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Salar de Uyuni

June 3, 2020

Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni is considered one of the most extreme and remarkable vistas in all of South America, if not Earth. Stretching more than 10500 square km of the Altiplano, it is the world’s largest salt flat, left behind by prehistoric lakes evaporated long ago. Here, a thick crust of salt extends to the …
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[Flight Review] Avianca Business class SJO-BOG-PUJ

May 10, 2020

Avianca is the national airline of Colombia and the airline has been founded for 101 years (as of 2020). Starting in 1919, it made its debut between Barranquilla and Puerto Berrio. It is headquartered in Bogotá, D.C. with its main hub at El Dorado International Airport. Avianca is the flagship of a group of eight Latin American airlines, whose operations are …
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Bogota for the senses

December 16, 2018

The Colombian capital is a vast, noisy, and intense city, but Bogota has a lot more to offer than initially meets the eye, and not just for solo travellers. It caters to all groups of visitors, be it the business tourist there for a business meeting, a backpacker touring his/her way down the length of …
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Valparaiso

October 21, 2018

While Chile’s exotic landscapes of Patagonia and the Atacama Desert tend to capture much of the world’s attention, the UNESCO World Heritage port city of Valparaiso is an under-the-radar gem. Situated on The Central coast just two hours west from the capital Santiago, the city’s poetically sloping streets of colourful, corrugated metal-sided houses are worth …
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Let’s Tango!

October 1, 2018

Buenos Aires, geographically located in Latin America but it feels like I have stepped into Europe. People dress like chic Parisians while uttering a dialect of Spanish which I have to try hard to interpret them, with Italian style architecture surrounding the city. There is a mix of elegant mansions lining cobblestone streets to slum …
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Colonia del Sacramento

September 29, 2018

A one-hour ferry ride across the Rio de la Plate from Buenos Aires and few hours’ drive from Montevideo, Colonia del Scaramento is a Uruguayan town stuck in time. Anchoring the city is the Barrio Historico, the original, irregular street plan built by the Portuguese that is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, azulejo …
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Guatape, best day trip from Medellin

August 7, 2018

An absolute “must visit” day trip for those in Medellin, located just two hours away on bus, you can find the marvel that is Guatapé and the infamous rock, La Piedra.  Combine the spectacular 360 degree views from the rock with a beautifully preserved colonial town and you have a formidable Colombian day trip. Although Medellin …
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Jardin, a day trip from Medellin

July 15, 2018

The pretty little coffee town of Jardin in the mountains of southern Antioquia department is one of Colombia’s Heritage Towns and arguably one of the nicest small towns to visit in the whole country. A charming mix of traditional architecture, stunning natural scenery and friendly local people, Jardin is worth visiting for at least a …
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Cartagena and the Caribbean

July 12, 2018

**Update** Colombia will lift the “Reciprocity Fee” for all Canadian tourists entering Colombia, effective 1 May 2019, so there will not be any payment of COP200 000 for Canadian passport holders. Cartagena de Indias is the undisputed queen of the Caribbean coast, a fairy-tale city of romance, legends and superbly preserved beauty lying within an …
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10 places to visit in Bogota

July 10, 2018

Colombia’s capital city of Bogota is a vast, sprawling place with a population of over 8 million people, and concrete as far as the eye can see. It’s a great city to visit,cradled by the chilly Andean peaks on one side and steeped in sophisticated urban cool on the other. The city’s cultural epicenter is La …
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Buenos Aires

May 16, 2018

The capital of Argentina is often compared to New York, Madrid or Paris – but Buenos Aires has a soul of its own. The city is seductive and fervent, best known for its guilty pleasure, its streaks and tango saunter. As the birthplace of tango, Buenos Aires pulsates with a passionate rhythm. The fiery dance …
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Raw landscapes of Patagonia

May 14, 2018

If there is one place on earth that truly offers a unique experience with nature, that would be Patagonia, a region that straddles both Argentina and Chile in South America. From getting up close and personal with massive penguin and cormorant colonies, to standing in the shadows of spectacular glaciers and towering mountain peaks, this …
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Trip Planning for Colombia

May 1, 2018

Announcing my next big adventure: one more month to Colombia! It will be my third time to South America, I love this continent so much. I am excited to explore this country which has both the Pacific and Caribbean coastlines, Amazon rainforest, Andes mountains, coffee plantations and colonial towns. But what really seals the deal …
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Colombia-Peru-Brazil triangle

April 11, 2018

Letiticia may be the end of the road for Colombia, but it is also the crossroads of the Amazon jungle. From here, many adventurers set sail for Brazil or Peru, fulfilling a lifelong dream of traveling on one of the world’s greatest rivers, the Amazon—or as the locals call it, the Río Amazonas. Get ready to …
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Red Hot Chile

February 18, 2018

Santiago, the capital of Chile, is gaining a reputation as one of South America’s coolest cities with creative districts, hip boutique hotels and a vibrant food scene. It is a wonderful city for strolling, and each neighborhood has its unique flavor and tone. Head out during the day to take in the museums, grand architecture …
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Highest capital in the world La Paz

January 31, 2018

La Paz is the largest and most populated urban centre in Bolivia, with over three million inhabitants. The city’s downtown sits at 3650 metres above sea level and its highest point reaches 4080 metres. It is here where the local culture and several unforgettable activities converge. As soon as the plane lands in El Alto …
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2015 travel review

January 4, 2016

What did I do for 2015? So I did fulfill my new year resolution of traveling more and making sense of the world we live in. This has been an epic year of thesis submission, graduation, pedagogical training and lots of crazy traveling. most unique experience – sleeping in a Mongolian ger (yurt) in the …
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10 lessons learnt while trekking Torres del Pain(e)ful

January 4, 2016

1) trekking alone can be depressing at times 2) what goes up must come down (I was moaning at the steep ascents and was delighted at the downhills) 3) carrying my  heavy backpack and hiking is not my style (I’m used to doing day trips with a small bag) 4) reserve your refugios or camping …
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Coucou Cuzco

November 21, 2015

I retired early to my hostel as I was not feeling well. The symptoms were clear, I had altitude sickness as I was having a bad headache that would not go away. Welcome to Cuzco, the gateway to Machu Picchu, this town is located 3400m above sea level, high up in the mountains of Peru. …
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How do I fund #donstravels

April 9, 2015

 So many people have been asking me how do I manage to fund my extensive travels, as it always seems that I am on the move. So far this year, I’ve been doing one overseas trip each month (Myanmar, Japan, Malaysia and coming up soon, the Philippines), adding new countries to my growing list. I …
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Viaje a Tombuctú

December 1, 2014

HAPPY DECEMBER! So fast it’s the time of the year again where festive bells are ringing and the smell of Christmas is in the air. Yesterday, I watched a second Spanish film as part of the Latin American Film Festival in Singapore. This was much better than the one that I watched the previous day …
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The Top 50 Cities to See in Your Lifetime

July 25, 2014

So I’ve visited 25 out of these 50 cities..I need to continue traveling more!!! With our ever-expanding bucket lists, it’s sometimes easy to lose sight of the essentials. Well, we’ve gone to the community of travelers at minube.net with a simple goal: find the greatest destinations on Earth. From the great ancient capitals to the …
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How to tackle Machu Picchu the cheap way

July 1, 2013

I posted the same review in TripAdvisor. Many friends have been asking me how I did Machu Picchu, but mine is the unconventional way. Instead of signing up for the touristy Inca Trail which is sold out months in advance and cost $400 for 4-5 days trekking, I decided to go local and went to …
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27h in Santiago de Chile

June 27, 2013

early morning flight to Santiago   My last country that I visited in South America is Chile. I flew to Santiago from Cuzco via Lima. I wanted to catch the last bus before midnight to the city centre of Santiago, but due to unforeseen circumstances, my plane was stuck on the tarmac for about half …
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