Best Chile & Argentina Travel Agent & Trip Operator: Travel & Leisure Awards Jordan Harvey

Best Travel Agent Jordan Harvey

Ladies & gents, damas y caballeros, he’s done it again! Jordan Harvey’s travel planning skills have been praised before, but this week they’ve gotten international recognition as he was named the best travel specialist for Argentina & Chile vacations in Travel + Leisure Magazine. Check newsstands for the October issue and flip to page 94 or read about the Travel + Leisure A-List online.

“I almost fainted right there in the Dallas/Ft. Worth customs after landing from Chile,” Jordan says of finding out. “We work really hard and have unparalleled levels of knowledge and operating capabilities in our regions, but we focus much more on the experience and staying on the cutting edge in our destinations than we do on getting press and winning contests, so this came as a huge shock. Not to mention we’re probably the newest and smallest company on the list,” he added.

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Arboretum to Galapagos Islands and Ecuador

Galapagos Islands and Ecuador
Knowmad Adventures in conjunction with the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is proud to announce an incredible group tour to the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador. “Darwin’s Galapagos Islands and the Flora and Fauna of Ecuador” is a two week journey that will highlight the incredible landscapes and diverse ecosystems of mainland Ecuador, and includes a luxurious 6-day small ship cruise around Darwin’s Galapagos Islands which are full of fascinating endemic species and beautiful volcanic landscapes. Join Director Emeritus Peter Olin and Knowmad Co-Founder Jordan Harvey along with excellent local guides. In addition to cruising the Galapagos, on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure, you will have unique cultural interactions, explore the cloud forest’s plants, orchids, and over 132 hummingbird species, visit a rose plantation, and much more!

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Patagonia Vacation Packing List

patagonia vacationPacking for a trip can be an overwhelming task, especially when you’re headed out of the country – on a Patagonia vacation perhaps. Most people advocate for packing light but if you’re anything like me, this concept is merely inconceivable. Instead, I like to focus on packing appropriately. This means including all the necessary items on my packing list, and throwing in a few extras, just incase.

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Find Comfort in a Good Book: Books by Isabel Allende

Atacama Desert Chile South America

Knowmad Co-Founder, Tara, picked up her first Isabel Allende book as she was navigating an uncertain future 11 years ago – moving across the world with her husband and Knowmad Co-Founder, Jordan, and starting a business together – and she found solace in the pages as she dove deeper into the story. She hopes that as you navigate today’s changing landscape, you can also find comfort in a good book.

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The New KnowmadAdventures.com

knowmad adventures website

We are proud to announce that the all new Knowmad Adventures website is live! The new site, which was completely redesigned by Knowmad co-Founder Tara, has greatly expanded content including more in-depth bios of the growing Knowmad team, more suggested trip ideas including exclusive Galapagos yacht cruises, and a traveler review section. We’re also jumping out of our seats excited about improved functionality letting travelers design their very own trip as well as searching by travel style such as family, luxury, active and more (kudos to super programmer Josh and nose-to-the-grindstone Media Manager Lisa!).

It is with as much relief as joy that we make this announcement. As a small company building a site this expansive had us all wearing the proverbial many hats, and for that or otherwise it’s safe to say we’re all left with a lower thread count atop the cabeza, if you know what I mean! But hopefully what didn’t kill us made us stronger and we proudly invite you to explore the new face of Knowmad Adventures today.

My Conversation with Carolina in the Atacama Desert

atacama desert hike
We met late in a trip that had already taken my husband Jordan and I deep into the Chilean Patagonia. Journeying to the ends of the earth we rode sturdy criollos alongside spindly guanaco herds, hunted fossils of giant sloths, felt the grumbles and groans of crumbling glaciers before flying north. Waking in Patagonia and ending your day in Atacama Desert is truly like traveling to Mars – although separated by only a few hours in a plane, the landscapes are completely opposite. Arriving content but weary, I found myself wrestling with the dry altitude (the Spanish-colonial pueblo of San Pedro de Atacama rests at 7,900 feet above sea level). Jordan, however, had his mind set on one thing: summiting one of the majestic volcanoes lumbering in our horizon. We chose Cerro Toco, elevation 18,386 feet.

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What’s the best time to travel to Chile & the Patagonia?

patagonia

One of the first questions we’re asked regarding travel to any particular place is, “When is the best time to travel there?” The short answer is that the best summer weather in Patagonia and Chile is during the U.S. winter, making December, January, February and March ideal times for travel. This means the best time to plan a trip to Patagonia is now, during August and September.

Whether you’re looking to stay in one of the world’s finest adventure lodges such as Explora Salto Chico or if you’re more into the idea of a multi-sport trip with camping, Patagonia’s crown jewel known as Torres del Paine National Park is in high demand during these months. Availability is already problematic during the holidays and is starting to fill up for January and February.

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What’s the best Galapagos cruise for me?

Best Galapagos Cruises

You may not be able to pioneer the theory of evolution, but you can visit the Galapagos Islands as Darwin did centuries ago. Cruising the Galapagos Islands far out in the Pacific off the coast of Ecuador is a wildlife experience and luxurious adventure rolled into one. Having inspected over fifty Galapagos small-ship cruises over the last couple years, the new Ecuador and Galapagos section on our website will help you answer the question we often get; “What’s the best Galapagos cruise for me?”

Family Couple Honeymoon Galapagos Trips

 

Condé Nast Traveler Experience Makers Award for the 4th Year in a Row!

Conde Nast Traveler Experience Makers Award

What makes someone worthy of the Condé Nast Traveler Experience Makers award? This person is not just an expert in their field, but a person that views crafting the perfect trip as an art form. A person who is considerate, taking the time to listen their travelers’ interests, style, and needs; a person who is knowledgable, always on the pulse of new activities, cultural opportunities, and remote lodges; and a person who is passionate, someone who understands that the each trip is a unique reflection of the traveler that ultimately gets to embark on the journey. We’re proud to say that Jordan Harvey, Knowmad’s Co-Founder, is this person.

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Parting Shots: How a Galapagos Charter Became the Trip of a Lifetime!

Galapagos Islands Charter

The Galapagos Islands is the perfect place to charter a small yacht or catamaran expedition for just you and your group of family or friends. This allows for a more private and even personalized experience, where the guide and crew are dedicated entirely to your group. As there are many boats in the Galapagos meant for just 16 – 20 passengers, a Galapagos charter boat is often the best choice for large groups of friends, clubs, and multi-generational family vacations, and it’s easier than some may think. There are also a variety of boat types available: you can charter a private luxury boat, a tourist superior, or a first class boat.  Additionally, some nice discounts come into play when you are able to charter a full boat instead of buying the individual cabin spaces. Keep reading to journey alongside this Knowmad group and learn more about Galapagos charter boats. 

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Best Peru Restaurants: Your Guide for Knowing Where to Eat from Lima to Machu Picchu

Best Peru Restaurants Sacred Valley

Peru has been a favorite in the world of cuisine for some time now, and its food only continues to impress and attract patrons from near and far. Part of its charm is that Peru’s culture is so well represented in its cuisine, making each dish a celebration; from fusion blends like Italian-Peruvian and Japanese-Peruvian, to unique incorporations of the fresh fruits, vegetables, and grains harvested locally. Peru’s restaurants and chefs are creating inventive new dishes all the time for fans of food everywhere to enjoy.

Because of the attention surrounding Peru’s food scene, its restaurants are growing in both quantity and popularity: many of them have been favorites for years, some of them are newer and spearheaded by beloved chefs, and there are also the gems that are known only by the locals. As some of the best restaurants in Peru are also the top restaurants in the world, we wanted to create a list of some of Knowmad’s favorites to help you navigate the delectable world of Peruvian dining!

As you read on below, if you are interested in making a reservation for your trip to Peru at any of the restaurant featured here, you can either use the links within each restaurants’ details to reach their website, or you can let your Trip or Operations Specialist know if you would like help, and we would be happy to assist in making those reservations for you.

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