In February last year, we arrived in South America after six months island-hopping across the Pacific Ocean. I knew we’d be spending more time on dry land here than we had in Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu where I passed my PADI Open Water Diver course. Nonetheless, I was keen to improve my diving skills as we were planning to visit the Galápagos Islands with its excellent range of sea life.
Peter Watson
Punta Arenas: following the Ferdinand Magellan route
Punta Arenas overlooks the Strait of Magellan on the Ferdinand Magellan route and is home to some of the most famous ships in the history of navigation
The sprawling city of Punta Arenas, situated on the historic Ferdinand Magellan route, is not easy to define. It’s possible that the city itself is confused about its identity. Once a penal colony, it is today part roughneck, part modern metropolis, part open-air maritime museum.
The town’s position overlooking the coarse and inhospitable Strait of Magellan – the most important natural passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans – makes it essential to Chile’s maritime trade and provides access to the Antarctic peninsular.
12 most common expat problems
We list the 12 most common expat problems. The problems fall into three main areas: relationships, money and culture shock
Over the course of the past year, we have used our expat survey to gather advice for expats and their loved ones, most popularly 8 tips to know before you go and 6 things not to say to an expat.
Here, we list the 12 most common expat problems based on InterNations’ broader Expat Insider survey.
Ultimate camping checklist: everything in one place
Our ultimate camping checklist is intentionally comprehensive so that everything is listed
After years of packing and re-packing in preparation for various expeditions, I’ve finally got it nailed – to the point where I have a spreadsheet with all my gear listed alongside its weight (full and empty) so I can predict how heavy my pack will be. Most campers are likely far less pedantic, but there’s no denying we all feel pride in getting our kit just right.
To help campers get their gear in order, I’ve put together the ultimate camping checklist – intentionally comprehensive so that everything you need is listed, whether it’s for a weekend backpacking trip through the wilderness or a longer family break.
Night hiking: how to see the world by moonlight
Night hiking doesn’t have to be a result of a poorly planned day hike; it can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience in its own right.
Before you go blindly marching off into the hills to thrash about in the dark before calling search and rescue on your smartphone (which probably has a flat battery from using it as a flashlight), prepare yourself with our guide to night hiking for a safe and enjoyable night.
Natural wonders vs manmade sights
Atlas & Boots host Lonely Planet’s #LPChat
In August, we hosted Lonely Planet’s #LPChat on Twitter to celebrate the release of their Ultimate Travelist, a list of 500 unmissable attractions across the world ranked by their global community of travel experts. The subject in question was natural wonders vs manmade sights.
How to make friends in a new country
If you’ve just moved to a new country then it can be hard to new meet people. We offer a guide on how to make friends in a new country.
Last year, I wrote about the challenges of talking to strangers on the road or in unfamiliar social situations. I shared five ways to break the ice and endear you to your newly acquainted.
One recurring question since then has been: how do I meet people in the first place? This is especially important when you’ve just moved to a new country.
Iguazu Falls boat ride: getting drenched by a natural wonder
The Iguazu Falls boat ride experience was frantic and completely exhilarating! Getting beneath the roaring cascades was like nothing I’ve ever experienced
Atlas & Boots recently co-hosted Lonely Planet’s natural wonders vs manmade sights #LPChat debate on Twitter. We were both firmly in the natural wonders camp, with Mt Yasur volcano in Vanuatu and Perito Moreno glacier in Argentina among our top travel experiences of all time.
Beginners’ French: language hacks for word endings
A master of ten languages, Michel Thomas has taught beginners’ French to the stars. Here are some of the hacks I’ve picked up so far
Once our journey around the world officially ends, we’ll be heading to France for a few months before finally returning to London. With only a short-course French qualification to my name (from my school days nearly 17 years ago), I need to improve my French quick smart.
So far, I have been tackling the task digitally with a combination of Duolingo and the Michel Thomas Method. I’ve been using Duolingo for Spanish throughout South America with mixed success, but the Michel Thomas Method is a promising new approach for me.
8 things to do in Puerto Natales, Chile
“We wanted an adventure holiday, but we wanted to come back in the evening to somewhere cozy and comfortable,” said Matt and Kirsty, two Americans we met during our stay in Puerto Natales.
Like them, we visited the windswept plains of Chilean Patagonia out of season meaning multi-day treks through Torres del Paine were out of the question. But that didn’t put a complete dampener on our experience. There was still plenty of adventuring to be enjoyed outside of Torres del Paine National Park without spending our days stomping along a hiking trail with only a fitful night’s sleep under canvas (not that I mind that of course).
6 best Torres del Paine hiking trails, Chile
Torres del Paine hiking trails are some of the best hiking trails on the continent, if not the world
In 2013, National Geographic ranked Torres del Paine National Park in Chile as the fifth most beautiful place in the world.
Unfortunately for me, Torres del Paine represents one of my travel regrets from our big trip. We got our timings wrong and saw relatively little of some of the most dramatic scenery in Chilean Patagonia.
Visiting Easter Island: the middle of nowhere
Visiting Easter Island is a special experience. It deserves a place amid the Seven Wonders of the World, surpassing Christ the Redeemer and arguably others
I’m going to begin with a bold statement: visiting Easter Island deserves a place amid the Seven Wonders of the World, easily surpassing Christ the Redeemer and arguably one or two others as well.
How do you really get to know a country?
So, how do you really get to know a country? The answer is of course largely subjective, however, there are certain factors that will always help or hinder
As Kia and I enter the last few weeks of our big trip, naturally we are wondering how well we have come to know the countries we have visited. Over the last year or so, we have spent anything from just a few hours in a country to over two months and everything in between.
14 cheap things to do in Santiago, Chile
After two months of continuous travel, we decided to take a few days of downtime in Santiago. We had spent no more than two nights in any one place as we raced to get to Patagonia before winter and as a result were feeling pretty fried and in desperate need of some comfort – especially after the challenges of Bolivia. With this in mind we decided to rent a super-modern self-catering apartment in central Santiago for a few days.
5 best hiking trails in the South Pacific
During our four months in the South Pacific, we completed some of the best hiking trails in the region. With dramatic coastlines, rugged interiors and challenging trails, the islands offer far more than sun, sea and sand. Here are five of the best hiking trails on offer.
The travel that changed me: Andy Puddicombe
Headspace founder Andy Puddicombe tells us about a trip to India and how it changed his life forever
Andy Puddicombe holds the unlikely title of English undergrad turned Buddhist monk. In 1994, midway through his degree, Andy made a surprise decision to travel to the Himalayas and study meditation. Thus began an epic journey that took him around the world and culminated in his ordination as a Tibetan Buddhist.
The Uros floating islands of Lake Titicaca, Peru
When we set out for this trip nearly a year ago, I knew that there would be certain places, certain experiences that would leave me awestruck. I knew I’d be wowed by Machu Picchu, stand in awe of Easter Island’s giant statues and gaze open-mouthed at Perito Moreno in Argentina. What I didn’t expect is that I’d be similarly lost for words on the man-made Uros floating islands of Lake Titicaca. In fact, I hadn’t even heard of them before arriving in Peru.
Nazca Lines flight: one of the world’s great enigmas
Take a Nazca Lines flight over one of the world’s great archaeological riddles. The 1,000-year-old uncanny figures are best seen from the skies
Very little ignites my wanderlust as strongly as a great travel mystery. And as travel mysteries go, the mysterious lines of the Nazca Desert in southern Peru are one of the greatest.
Best Machu Picchu trek: a comparison
What is the Best Machu Picchu trek for you? We compare the pros and cons of each route to help you choose the trek that’s right for you
Machu Picchu, that great Wonder of the World, that icon of South America so ubiquitous on travel websites and agency storefronts. Is it any wonder would-be visitors fret about choosing the perfect trek?
Some book their trip months in advance to make sure they get their trek of choice, others are left heartbroken when they turn up to find that they’ve missed the boat.
Prior to our trip, we had one pressing question: is the Inca Trail worth it?
