A little while ago I wrote a post for Backpack South America about 4 of the best places to walk on the wild side and experience nature in Brazil. ‘Brazil has an incredible variety of landscapes; from table mountains and red rocks to watery wonderlands. Epic sweeping views, on a scale we don’t get…
Category: South America
Visiting Rio 2016? 5 amazing places to extend your Olympic stay
Are you planning a visit to Rio for the 2016 Summer Olympics? Thinking of extending your stay but not sure where to go? The sheer size of Brazil can make it overwhelming to pick one or two places to extend your stay, but I’m here to help with 5 places that top my list. 1….
How to book bus tickets in Brazil
Want to book bus tickets for Brazil but confused how to do it online? Not sure how easy it is to buy tickets in person? Then I’m here to help. When we first travelled to Brazil back in 2007 it was pretty difficult, if not impossible, to buy tickets online before starting our trip. For one…
A great start to the year – Saltwater mentioned in National Geographic Traveller magazine
Something amazing happened last Monday. Well, amazing to me. I was scrolling through my emails on the train into work when I spotted a notification. A pingback link to my site. Normally I would have waited and checked the link later, but something caught my eye. Wait…was it National Geographic Traveller linking to my…
Revisiting an icon – when is the best time to visit Iguazu Falls?
I’ve been lucky enough to visit Iguazu Falls twice now and it’s definitely an amazing place to add to your South American trip. But the two experiences were quite different; one in February (summer) and one in July (winter), when the water reached exceptionally high levels due to floods in Parana state. You can read…
Adventures in the Bolivian Pantanal
“We usually eat them whole, with our hands.” She mimed chomping across the bony flesh, then gestured to the knife and fork on the table. “But you can use those.” Piranhas have a fearsome reputation but most of the time they’re harmless enough. Just don’t get into the water with them during mating season….
Pope fever in Santa Cruz, Bolivia
Santa Cruz was just supposed to be a stopover, a brief first glimpse of Bolivia before continuing on to Puerto Quijarro on the Brazilian border, from where we were travelling into the Parque Nacional Otoquis. We arrived early in the evening, the taxi following a twisting route through endless city blocks. Many roads were…
My first travel video, the BBC and World Travel Market
In the spirit of trying new things, I’ve made my first travel video! It’s highlights of my trip to Bolivia and Brazil this summer, set to one of my favourite tracks. Hope you like it, feedback welcome! I made the video with a free video editing app called KineMaster, which I heard about on a…
How to spend a rainy day in Bonito, Brazil
I know you probably have a lovely idea of Brazil, bathed in constant warm sub-tropical sunshine, Well, you know what comes with sun in the tropics? Yes, rainstorms. We planned two days in Bonito, the eco-tourism capital of Mato Grosso do Sul; one to enjoy the town, do a little laundry, check out a bar…
I left my heart in…Chapada dos Guimaraes, Brazil
“Ah, my other son. He’s in some tiny town in the far north, in Piaui state. I’ve never heard of it.” Our laid-back guide rolled the window down and shrugged. There’s many unknown places in Brazil. Take Chapada dos Guimaraes. It may be the official geodesic centre of South America, but until we…