Travel Articles: South America

On our fourth day in the Galapagos, we started the day in Punta Pitt, where we stayed for the morning. While we were docked, we had the incredible opportunity to see a group of pilot whales swimming near our ship. This was indeed a fantastic sight for all of us.



Mai and I came to the conclusion that we should not participate in the excursion …

On our third day, we landed at South Plaza in the morning and walked through the Cactus Forest, where we saw giant cacti again. There are newly planted opuntia with fences to guard them against land iguanas while they are still growing. This is a project of the Charles Darwin Foundation to preserve and grow more of these cacti. And there, at South …

After we disembarked in Puerto Ayora, we met a new guide, Maria, and a driver who took us to the Charles Darwin Research Station. Our driver dropped us off at the entrance, and we walked for about 15 minutes to reach Fausto Llerena Breeding Center. We were there around 7:00 AM, so the shops and restaurants were still closed. At the breeding …

We explored Isla Lobos the following morning. The name means sea lion; thus, we found many of them here, either lounging in the sand or playing in the water. We also did a mini-hike on rocks and saw some birds, including these blue-footed boobies. One of them is dancing and showing off its wings and feet, which I think is part of their courting …

The next morning, we were in Gardner Bay - a beautiful white sand beach. The first ones we spotted were Espanola mockingbirds, a species endemic to the island, digging for food and water in the sand.

An oystercatcher also looking for food.



We also had our luck to see this swimming marine iguana! An extraordinary sight to see.



And of …

On our 7th day, we were at Cormorant Point in the morning. We hiked for a few minutes to reach this lagoon where we expected to see flamingos, but we didn't see one, probably because it was a bit dry.



Here is our picture from one of the viewpoint on the left side of the lagoon where there was water, but still no flamingos can be seen. …

We were onboard the Monserrat for 8 days and 7 nights on our Galapagos cruise. It is a first-class motor yacht that provides first-class service to its passengers, has a small crew-to-passenger ratio, and comes at an awesomely affordable price range. It has a total capacity of up to 20 passengers, who can be accommodated in its 6 Upper Double Bed …

At six in the morning, we tucked into our buffet breakfast. Hotel Patio Andaluz's guests can choose from various pastries, cheeses, eggs, sliced meats, fruits, juices, tea, coffee, and yogurts. Since we couldn't walk around the Old Town yesterday due to our late afternoon arrival, Daniel came to meet us at seven in the morning today to …

Daniel started introducing Quito to us as soon as we embarked on our vehicle for our transfer to Hotel Patio Andaluz. The main highlights that we learned about the country on our one-hour ride are the following:

- their indigenous group's language is Quechua

- there are approximately 3.5 million people in the capital

- the religion is …

We landed in Quito at five in the afternoon on December 5, and as soon as we exited immigration, customs, and duty-free, we found our guide waiting for us, standing on the right side of the arrivals hall, holding an Adventure Life sign. We were astonished to discover that locating our guide at the airport was so simple. When passengers asked us …

Mai and I went through a roller coaster of emotions as we waited for this vacation to eventually materialize. We felt excited, anxious, and nervous. Our vacation was originally scheduled to take place in October, but because of complications with our visa application, it was moved to December. We had briefly given up hope, but we dug in our heels, …

After spending some time in the Amazon, but before heading to the cloudforest, I had a full day to spend in Quito. My only regret from my whole adventure is that I didn’t get to spend more time in this incredible city.

Situated at over 9,000 feet, Quito is among the highest capital cities in the world. The urban spread is also nestled …

My first stop in Ecuador took me to the Amazon basin. Encompassing an enormous portion of the country, specifically I headed to the Yasuni region. Getting here, and just about anywhere else in the Amazon is done most easily by plane. Early this morning it was back to the airport for me - I took the 4 minute shuttle from my hotel back to the …

Settle in and make yourself at home….



The rooms are dispersed through the jungle, set up in pairs of two adjacent rooms (although most do no connect internally). Each has its own porch with hammocks, and all of the cabins and main building are connected by a series of walkways and some raised boardwalks.



Meals are taken in the main …

Getting to Mashpi does not require nearly as many forms of transportation as it does getting to the Amazon, but it is certainly no less of a journey. Head north of Quito in a comfortable van, taking in the changing scenery. Try to avoid making the trip on a Friday evening, when the Quitanios are also getting out of the city to enjoy their weekend. …

I left Missoula, Montana early on a Sunday morning and headed to Atlanta by way of Minneapolis, where I would meet my international flight. It's always hard to get to and from Montana by plane - getting just about anywhere requires at least two connections and a lot of patience. Wherever you might be coming from, though, you will find that …

I’m the type to get seasick. I found this out on my honeymoon while kayaking 17 miles of the beautiful Napali Coast, most of which was spent leaning off to one side, ‘feeding the fish.' One would think I would have learned my lesson and signing up for a voyage that crossed the most intense waterway in the world, not once, but …

A surprise excursion for us was our day on the Beagle Channel and the visit to Harberton Estancia. I didn’t really know what to expect, Franny didn’t really know what to expect, and so we came prepared for anything! We met at the Ushuaia port in the morning and got on our small ship of about 40 people. We left the dock and made our way …

We tried to make the most of our limited time in Ushuaia. As soon as we arrived we have whisked away for a surprise adventure Franny had planned for us, an afternoon of horseback riding. I was truly delighted that we had the opportunity to ride horses, one of my favorite activities, at the end of the world. When our guide heard we were from …

Franny and I awoke early to meet our guide, Jose. He shuttled us off to the ferry terminal where we went through customs and waited to board the boat. I knew nothing about Colonia or really Uruguay in general, but I was very excited for the opportunity to spend a day there. The ferry ride was about an hour and a half. The ship itself was similar …

Franny and I participated in two separate evening excursions while in Buenos Aires. While in Argentina we knew we had to attend a tango show. It's practically a rite of passage. A small passenger bus picked us up in the evening, stopping at a few other hotels along the way to pick up guests, and took us to La Ventana Tango House. a fully …

We arrived in Buenos Aires mid-morning and immediately hit the ground running. We were met by our energetic and fantastic guide, Jose. We very quickly felt like we had known him for years. Although we were sleep deprived after a red-eye from Houston, not to mention still reeling from the stress-inducing delayed inbound flight that nearly caused us …

Kate and I, both being self proclaimed "foodies" welcomed as much of our trip revolving around food as possible. We became accustomed to snacking between meals and looked forward to the pick-me-up of trying new and unique flavors between our excursions. I’m fairly adventurous when it comes to new food and live by the “gotta …

One of my favorite parts of visiting a new place is the moment the plane beings to descend. I will inevitably press my face to the airplane window like a child and try to take it all in. It was dark in Quito when we landed, but I could immediately tell the topography from the way the lit up roads curved around like snakes, it was obviously very …