On winter days like today when the temperature outside is well below zero, I find myself tucked inside, sipping on a cup of coffee, and, of course, wrapped-up snug in a big, cozy scarf. A scarf isn’t just for warding off the blustery drafts at home, but also serves as the ideal travel accessory for adding variation to your outfits.
The Galapagos Islands have so much to offer: wildlife like nowhere else in the world; ideal weather year-round; and the best small-ship, expedition style cruises. Together, let’s navigate the different boat options, itineraries, and seasonal differences to ultimately create the Galapagos Islands trip of your dreams!
10 days of mountain biking, hiking, kayaking, good food, good laughs and good company!
The best South America travel deals to be found in January of 2015!
Our 2014 Annual South America Travel Photography Contest results are in! Travelers captured moments from all over South America including photos from Patagonia, Machu Picchu, the Galapagos Islands, Easter Island, the Peruvian Amazon, the cloud forest in Ecuador, and more. With all of the incredible entries it was tough to pick our favorites. See our top three picks for Adventure, City Scape, Culture, Flora, Foodie, Landscape Scenery, Portrait, and Wildlife below and scroll to the bottom to find out who won the Knowmad Adventures Grand Prize – a 3 day / 2 night stay at the Reserva Amazonica Jungle Lodge (valued at $545). Thank you to our Knowmad travel photographers for a fantastic year!
Mmmmmm….a view of the ocean from my balcony, the harbor is waking, the birds singing their songs. I rub the sleep from my eyes, breathe in the salty, foreign air and reach for…what’s this?! A cup of bitter, grainy Nescafe.
We feel lucky to have spent this year collaborating with hundreds of adventurous travelers and wanted to take a little time to reflect on our 2014 South America Travel Year in Reviews.
“Make this your best vacation year yet. No matter when you’d like to escape, this month-by-month calendar will help you find the best getaway – and the best deals.” – Stirling Kelso
Knowmad Adventures is thrilled to be featured in Money Magazine’s 2015 January – February issue for our Classic Machu Picchu trip idea. Read more for special April travel prices and why this itinerary is the ideal Peru adventure.
This is one of the questions that we get asked most often. When is the best time for snorkeling? Is there a time of year with the calmest waters? And of course, when is the best time for maximum wildlife viewing? Learn more about when the best time is to go to the Galapagos Islands.
Knowmad’s Media Manager, Lisa Kellenberger reflects on how her study abroad experience in Buenos Aires, Argentina taught her how to “go for it” and “gave her the confidence and the skills to pursue a career [she] truly enjoy[s]” in her Translating My Passion Into Real World Opportunities article appearing in University of Colorado – Boulder’s Alumni Spotlight section on December 18, 2014.
Photo by Jan Veen
Getting to the southernmost continent in the world is not easy but that’s not to say it must be a combination of tiring and long travel days. Below we share a Knowmad traveler’s trip to Antarctica by way of Argentina, with adventurous, relaxing, and fun days spent in Buenos Aires, Ushuaia, and Tierra del Fuego National Park, all before they embarked on their once-in-a-lifetime Antarctica expedition.
There are two ways to get to Machu Picchu: hiking the Inca Trail or taking a train and bus combo. At Knowmad Adventures, a travel company that creates innovative and custom trips to South America, we find when travelers hear ‘The Inca Trail’ it often summons images of tent camping and multiple days of difficult hiking. But did you know you can hike just a part of the Inca Trail to get to Machu Picchu? An alternate option to the full Inca Trail, this fantastic single-day hike culminates at the Intipunku Sun Gate overlooking the mysterious citadel of Machu Picchu just as the Incas did centuries ago.
Discover how to incorporate the one-day Inca Trail into a full-length, custom Peru itinerary by connecting with a Knowmad Trip Specialist today at 612-315-2894. Please note that Knowmad Adventures does not offer this as a single day excursion, only as part of a complete trip.
Mix an adventurous, enthusiastic go-getter with a cool and collected travel expert and you’ll get Jena Davison, our newest Knowmad Adventures Trip Specialist. Find out how she landed in the travel industry, why she thinks Colombia travel should be on your radar, and more here:
Journey through the rugged and otherworldly terrain of Southern Bolivia, exploring lagoons, volcanoes and Uyuni salt flats before ending in the capital of La Paz, perched atop the Andes Mountains, stopping at the historical rich communities of Potosi and Sucre along the way. Ideal connection with Chile’s Atacama Desert or start and finish in La Paz.
Everything went perfectly and all 8 of us enjoyed every element of the trip. The guides were all excellent, everyone was always on-time and the hotels were exactly what we wanted. The Estancia turned out to be exceptional and I would say a highlight – the real thing, and right in the park. We ate the trout we caught one day for dinner and everyone loved the horse riding. I would say the unanimous judgement was one of the best trips we have ever taken.
By traveling alongside Knowmad you will be taking part in culturally and environmentally sustainable travel. You will be spreading the love, and the wealth. You will be doing Good Works. Learn more about Knowmad’s eco-travel efforts.
The Knowmad team put together the trip of a life time for us. Everything was perfect, from the guides to the accommodations to the activities, and your extensive knowledge of the area and personal relationships with the people we met in Chile were invaluable. We can’t recommend Knowmad highly enough.
After traveling to Chile two years ago with Knowmad Adventures there was no question as to who was going to help plan my trip to Peru! Thank you so much to Knowmad Adventures. The places they recommended, connections, and knowledge of these regions were impeccable. I highly recommend using Knowmad Adventures to plan your next trip to Peru or Chile!
Our trip was everything we dreamed it would be and more. Your group did a great job everywhere we went. We especially loved our guide Paula, and Explora was top notch too. All perfect.
Please don’t ever change the way you operate. You fulfill lifelong dreams and provide people with the chance to live what they thought could only be read about.
You put together a one-of-a-kind vacation for my group that I’ll long remember and enthusiastically recommend. I thank you and look forward, with much anticipation, to my next adventure with you.
We got back last night and I must say that the organization of the entire trip was AMAZING. We all loved Peru and thanks to Knowmad we even enjoyed it a lot more. Thanks a lot Jordan for everything as we had sooooo much fun. I’ll definitely recommend you to anybody that wants to experience Peru.
Journey through the rugged and otherworldly terrain of Southern Bolivia, exploring lagoons, volcanoes and Uyuni salt flats before ending in the capital of La Paz, perched atop the Andes Mountains, stopping at the historical rich communities of Potosi and Sucre along the way. Ideal connection with Chile’s Atacama Desert or start and finish in La Paz.
