The Llama Travel Blog

Taking the train to Machu Picchu but you’re keen to take a crack at hiking whilst at the ruins? Walking the Inca Trail but you’re up for one final trek? Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain offer unparalleled birds-eye views of the ruins, as well as panoramic vistas of the surrounding peaks and valley. While both hikes are difficult, arguably making the decision of which mountain to climb is the biggest difficulty of all.

Planning a holiday to Latin America is an exciting time, and the continent offers endless opportunities for all ages, from backpackers in their early 20s to couples and solo travellers in their 80s who want to tick Machu Picchu off their list. For many reasons, travelling in your older years is the prime time. However, the thought of travelling may raise a few concerns – will I be fit enough? Is it safe? Will I be lonely? In this blog we go through some common queries that people have when travelling in their mature years.

I was lucky enough to do the Colonial Quito excursion twice during my six months living in the Ecuadorian capital – once on my first day and then a few months later when my family came to visit. Having spent a lot of my weekends wandering around and getting to know the ins and outs of the historic centre, I can safely say that this excursion encompasses all the best bits and is a great starting point for a first visit to Quito.

Feeling slightly jetlagged and somewhat apprehensive about what the next six months in this strange new city would bring, I was more than happy to spend my first day in the safe hands of a tour guide. I was picked up promptly at 8:30am, ready to begin the tour at 9am. Here are a few of the highlights... 

Peru is synonymous with the Andes mountains. Dividing the country from north to south, this vast chain of snow-capped peaks and diverse landscapes moulds the country’s geography, culture, history and people. It is the highest mountain range outside Asia and the longest continental mountain range in the world. Keep reading to find out what makes the Andes such a special place to visit on a holiday to Peru.

Here at Llama Travel we pride ourselves on being experts in Latin America, having all travelled extensively throughout the continent. It's hard to choose a favourite from such a diverse range of locations, but here are a few of our personal highlights. 

While the Uyuni Salt Flat is a beautiful and extraordinarily extensive destination (and perhaps my favourite place to have visited), the journey I took from San Pedro de Atacama in Chile through to Uyuni was what made the experience that much more memorable. While growing up in New Zealand has provided me with a plethora of beautiful landscapes, visiting the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve in southwestern Bolivia exposed me to otherworldly and picturesque settings that were the highlights of my trip to Latin America.

Machu Picchu is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world, combining fascinating ruins with the incredible scenery of the Andes. You’ll want to make sure you are getting the most out of your trip by choosing the right option for you, whether it’s the classic Inca Trail, a daytrip to Machu Picchu or one of the many other ways. With this in mind, we have put together a guide to what options you have for a Llama Travel visit to Machu Picchu including logistics and possible excursions.

In light of Charles Darwin being born 210 years ago today, you might be interested to find out a little bit more about how the Galapagos Islands contributed to the theory of evolution. Here you can find a simple guide to the science behind this theory, as well as what to expect on a holiday to the Galapagos.

This trip has been in the offing since nearly two years ago when I was having lunch with Flo at our favourite eatery. She said to me, “Mum, do you still want to go to Peru?” . It’s something I’d dreamt of since learning about the people of the Andes at junior school, aged about 9 or 10 and had been inspired by the pictures of the people, their textiles and the mountains. We spent some time comparing companies and decided to go with Llama Travel, who gave us a good price and seemed friendly, experienced and well organised (the clue is in the name!).

So here I am in a twin room at the Casa Andina Select Hotel in Lima at the end of our first full day.

People have different reasons for travelling alone to Peru. Sometimes it’s an active choice, and sometimes it’s due to circumstances. Either way, if you’re considering solo travel, you probably have some questions: how much will it cost? Is it safe to travel alone in Peru? What about Spanish? Here we go through some common queries that people have when travelling alone for the first time.