Chile
Restaurants of the Casablanca Wine Valley
Located only about a 1.5 hour drive from Chile’s capital Santiago, the Casablanca Wine Valley is a great place to eat. Here you can find excellent Chilean dishes expertly paired with wines produced by the local Casablanca vineyards. If you have a free day while in Santiago (or even a free afternoon), it is highly… Read Full Post
2016 Vaya Photo Contest Winners!
From the stiff breeze of Patagonia at the bottom of the Southern Cone, to the lush green landscapes surrounding Machu Picchu, all the way up to colorful markets of Colombia and everywhere in between, this year’s photo contest made it difficult for us to choose the winners. In no specific order, here are the winners… Read Full Post
A day and night in the Colchagua Wine Valley
Located just 3 hours south of Santiago can be found one the top wine producing valleys in Chile, the Colchagua Valley. A visit here is definitely worth the time, especially if you like red wine. The “capital” of this wine region is Santa Cruz where you will find many small boutique hotels to stay the… Read Full Post
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) – A complete disconnect!
Thinking back to a past trip that has left countless memories in my mind inspired this blog post. A few years back I had the opportunity to spend a week in the very remote Falkland Islands. In this far off destination, one must arrive and depart on a Saturday on the one commercial flight in… Read Full Post
Glacier Trekking on the Carretera Austral
The only road that provides access to Chilean Patagonia, the Carretera Austral is a breathtaking journey through the mountains, rivers, lakes, forests, volcanoes, glaciers, and fjords of southern Chile. It is a largely underexplored and relatively unknown region of the country, due in great part to its limited accessibility. This is a shame, because it… Read Full Post
Easter Island: Worth the Trip?
Easter Island is arguably one of the most unique destinations in South America, with a culture and history utterly distinct from the mainland of Chile or the rest of the continent. While it is officially a part of Chile, modern Rapa Nui (the name for Easter Island in the indigenous language of its people and… Read Full Post
Time Flies but Memories Last
Days can come and go in rapid succession. But while time whizzes by, when I stop and reflect on past travels, the clock tends to tick just a little bit slower. For me, that is one of the most beautiful things about travel. The memories aren’t left in baggage claim or on a camera’s memory… Read Full Post
Cruising the Amazon Aboard the Tucano
On a recent trip to Manaus, I was fortunate to experience a 4 night / 5 day cruise on the Tucano. If you are looking to have a quality wildlife experience in the Brazilian Amazon, the Tucano is one of the very top options. This cruise offers just the right amount of comfort while allowing… Read Full Post
Canoeing with Caimans in Ecuador’s Yasuni National Park
“Back, back, back!” exclaimed our native naturalist guide, Sergio, as he and two members of the local Añangu indigenous community paddled our canoe back into the reeds along the wild shore of Laguna Añangucocha. A large Black Caiman, a carnivorous crocodilian species known as the largest predator in the Amazon Basin, was swimming menacingly toward… Read Full Post
Central Chile: More Than Just a Layover
Santiago and Central Chile have long been afterthoughts for travelers coming to Chile, who tend to focus on the southern parts of the country, particularly Torres del Paine and the Lake District. Logistically, it’s easy to spend just one night in Santiago, do a few hours of sightseeing to say you’ve been, and leave it… Read Full Post