After months of planning, weeks of anticipation and long-haul flights from Sydney, we finally arrived at Ushuaia, known locally as el fin del Munda (the end of the world), raring to begin our Antarctic adventure. At 1600 we clambered up the gangway where our crew showed us our cabins, I must say we were pleasantly surprised at the spaciousness, and abundance is storage space. Then it was off to explore the nooks and crannies of our cosy home … [Read more...]
A Week Cruising the Galapagos Islands
Day one I am watching the sun go down over the Galapagos Islands – it is like a dream come true. It did not feel like that at 4am when we got up to catch a 4.15 taxi for a 6.30am flight from Quito to Galapagos, having not slept the night before. It made for a rough start to the day. However the rest of the arrangements with our cruise boat Angelito were a dream. From a warm Beunos dias from Tony at 5am at Quito airport with our tickets to … [Read more...]
Apoyo Lodge Nicaragua – take time out
Maribel Miriam re-opened the doors of the new Apoyo Lodge five months ago, and are well on their way to building a reputation for being a great location for some time out. Letters from the Lagoon It has been an incredible journey so far, the most rewarding part has been getting to know you. We are touched by your experiences during your time with us. We wanted to share this with others and carry on that transformative feeling of being at … [Read more...]
Sacred Valley Women’s Weaving Collective – a must visit
Awamaki is an organisation which connects Andean women in with international markets. It operates out of Ollantaytambo an amazing Inca village in the heart of the Sacred Valley in Peru. We had been told by someone else about this women's weaving collective, and were keen to do it - we had a spare day in Ollantaytambo and this was how we wanted to spend it. Read more about our stay in Ollantaytambo and we loved it and recommend staying … [Read more...]
Are you a Machu Picchu Woman
The stories women are sharing about the Wild Women Trek on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru are incredibly inspiring...this magical place seems to awaken something deep within us, long lost. Donna shared an amazing story about the impact this adventure had on her life, in the wake of surviving breast cancer. She wrote: Hiking through the ancient ruins, I felt surrounded by the ancestors and it was very comforting. I felt that … [Read more...]
Costa Rica here I come – Come stay at DiVina Vida
After a lifetime of living someone else's dream, Lisa Morris sold everything (or lost it) and came to Costa Rica "by the blessing and grace of my dear mentor Maria Delmas". Lisa was shown a video of Costa Rica 23 years ago and wanted to move there right then and there. In August of 2013, her youngest daughter entered into college and by December of that year, she was living full time in Costa Rica. Lisa has opened DiVina Vida - a place … [Read more...]
Two Very Different Cruise destinations: Scandinavia and the Caribbean
We all have an image in our minds about the archetypal cruise. This usually involves cerulean waters, white sands and tropical destinations. And to be fair that is pretty accurate! But there is much more variety available when it comes to cruising holidays. It may be the case that you’re in the mood for some Caribbean relaxation, or you could be in the mood for an invigorating cruise through the breath-taking scenery of Scandinavia. We’ve … [Read more...]
Rafting the Urubamba River in the Sacred Valley
When I read the Lost City of the Inca’s, the Urubamba River was such a key element in the story of the Sacred Valley, that I set out to find a way to raft it. Some warned against ‘less than satisfactory’ safety and equipment on some trips, so we asked advice and found Apumayo.com offered a 2 hour rafting trip near Ollantaytambo. What a great trip – Luis our guide was fantastic, spoke great English, knew his plants and history. He … [Read more...]
Ollantaytambo, the best place to stay in the Sacred Valley
We arrived in Cusco, and headed directly to the Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley – the only Inca town that is still inhabited. Many people had recommended this as a way of dealing with altitude; the other benefit is that our first experience of Peru is this amazing Inca town. KB tours met us as arranged with a taxi at Cusco airport for transfer to Ollantaytambo (always a relief when an arrangement actually works!) Our driver stopped several … [Read more...]
Santiago or Quito? Quito or Guayaquil?
Santiago is crowded, smoggy, full of traffic. I enjoyed the time we spent there, and we are going back on our way home. It is great to spend two nights to recover from a flight like ours from New Zealand. However if you asked me where I would rather spend some extra time, it would be Quito in Ecuador. Quito or Guayaquil? We were on our way to the Galapagos, and our flight could go from Guayaquil or Quito. Quito was the right choice! We … [Read more...]
