You already know about the Incas and their impressive citadel of Machu Picchu, but have you heard of the Chimú and Moche civilizations? The Moche came first, building and then abandoning their grand city in the desert. The Moche civilization declined, which eventually led to the founding of Chan Chan, the capital of the Chimú empire and once the biggest … Read more
I should mention straight away that the trip from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales isn’t your typical cruise. There are no swimming pools, tennis courts, spas, fancy meals or alcohol. There is plenty of stunning scenery though, and at $300 for a 3 night trip it’s great value (we went in low season; it’s a lot … Read more
Warm (ish) sunny days, thin crowds and low prices…why wouldn’t you want to see Spain and Portugal in winter!? Here’s a quick guide on what to expect in the winter months, and also a rundown of the places we visited during our two week trip (this post is based on Portugal and the south of Spain, … Read more
The sacred valley is packed with fascinating Inca ruins — if you think Machu Picchu is the only site worth visiting then you are very much mistaken. Pisac is a sprawling ancient city located less than an hour away from Cusco. It makes for a great day trip and is, in my opinion, the other must-see … Read more
December has been my laziest travel month since finishing my teaching contract in Singapore back in April 2014. After a hectic year I needed a break, and choosing a place to be lazy (and get some work done) for a month was tough. I almost went down that typical travel blogger road – Chaing Mai … Read more
“Travel is glamorous only in retrospect” – Paul Theroux My feet and ankles throbbed with pain at the end of every day. Those last couple of kilometres were always the worst, and at those moments I lamented persisting with my half broken, fake Salomon hiking shoes that I bought in Nepal over a year ago. … Read more
Everyone seems to rave about Barcelona these days, but there’s another city nearby that is far more interesting. Ruled by Muslims until the late 1400s, Granada is a city full of history, style and natural beauty. There are some great small cities in Europe that sometimes get overshadowed by the iconic giants nearby — if … Read more
We walked into a small wooden house where an old man in a wheelchair was painting. We inched closer and saw the burst of colour and life that was growing on the canvas — an Eden-like depiction of the main islands in the Solentiname archipelago. That man was Rodolfo Aurellano and he’s been painting for over … Read more