When one decides to start an adventure travel company it’s not because they envision spending sixty hours a week staring at a computer. Researching, calling, emailing, circling back, requesting quotes, revising, crunching numbers, crunching again, doing data analysis, until the day arrives that you realize you haven’t walked outside, left the desk or changed out of your pajamas and it’s ten o’clock…in the evening. And that’s when it’s time to hit the road.
Thank you. By taking the time to share your travel experiences with Knowmad you are not only helping us and supporting our company, but you are being a voice for adventure and enabling us to continue to build active, authentic and sustainable travel in South America.
We truly appreciate your help in this ever-evolving technological world.
Hasta Pronto, Knowmad Adventurers!
Knowmad Adventures works closely with independent-minded travelers creating innovative trips to South America. Our specialists in Patagonia, Chile, Machu Picchu, Peru, Argentina, the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador and Antarctica are eager to collaborate and create a trip as unique and authentic as you are, and our experienced South American operations team guarantees you get an insider’s perspective, superior values, and a flawlessly-operated trip.
“Having been born with a substantial wanderlust tick, I’ve been perpetually focused on the next great adventure. Hopping a flight to some far-flung destination doesn’t have me skipping a beat – I’m endlessly inspired by the cultures, food, colors, and idiosyncrasies I discover. Ironically though, part of what I take away from travel is a deeper sense and appreciation of home. Gaining new perspectives abroad gives me a fresh outlook on my day to day. Here in Minneapolis, I strive to live locally, while thinking globally. I feel so lucky that Knowmad has enabled me to be a part of people’s life journeys.”
– Tara Harvey, Co-Founder & Operations
“I am an outdoor-loving, food-enthusing Minnesotan. Attracted to the culture, language and mystery of South America, I chose to study abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2012. After living with a family and traveling in my spare time, I can safely say I feel a sense of home in South America. I am a graduate of University of Colorado – Boulder with a degree in Anthropology and certificates in Technology, Arts, & Media, and Entrepreneurial Business. I believe that life is a rhythm and development, and travel has encouraged me to expand my perspective and grow. My passion for culture and exploration was only strengthened while living abroad and today I continue to live my next adventure.”
– Lisa Kellenberger, Media Manager
A dynamic photographer, Lisa focuses on food, lifestyle, outdoor experiences and landscape photography. Her passion for the visual world has encouraged her to explore places all over the globe in search of new experiences. For her, photography serves as a way of organizing her thoughts, preserving memories and sharing stories. Lisa currently lives in Bend, Oregon where she works remotely for Knowmad Adventures managing the blog, newsletter and social media platforms among other marketing initiatives. Her work is primarily featured on the Knowmad blog and has also been in Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine, Design Mom and more. See a sample of her work below:
Photographs also published in:
If you’re interested in collaborating with Lisa and Knowmad please don’t hesitate to reach out! You can e-mail Lisa at [email protected].
*To Note: Lisa will be traveling to Chile in March, if you’d like to work with her in conjunction with her trip, please contact her before February 29th.
ARGENTINE CHIMICHURRI RECIPE |
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CONDÉ NAST TRAVELER EXPERIENCE MAKERS AWARDThey call us The Experience Makers; a compilation of travel experts from all across the world organized into four glossy pages of Condé Nast Traveler’s December issue. We’re honored to be a part of this list, named for “custom trips to Patagonia’s most far-flung corners.” Find out why here… |
24 HOURS IN PATAGONIA 6:30am – “We awoke to a red glow seeping through our cabaña’s windows and rolled over to a sunrise like no other…” Knowmad founders Tara and Jordan Harvey give an in-depth account of 24 hours in Patagonia for Artful Living Magazine from their latest trip to the Southern Hemisphere. |
GIFT GUIDE FOR THE EXPLORERAn inspirational gift guide for the explorer in your life, whether they are globe trotting the world or forging new paths around town, we’ve got gift ideas for the ones in your life that motivate you to push the boundaries… |
On Christmas Eve watched little Thomas open his imported Legos. I couldn’t help but draw comparisons; our customs different in that Chileans for the most part exchange gifts on the eve, but similar in that men feign mild excitement over new underwear while boys beam over their new toys.
We missed all our family and friends greatly and are reminded, both by the weight of their absence and the sincere care of others, what a powerful holiday Christmas can be.
We recently said goodbye to our first client. Christopher hails from the sweltering bayous of Alabama, proudly wielding the moniker ‘Bama’, but he will forever go down in the halls of Knowmad Adventures as ‘el cliente’. His journey was an unforgettable one for him and monumental for us. After trying his hardest to miss a bus or plane, he’s already planning the return.
It’s not dumb luck or simple coincidence that we live in this precise point of Chile, with her supermodel measurements. Glacial lakes are warmed by towering, crotchety volcanoes and feed raging rivers—offering a plethora of activities for the outdoor enthusiast. An almost overwhelming array of options really. And after what seems like months of getting “settled” we’re faced with the not-so-little task of choosing the best of the best, and then linking them together. We set up meeting after meeting, we scour the internet, leaf through the guidebooks. The brochures pile up along with our nerves.
Chile, South America!
Reluctantly rolling out of bed, chilled feet are delighted to find slippers in an increasingly familiar spot. Wood gently creaks under foot and there is a steady patter of rain on tin. Crossing the small living room out to the porch, I’m joined by Boni and her I’ve-had-a-long-life tits. We fetch some wood together. The fire roars in the wood-burning stove, strong coffee brews on the old but firm German stove.
Never in my life have I been so preoccupied by the various rattles, clicks and pings that a car makes while in transit, but having dumped a significant chunk of our operating capital into our Hyundai Galloper, we’re on pistons and needles every inch of the journey. She doesn’t fail us and it seems will be worth every peso. The landscape slowly transforms from a warm, dry Mediterranean climate akin to Napa Valley, into sweeping lush hills. We joke, but not without a hint of believing that we’re headed into the Promised Land.
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.
We’re so excited to welcome Carmen to the Knowmad Team! She is a joy to have in the office, exuding positivity wherever she goes and helping Knowmad meet its goals and grow. Read on to find out Carmen’s best kept travel secret, her favorite activities and more.
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.
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.
