a $99 round-trip fare if you have a Student Advantage Card. You must book at least three days in advance, and April 18 is a blackout day. It costs $20 for a card valid until July 31, or $30 for cards valid until July 2004. A $2.50 delivery fee is charged for online bookings. The Student Advantage Card is sold on campuses, at Greyhound terminals and online ([800] 333-2920, www.studentadvantage.com).

Lucy Izon is a Toronto-based freelance travel writer and author of “Izon’s Backpacker Journal.” Her Internet site is www.izon.com.