South America
Andes, Amazon & Enchanted Lands
From the steaming jungles of the Amazon to the unbelievable wildlife of the Galapagos and majestic Machu Picchu, South America has so much to offer the traveller.
Ecuador has enthralled ever since Darwin passed this way pausing at the Galapagos Islands where an encounter with a small finch helped him formulate his theory of evolution. On these remote islands the unique wildlife is largely unafraid of humans, allowing close up encounters as you explore by boat and on foot or even beneath the waves. On the mainland a series of volcanos stand tall over former colonial cities and then give way to the expanse of the Amazon, one of the richest sources of life anywhere on the planet and with much to see and do as you explore it's network of rivers by canoe.
A walk along the demanding Inca Trail rewards trekkers with what is probably the very best view of Machu Picchu, from the Sun Gate. The Incas left their mark throughout the country, as did the Spanish, and towns such as Cusco and Trujillo boast fine examples of their colonial craftsmenship. Visit the Indian market at Pisac, discover the Sacred Valley, travel high up to Arequipa and Lake Titicaca, spot condors in Colca Canyon high above the raging Urubamba, go rafting and descend thousands of metres to the Amazon rainforest basin to spot colourful birdlife and learn about a threatened eco-system.
Then there's Chile, Bolivia, Argentina, Nicaragua, Brazil....