Uyuni salt flats – why pay more? by Kat Dougal on 10th March, 2016 Uyuni salt flats – why pay more? Many ask what the difference is between the 3 day Uyuni Salt Flats tour we offer and the more budget alternatives you will find advertised in Uyuni. Kat travelled to Uyuni to find out first hand why it is worth stretching your budget and is sharing her experience …
Cusco, month by month guide when to go by Kat Dougal on 19th February, 2016 Cusco, month by month guide when to go The best weather and the best time to visit Cusco? It’s all relative now, says Cusco resident and tour guide Mark Smith. He writes: Once upon a time, “Peru season” was very much April to October, but as in much of the world the weather has …
Top 10 things to do in La Paz by Kat Dougal on 10th December, 2015 Things 10 things to do in La Paz 1. Cholito wrestling. Ladies of La Paz get mean and wrestle every Sunday afternoon. It’s best to get a taxi to and from the neighbourhood – read more in Kat’s blog. 2. Witches’ market The ‘chifleras’ or witches are on Calle Linares, close to the main …
Toro Toro National Park, a hidden gem of Bolivia. by Kat Dougal on 26th November, 2015 Toro Toro National Park, Bolivia Our friend Remy van den Berg takes us through his impressions of Bolivia’s Toro Toro National Park, a hidden gem of Bolivia. He writes: “The best thing about the whole experience was that we were the only people at all of these natural wonders. Our Toro Toro experience was …
Bolivia’s Toro Toro National Park by Kat Dougal on 26th March, 2015 Bolivia’s Toro Toro National Park On her recent Bolivia trip, Kat was keen to include a visit to little visited Toro Toro National Park. Kat writes: “Travelling to Toro Toro National Park certainly felt like a proper adventure, starting with a bumpy 4-hour journey after my guide picked me up at Cochabamba airport. I …
Uyuni Salt Flats, Bolivia – backpacker or eco-hotel? by Kat Dougal on 6th February, 2015 Salt flats of Uyuni, Bolivia Kat compares the backpacker and eco-hotel Salt Flats of Uyuni tour packages in this week’s blog, from a comfort and community viewpoint. Revisiting Bolivia recently allowed Kat to reflect on the changes in her and her travel style, too. She writes: “The Salt Flats of Uyuni are a truly spectacular …
Cholita Wrestling – the tough ladies of La Paz by Kat Dougal on 31st October, 2014 Cholita Wrestling – the tough ladies of La Paz So you think you are tough? Read on to find out about Kat’s recent encounter with the female Cholita Wrestlers of La Paz, where she met some truly feisty ladies. Kat writes: “I was picked up at my La Paz hotel for Sunday afternoon entertainment …
Bolivia & La Paz: Top Tips for families by Kat Dougal on 26th September, 2014 Bolivia & La Paz: Top Tips for families Kat found Bolivia’s La Paz a great place for families as she shares her Bolivia trip memories as well as photos on Facebook. Kat writes: “This was the first time I left my little girl and husband behind. But even as I was travelling without my …
Volunteer in the Amazon Jungle by Kat Dougal on 20th June, 2014 Volunteer in the Amazon Jungle Kat takes us into the Amazon on a volunteering project which may inspire you to pack up and do the same. Check her Facebook photos for some irresistibly cute pictures, and read on … Kat writes: “My first big travel adventure was a six month trip to South America …
Typical day in Amazon rainforest of Peru by Kat Dougal on 23rd May, 2014 Typical day in Amazon rainforest of Peru Andean Trails’ Kat describes a day’s holiday in the Amazon rainforest at Peru’s Refugio Amazonas and Tambopata Research Centre (TRC). The sights, smells and beauty of it all takes her back to an earlier time.. Kat writes: “The heat hits me as soon as I step …
Empanada recipe: traditional method from Buenos Aires, Argentina by Kat Dougal on 11th April, 2014 Empanada recipe Our Alan shares two decades of South America living and empanada making with this delicious empanada recipe. Try it at home or travel to Argentina, Chile or Patagonia and eat them in situ. As a great person once said: “Nam nam!” Alan writes: “Empanadas – pasties or turnovers – are a delicacy all …
Top 10 things to do in Quito, Ecuador by Kat Dougal on 10th January, 2014 Quito: Top 10 things to do Guest blogger Abby Clark shares her Top 10 things to do in and around Quito, Ecuador. She writes: “Quito, the capital city of Ecuador, is on the equator, and is the highest capital city in world, at 2800 metres above sea level. Its old town, Centro Historico, boasts …
Travelling as a new parent: nappies, sleepless nights and wanderlust by Kat Dougal on 19th December, 2013 Holidays and travel as a new parent Kat has returned to work after maternity leave and looks forward to her new lifestyle with her husband Dave and their lovely wee daughter, Lina. Kat writes: “It will change your life, they told me. And how right they were. In February my daughter Lina was born …
Peru Family Fun: holiday ideas with kids in Peru by Kat Dougal on 24th May, 2013 Family fun in Peru All you need to know about a family holiday to Peru, from a family that went… Sarah was aged four and due to start school. Her mum Alison McDonald decided that the best preparation for Sarah was an adventure in Peru. Alison recalls a fantastic family trip (organised by Andean Trails) …
Aji de Gallina – classic recipe by Kat Dougal on 18th October, 2012 Aji de Gallina recipe “I learned to cook the delicious Peruvian food Aji de Gallina when I was in the jungle at the magical Tambopata Research Centre in Peru,” says Andean Trails’ Kat. One morning it was really far too rainy to watch colourful macaws and monkeys swinging from the tree tops because they were …
Viva Ecuador – why I love travel by Kat Dougal on 21st September, 2012 Kat travels to Ecuador “The first time I ventured to South America I ended up in Ecuador,” says Andean Trails Kat of catching the travel bug there. “I say “ended up” because that’s exactly what happened. I’d always had a thing for South America – but where exactly I didn’t really know. I ended up …