Lake Titicaca: Stay Overnight on Amantani island by Gill Christie on 1st November, 2024 Lake Titicaca: Stay overnight on Amantani Island Gill takes us onto the waters of Peru’s famous Lake Titicaca and describes her overnight stay with a local family on Amantani Island. She writes: “Lake Titicaca in Peru is the highest of the world’s lakes. Perched 3, 810 metres above sea level on a plateau in the …
How Farming Fights Food Insecurity & Climate Change by Tom Shearman on 21st November, 2023 Students Study Food Insecurity & Climate Change in Peru University of Edinburgh students and teachers report back from Peru, where they learned how traditional farming techniques could help prevent climate change and reduce food insecurity. The team visited coastal Lima, the Cusco Highlands, and the cloud forest. For Andean Trails and our local team, it …
Cotopaxi Lodge to Lodge Trek: a Traveller’s Review by Kat Dougal on 1st June, 2023 Trekking in the foothills of Cotopaxi Return customers Patti McCarthy and her family recently travelled with Andean Trails around Ecuador and shared their experiences of trekking the Lodge to Lodge trek in Cotopaxi National Park with us. Up close to the mighty Cotopaxi Mountain weather is notoriously unsettled and unpredictable, but the volcano Cotopaxi is …
Coral Galapagos Cruise: A Traveller’s Review by Tom Shearman on 9th September, 2022 Andean Trails’ traveller Jana Meerman has just returned from the diversity and magic — her words — of the Galapagos Islands. Jana and her folks chose the Galapagos to celebrate her dad’s 60th birthday. They weren’t disappointed. Jana, a travel blogger and photographer, describes their August trip, what to expect, and the wildlife she encountered. …
Buenos Aires Tasting Menu by Alan Lyall on 8th November, 2019 Alan was recently in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, where an important question was what to eat in Buenos Aires. This is the story of his personal experience of an evening of a tasting menu experience. He writes: Tasting menu – a lot of small “funny” dishes designed to confuse and challenge …
A travel diary of a day and night on Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni by Kathy Jarvis on 9th August, 2019 Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni has inspired travellers for decades – read our travel expert’s guide to a day and night on these magnificent salt flats. He writes: I woke around 5.30am, put on my down jacket and left the (relative) warmth of my salt hotel to walk down to watch the coldest sunrise …
Aida Maria Travel Review: Cruising the Galapagos Islands by Tom Shearman on 10th May, 2019 Les and Heather Bunce booked a last-minute Aida Maria Cruise with Andean Trails to cap off a 5-month tour of South America. Read Les’ excellent blog and pictures from his week in Galapagos. Setting the scene The sea before me is coloured a pale deepening to deep azure blue banded with black volcanic …
The Inca Trail and the Lares Trek with kids, Peru by Kathy Jarvis on 3rd May, 2019 Kathy, Andean Trails’ director, is just back from a trip to Peru over Easter. “ April is a fabulous time to travel to Peru. We have school holidays around Easter but many people don’t so flights are readily available and there are not many tourists around. The weather was excellent and the countryside stunningly …
Essential Travel Guide to Puerto Madryn in Argentina by Tom Shearman on 19th April, 2019 Our visitor’s guide to Puerto Madryn gives lots of ideas, tips and advice to help plan your holiday to this scenic corner of Patagonia, Argentina. Read first hand advice from our travel expert Tom Shearman who spent 10 days exploring the region. “Puerto Madryn is a fairly large town of around 100,000 souls, first …
Travel Guide to Chalalan, Bolivia’s Amazon jungle lodge in Madidi National Park by Tom Shearman on 28th March, 2019 The journey started with a short, 30-minute and spectacular flight from La Paz (sit on the left), up and over the Bolivian Andes before dropping down into the steamy Amazon at Rurrenbaque airport. A tiny airport increased the special feeling that accompanies visiting a remote area. My backside did not feel so special after the …
Patagonia Traveller’s blog: Fitzroy, Paine and Ushuaia by Kathy Jarvis on 15th March, 2019 Larry and Gillian are coming to the end of their month of travelling with Andean Trails in Patagonia. We put together a tour designed to take them off-the-beaten-track – read the first instalment in their blog – covering Santiago and Aysen and remote border crossings. Once in Argentina, Gillian and Larry trekked to the base of …
Adventure holiday highlights in Aysen, Northern Patagonia, Chile by Kathy Jarvis on 1st March, 2019 Larry and Gillian are on a 4 week adventure through Patagonia. Currently they are just half way through and enjoying the small Argentinean frontier town of El Chalten, and walks to the magnificent granite spires of Fitzroy and Cerro Torre. They have sent some fabulous photos and some comments on their highlights so far. …
Self-drive and self-guided trekking holiday in Patagonia by Tom Shearman on 1st February, 2019 Steve Smith and Karla Miller took a 4-week trip with Andean Trails to celebrate Steve’s 50th birthday. The couple started at the mighty Iguazu Falls then flew to Ushuaia to start a series of treks; Montes Martial, and then self-guided in Chalten and Chile’s Paine W in Torres del Paine National Park. After …
Incallajta, Cochabamba, Bolivia by Tom Shearman on 23rd August, 2018 Want to visit Inca ruins, far away from the crowds? Then head to Incallajta, write Andean Trails’ Tom, to remote and beautiful Inca ruins that are the largest in all Bolivia. He writes: More than 500 years ago and having conquered much of what are the modern day mountains of Peru and Bolivia, …
The Patagonia Highlights Trekking Tour Experience by Alan Lyall on 20th July, 2018 The majesty of Southern Patagonia can be experienced along the trekking trails of the Glaciares National Park in Argentina, infront of the impressive Perito Moreno Glacier, under the granite spires of Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park and driving across enigmatic Tierra del Fuego. This can all be experienced on Andean Trails fully escorted small group Patagonia Highlights trekking …
Tren de la Libertad – a train ride from Ibarra to Salinas, Ecuador by Kat Dougal on 22nd June, 2018 Kat and her family hopped aboard the Tren de la Libertad and experience the beautiful change in scenery from the highlands town of Ibarra to the lowlands village of Salinas, surrounded by sugar plantations. Kat writes… Ibarra – leaving the hustle and bustle behind The train – well a train car, a hybrid between …
An Ecuador family holiday review from a travel expert (and parent) by Kat Dougal on 19th June, 2018 Kat has returned from Ecuador and is still enjoying the afterglow –read on for her sum up of their family adventure as we ask her about all things Ecuador. Where have you just been? I have just returned from Ecuador where I spent 3,5 weeks with my husband and two young daughters (3 …
Jaguar spotting in Amazon rainforest, Peru by Tom Shearman on 13th October, 2017 Jaguar spotting We’d been cruising upriver for two hours when the engine noise suddenly cut and a whispered word rose above the lapping of the muddy Amazon river water. “Jaguar,”. Ten souls stirred from soporific slumber and eyes started to scan the riverside. Spanish speakers stole a march as the boat captain murmured: “Izquierda, …
All about hats – South America Travel Observations by Kathy Jarvis on 6th October, 2017 Hats in South America Patti McCarthy has just returned from the trip of a lifetime with Andean Trails that included Argentina, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. She enjoyed her trip so much and was fascinated by the hats (and the wearers!) she came across that she was inspired to write this hat blog. Patti writes: I have always been fascinated by the …
Savouring the wines of the Andes by Alan Lyall on 6th October, 2017 Savouring the wines South America and in particular Chile and Argentina have placed themselves firmly on the map with their fine good value wines. For those of us who like a wee tipple, a glass or two with some good food or in a spectacular location after a great day of adventures is heaven. At Andean Trails, we have …
