Whenever you mention Cusco you can bet that Machu Picchu isn’t far away from entering the conversation. Cusco is the city you’ll pass through on the way to that wonder of the world, but there are plenty of Spanish colonial buildings, Inca ruins and quaint neighbourhoods to keep you busy before (or after) heading to Machu … Read more
Crossing the border between Colombia and Ecuador at Ipiales was a laid back affair — the actual border crossing took less than an hour and there is also a pretty amazing church in town that you should definitely check out. Here are the details… Arriving in Ipiales We took a bus from Popayan to Ipiales, … Read more
After gorging on paradise white sand beaches in Asia, I couldn’t help but think about the coastal areas in my own neck of the woods. A world away in both distance and looks, the rugged stretch of coast just south of Dunedin (my home town) known as the Catlins is somehow just as stunning. On … Read more
Historic buildings usually come in two flavours; either restored to within an inch of their lives or crumbling away like a fading tan. Which is better? That’s for us all to decide, but if you visit Antigua you’ll get the best of both worlds. You’ll see carefully restored colonial houses with pretty facades and doors, … Read more
You’ve seen the photos, you’ve dreamt of visiting, but what is a morning spent wandering around Machu Picchu really like? Keep reading to find out! Machu Picchu covered in clouds After a short, uphill walk from the entrance gate, the stone city of Machu Picchu and its jagged, emerald mountain surroundings come into full view. … Read more
The Quilotoa Loop is a multi-day trek between rural Andean villages in Ecuador. We chose to skip the “multi day” part and head straight for the showpiece attraction, the amazing Laguna Quilotoa, a crater lake full of varying shades of blue water. Feeling lazy and want to do the same? Keep reading! Arriving in Quilotoa … Read more
We thought long and hard about whether we should visit the Galapagos Islands while sitting in a tourist agency in Quito, Ecuador. We eventually decided that we couldn’t afford it. A month later we were on a boat headed to Islas Ballestas (Ballestas Islands), a great option for those of us without the funds to … Read more
Have you ever been to a place that looks amazing in photos but turns out to be a bit disappointing? Laguna 69 isn’t one of those places; it’s impossible to capture the full scale of its beauty. Despite sounding like it was named by a porn star, Laguna 69 is somewhere you should go out … Read more