How to have Iguazu Falls to yourself

Iguazu Falls is the largest waterfall system in the world with 275 falls cascading down over 80 metres. Nothing prepares you for what you will see. It's mesmerising, powerful and will leave you forever in awe of Mother Nature's brilliance.

The only catch with something so magnificent are the crowds. Bus loads of them. Put hundreds of people in one place and you're bound to have a few problems. The quest for the ultimate selfie tends to bring out the worst in humans. It's all hustle, hustle, hustle - click, click, click. Some were quite put out that we just wanted to stand there and take it all in.

We had three days at Iguazu Falls. Two days to explore the Argentinian side and one day to get the panoramic view from the Brazilian side. And tip our toes onto Brazilian soil!

Day one was spent largely with my jaw to the ground, wandering the entire park seeing Iguazu from every angle possible; from above, from the side, from below and then taking a speed boat into the force of the falls.

As a crowd-hater, day two was going to be different. This chick hatched a plan. I was going to have Iguazu Falls to myself. This is how we did it.

You'll need:

A little bit of crazy in you
Ability to run 3km in under 20mins

Take the first bus at 7.20am from Puerto Iguazu to the Cataratas. The bus fills up fast. Elbows are required to ensure you get a seat (preferably towards the front). When you buy your bus ticket, ask for a park map so you can study on the bus and familiarise yourself with the paths you'll need as soon as you arrive.

Make sure you have cash for the park entrance fee to avoid dicking around with the ATM. The ATM line gets Donald Trump yuge.

Don't worry if you're not first in the line to enter the park. You'll notice that most of these people - in fact all of these people - will be taking the free Choo-Choo train. Don't do that. This is the opportunity to take the advantage. The park opens at 8am but the first train doesn't leave the entrance until 8.30am. It will take these delightful train-faring guests 20mins on the train and then 10mins to walk the platform to the highlight spot - The Devil's Throat. So you have exactly 30mins to get out there - 20 mins if you want a precious 10 minutes all to your glorious self. And that my friends is the most incredible thing to experience.

The second you get through the park entrance - it's go time. You've got a 3km sprint ahead of you. Just follow the train tracks - it's flat the whole way. There'll be times when you want to walk but just keep running - you'll be chewing into valuable 'alone time' with the falls.

Once you've reached the end of the train line, don't stop running. Hit the over-water walk ways at pace (don't worry, they're sturdy). You've got about 1km left. There's plenty of time to contemplate the view from these walkways on the return trip which you'll be grinning from ear to ear as the tourist brigade looks at you in awe saying to each other "heck, how are they coming back already, must be busy out there now". And they'll be right!

If you've kept pace, congratulations, you'll now have a full 15 minutes to behold the full magnificence of the Iguazu Falls. No people. No selfies. No other sounds. Just you, the birds and the full force of this epic natural wonder.

The Devil's Throat is by far the most impressive spot with 100,000's of litres of water pouring over the edge every second. The surround sound from the falls is constant and so strong the you listen with your heart.

Here are two great blog posts to help you with details about getting to and from Iguazu Falls and interesting info on how to plan out your days.

** This post is dedicated to my dad who turns 72 today. He's the fittest, most determined and disciplined man I know. Still able to run, cycle and ski faster than many of my friends. And he's totally mad with the crazy gene alive and well. My experience at Iguazu Falls has reaffirmed that I too have the crazy gene. Love you Dad.

To appreciate the ferocious force of the falls have a gander at these:

DO:

Iguazu Falls. If you can time it right, be there for the Full Moon. There are special tours and it would be an incredible sight to see.
Three borders. 15mins walking from the bus station in town lies an obelisk overlooking two converging rivers (Panara and Iguazu). These rivers neatly act as the borders between Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay - they feel within touching distance.

EAT & DRINK:

La Rueda, an upscale yet easily affordable restaurant on Avenida Córdoba 28.

SLEEP:

Casa 24 - we booked the Frida Suite which is a fabulous dedication to Frida. Paintings of Frida throughout, Frida amenities and even a Frida fridge.

GETTING THERE:

If you are super clever and book WAY in advance you might be able to secure a cheap return flight for $300 (the same price as the bus). Sadly the flights were double that when we went so we took the bus. It's 17 hours each way but the buses are brilliant - better than some business class flights with big fully reclining seats, meal service and English movies. I slept for 10 hours. It cost us AR$970 each way.