South America is a continent with a colourful colonial past which has shaped the rich culture you can find across its 14 diverse countries today.
With its fascinating cities and abundance of natural beauty, it’s also one of the most up-and-coming travel destinations in recent years, especially for backpackers looking for authentic cultural experiences, outdoor adventures and plenty of fun party hostels.
Brazil is the largest and probably the most famous country in the region, with the exciting seaside city of Rio de Janeiro and its annual carnival – the biggest of its type in the world.
But there’s plenty more to do in South America than celebrating carnival in Brazil.
Colombia is somewhere I was fortunate enough to explore slowly over two fantastic months. There are so many amazing places to visit in Colombia, from the colourful Spanish Colonial City of Cartagena to the hipster vibe of Medellin.
In Argentina, you’ve got the vibrant city of Buenos Aires with its unique attractions such as the unusual Tierra Santa, the world’s first Religious Theme Park and the dramatic and picturesque scenery of Patagonia which it shares with neighbouring Chile.
Plus don’t forget about the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia or trekking the famous Inca Trail in Peru.
That first time traveling alone can be daunting – a new location, a life left behind and no idea what the future holds. Yet not many people share these stories of the hard moments. They shout from the rooftops about how they’re travelling the world and living the dream. In this post, my guest writer, Mary … Read more
As the sun (almost) sets on another year I’m so happy to be sitting here writing these words: “I’ve had an amazing year of travel”. They’re the kind of words that can make people want to push your smug little face into the dirt, but I hope you’ll forgive my boasting because my amazing year … Read more
After spending two months of (slow) travel in Colombia, here’s my list of the best places to visit in Colombia and what to see and do when you’re there. This article isn’t intended to be a detailed guide to the country, more of a taster of the things to do in Colombia during a first visit. Whether you … Read more
Want to know why Medellin is the best place to learn Spanish in Colombia? Read on… As usual, I didn’t do much research abosiut Colombia before landing in the country, but I did know that I was in desperate need of some more Spanish classes. My first stop in Colombia was Cartagena and a quick search on … Read more
I get asked on a regular basis where is the best place I’ve visited. It’s a hard question to answer because over the years I’ve fallen in love with so many destinations and all for different reasons. However, someone asked me a slightly different version of this travel question the other day: where is the … Read more
On 20th September 2010 I set off on an around the world trip that I thought would last a year. As my career break came to an end, I knew that I couldn’t go back – not because I’d done anything illegal (that I’d been caught for), but because wanderlust has taken root so deep … Read more
Whenever I meet travelers en route to South or Central America, I’m always quick to pass on my list of recommended hostels in Latin America, not least because I know what it’s like to turn up at a place and wonder if Hell might have any vacancies as a better alternative. A hostel, the … Read more
Indiana Jo – cycling from Alaska to Patagonia and climbing the highest points of each country in between? Given I’m very wobbly on two feet, let alone on wheels, I can’t proudly claim that achievement, but Thomas Laussermair can. Taking a staggering 14 months and who knows how much energy expended, Thomas has kindly agreed … Read more
With an ever so slight tequila hangover I set out on what would prove to be a long journey to the Pantanal. After 14 hours by overnight bus (‘Philip’ my bus buddy encroaching on my personal space for most of it, though at least he had the courtesy to introduce himself first before stretching his … Read more
The Brazilian Caipirinha After months of blogging I thought I’d do a post to inspire you for the weekend….a recipe for my favourite South American Cocktail – the Brazilian Caipririnha. The Caipirinha is made from Cachaca (pronounced Ka-cha-sa – I didn’t know that!) a brazilian rum made from sugar cane. Ingredients 2 limes … Read more