It was always my dream to travel to South America. Last year, I was able to make that dream come true.
Last summer, I graduated from the university in Munich. My boyfriend and I talked about taking a trip for a while. So… we finally started planning our dream trip to South America. But, where to start and where to go? South America is huge compared to Europe. There are so many possibilities and places to go.
We started searching for interesting places and travel agencies. We came across the Ecuadorian tour operator, Gulliver Expeditions. We talked about our desire to travel around South America for 6 weeks. They offered us an interesting journey through Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile. Thanks to their help, our trip was planned and ready to go in just two weeks. The flights were booked for December.
We were so excited!
Our first stop was the capital of Ecuador, Quito. After an exhausting 12-hour flight, we arrived on the other side of the world and were welcomed by a driver for Gulliver Expeditions. This is where our adventure began.
Our journey lead us to the main attractions of Ecuador, such as the indigenous market of Otavalo, Cotopaxi National Park, the colonial city of Cuenca, the volcanic crater of Quilotoa, and the incredible Amazon Jungle. We interacted with locals and were so happy to dive into this amazing, diverse country and culture.
After 12 days in Ecuador, the next country on our list was Peru.
Besides Machu Picchu, we didn’t know much about the country. We didn’t know what to expect when arriving in Peru. Spending 10 days in Peru, introduced us to an incredibly unique culture.
We were impressed by the ancient Incan culture and the hospitality of the Peruvians.
We started in the capital, Lima, and ended in Cusco, the ancient Incan capital. On the way we discovered: the wonderful Páracas National Park; the Nazca Lines; the “Rainbow Mountain;” the Seventh Wonder of the World, Machu Picchu; and Huascaran, the highest mountain in the Andes.
In 20 days we saw more of South America than we’d ever dreamed of exploring. That didn’t stop us from exploring more.
From Cusco, we traveled to the famous Lake Titicaca. As you might know, the lake is situated between Peru and Bolivia. From there, we continued to La Paz, a city located 3,640 meters above sea level. The city offered a wide range of activities, but we decided to move on to explore more of the incredible nature of South America.
The Salt Lake in Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia was a highlight of our journey. The reflections of the sky in the lake were magnificent. Other attractions in this country, not known for tourism, were the Torotoro National Park, Noel Kempff Mercado National Park and the Andean Fauna National Reserve. In Bolivia, we preferred to skip the big cities. Our time in South America was limited and we still had one more country on our bucket list.
We then crossed the border on a tour bus to visit the last country of our 6-week journey, Chile. Our first stop was Lauca National Park. The park is situated near the border of Bolivia, a perfect stop. The final days then led us to the Atacama Desert, the coastal city Valparaíso, and finally to the capital of Chile, Santiago de Chile. We enjoyed the last few days in this thrilling city, before we had to say goodbye to this wonderful continent.
The trip was fantastic, even the hours spent on the bus. We saw as much as possible during the 6 weeks.
Back home we still reminisce about this fabulous journey and our experiences.
We thank Gulliver Expeditions for organizing the trip and their helpful tips.
We can’t wait to return to South America one day!
Regards from Germany.
Maike & Robert
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