Join me as I travel the world and give regular insights into what it is really like being a solo backpacker and tips to help you plan your own adventures
My first trip to the Amazon Rainforest will certainly not be the last. I loved it!! I can't believe I nearly skipped it. For this 4-day trip I was with Sharon and Paul from the Netherlands and Elaine from Ireland and we made a great bunch. We left Quito at 11pm on a nightbus transfer... Continue Reading →
A group of five of us set out from Secret Garden to hike for three days to a volcano crater (Paul joined us on the first night). We stayed overnight in Latacunga at Hostel Tiana which was actually a fairly decent hostel with interesting split-level rooms, costing $10.50 per night including breakfast.We had breakfast, bought... Continue Reading →
The journey to Secret Garden Cotopaxi Hostel from Machachi was so uncomfortable that it was funny. Finn got grumpy about it so I left him to it! The Secret Garden is in the middle of nowhere, across a valley from Cotopaxi, surrounded by other volcanoes. We arrived as it was getting dark so the place... Continue Reading →
Finn and I arrived in Cuenca at 5pm. As we drove in above the city we could see just how beautiful it was and we could see the domes of the cathedral. We caught a taxi to Hostel AlterNative for $1.50. Our friends Stijn and Silvan were there and we dropped off our things and... Continue Reading →
After the Galapagos, I spent two weeks in a coastal town called Montañita, learning to surf and taking Spanish classes at Montañita Spanish School. It is a huge party scene as well, with parties on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights, and you can easily stay out until sunrise dancing your feet off. I loved... Continue Reading →
This was one of the most memorable weeks of my life! Diving in the Galapagos is beyond compare and it is totally worth learning to dive somewhere else just so that you can safely dive here. The dive sites in the north (Wolf and Darwin) are challenging but the rewards are almost too amazing to... Continue Reading →
I arrived at Baltra Airport in the afternoon of the 21 February with nothing booked. My aspiration was to get on an 8-day liveaboard diving trip leaving the next day. But this wasn't to be so I ended up with a fantastic 10-day island-hopping experience. There were a few things that I hadn't been aware... Continue Reading →
I just got back to Puerto Natales after an amazing 9-day hiking trip in Torres del Paine National Park. What a place!! I decided to join a G Adventures group tour almost entirely due to the ridiculous shambles of an online booking system the companies have managed to create! But that issue is fairly well-known... Continue Reading →
Day 1 - Hike to Laguna Torre My first day hike was an 18 kilometre round trip to visit a lagoon at the foot of a glacier which has a lot of nature-sculpted icebergs in. The first step is to hike to the top of the village up this rather fancy staircase. This is a... Continue Reading →
The bus journey from Ushuaia to Punta Arenas is approximately twelve hours and takes in a great sweeping road around Tierra del Fuego. It's worth taking the bus and it's a single-decker so it's not too important what seat you get. Bus-Sur have decent departure times and air-conditioning.The scenery changed throughout the journey and I... Continue Reading →
After South Georgia we had a two day sail over to the Antarctic Peninsula, punctuated by icebergs, whales and an amazing abundance of seabirds. The icebergs in particular were spectacular. We cruised past an iceberg so large it has a name. It's called C28B and broke off the Larsen Ice Shelf and it was over... Continue Reading →
That's her! That's my boat!! First cruise in my life and I choose over 20 days at sea on the roughest sea in the world. Haha this could be interesting. That said, I have packed sooooo many pills for this trip - sea sickness, altitude sickness, malaria, vitamins... I thought I was going to be... Continue Reading →
Today is one year since I lost my friend Parik and it is to his sad demise that I owe this world trip. It was quite a wake up call for me. So I often hike solo in his memory and today is no different. First thing in the morning I moved from Hosteria Foike... Continue Reading →
I am now at el fin del mundo - the end of the world. Coming in to land in Tierra del Fuego was an incredible experience. Stunning beauty all around. Ushuaia, the world's Southernmost city, is surrounded by the Martial mountain range and the Beagle Channel, leading to its phenomenal vistas. I've never seen snowcapped... Continue Reading →
We spent two days at Iberá in a tiny lakeside village called Carlos Pellegrini, with 1000 inhabitants on the shore of the largest lake in the park. There aren't actually very many trails to walk but you can see so much wildlife that perhaps it's not a big deal. There are quite a few ranches... Continue Reading →
First impressions of Paraguay were great! It's totally different to Brazil and Argentina despite being just across the river. As you cross the bridge the cars and motorbikes decide to make four exciting lanes rather than two mundane ones so you're absolutely surrounded. The city itself has a wall of high rise shopping malls and... Continue Reading →
Alongside our adventuring at the Iguazu falls we stayed in both Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil) and Puerto Iguazu (Argentina). On our way over the border from Brazil we stopped at the Monument to the Three Borders in Brazil, with great views across the river to Argentina and Paraguay. It was a nice place to chill... Continue Reading →
I arrived in Rosario bus station on time at 7am and had completely run out of money so I had to walk 3.5km with my bags to get to the hostel in the city. It was nice and cool in the early morning but my bags weigh a tonne and I was exhausted when I... Continue Reading →
At the end of my last post I arrived at around 9:30pm in a village called Uspallata. I only intended to stay overnight and leave early the next morning but I loved it so much I stayed for the weekend. Close enough to the Andes for them to dominate the horizon, and at an altitude... Continue Reading →
Today, 15th December, I caught the bus from Mendoza to a national park and hiked to Aconcagua base camp and back. It was a really long day but it was fantastic! I decided to catch the 10:15 bus (more details about the practicalities later) and it takes you almost all the way back to the... Continue Reading →
Mendoza is the first sizable city you reach in Argentina and from here you can look back to the Andes and see the looming giant, Aconcagua, on the horizon. I plan to stay for about 4 days to enjoy the Argentinian steak, wine and some hiking. My hostel, Punto Urbano, is fairly central, the staff... Continue Reading →
We passed through the Christ the Redeemer tunnel deep in the Andes and crossed the land border into Argentina, with cars and buses beeping their horns as they passed the flags. This cool metallic pod houses immigration! It was such a nice shelter from the scorching sun. The border guards were really friendly and we... Continue Reading →
The second time around, Santiago was spot on! I stayed in a vibrant area called Bella Vista at a hostel called the Bella Vista Hostel for about £12 per night. The neighborhood, "Barrio" in Chilean, is home to some fantastic street art and is walking distance to all the major attractions. I spent a few... Continue Reading →
So today my Nomad Chapter began. Anybody that spoke to me in the last few weeks will know that I adopted the stance that the less I thought about this life-changing step, the less I could worry. I figured I would be just fine, and I think it worked. I made sure I was vaccinated... Continue Reading →
