In-depth guides, destination comparisons, trekking advice, and wildlife guides — written by people who have actually been there.
Trekking & Outdoor Adventures
Featured
The Lares Trek passes through remote Andean communities where life has changed little in centuries — and arrives at Machu Picchu...
Trekking & Outdoor Adventures
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The W Trek packing list that every guide gets wrong — what you actually need, what is redundant, and what to rent in Puerto Nata...
Trekking & Outdoor Adventures
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The honest answer to the most common Inca Trail question — with a realistic fitness assessment, training plan, and altitude advi...
Trekking & Outdoor Adventures
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Both peaks overlook Machu Picchu — but they offer completely different experiences. Here is how to choose and how to book before...
Trekking & Outdoor Adventures
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The O Circuit is the full loop around the Paine Massif — one of the world's great multi-day treks. Here is everything you need t...
Trekking & Outdoor Adventures
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The Yungas Road — nicknamed the Death Road — is a 64km downhill mountain bike ride from 4,700m to 1,200m through waterfalls, j...
Trekking & Outdoor Adventures
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The Laguna de los Tres hike in El Chaltén delivers what many consider the finest single-day mountain view in the world. No permit...
Trekking & Outdoor Adventures
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San Gil is Colombia's adventure sports hub — white water rafting, paragliding, caving, and bungee jumping in the Chicamocha Cany...
Trekking & Outdoor Adventures
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Tayrona is Colombia's most visited national park — a stretch of Caribbean coastline where jungle meets turquoise water and Tairo...
Wildlife & Nature
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The Pantanal offers the highest jaguar sighting rates in the world — around 85–90% in peak season. Here is exactly how to plan...
Wildlife & Nature
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The Amazon river dolphin — the boto — is one of the most extraordinary freshwater mammals on earth. Here is where to find them...
Wildlife & Nature
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Discover Peru's 1,800+ bird species across Amazon rainforest, Andes mountains, and coastal desert. Complete birding guide with bes...
Wildlife & Nature
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Fernando de Noronha is Brazil's most protected marine environment and arguably the finest scuba diving destination in the South At...
Practical Planning & How-To
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Machu Picchu tickets sell out weeks — sometimes months — in advance. Here is the step-by-step guide to buying them on the offi...
Practical Planning & How-To
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South America is largely visa-free for most Western passport holders — but the rules vary by country and nationality. Here is th...
Practical Planning & How-To
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The honest country-by-country guide to tap water safety in South America — and the most practical alternatives for travellers.
Practical Planning & How-To
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The overnight bus is the backbone of South American independent travel — here is the complete guide to routes, operators, comfor...
Practical Planning & How-To
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Three weeks is the sweet spot for South America. It is long enough to cover meaningful ground — two or three countries, a genuin...
Practical Planning & How-To
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There are three ways to travel from Lima to Cusco — with a 20-hour difference in journey time between them. Here is the honest c...
Practical Planning & How-To
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Peru and Bolivia share a border, a lake, and some of the most extraordinary landscapes on earth. Here is the definitive 2-week com...
Food & Culture
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Peru is consistently ranked among the world's top food destinations. Here are the 15 dishes that define the cuisine — and where ...
Food & Culture
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Argentina produces some of the world's finest beef and its asado culture is one of the great culinary traditions. Here is how to n...
Food & Culture
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Colombian street food is among the most varied and underrated in South America — here is the complete guide to what to eat in Bo...
Food & Culture
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The pisco sour dispute between Peru and Chile is one of South America's most passionate culinary arguments. Here is the history, t...
Food & Culture
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Rio Carnival is the largest party on earth — 6 million people, 5 days, and an energy that nothing else in the world replicates. ...
Food & Culture
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Inti Raymi is Peru's most spectacular festival — a recreation of the Inca ceremony of the sun, performed annually on June 24th a...
Food & Culture
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Oruro Carnival is UNESCO-listed, 400 years old, and attended by 400,000 people — and almost no international tourists have heard...
Budget & Backpacker
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Not all South American countries are equal for budget travellers. Here is the honest 2026 ranking with real daily cost breakdowns.
Budget & Backpacker
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Cusco has the best hostel scene in South America. Here is where to stay — by neighbourhood, price, and what matters to you.
Budget & Backpacker
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Buenos Aires is one of the great cities for free experiences — here is the complete guide to experiencing the city without spend...
Specific Traveller Types
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Standing in front of a South America map for the first time, the sheer scale of the continent is immediately humbling. Twelve coun...
Specific Traveller Types
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South America's luxury lodge scene has no equal — remote wilderness, extraordinary wildlife, and world-class service in settings...
Hidden Gems & Off the Beaten Path
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Kaieteur Falls drops 226 metres in a single unbroken plunge — five times the height of Niagara, with a fraction of one percent o...
Hidden Gems & Off the Beaten Path
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La Paz is one of the world's most extraordinary cities — a metropolis of 2 million people clinging to an Andean canyon at 3,640 ...
Hidden Gems & Off the Beaten Path
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Angel Falls Venezuela guide: Plan your 4-5 day adventure to the world's tallest waterfall. Includes flight options, river routes, ...
Hidden Gems & Off the Beaten Path
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The Nazca Lines are one of archaeology's great mysteries. Here is how to visit — and which viewing method is actually worth the ...
Hidden Gems & Off the Beaten Path
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Baños sits at the foot of an active volcano and offers the greatest concentration of adventure activities of any small town in So...
Scenic Journeys & Unique Experiences
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The Perito Moreno is the world's only advancing glacier — a 30km river of ice that calves directly into a turquoise lake. Here i...
Scenic Journeys & Unique Experiences
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An Amazon river cruise delivers an immersive jungle experience that a lodge stay cannot replicate. Here is what to expect, what to...
Scenic Journeys & Unique Experiences
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Mendoza produces the world's finest Malbec alongside a growing range of exceptional Cabernet, Torrontés, and Bonarda. Here is how...
Scenic Journeys & Unique Experiences
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The Andean Explorer is South America's only luxury sleeper train — a 2-day journey from Cusco to Puno and Arequipa through the w...
Scenic Journeys & Unique Experiences
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The Ruta 40 through Argentina and the Carretera Austral through Chile — two of the world's great road trips. Here is the complet...
Scenic Journeys & Unique Experiences
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The Uyuni salt flats look completely different in wet and dry season. Here is the honest comparison — and which one to choose fo...
Scenic Journeys & Unique Experiences
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El Chaltén has the best free day hiking in the world — no permits, no fees, no crowds by the standards of other great trekking ...
Language, Culture & Practical Tips
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You do not need to be fluent — but knowing 40 phrases will transform your South America experience. Here are the ones that actua...
Language, Culture & Practical Tips
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The honest answer — and the minimum you need to learn before departure to avoid the most common problems.
Language, Culture & Practical Tips
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Tipping norms vary significantly across South America. Here is the complete country-by-country guide — what to tip, who to tip, ...
Language, Culture & Practical Tips
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From the Uyuni reflection to the Torres del Paine towers at dawn — here are the best photography locations in South America and ...
Language, Culture & Practical Tips
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The apps that solve real problems in South America — not a generic travel app list but the specific tools experienced travellers...
Hotel & Accommodation Guides
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Boutique hotels in Cartagena's Walled City range from $80-$500. See our tested picks for romantic getaways, historic charm, and un...
Hotel & Accommodation Guides
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Compare Peru and Brazil's top 12 Amazon eco-lodges with detailed wildlife access, conservation practices, and booking tips from ra...
Hotel & Accommodation Guides
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Buenos Aires has a dozen distinct neighbourhoods — and where you stay dramatically shapes your experience. Here is the definitiv...
Hotel & Accommodation Guides
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South America has some of the world's finest glamping — geodesic domes above Uyuni, Patagonian wilderness lodges, and Atacama st...
Budget & Backpacker
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Travel Bolivia on a tight budget with our expert guide. Learn how to explore this amazing South American country for only $30-40 p...
Budget & Backpacker
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The Galápagos has a reputation for being expensive — and it is. But a land-based budget trip is genuinely possible. Here is exa...
Specific Traveller Types
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South America offers some of the world's most romantic travel experiences — from private Patagonian lodges to Galápagos cruises...
Specific Traveller Types
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South America with children is more achievable than most parents assume — here are the destinations that work best and the pract...
Hidden Gems & Off the Beaten Path
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Mindo is 80km from Quito and holds more bird species than the entire United States. Here is the complete day trip and overnight gu...
Hidden Gems & Off the Beaten Path
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Salento is Colombia's most beautiful small town — a UNESCO coffee landscape village of coloured wooden houses, world-class coffe...
Hidden Gems & Off the Beaten Path
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Both sides of Iguazu Falls are extraordinary — but they offer genuinely different experiences. Here is the definitive comparison...
Trekking & Outdoor Adventures
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Rainbow Mountain — Vinicunca — is one of the most extraordinary landscapes in the Andes. Here is everything you need to know t...
Practical Planning & How-To
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The best time to visit Machu Picchu depends on whether you prioritise clear skies, smaller crowds, or lower prices. Here is the ho...
Destination Deep Dives
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Lima has a dozen distinct neighbourhoods and where you stay dramatically changes your experience. Here is the honest guide to Mira...
Destination Comparisons
Featured
Colombia has completed one of the most remarkable national reinventions in modern travel history. A country that was off-limits to...
Practical Planning & How-To
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Colombia has two dry seasons and the weather varies dramatically by region. Here is the complete guide to when to visit Cartagena,...
Hidden Gems & Off the Beaten Path
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Potosí was once the largest city in the Americas — a colonial silver mining city at 4,090m whose mines funded the Spanish Empir...
Destination Deep Dives
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Discover why Bariloche is Argentina's top Patagonian destination. Complete guide to hiking, skiing, chocolate tours, and lakeside ...
Practical Planning & How-To
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Two weeks in South America is enough time to have an extraordinary trip — but not enough time to do everything. The continent is...
Practical Planning & How-To
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Everything you need for the perfect Machu Picchu sunrise: ticket booking, timing, photography tips, and insider secrets from exper...
Destination Deep Dives
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Peru's Colca Canyon is twice the depth of Grand Canyon with better wildlife viewing. Your complete guide to South America's most u...
Destination Deep Dives
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Everything you need to know about Peru's Sacred Valley: best ruins to visit, transportation tips, and where to stay. Complete trav...
Destination Deep Dives
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For wildlife travellers, South America presents two experiences that stand apart from everything else on the continent: the Amazon...
Destination Deep Dives
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Discover the 12 best Buenos Aires neighborhoods with insider tips on where to stay, what to expect, and how to choose the perfect ...
Destination Deep Dives
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Lake Titicaca straddles the Bolivia-Peru border — and which side you visit makes a significant difference to your experience. He...
Destination Deep Dives
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Plan your perfect Atacama Desert adventure with our detailed 4-day Chile itinerary. Includes geysers, salt flats, and stargazing s...
Destination Deep Dives
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Discover Colombia's Coffee Region with our insider guide to plantations, towns, and experiences in the UNESCO-listed Eje Cafetero ...
Destination Deep Dives
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Complete Arequipa Peru guide: UNESCO colonial architecture, world-class cuisine, ancient monasteries, and gateway to Colca Canyon....
Destination Deep Dives
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Discover Sucre Bolivia's UNESCO colonial charm, white architecture, and cultural treasures. Your complete guide to South America's...
Destination Deep Dives
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Uruguay is South America's smallest and most underrated country — a safe, sophisticated, and genuinely lovely destination that m...
Hidden Gems & Off the Beaten Path
Featured
Paraguay receives fewer tourists than any other country in South America. Here is what you are missing — and why it deserves a p...
Destination Deep Dives
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Discover which Inca citadel fits your Peru trip: Machu Picchu vs Choquequirao compared on accessibility, hiking requirements, and ...
Wildlife & Nature
Featured
The Pantanal is the world's best place to see jaguars in the wild. This guide covers when to go, where to stay, what to expect, an...
Destination Deep Dives
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Bolivia's Uyuni and Chile's Atacama are both iconic South American landscapes — but they offer very different experiences. Here ...
Practical Planning & How-To
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Patagonia's seasons dramatically affect your experience. This month-by-month guide tells you exactly what to expect — and when t...
Practical Planning & How-To
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Discover how to explore 12 South American countries on just $50/day. Includes accommodation, food, transport costs plus money-savi...
Trekking & Outdoor Adventures
Few decisions in South American travel spark as much debate among hikers as the choice between the Inca Trail and the Lares Trek. ...
Trekking & Outdoor Adventures
Torres del Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia is one of the world's great hiking destinations. The jagged granite towers, el...
Destination Comparisons
Peru has two images that appear on more Instagram feeds, travel posters, and bucket lists than almost any others in South America:...
Destination Comparisons
Across the Río de la Plata — the wide, brown estuary that separates Argentina from Uruguay — sit two cities that make for one...
Destination Comparisons
The Amazon Basin is the largest tropical rainforest on Earth, covering approximately 5.5 million square kilometres across nine cou...
Destination Comparisons
Argentina is a country of startling regional contrasts, and nowhere is this more evident than in the difference between its two gr...
Destination Comparisons
Ask any serious overlander which roads they dream of driving, and two names appear near the top of almost every list: the Carreter...
Practical Planning & How-To
South America spans an extraordinary range of climates, latitudes, and altitudes — from the equatorial rainforest of the Amazon ...
Budget & Backpacker
South America has a reputation as a budget travel destination — and for large parts of the continent, that reputation is entirel...
Practical Planning & How-To
South America has a complicated relationship with its own safety reputation. The continent contains some of the world's most peace...
Practical Planning & How-To
The overland route from Colombia to Peru is one of South America's great ground-level travel experiences — a journey through Ecu...
Scenic Journeys & Unique Experiences
In an age of cheap flights and long-distance buses, train travel in South America occupies a curious position: much of the contine...
Practical Planning & How-To
Yellow fever is one of the most important health considerations for travellers to South America, and it is also one of the most mi...
Specific Traveller Types
Solo travel in South America is one of the great adventures available to the modern traveller. The continent rewards those who go ...
Trekking & Outdoor Adventures
The Ausangate Trek is one of Peru's finest high-altitude trekking circuits, and it remains significantly less known than the Inca ...
Specific Traveller Types
Peru is one of the great solo travel destinations in the world. The infrastructure for independent and adventure travel is well-de...
Wildlife Guides
Discover 15 incredible wildlife experiences across South America. From jaguars in the Pantanal to penguins in Patagonia - your com...
Trekking & Outdoor Adventures
The W Trek closes, the refugios shut, and almost nobody goes. Here is what Torres del Paine in winter actually offers — and who ...
Trekking & Outdoor Adventures
The Cruz del Condor viewpoint at Colca Canyon is one of the great wildlife experiences in South America. Here is exactly how to ma...
Trekking & Outdoor Adventures
Mount Roraima is a 2,810m sandstone table mountain on the Venezuela-Brazil-Guyana tripoint — one of the most otherworldly landsc...
Trekking & Outdoor Adventures
Self-guided trekking in Torres del Paine is absolutely possible — but the booking system, CONAF rules, and Patagonian weather re...
Wildlife & Nature
The Galápagos Islands sit about 900 kilometres off the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean, and they represent one of the most ...
Wildlife & Nature
There is no bad time to visit the Galápagos — but there is a best time for every wildlife experience. Here is the complete mont...
Wildlife & Nature
Giant tortoises are the symbol of the Galápagos — and you can see wild ones for free, without a tour, within an hour of arrivin...
Wildlife & Nature
South America offers some of the world's finest whale watching — from humpbacks off the Colombian Pacific to southern right whal...
Wildlife & Nature
South America holds some of the world's most important sea turtle nesting sites. Here is where to go and exactly when to witness t...
Wildlife & Nature
South America has some of the world's greatest surf — from Peru's record-breaking point break to Brazil's world-class reefs. Her...
Practical Planning & How-To
Altitude sickness affects roughly a third of visitors to Cusco. Here is the honest prevention and treatment guide — including wh...
Practical Planning & How-To
There are four ways to get from Cusco to Machu Picchu — ranging from a 3-hour train journey to a 4-day trek. Here is the complet...
Practical Planning & How-To
A South America trip can take you from Amazon jungle to Patagonian ice fields to Caribbean beaches in a single month. Here is the ...
Practical Planning & How-To
The realistic 30-day South America travel budget — broken down by country, travel style, and the big-ticket items that catch mos...
Practical Planning & How-To
Stay connected across multiple South American countries without paying roaming fees. Here is the 2026 guide to SIM cards, eSIMs, a...
Practical Planning & How-To
Standard travel insurance is not sufficient for South America. Here is what your policy must cover — and why medical evacuation ...
Practical Planning & How-To
Patagonia's seasons dramatically affect your experience. This month-by-month guide covers trekking conditions, crowds, prices, and...
Practical Planning & How-To
The complete vaccination guide for South America — what is required, what is strongly recommended, and how far in advance to vis...
Practical Planning & How-To
The Colombia–Ecuador overland route is one of South America's great backpacker journeys — here is every bus, border crossing, ...
Food & Culture
Lima is one of the world's great food cities. Here is where to eat — from the iconic fine dining institutions to the market stal...
Food & Culture
Tango was born in Buenos Aires and the city remains its spiritual home. Here is the honest guide — tourist shows, authentic milo...
Food & Culture
Ceviche is Peru's national dish and one of the great culinary creations of the world. Here is everything you need to know to order...
Budget & Backpacker
The $50/day South America dream is still alive — but the countries where it's easy have shifted. Here is the honest 2026 breakdo...
Budget & Backpacker
The Inca Trail has a minimum cost floor — but there is significant variation between operators. Here is how to get the best valu...
Hidden Gems & Off the Beaten Path
Cuenca is Ecuador's most beautiful city — a UNESCO colonial gem at 2,550m that has become one of the world's most popular expat ...
Hidden Gems & Off the Beaten Path
The Islas del Rosario — a coral archipelago 45 minutes from Cartagena — offer the Caribbean beach escape the city itself can't...
Hidden Gems & Off the Beaten Path
Ushuaia sits at 55°S — the southernmost city on earth. Here is what to do in the world's most dramatically positioned city.
Scenic Journeys & Unique Experiences
South America leads the world in eco-tourism innovation. Here are the experiences that genuinely protect what they show you — an...
Language, Culture & Practical Tips
Understanding South American cultural norms will make you a better traveller and a more welcome guest. Here are the rules that mat...
Language, Culture & Practical Tips
Bargaining is expected in markets across South America — but not everywhere. Here is when to negotiate and how to do it respectf...
Language, Culture & Practical Tips
South America's safety reputation is exaggerated in some areas and underestimated in others. Here is the honest, practical guide.
Hotel & Accommodation Guides
Cusco has the most extraordinary range of accommodation of any South American city — from $8 dormitory beds to converted Inca pa...
Hotel & Accommodation Guides
South America's coasts — Caribbean, Pacific, and Atlantic — offer beach experiences as diverse as any in the world. Here are t...
Specific Traveller Types
South America is a rewarding destination for solo female travellers — with specific precautions that go beyond standard travel a...
Specific Traveller Types
South America is entirely achievable for older travellers — with the right destinations, pacing, and preparation. Here is the gu...
Specific Traveller Types
South America has become one of the world's premier digital nomad destinations. Here are the cities that work best for remote work...
Destination Deep Dives
Why Ollantaytambo beats Cusco as your Sacred Valley base. Expert guide to Peru's best-preserved Inca town with practical tips and ...
Destination Deep Dives
Cusco and Lima are Peru's two great cities — and the question of which to base yourself in is more interesting than it first app...
Destination Deep Dives
Complete guide to Cartagena Colombia hotels and neighborhoods. Choose the right Old City area for your budget, style, and travel p...
Destination Deep Dives
Your complete Valparaíso Chile guide: street art tours, funicular rides, bohemian neighborhoods, and day trips from Santiago. Pla...
Destination Deep Dives
Medellín's safety reputation lags the reality by roughly 15 years. Here is what you actually need to know about visiting Colombia...
Destination Deep Dives
Complete Easter Island travel guide with insider tips for visiting Rapa Nui's mysterious moai statues, best flights, where to stay...
Destination Deep Dives
Discover why Bogotá deserves more than a layover. From world-class museums to vibrant neighborhoods, here's your complete guide t...
Destination Deep Dives
Planning Santiago Chile travel? Our insider guide covers where to stay, what to eat, and hidden attractions that make this South A...
Destination Deep Dives
Discover Quito Ecuador's colonial charm, mountain adventures, and UNESCO treasures. Your essential guide to South America's highes...
Practical Planning & How-To
Planning a Medellín trip? Get the real safety story with current data, safe neighborhoods to stay in, and insider tips that guide...
Destination Deep Dives
Flying into Buenos Aires for the first time? Here is everything you need to know — from the airport to the neighbourhoods, curre...
Trekking & Outdoor Adventures
After extensive experience on the W Trek, here is the definitive packing list — what you genuinely need, what to leave at home, ...
Trekking & Outdoor Adventures
Detailed comparison of Peru's most popular treks including costs, permits, and what to expect. Make the right choice for your Mach...
Practical Planning & How-To
Everything you need to plan a Galápagos Islands trip in 2026 — cruise vs land-based, costs, best islands, wildlife calendar, an...