Knowmad Founders Adventure Series: All Things Brazil

It’s been thirteen years since Jordan and I founded Knowmad Adventures. We’ve spent years in South America, built an office and a team in Minneapolis, had babies, moved to the ski town of Telluride, weathered a pandemic, and are, just finally, getting into a travel routine that not only melds with our work and kids’ schedules, but brings us to out-of-this-world destinations, creating lifelong family memories and phenomenal recon missions for Knowmad trip ideas. Discover how adventure travel company founders explore: this year, we travel to Brazil.

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Parting Shots: An Inside Look at an Epic Antarctica Expedition

In the vast Antarctica wilderness, Ron and Russel cross off a significant milestone and discover word-defying beauty. These two are no strangers to Knowmad, they took their first trip with us in 2014 to Peru and have done three other trips since (including Antarctica). They’re fantastic writers and their kind, adventurous spirits are apparent in all the stories they’ve sent us after their trips. We caught up with them from their home in Connecticut after 31 days of adventure. Read their story below.

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Simply the Best: Knowmad Photo Contest Winners

We’ve brought it back after a two year pandemic hiatus; a travelers all-time favorite, the Annual Knowmad Photo Contest. It’s not only the striking images from our favorite South American destinations that keep us inspired, it’s the stories that come with them. Submissions span categories from landscape to wildlife to portrait and capture moments unequaled; the quiet puma in Patagonia’s wild, the sheepish smile of a local child, a rainforest orchid blooming brilliantly. All category winners will receive Knowmad gear and the overall Knowmad Adventures Grand Prize Winner wins a 2-night/3-day stay at Hacienda Zuleta in Ecuador.  Keep scrolling for the results!

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Lifelong Friends Take the Trip of a Lifetime – Galapagos to Machu Picchu

south america custom travel

Having known each other for decades, this group of four already knew any adventure they planned together would be a ball. They came to Knowmad to handle the details and craft experiences that would invite a deeper connection with the landscapes, wildlife, and locals. Little could they have imagined sharing a glass of vino with Margarita, the charming owner of 17th-century Hacienda Zuleta nestled in the Ecuadorian Andes, or exchanging stories with their guide Miguel at Machu Picchu as they walked through mazes of dry-stone walls built over 500 years ago.

Join this lively group of friends as they travel throughout western South America and see why they said, “Our trip was absolutely amazing! An unforgettable experience full of adventure and unexpected beauty”

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Knowmad Wins Condé Nast’s Top Honor for Galapagos, Peru, Patagonia, Argentina, & Chile

Four Knowmad Adventures team members in Knowmad hats walking and laughing together with a Condé Nast Traveler 2022 seal on the lower left.

Knowmad is proud and humbled to once again be one of the few operator/agencies in the world to have not one but two of our specialists awarded with the prestigious Condé Nast Traveler Top Travel Experts accolade. Knowmad General Manager Renee Davies is recognized as the top expert of Galapagos, Ecuador & Peru; while Co–Founder Jordan Harvey for Patagonia, Argentina and Chile.

Travel + Leisure A-List Winner for the 10th Year in a Row!

This is a big one folks!! Knowmad Co-Founder Jordan Harvey won a spot on the Travel + Leisure A-list for the 10th year in a row. 

It doesn’t seem that long ago that Jordan “almost fainted right there in the Dallas / Ft. Worth customs,” after finding out he had won the T+L A-List award for the very first time in 2013. A lot has happened in the last 10 years, we’ve grown, expanded into new territories, helped more and more travelers and at the same time, not much has changed. Our commitment to unparalleled levels of knowledge and operating capabilities in our regions has only strengthened and we continue to work hard to build innovative and unique travel experiences for our travelers. 

We asked our past travelers to help us in congratulating Jordan by sharing some of their favorite travel moments, keep reading to take a trip down memory lane with us.

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Travel + Leisure Spotlights Knowmad’s Peru Epic 9-Day Active Adventure & Inca Trail

Photo of Machu Picchu in Peru with the Travel + Leisure logo overlayed in the lower left corner

Open for travel, sharply declining covid numbers, and a dearth of crowds has us pumped for Peru travel. We were honored when Travel + Leisure recently featured one of Knowmad Co-Founder Jordan’s favored Peru trips, which packs in big adventure in a short period of time. Are you ready to craft your own Peru experience?

Just Back From South America – Stories from Knowmad Travelers

We here at Knowmad Adventures pride ourselves on crafting awe-inspiring South American adventures, helping folks be travelers rather than tourists. Our team of knowledgeable Trip Specialists make creating your own authentic and innovative trip stress-free, using your tastes and interests as a compass to create a unique, custom itinerary.

And as the new year begins to take hold, we’d like to take a moment and look back at some of those incredible adventures Knowmad travelers experienced in 2023; from island hopping in the Galapagos to hiking into the heart of Patagonia, and everything in between. See what our returning travelers have to say about their trips, and reach out to one of our Trip Specialists today to plan your own South American adventure!

Start Planning Today
Knowmad travelers pose for a family picture while horseback riding in Argentina

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Jordan Harvey Named Travel & Leisure’s A-List Travel Advisor

Travel and Leisure Winner Travel and Leisure Knowmad Adventures

A huge congratulations to our Founder, Jordan Harvey, for being named one of Travel & Leisure’s A-List Travel Advisors for the 12th year in a row! It wasn’t just last year’s adventures that got Jordan this honor, but years of perfecting travel in South America alongside an incredible team. Without our core group of knowledgeable and helpful Travel Specialists, it wouldn’t have been possible, and of course, collaborating with our amazing travelers always leads us to craft better and better trips. Check out his feature from Travel & Leisure here, and reach out to one of our amazing Trip Specialists today to plan your own South American adventure!

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SIMPLY THE BEST: 2023 KNOWMAD PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS

Award winning photos and travel quotes

It’s time for everyone’s favorite newsletter of the year, the Knowmad Annual Photo Contest! So many travelers have returned from their 2023 custom adventures in South America with incredible stories and photos to share and inspire. We’ve categorized the photos into a wide variety of topics to give you a little taste of it all. From breathtaking landscapes, to heartwarming and hilarious traveler portraits, to jaw dropping encounters with local fauna, Knowmad travelers have experienced it all this year. All category winners will receive Knowmad gear and the overall Knowmad Adventures Grand Prize Winner will win a three day stay at Hacienda Zuleta.

Scroll down to see the results and ignite your wanderlust…

 

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