Barking sea lions. Crystal pools tucked between volcanic cliffs. Giant tortoises. Fresh, sizzling seafood. Santa Cruz Island is one of the Galapagos' most populated islands, and the central town of Puerto Ayora is as close to bustling as you'll find … [Read more...] about Santa Cruz Galapagos Island Guide: What to Do, Where to Eat, & Where to Stay on Santa Cruz
10 Things to do in Ollantaytambo, Peru: The Ultimate Guide to Ollantaytambo
Ancient ruins from a magnificent kingdom. Mountains rising over a lush, fertile valley. Colorfully dressed llamas. Welcome to tiny Ollantaytambo, Peru, a mouthful of a town with its own enormous archaeological site, but forever overlooked next to … [Read more...] about 10 Things to do in Ollantaytambo, Peru: The Ultimate Guide to Ollantaytambo
The Ultimate Self-Guided Walking Tour of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Carnival. Street parties. Christ the Redeemer. Samba. Soccer. Beaches. Rio de Janeiro is a megacity and it’s got it all. (That’s not a dumb millennial word I made up, it really is called a megacity). Rio de Janeiro has a ton of distinct … [Read more...] about The Ultimate Self-Guided Walking Tour of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Essential Galapagos Packing List: What to Pack for the Galapagos Islands
The Galapagos Islands, located off the coast of Ecuador in South America, are a bucket list destination. From the clear turquoise water and white sand beaches to the incredible variety of unique animals and happy, ecologically protected … [Read more...] about Essential Galapagos Packing List: What to Pack for the Galapagos Islands
The Best Minca Hostel: Casa Loma in Minca, Colombia
It's no secret that Jeremy and I love Minca, Colombia, a tiny town perched up in the Sierra Nevada mountains overlooking Santa Marta on the northern Caribbean coast of Colombia. We've been back to visit multiple times (Lia: 3x, Jeremy: 2x, and … [Read more...] about The Best Minca Hostel: Casa Loma in Minca, Colombia
The Ultimate Self-Guided Free Walking Tour: Lima, Peru
Lima, Peru is a giant, bustling sea-side city, full of delicious food, beautiful parks, stunning art and rich culture. During our year-long honeymoon, we spent 2 weeks in Lima, which allowed us to do things like befriend every cat in Kennedy Park, … [Read more...] about The Ultimate Self-Guided Free Walking Tour: Lima, Peru
Travel Guide to Playa Blanca & Isla Baru: Cartagena, Colombia’s Island Paradise
Isla Barú, located just off the coast of Cartagena, Colombia, is the kind of tropical paradise that most visitors to Cartagena envision when they book their tickets. Palm trees, bright blue Caribbean sea, sandy beaches, fresh seafood and fruit … [Read more...] about Travel Guide to Playa Blanca & Isla Baru: Cartagena, Colombia’s Island Paradise
The 10 Most Instagrammable Places in Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena, Colombia is one of the most photogenic cities in the world. Around every corner there's a 400-year old cathedral, a colorful mural, a balcony laden with flowers, or a rainbow-colored street. We've taken several trips to Cartagena and find … [Read more...] about The 10 Most Instagrammable Places in Cartagena, Colombia
How to Get from Cartagena to Santa Marta: A Complete Guide
Cartagena is the starting point for most travelers visiting the Caribbean coast of Colombia, thanks to an international airport with plenty of affordable direct flights. But too often, visitors to Cartagena don't venture outside of the city limits … [Read more...] about How to Get from Cartagena to Santa Marta: A Complete Guide
Backpacking Ecuador: Itinerary for 1 Incredible Month
For such a small country, Ecuador is insanely diverse. From the high altitude metropolitan city of Quito, to the animal refuge of the Galapagos Islands, to the adventure town of Banos, to the high mountain regions of the Andes, to the Amazon … [Read more...] about Backpacking Ecuador: Itinerary for 1 Incredible Month
What to Pack for Colombia: The Ultimate Packing Guide
Packing for a trip to Colombia can be really challenging. After all, Colombia is home to about every diverse landscape you can think of: the tropical Caribbean northern coast; the hot, humid Amazon; Medellin's "eternal spring;" the cool, … [Read more...] about What to Pack for Colombia: The Ultimate Packing Guide
Colombia Itinerary: Ultimate Guide to 1 Month of Backpacking Colombia
After a month of backpacking Colombia, we fell head over heels in love ...with Colombia. (Duh, you guys, we're already married.) Colombia is our favorite country in South America and Central America - and we've visited 7 of them so … [Read more...] about Colombia Itinerary: Ultimate Guide to 1 Month of Backpacking Colombia
30 Things No One Tells You About Backpacking in South America
During our year-long honeymoon, we spent 5 incredible months backpacking in South America. We swam in the Caribbean at Tayrona National Park in Colombia; we swam with playful baby seals in the Galapagos Islands; we hiked (ok, crawled on our hands … [Read more...] about 30 Things No One Tells You About Backpacking in South America
Best Hostels in Colombia: Where to Stay … & Where NOT to Stay!
We spent a month backpacking through Colombia, from Cartagena to Minca to Medellin to San Gil to Salento to Bogota (ahem - and as you can see by my subtle link hints, we've written quite a bit about backpacking in … [Read more...] about Best Hostels in Colombia: Where to Stay … & Where NOT to Stay!
The 5 Most Instagrammable Places in Peru
There's a feeling you get after a vacation, where you've left somewhere behind but every time you see pictures of it you're like "awww, I was there!" and a fuzzy nostalgia hug envelops your stomach and you call over your husband/sister/best … [Read more...] about The 5 Most Instagrammable Places in Peru
Casablanca Valley: Budget Friendly Wine Tasting in Valparaiso (Without a Tour)
Valparaiso, Chile: a unique coastal city perched in the hills, only a stone's throw away from the incredible Casablanca Valley in Chile. Valparaiso is well-deserving of its old nickname "Little San Francisco." The whole city reminded us of our Bay … [Read more...] about Casablanca Valley: Budget Friendly Wine Tasting in Valparaiso (Without a Tour)
What to Pack for South America: 32 Backpacking Essentials
Before we left for 5 months of South America backpacking, we spent months researching what to pack for South America (or rather, I did - Jeremy’s less persnickety about these things). Well, after 5 months of backpacking through … [Read more...] about What to Pack for South America: 32 Backpacking Essentials
Why we’re leaving South America early
When we first began planning this amazing year-long honeymoon, we planned to spend 7 months backpacking through South America: starting in Colombia, working our way down through Ecuador and Peru, popping into Bolivia, and spending a month bouncing … [Read more...] about Why we’re leaving South America early