In the Galapagos Islands, the wildlife is the main attraction. Below is an indication of what you can expect to see in January and February during your Galapagos Cruise or Galapagos Land Based Tour. JANUARY Beginning of the rainy season. Land birds start nesting, generally after the first rain. On Hood (Española) Island, adult marine iguanas become brightly colored (green, red, and black). The green sea turtles arrive to beaches in Galapagos to lay their eggs….
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I recently returned from a family and working vacation in Guatemala, where we traveled as guests of INGUAT, the country’s tourism promotion department.  Guatemala vastly exceeded our expectations!  The people were friendly, the Mayan and Spanish colonial histories were fascinating, and the landscapes were breathtaking.  We began our adventure in El Peten, the jungle-covered lowlands in the north of the country, about one hour by plane from Guatemala City.  This…
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Planning a Galapagos Vacation can seem like a daunting task when you are just starting out, but answering the following (basic) questions will make it easier for us to help you plan your trip. What is your budget per person not including international airfare? This is perhaps the most important question to answer.  The minimum cost for Quito and a Four Day Cruise (7 Days/6 Nights) is $2,000 per person…
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Peru’s Ministry of Transportation and Communication has announced that all domestic and international airport taxes, which were previously paid separately at local airports in Peru, are now included in the cost of airfare to Peru.  The fees are included in the airfare in order to improve the quality of airport services nationwide.

LAN Airlines recently announced direct flights from Lima, Peru to Easter Island, Chile and Iguazu Falls, Brazil, beginning in January, 2011.  These new flights will save time and money for passengers by eliminating connecting flights in Santiago, Chile and either Sao Paulo, Brazil or Buenos Aires, Argentina. We are now offering a shorter Machu Picchu and Easter Island itinerary of 11 Days/10 Nights, which excludes services in Santiago (in addition…
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Inca Trail The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu Trek in Peru is one of the most popular hikes in South America.  The classic route covers a distance of 30 miles in four days, and while it is physically challenging, the rewards include spectacular Andean Mountain scenery, Incan archaeological ruins, and watching the sunrise over Machu Picchu at Inti Punku, the ‘Gateway of the Sun’.  The trail is open year-round, except…
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 TACA Airlines recently introduced daily non-stop flights from Miami to Lima, Peru with connections to other major cities in South America, including Buenos Aires (Argentina), Santiago (Chile), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Porto Alegre (Brazil), Asuncion (Paraguay), Montevideo (Uruguay), La Paz (Bolivia), and Santa Cruz (Bolivia).  The Miami to Lima flight departs at 3:05 PM arriving in Lima at 11:00 PM, and the Lima to Miami flight departs at 10:30 AM arriving…
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John Kardys, a professional photographer from Baltimore, MD, recently returned from a Chile Vacation arranged by South American Vacations.  He visited Santiago, Atacama, Easter Island, and the Chilean Lake District, one of our most popular Best of Chile Tours, and was kind enough to share with us the amazing photos that he took of the trip.  The complete photo album can be viewed here, and John can be reached at…
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The UNESCO World Heritage Committee on July 29, 2010 voted to remove the Galapagos Islands from its World Heritage in Danger List.  The Galapagos Islands was placed on the list in 2007.  South American Vacations is pleased that conservation efforts initiated over the last two years are helping to preserve the archipelago for future generations and to make tourism sustainable. We are doing our small part to protect this world treasure by contributing $50…
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Rail service to Machu Picchu, in Peru, has reopened after months of repairs.  The railway was damaged by flooding and mudslides at the end of January, and service had been partially restored in April.  The mountaintop Inca citadel, with an average of more than 2,000 passengers per day, is the most visited site in South America.