Chris Dyson's Travel Blog

Today I would be making my way home via a connecting flight to Bogota, Colombia. I was picked up early from the hotel at 4:30am and transferred to Lima Airport. I cleared security and passport control very quickly and bought some breakfast to pass the time. The flight boarded on time and I was on my way to Bogota, Colombia. The flight was just under 3 hours and one meal was included. I was also impressed with the leg room on the flight as the time soon passed. Upon landing I cleared security and met up with a local Bogota guide to start a 6 hour layover city tour. Landing at Bogota Airport in Colombia. We first visited Monserrate taking the funicular up the mountain, bypassing the queue with a priority pass. I looked down at the city from besides the Basilica admiring the view. We would then go back down to start to walk the city centre. I was guided around the city and the local guide explained in detail what I was looking at. Monserrate Basilica. We then t...

Today was a free day in Lima for some people, but for others it was an optional excursion to see the Ballestas Islands and the Nazca lines. I was joining the day tour which was a very early 3:15am start, with a breakfast box provided by the hotel. Boat tour to the Ballestas Islands. It would take us around 3.5 hours to reach our destination, where we would take a boat to Ballestas Islands at 8am. This was an amazing experience to see some sea lions, penguins and various different kind of birds. Sea Lions. After making our way back to land in the boat it was time for our flight so see the Nazca Lines. The total flight time was around 1 hour and 40 minutes and we had a very basic security check before boarding the 12 seater plane. We saw some of the amazing etched lines from the sky as the skilled pilot banked left and right. Once landing back at the airport it was time to get a very late lunch before the long drive back to Lima. A Spider etched into the gro...

It was another early start with breakfast at 5am and leaving the hotel at 5:45am. We transferred to the airport in 3 different shuttle buses and dropped our bags off as soon as we arrived. Clearing security was quick as the airport was small and we boarded the plane around 7:45am departing on time 30 minutes later. Leaving Cusco Airport. Once we arrived in Lima, Peru we boarded a new coach with a new guide and drove into the city. We would have a brief driving tour and then a walking tour of the main square, before making our way to the hotel in the Miraflores area. We then checked-in and would have around 4 hours free time before meeting in the lobby for our final included dinner as a group. I chose to briefly walk down to the beach area to take some photos, before retreating to my room for the afternoon. Walking around Plaza De Armas De Lima. The evening dinner was a great 3 course meal at a restaurant just 10 minutes from the hotel. The sunset view over the...

Today's departure was at 8am so we could wake up at a reasonable hour for breakfast. We would then begin the drive towards Cusco, Peru. Our first stop of the morning on the way was 90 minutes to Saqsaywaman citadel. This was the historic capital of the Inca Empire and from here we could get a good wide shot of the city.   View of Cusco, Peru.   We would then drive into the main city of Cusco for a tour. The walking tour of the city would last around 75 minutes and finished nearby to the hotel. We would go inside the Cusco Cathedral which is located on the Plaza de Armas The afternoon was free time for everybody to do whatever they wanted. Cusco Cathedral. I decided to take a rest and just grab some food in the evening for dinner. There was an evening optional for a dance show and included dinner which some people attended but not everybody. A video of this day can be found below:

Today was a very early start with breakfast at 5am. This was because we were meeting in the lobby just after 6am for the day trip to Machu Picchu. We transferred by coach to where we were yesterday to board the train in Ollantaytambo. The majority of the group were in the same train carriage and the total journey time was 90 minutes. Windows all around the train carriage. Upon arriving at Machu Picchu train station it was a 20 minute shuttle bus up the hill before entering the site. We would spend just under 3 hours inside and the clouds would come and go, bringing some light rain with them at times. Machu Picchu. We then got the shuttle bus back down the hill and went for an included buffet lunch. The selection of food was good and very filling. It was then time to make the 90 minute train journey again back towards the hotel. Dinner was not included tonight, but after a big lunch I only needed something light before bed. A video of this day can be found be...

This morning we had a good lie in because we were not due to leave until 9am. So I made the most of this and went to breakfast at 7:45am. We split into 2 minibuses as we were such a big group and we set off to explore Peru's Sacred Valley further. We had some photo stops in the morning, one was to feed some llamas, alpacas and vicuñas. Another was to visit Chinchero Archaeological Complex. After the mornings activities we had another included buffet lunch. Feeding the animals in the local villages. In the afternoon we visited Ollantaytambo Ruins. Most of the group considered this to be a Machu Picchu warm-up for tomorrow. Some of the group walked to the top of the ruins to get a great view back down. This was the last stop of the day and at 5pm we started to make our way to the hotel. The view from Ollantaytambo ruins. Dinner was not included tonight so I grabbed something quick ready for an early start tomorrow. A video of this day can be found below: ...

Breakfast this morning was very early at 6am, before we were told to meet in the lobby at 7am. We would be making a long drive to Peru's Sacred Valley today with several scheduled stops along the way to break up the drive. Our first stop was in the city of Pucara where we had a brief walk around the museum and took some photos with llamas and an alpaca. We spent around 1 hour here before continuing on to our next stop. Animals at Pucara museum. We would drive to another roadside stop to use the toilets and check a few souvenir stalls. A couple of people bought some items to support the locals. Next up was the buffet lunch stop and was honestly my favourite meal of the tour. The selection of food was fantastic and really filling. In the afternoon we stopped at Raqchi Archaeological Site and finally at Andahuaylillas church on the long drive towards our 3 night stay in the Sacred Valley. Raqchi Archaeological Site. With a bit of rain in the air we finally a...

Once again breakfast was set for 7am with a hotel departure of 8am. Today we would be crossing the border into Peru after making the short drive from Copacabana, Bolivia. We drove to the city of Puno where we left our luggage at the hotel, as the rooms were not ready. At midday we once again made our way to Lake Titicaca this time we visited the Floating Uros Islands by boat. It was amazing to see how these people lived and they gave us a demonstration on how the islands were made. Homes on the Floating Uros Islands. After taking some photos we made our way back to the hotel in Puno. It was perfect timing as the rest of the afternoon it rained quite heavily. In the evening we had a farewell dinner as our tour leaders time was up after a month on the road. We would be changing to a new tour leader in the morning for the rest of the tour. We enjoyed a 3 course meal and made the quick walk back from the restaurant to avoid the rain. I went straight to bed as tomorr...

This mornings breakfast was at 7am and we were scheduled to leave La Paz at 8am. It would take several hours to drive to Copacabana which was our final full day in Bolivia. After making a rest stop and a photo stop of Lake Titicaca we arrived at Copacabana. Photo stop of Lake Titicaca. We got off the coach and walked down to the boats which would take us to Sun Island(Isle del sol). This journey would take 1 hour and once we arrived we would enjoy a prepared lunch at a hidden spot. After a late lunch on the way back to Copacabana, we stopped a couple of times to see the island further from different angles. View from lunch. We arrived back on land and we were transferred back to the hotel at 6pm. We checked in then had a free evening in Copacabana for dinner. There was lots of music being played and the town felt very alive at night A video of this day can be found below:

We had breakfast at 7am this morning before meeting in the hotel lobby for a morning city tour of La Paz. We were picked up outside the hotel just after 8am and our first stop on the coach was the Plaza Murillo main square. Plaza Murillo main square. As the morning went on we made several other photo stops, and also got the ride on 3 out of 9 different cable car lines. On the way back to the hotel we stopped at 'Moon Valley' before ending at the witches market nearby to the hotel. I quickly grabbed a lunch to go before getting ready for this afternoons optional activity. Views of La Paz from the cable car. We met at 1pm outside the hotel for the 1.5 hour drive to the Tiwanaku archaeological site. We drove back getting stuck in some rush hour traffic, arriving back at the hotel area at 18:30pm. I found a street vendor selling pizza for dinner, and then went to bed. A video of this day can be found below:

Today's breakfast was at 07:30am before leaving to catch a flight to La Paz at 08:30am. We were transferred to the airport by the same team of people who had looked after us for the past few days. The airport is very small with only 7 flights per day so we boarded quickly and departed at 9:45am. Boarding the plane to La Paz, Bolivia. The flight was only 1 hour long and after we landed and went to baggage reclaim at 11am. Went then met outside with a new local guide and a coach which took us towards the hotel. We stopped for 1 photo opportunity on the way, which was a great view of the city of La Paz. After check-in at the hotel around midday, we had some free time in the afternoon before tonight's included dinner. Viewpoint of La Paz. I had a very brief walk around but as there was some heavy rain in the air, I didn't venture too far from the hotel. I knew there was a city tour tomorrow and I didn't want to get my camera wet, so I had a chilled...

Today breakfast was set for anytime after 7am and departure on the 4x4's again was 8:30am. This would be the 3rd and final day using these vehicles as we moved north towards the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia. We made it to Uyuni around 11am and we would get an hour to get used to being back in some sort of civilisation. This was also a chance for people to withdraw some cash before heading towards the salt flats. Uyuni, Bolivia Once arriving at the salt flats it was an amazing sight, even if it was the wrong season to get the endless mirror reflection. We took some good photos and the local guides setup our lunch in the middle of nowhere. After finishing our food, some of the group would get creative with some interesting perspective photos. Further into the afternoon we would drive to some other interesting places at the Uyuni salt flats such as the Salt Hotel. Uyuni Salt Flats. In the late afternoon before going back to the hotel we visited the train cemeter...

Breakfast was just after 7am this morning and we would be departing at 08:30am in the 4x4's once again. In the morning we would stop at several different lagoons, where we could see many flamingoes. As the morning went on we would get further into the Bolivian Desert, before stopping somewhere for lunch. A lagoon with many flamingos. In the afternoon we would get another view of the active volcano, as we could see some smoke coming out of the top. We would make the final really long drive across the desert to where our homestay would be for the evening, but not before stretching our legs at one final lagoon. A final rest stop of the day. Dinner was scheduled for 7:30pm and as we arrived around 5pm we had some time to pass. This homestay had better facilities than the previous night so it was easier to find things to do. We would enjoy our dinner before calling it a day. A video of this day can be found below:

The meeting time today in the lobby was 8am after breakfast. Today we would be making the drive to cross the border into Bolivia, making a brief photo stop along the way. The border process would be in 2 separate locations, one to leave Chile and one to enter Bolivia. A view of the volcano from the road near the Chile/Bolivian border. After clearing immigration we would switch from the coach over to 4x4 vehicles. The next drive was very bumpy across gravel and desert, but it was some of the best scenery I have ever seen. We would make 3 stops at different lagoons in Eduardo Avaroa National Park to take photographs before arriving at an included lunch at 13:45pm. Great scenery in Bolivia. In the afternoon we would stop a couple more times to see a geyser(Sol de Mañana) and Laguna Colorada to see flamingos and some other animals. We would then make the final drive to our homestay for the night. These were very basic shared rooms and there was no internet as it was...

Today we had a very early start with an airport transfer at 04:30am. We made our way to the bag drop and cleared security ready for a flight at 7am to Calama in Northern Chile. Everything was on schedule and the flight took around 2 hours total. Once we had collected our luggage we met on the new coach waiting for us outside the airport terminal. This would take us to San Pedro de Atacama and would be a 90 minute drive, with a 10 minute photo stop along the way. Views of a volcano on the drive to San Pedro de Atacama. We would arrive in San Pedro de Atacama just before 11am, and as it was too early to check-in we left our luggage in storage and went for an early lunch in the town. After a brief walk we were told to meet back at the hotel at 2pm to collect the room keys from reception. This gave us plenty of free time to explore the local area and get our bearings. A church in San Pedro de Atacama. The next thing on the itinerary was a 4 hour excursion to the...

Breakfast this morning was at 7am before meeting the lobby at 8am for anybody who wanted to join an optional day tour to the Chilean coastal cities of Valparaiso and Vina Del Mar. We drove for a couple of hours with a service station stop to stretch our legs, before arriving at our first photo stop in Valparaiso. Valparaiso, Chile We would have a walking tour of Valparaiso to see some of the amazing artwork around the city. This would last just over an hour, which also included a return trip on the funicular. After this we would drive to the beach city of Vina del Mar, where we would enjoy an extended lunch stop. After eating I walked right up to the beach front to see some of the Chilean locals enjoying their summer. The beach of Vina del Mar, Chile At 3pm we started to head back to the hotel, with one final stop to use the toilets and for anybody to check out the gift shop. Once back in Santiago I had a walk around to find some dinner and called it a day. A v...

I had breakfast shortly after 07:30am today and we were told to meet in the lobby at 9am for a city tour of Santiago. Our first stop of the day was to drive up the hill to the Mirador Pablo Neruda viewpoint. Once we arrived we were able to get some good wide shots of the city, however one side of the city had some fog hanging over it. A view on the drive up to Mirador Pablo Neruda viewpoint. Next up we drove some more before stopping at the main Plaza square called Plaza de Armas for a 20 minute photo stop. There are many important buildings on this square such as the Cathedral of Santiago, Central Post Office Building and a local government building. We then moved on towards the Mercado Market to grab some lunch. We would spend around 50 minutes here and there was a variety of different options to choose from. Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral. We would then head back to the hotel before splitting for free time in the afternoon. I chose to rest in the room for a...

I left my house at 11am and walked to the train station, this time I was getting the coach to London Victoria. The coach was early, so I put my luggage underneath and we departed on time. We would make the short journey to Leeds coach station for the driver to take a break as he had been driving all morning. Unfortunately there was a mechanical issue with the coach and we were going to be merged with the next coach at 2pm for the rest of the journey to London. This caused a 1 hour delay and would eat into my cushion of time I had later in the evening.   A National Express coach.   After arriving into London I quickly made my way to Heathrow Terminal 2 to drop off my luggage. I made it through security just as the boarding process had started so it was perfect timing really. The airline I was flying to South America with is Avianca. It would be my first time using them and of course the first visit to the continent. The first leg of the flight was from Hea...

With my trip getting closer and my bags almost packed, it's almost time to set off onto another adventure. This time I will be using the coach to get to London instead of the train. The price was just £5 but obviously it takes over twice as long plus the driver will need a break. I believe this is definitely worth considering if you are looking to save some money and not in any particular rush. If you are interested in the various National Express coaches you can look into it here: https://www.nationalexpress.com/en I have bought some travel sized toothpaste and deodorant this time as I have a connecting flight in the middle of the morning in Bogotá, Colombia before reaching my arrival destination of Santiago, Chile. These need to be under 100ml to be able to be taken as hand luggage and must go through security screening inside a plastic bag. Whilst connecting during the 2.5 hour layover I plan to get some breakfast inside the airport terminal. I don't have any local curren...