Author: Alan Lyall
Top 10 things to do in Cusco, Peru
by Alan Lyall on
Cusco is one of Peru’s top holiday destinations, thanks to its proximity to Machu Picchu and its own vast array of attractions. Andean Trails’ owner Kathy Jarvis has been visiting Cusco for more than two decades, while Fiona Cameron lived in the bubbly and bustling Inca city for more than 12 years. Here we share …
Galapagos Islands Cruise: Alan’s dream
by Alan Lyall on
Alan tours the Galapagos Islands Alan Lyall has just got back from a dream trip to the magical Galapagos Islands, where he cruised for a week on the Letty, one of the first class Eric, Flamingo and Letty series of boats. Check his photos on Facebook, and read his colourful and honest day-by day account of Galapagos …
Ecuador: Part II of Alan’s tales from Ecuador
by Alan Lyall on
Alan’s Ecuador tales, part II Alan’s second Ecuador blog sees him think he’s back in Scotland, take a taxi through the clouds and scour Cuenca for a cannily-priced Panama hat…. Alan writes: “Cuenca is a beautiful city in the southern Ecuadorean Andes with a well-preserved colonial centre, and is the home of the Panama …
Ecuador: Alan’s travel tales from Ecuador
by Alan Lyall on
Ecuador travel tales, by Alan Andean Trails’ Alan reports back after his first week exploring Ecuador, which has seen him befriend ice cream sellers, cross the equator three times in a day and sleep in a hotel with a plane in the garden…….. Alan writes: “We landed on time and the new airport at …
Part 1: Trekking from Bolivia to Peru
by Alan Lyall on
In the first of a three-blog series, Peter Farrington recalls his journey on Andean Trails’ exploratory 33-day trek through Bolivia’s Andean peaks via Lake Titicaca and up to Peru’s Inca capital, Cusco. Peter begins: “It was a cold dark night at 4,000m. I staggered under the weight of my pack. Within a few …
Torres del Paine – Summer Wonderland
by Alan Lyall on
Torres del Paine National Park The last time I went to the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, it was with a group on our Patagonia Highlights tour. We approached the park on a brilliantly sunny day with the wind forcefully propelling us towards this UNESCO Biosphere reserve. On nearing the park, the granite …
Pisco sour cocktail recipe
by Alan Lyall on
Pisco sour recipe It’s time to shelve your GnT, grab a Pisco sour and start to plan your South American adventure holiday. Pisco sour is fast becoming one of the most sought after cocktails in the world, and you are sure to come across in Peru and Chile. This is the “Pisco Sour” recipe that has …
Inspirational travel story for older travellers
by Alan Lyall on
Inspirational traveller Lucilla Butler shares her inspirational story to inspire older travellers to head off to South America on an adventure. Getting to know Lucilla, her sense of adventure and spirit, we couldn’t help but be inspired by her and asked her to write a few words we could share with others and hopefully inspire …
Alan’s Top 10 things to do in Santiago
by Alan Lyall on
Santiago: Top 10 things to do Andean Trails’ Alan lived many years in Santiago, Chile’s capital, and here he shares his Top 10 things to do there. He says: “Santiago, the capital of Chile, is a buzzing city of nearly 6 million people. It nestles into the Andes with peaks of nearly 6,000m soaring above the …
Chile’s Fiestas Patrias
by Alan Lyall on
Celebrating Chile’s Fiestas Patrias “Around this time of the year I get nostalgic for one of my past lives..the one when I lived in Chile – for Fiestas Patrias,” explains Andean Trails’ Alan. “The 18th of September is Chilean independence and it is one of several days celebrating the Fiestas Patrias or National Holidays. It is …