Quinua Villa Boutique Hotel
This has to be one of my absolute all time favorite hotels – if not places in the world! Located in Cusco, Quinua Villa Boutique Hotel adopts its name from the nutritious Andean grain. It is lovingly owned and operated by an Italian expat named Cristiano who welcomed us with open arms.
Parting Shots: Chile
Book Review: Death in the Andes
The high Andean Cordillera of Peru is where Mario Vargas Llosa weaves this tale. Tomasito, a young Lieutenant, finds himself stationed in Naccos – a desolate and dying town commenced with a now closed mine and surviving by building and rebuilding a road that’s continuously buried by landslides but leads nowhere anyways. Lituma, the Corporal, listens night after night to Tomasito’s lamenting and memories of his lost love Mercedes, a dark beauty from the coast. That is, until the disappearance of three men distracts his attention. Were they murdered by the terrucos? Maybe their bodies were made to shrivel up so that a pishtaco could boil their fat. Or was the coca-leaf-reading Dona Adriana and her lush of a husband Dioniosi involved? Only the “bowels of the earth” where the “bulls, serpents, condors, and spirits lived” may ever know the truth…
2011 South America Photo Contest Winners
Peruvian Textiles
Knowmad News: Published in Frommer’s Again!
It was rewarding last year when Frommer’s Budget Travel made our Northern Patagonia Odyssey itinerary their Featured Real Deal Trip as it’s an innovative and authentic itinerary that makes the Patagonia more accessible. Far more rewarding however, the magazine recently interviewed the Seviers who found us by way of the Frommer’s accolade, took the trip, and were blown away by how well it facilitated them being a part of the diverse cultures of the region.
GOING OFF THE GRID
(as published in Frommer’s Budget Travel, May/June 2012)
“My wife, Sarah, and I live in Manhattan. As lifelong big-city dwellers, a trip to Chilean Patagonia was a 180-degree change for us. We wanted to be immersed, not pampered. Only twice did we eat in restaurants – instead, we ate with our hosts in local homes. We stayed with a couple in Cochamo Valley – at one point we were eating fresh salmon the husband had caught the day before from the river that runs through their property. What I remember most: the wood stoves. There’s one in everybody’s kitchen, going 24 hours a day. The coffee’s always on, and you can smell the wood smoke all throughout the house. I’m desperate to find a way to import those stoves to New York—I just don’t know too many landlords who would allow it.”
–Ben Sevier, New York, NY
The related nine-night itinerary starts at $1,550. Call to talk to your trip specialist 1-877-616-8747. Or visit us online at www.KnowmadAdventures.com
Winner, Winner, Heck-of-a-lot more than Chicken Dinner
Knowmad at Outdoor Adventure Expo This Weekend
Curried Quinoa
Quinoa seems to be all the rage lately, as this world is discovering how hard gluten can be on your body. This grain, native to the high Andean regions of Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Columbia, is a great source of protein, calcium and iron. The Incans revered the crop and considered it sacred, referring it to it as “the mother of all grains.”
Knowmad at the Midwest Mountaineering Outdoor Adventure Expo!

Fellow adventurers, it’s that time of year again – join us at the bi-annual Midwest Mountaineering Outdoor Adventure Expo this April! “The Expo” has over 60 exhibitors and more than 100 presentations by experts in a multitude of fields: parks and trails, high-adrenaline adventure, nature conservation, and of course, travel.
2017 Knowmad Adventures Annual Photo Contest

Snorkel in the Galapagos Islands, marvel at the stars on the Inca Trail, and meet penguins in Antarctica in this year’s Knowmad Adventures Annual Photo Contest.
Inspiring Travel Instagram Photos: Our Most Liked Posts of 2017

Sprinkled with photos of mouth-watering meals and spectacular destinations, Instagram is a great place to go for inspiration. We like to share daily happenings and big highlights from near and far on Knowmad’s Instagram. A round-up of our most liked photos from 2017 reveals the year’s most exciting moments and travel destinations.