Huaraz has been informally dubbed Peru’s hiking capital, and in a country famous for the Inca Trail, that’s quite the compliment! Of course, like Cusco, Huaraz is just the regional base for all the amazing hiking that take’s place in the nearby mountain range – the Cordillera Blanca. The Cordillera […]
Author: Alan
Hiking the Santa Cruz Trek
The Santa Cruz Trek is a popular 4 day trek through the Cordillera Blanca mountain range, close to Huaraz in Northern Peru. The Cordillera Blanca is one of the most concentrated collection of sky touching mountains in all the world, with 33 summits reaching 5,400 meters or over. This trek […]
Laguna 69 Travel Guide: What you need to know
Laguna 69 is the most famous day trip hike from Huaraz, Peru (and arguably one of the most famous in all of Peru). It is a beautiful lake surrounded on all sides by snow capped mountains and makes for a perfect photo opportunity. The hike to the lake is technically […]
Laguna Paron: The Ultimate Day Trip Guide
Laguna Paron is the largest lake in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range, located in Northern Peru. It sits at an impressive 4,200 meters and is located about 100km from Huaraz, the tourist capital of the region. It was not on our wish list before we came to Huaraz (of course […]
Galapagos Islands on a Budget – Overview & Tips
The Galapagos Islands are on the bucket list of most travelers who visit South America. The sad truth is however that most backpacker’s simply cannot afford to visit the islands that Charles Darwin made famous. We struggled with this dilemma for many months; do we or don’t we visit the […]
Two day guide to the Quilotoa Loop: From Isinlivi to Quilotoa
The Quilotoa Loop is a group of trails through the Andes that either start or end at the Laguna Quilotoa. The trails encompass various different landscapes and altitudes and are a tough test for even experienced hikers. That said it is also one of the most rewarding hikes we have […]
Otavalo Travel Guide- More than just a market
Otavalo is an Andean town surrounded by volcanoes and located in the north of Ecuador. Famous in the guidebooks for it’s traditional market, we soon found that there is so much more to do there. It was our first stop in Ecuador, and after a couple of tough days crossing […]
Crossing the Colombia – Ecuador border
A quick Google search for information regarding crossing the border from Colombia to Ecuador throws up alot of information and blogs talking about the relative ease in which people have crossed it. One even described it as “the easiest border to navigate in South America”. The thing is it’s changed. […]
The Tatacoa Desert Guide – Colombia’s Hidden Gem
The Tatacoa Desert is an arid region located in the Huila region of Colombia. Despite it’s name the Tatacoa Desert isn’t actually a desert, locals will tell you that it’s a dry tropical forest. Images of sand dunes should be banished, Tatacoa more resembles areas like Utah or New Mexico […]
The Ultimate Guide to Cali – Colombia’s Salsa Capital
Cali (short for Santiago de Cali) is the capital of the Valle de Cauca region in Southwestern Colombia. A city of 3 million people it is best known for being the world capital of Salsa and also for infamous Cali Cartel. How we got to Cali We arrived in Cali […]
San Cipriano – Craziness by the Pacific
San Cipriano is a tiny village located in the Choco region of Colombia, not far from the city of Buenaventura. It is best to visit San Cipriano from Cali, either as a day trip or spend 1 night. The reason San Cipriano has appeared on the “Gringo Trail” is the […]
Top Things to do in Bogotá
Bogotá is Colombia’s capital and home to over 8 million people. The 3rd highest capital in South America (after Quito, Ecuador and Sucre, Bolivia), standing at 2,640m above sea level, Bogotá will quite literally take your breath away! A vast and sprawling city, the main tourist district is La Candelaria, where […]
San Gil – Colombia’s Adventure Capital
San Gil is a small town located in the Santander department of Colombia. It is known as Colombia’s adventure capital, and for good reason. Within close proximity to rivers and canyons, this town is the perfect town to appease the needs of all adrenaline junkies. How we got there – […]
El Camino Real – Barichara to Guane
One of the main reasons we came to San Gil was due to its close proximity to Barichara and the famous Camino Real. The Camino Real is a lovely 10km hike from Barichara to Guane, following a pre-colombian road that was rebuilt in the 1860’s. Barichara Cathedral To get to Barichara […]