The Llama Travel Blog

Perched at 2,800 metres above sea level with a beautiful backdrop of the Andes Mountains, the city of Quito is a great place to spend a few days before discovering the rest of Ecuador’s mainland or the enchanting Galapagos Islands. Whilst three days is generally a good amount of time to see the city’s best bits, it is good to have some insider knowledge.

During my six months living in Quito, I explored the ins and outs of the city, and got to know the places that aren’t on the tourist trail. The thing I love about Quito is the variety of neighbourhoods – in La Floresta you can meet owners of local art galleries and have a coffee in a beautiful old cinema, whilst in Parque Metropolitano you can hike on nature trails with views of Quito. Ecuador is small so day trips from Quito are also a great option, whether it’s perusing South America’s largest indigenous market or spotting rare bird species in the cloud forest. 

Showcasing a varied landscape from the soaring Andes Mountains to the Amazon Rainforest and all the way to the coast, Peru has plenty more to offer than just Machu Picchu, full of archaeological wonders which bear testament to a history of vibrant civilisations and architectural mastery. Situated just outside of Cusco, the Sacred Valley of the Incas contains everything from small local ruins to entire ancient cities with UNESCO World Heritage recognition. Elsewhere in the 1.2 million-square kilometre country, hundreds of other archaeological riches can be found. Keep reading to find out our top archaeological sites to visit.

Stuck on what to pack for your Botswana safari experience? Here are some recommendations to help you plan and pack everything you need for your Botswana adventure.

The Kruger National Park is South Africa’s iconic safari destination, and there are excellent game reserves bordering the Kruger itself, as well as some private fenced reserves nearby. All safari options we offer have a similar format, with game drives in the morning and afternoon. However, there are differences in the experience, so it is important to understand the factors which make each one different, and what their implications are for your safari experience. Graham from the Llama Travel sales team recently travelled to the Kruger to check out the three different lodges we offer in and around Kruger National Park. Keep reading to find out which lodge suits you best.  

A mobile tented safari is a great way to experience Botswana, as it allows you to experience the best wildlife areas without the high cost of Botswana’s game lodges. Our Delta Mobile Safari and Victoria Falls holiday includes six nights camping in the Okavango Delta - three nights in the Moremi Game Reserve and three nights in the private Khwai Concession - before continuing onto Kasane by light aircraft. Our Extended Delta Mobile Safari and Victoria Falls holiday includes an additional three nights camping in Savuti, an area within Chobe National Park which borders the Okavango Delta to the west.

This blog helps you to make the most of your mobile tented safari. Keep reading to find out what to expect on arrival and on a typical day, including the weather, transport, camp, wildlife and more.

With over a quarter of the land dedicated to national parks and reserves designed to protect and preserve Costa Rica’s vast ecosystems, it’s hardly surprising that the Central American country has an abundance of natural beauty. Renowned around the world for its conservation and sustainable tourism efforts, Costa Rica is home to 4% of the world’s biodiversity. In Costa Rica, there are 28 national parks, many of which are filled with volcanoes, rainforests, waterfalls and an impressive variety of wildlife. You can spot monkeys and sloths in the treetops by a palm-fringed beach on the Pacific Coast, watch turtles hatching on the Caribbean coast and relax in hot springs with an impressive volcano backdrop.

Despite being almost five times smaller than the UK, Costa Rica hosts an astonishing 4% of the planet’s diversity. From sloths and four types of monkeys on the Pacific coastline to caimans and sea turtles on the Caribbean side, the country is brimming with wildlife. Not to mention the 890+ species of birds found in the cloud forests and jungles. If you’re planning a trip to Costa Rica, keep reading to find out what you might spot.

Beautifully located in the driest desert in the world, San Pedro de Atacama is a small town in northern Chile made up of narrow streets lined with adobe buildings. The town thrives as a tourist hub mainly due to the surrounding area which is full of barren moonscapes, fiery red canyons, vast salt flats, unique rock formations, turquoise thermal lakes and rising geysers. The area is also Chile’s most important archaeological site, with ruins of the pre-Colombian cultures still visible in the desert. Plus, the Atacama Desert is cloudless almost all of the year, sits at a high altitude and lacks light pollution which can interfere with astronomical observations. This makes it one of the best places in the world for star gazing – there are many astronomy tours that can be booked locally. The desert is even helping NASA better understand what life may be like on Mars, as most of the life in the Atacama Desert are microbes, the only living organisms capable of living in such dry conditions. Keep reading to find out how to spend your time in San Pedro de Atacama. 

Although we can't travel yet, there are still plenty of ways we can fill our time and be inspired for future trips. From books and films to cuisine and music, the influence of Latin America has really taken off across the world, including the UK. Maybe you'd like to reminisce on a Latin American country you've already visited, or perhaps you're dreaming about your next adventure and want to get in the mood. Either way, read our blog for some inspiration. 

I recently got back from a trip to Botswana, where I spent time in Kasane, the Savuti Marsh area and then embarked on a Letaka mobile camping safari in the Khwai concession.