Money exchange: Asuncion and at border towns cash and travelers' checks. Some travelers have reported that exchanges will not cash travelers' checks without the bill of sale. Street changers give slightly lower rates, and for cash only, but can be helpful on weekends or evenings. Better hotels, restaurants and shops in Asuncion accept credit cards, but their use is less common outside the capital. Paraguayan ATMs generally do not recognize foreign credit cards.

In restaurants, tip about 10% of the bill. Taxi drivers do not require tips, you may round off the fare.

The climate in eastern Paraguay is humid, with rainfall evenly distributed throughout the year. Temperatures are almost universally hot in summer (January to March), averaging 35°C (95°F), but can drop as low as 5°C (41°F) in winter (July to September). Frosts at this time are not uncommon, but there is little or no snowfall. Temperatures are higher in the Chaco and the rainfall is more erratic.

The Chaco area, consisting mainly of empty plains and forests, provides a habitat for hundreds of wildlife and bird species. After the Amazon, this is America’s second largest forest area, whose national parts and biological reserves are popular among enthusiasts of ecotourism.

Currency: Guarani