Featured Itinerary: Northern Patagonia Odyssey

The Story

We are thrilled to be kicking off another great Patagonia travel season and would like to share an itinerary that will always remain close to our hearts with you all. Just after we got hitched three years ago (wow, how the time flies!), Jordan and I hopped a flight down to Chile to start the journey that is Knowmad Adventures. Chile’s about as diverse as you can get, with the Atacama Desert stretching north, the vineyards and cities of Santiago and Valparaiso in the central region, and all the way down to the end of the world – Patagonia. We decided to start with Northern Patagonia, a region that held a lot of intrigue for us. It saw very little international tourism, and even the Chileans that had visited there were few and far between. But what we had heard of it sounded like a little slice of paradise; giant volcanoes sleeping over lush green landscapes, gauchos living off the land as they had for generations, German immigrants brewing tasty beers and serving up that delectable kuchen. Who wouldn’t get lured by that?

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Good Eats in Santiago

The travel magazine Afar boasts in its October issue about a yummy find in Chile’s capital city:

“The chef behind Santiago’s restaurant Boragó is on a mission to promote his country’s overlooked ingredients, such as the superacidic copoa fruit, which grows in the Atacama desert.

Pictured above (courtesy of Afar) is grouper baked in a mud oven, a technique used by the indigenous Mapuche peoples for centuries.

Knowmad Adventures provides restaurant recommendations for each destination that you arrive to in your Buen Viaje document before you depart. The Buen Viaje document also contains handy info like 24-hour emergency contact numbers, your hotel addresses and maps.

Win this FREE Daypack & Knowmad Gear!

Win this FREE daypack and Knowmad gear! How?

1) ‘Like’ the Knowmad Adventures page on Facebook.

2) Get your Facebook friends to ‘like’ our page too. (Hint: More the merrier! The more friends of yours that like our page, the better chance you have to win.)

3) Once we reach 1,000 likes we’ll choose a winner at random and if you suggested they like our page you win too.* (Can you say win, win?!)

It’s simple. Get Knowmad to 1,000 likes, and you and a friend could be hiking in style in no time!

*The chosen winner will be contacted via Facebook message.

World Wide Image

Oh my life is rough – here I’ve been finding myself going through countless amazing images of South America as my job. Couldn’t help but share some of these that haven’t quite made it into any of our publications yet…

Un Beso, Tara

Ps. All of these photos were taken on travels to South America – click on any photo for an itinerary that will bring you there.

8 Women, 8 Days in Peru

Amy is one of eight women recently returning from eight days in Peru. The women’s group connected through AdventureHer and created a custom Knowmad itinerary journeying through Lima, the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu and more.

Muchisimas gracias to Amy for her delightful travel journal. Below are just a couple morsels from the full journal.

 
“Each of us has different backgrounds, occupations and life experiences but were all brought together by the desire to experience a new culture.”

Money Matters in Chile

Today one U.S. dollar equals 484 Chilean pesos and of course exchange rates fluctuate, so check online before your trip to Chile – I like www.xe.com. For those of you out there like me, quick math has never been my thing (especially when in a foreign language!) so the following is a little system I’ve come up:

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Pin Us on Pinterest

Because images are some of our most beloved things here at Knowmad (after traveling of course), we are more than thrilled to announce our arrival to one of the most amazing image sharing sites out there – pinterest.com.

If you haven’t heard about it, and beautiful photos of anything and everything from pets to hair to food and more are something you’d be into, then check it out. But be warned: it’s addicting!

And if you’re already spending way too many of your waking hours pinning and repinning (you know who you are) then Knowmad’s Pinterest can’t be missed. Follow us for stunning photos, good reads, tasty dishes, gear, and all around good, clean inspiration from the Southern Hemisphere!

 

Gastronomy: Merken in Food & Wine Magazine

While perusing through the August issue of Food & Wine the other week I was delighted to find that not only was Minneapolis (Jordan and I’s hometown) featured as a foodie’s paradise, but Knowmad’s favorite spice, Merken, from Chile got a mention as well. I’ve of course been throwing it on everything since…roasted tomatoes (yum), hard boiled eggs (why not?), or cereal (alright, now I’ve gone too far!). It’s an excellent substitution to paprika, adding just the right amount of smoky flavor.

Un beso, Tara

(Image via Food & Wine Magazine, August 2012 Issue.)

Parting Shots: Antarctica Family Trip of a Lifetime

Knowmad Adventures Antarctica Trip

One of the greatest compliments we can receive is when past travelers come back to us for another adventure in South America. Barbara, Eric, Kathy, and Lenny had done two previous trips with Knowmad, to Easter Island & Patagonia and to the Galapagos Islands. So when they came back looking to go off the beaten track for their third trip, exploring the contrasting deserts of the Atacama in northern Chile and Antarctica, we were really excited to help them plan this awesome multi-generational Chile + Antarctica family adventure.   

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The Casa Oficina

Knowmad Adventures South America Travel

Welcome to the Casa Oficina. That is the house that is an office, or the office that is a house. Not technically – we don’t actually live here (although during the busy season, many of us feel like that!). We affectionately call it the Casa Oficina because it’s an old Minneapolis house that we remodeled into the new Knowmad Adventures office, and although filled with desks and computers and coffee makers and such, its underlying texture is that of a light-filled home.

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Top Sacred Valley Hotels: Find Your Perfect Place to Stay in Peru’s Sacred Valley

Top Sacred Valley Hotels

With all the possible places to stay when traveling, it can be difficult to know which one is the best one for you and your fellow travelers. Your accommodations can be such a big piece of your trip; letting you relax that much more during your vacation, or immersing you further into the culture. We know it can be difficult to know all of the features of each hotel option, so we wanted to highlight a few of Knowmad’s favorite hotels in Peru’s Sacred Valley, and share the characteristics that make each one a top Sacred Valley hotel on our list.

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