Not without some trepidation, we chose to take a 3 day Salar de Uyuni tour from Uyuni in Bolivia to the border with Chile at San Pedro de Atacama. Judging by reviews and reputation, the tour promised to be gruelling, but we knew that we would be treated to some of the most dramatic...
Sucre, Bolivia – the laid back white city…and some dinosaurs!
Written by Jess. We were looking forward to stopping in Sucre, Bolivia, especially after the chaotic Copacabana and the sprawling mass that is La Paz. We were not disappointed! Sucre, a UNESCO world heritage site, is actually the official capital of Bolivia. It is a relatively small colonial city nestled at a pleasant spring-like...
The sprawling city of La Paz, Bolivia
Contrary to popular belief (at least I didn’t know), La Paz, Bolivia is not the country’s capital, nor is it the highest city in the world. Those merits go to Sucre and Potosi respectively. We entered La Paz via bus from Copacabana so we first drove through the zone of El Alto, a city...
The strange pilgrimage town of Copacabana, Bolivia.
Copacabana, Bolivia is a small town on the shore of Lake Titicaca, for tourists, it serves as a base for exploring the islands of the lake. As Bolivia no longer has any coast, Lake Titicaca holds the same fascination as the seaside for many Bolivians. Copacabana is also very close to the Kasani border...
The grumblings of a traveller Part One – Peru
Welcome to the first installment of “The grumblings of a traveller”, a new series in which we will be offering our (strictly unsolicited) “constructive” criticism on the countries we visit, as well as proposing unlikely solutions to unsolvable problems whenever possible. In other words, it will be a space to moan, complain and reveal...
Our Peru Top 10, what we loved the most…so far
Over the last 2 years we have spent a couple of months in Peru (and more to come!) and we now feel like this is our South American home. It thus seems like a good time to offer our invaluable insight into what we love about this amazing country, as well as some of...
The Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca – Puno, Taquile & Uros
Puno For many tourists and travellers Puno is either the last stop in Peru before they move on to Bolivia, or their first taste of the country, having arrived from the somewhat more chaotic Copacabana on the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca. A cheeky Peruvian told us that although the lake belongs to both...
Cusco, belly button of the world
A trip to Peru could not be considered complete without visiting the legendary Inca capital of Cusco, a place that, despite the over crowdedness, chaos and dust retains an authentic halo of mystery and magic. Cusco remains one of the most popular tourist destinations in South America, but sadly many of the original Inca...
Machu Picchu, the crowning jewel of the Inca Empire
Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage Centre, is beyond any doubt the most famous of Inca ruins and of the most iconic places in the world, due to its spectacular natural setting; 2,400 metres above sea level, perched between the Peruvian Andes and the Amazon Basin. Built in the 15th century, probably by the...
Inca sites of Cusco and the Sacred Valley – Totally Incaed out!
The Boleto Turístico is the best way to see the many tourist sites in an around Cusco and the Sacred Valley. It is valid for 10 days, and is available to purchase at any site. The cost is S130, (about £26). It is non transferable and non extendable. Partial tickets for fewer sites are...