Travel – South America

After Dead Woman’s Pass

This is one of my favourite photos. I’m not sure why. Maybe because it’s downhill and I like walking downhill.  This was also taken when we had just finished hiking up to Dead Woman’s pass on the Inca Trail. It’s the highest point and I was out of shape – I was glad that it was over!

Starting Santa Cruz

This is the beginning of the Santa Cruz trek in the Cordillera Blanca mountains in Peru. This must be one of the most beautiful trails I’ve ever hiked. We were lucky and met some great people on this trip too!

Torres del Paine

This is the path to Mirador Cuernos in Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia, Chile. It’s one of the most scenic places I’ve ever visited. It’s also one of the windiest! The wind in Torres del Paine is crazy!  Gusts would appear from nowhere, knocking us down like demons.  We could hardly stand up, let alone walk, at some […]

Hiking up Tunupa Volcano

This is a guy in our group making his way up Tunupa Volcano. Tunupa is a dormant volcano that lies above the salt flats in Bolivia. This part’s about 5,000m up. It started to get pretty steep at this point. I was exhausted and hadn’t been well for a few days. I probably shouldn’t have done it but I’m glad […]

Best Buses in Argentina

I’d heard people rave about the long haul buses in Argentina, “they’re like business class flights” I was told, “you’ll love them!”. So, I was pretty disappointed when our first long haul bus journey was on an average looking bus with a stinky broken toilet with the heating cranked up to sauna temperatures. Here’s a take on what I believe […]

Tips for a Great South America Itinerary

When we were planning our trip to South America, we knew we would be pushed for time but didn’t quite realise how much! Time and travel is personal. Some can afford lots of internal flights, others are disgusted by people doing “highlight” tours, and insist on staying for three months in each country. You’ll figure out what’s best for you, […]

Read this Before Booking a Salt Flats Tour

If you’re in Bolivia or the far north of Argentina or Chile, you really can’t miss visiting the Salt Flats. Contrary to what I expected, it isn’t just one big white area – expect emerald green lakes, volcanic landscapes, amazing rock formations, bubbling pools of sulphurous mud, and gorgeous pink flamingo specked lagoons – it is stunningly beautiful! Visiting the area […]

Iguazu Falls – Which Side is Better?

Iguazu Falls is one of the natural wonders of the world. It is huge, and sits across three countries – Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. It’s easy to visit both the Argentinian and Brazilian sides of the falls. Both are very different experiences, so it’s worth visiting both. The Brazilian side is known for sweeping views of the falls, whereas on the Argentinian […]

W Trek – Accommodation and Camping

There are several accommodation options on the W Trek. Refugios Refugios are basically expensive up market hostels at Glaciar Grey, Paine Grande, Los Cuernos, El Chileno, and near Hosteria Las Torres (where there are two, Refugio Torre Central and a smaller one called Refugio Torre Norte). In refugios you stay in dorm rooms with between 6-9 beds in each room with shared bathroom […]