Our Blog
Rolando Luna’s Labor of Love: Pomasquinde
"Cuida el wayqu, mi padre me decía...." "Protect the ravine, my father said to me..." With those words, Rolando Luna begins to recite an ode to his father's incredible work rehabilitating the polluted ravine that runs through the back garden of the family's property...
The Polylepis Trail, Chimborazo Wildlife Reserve
A turn-off about a kilometer east of the main entrance to the Chimborazo Wildlife Preserve is the only clue that something more lies futher down the unmarked dirt road. Waiting at the end of the well-traveled track is a trail head to one of the most magical places I...
A Raymi Festival for Every Season
The four Andean sun festivals, called raymis, are ancient celebrations honoring the annual passage of the sun through the sky. The Spanish-Incan historian Inca Garcilaso de la Vega first recorded these events in his book Comentarios Reales de los Inca in 1609. Current...
The Best 36 Hours in Lima, Peru
Lima is a vibrant and exciting city with a lot to offer. If you can, plan a few days to explore the streets and coastline of Lima, and then you can head to Cusco and get your Machu Picchu fix. If a few days is over your time budget, at least plan for 36 hours in Lima....
The Gift of High Altitude Ecuadorian Roses
My English mother never passes up an opportunity to smell the roses. It's a trait she passed on to her oldest daughter. Whether I am touring a rose hacienda in the high Sierra or meandering the rose garden in Quito's Parque Carolina, I rarely pass an...
What To Do in Huacachina, Peru
Remember when you’d watch cartoons as a kid and the characters would end up in the desert trekking towards an oasis? But most of the time the oasis turned out to be a mirage? Well a real-life oasis exists in southern Peru called Huacachina and anyone can visit! And...
Must-Have Apps for Your Trip to Ecuador
In South America, there are a few apps that can make life much easier for any traveler. Whether its an app to stay in touch with family and friends back home, to keep track of yourself on the map, or to translate your guide's confusing instructions, one of our...
Best Photos from Isla Isabela, Galapagos Islands
Isabela is a beautiful name for a beautiful island. In fact, the Spanish name is so much nicer than its British counterpart, Albemarle, that hardly anyone refers to the island by its colonial designation. Visiting the island of Isabela is a little more complicated...
Finding Value in How You Book Travel
"Book travel that makes you feel good" may sound somewhat trite. After all, don't most people book a trip just to have fun? Last night, I found myself struggling to make a basic reservation for a bed and breakfast on the coast of Eastern Maryland. I just could not...
A Spanish-Colonial Church in Sicalpa Viejo, Ecuador
he road was potholed, the buildings mere gray cement blocks, the businesses closed for the holidays, sliding metal doors locked tight. Little did we know that one of the oldest colonial churches in Ecuador was just around the corner....