After Salta, our first stop was Tilcara. It is about a 4 hour drive, but there are plenty of stops on the way. The vegetation is lush green and our first stop was at a lake and then a national park. As I was just a back seat passenger I have no idea what the names were. If you put the route into google maps, you can find some key points to visit. We also stopped off in the town Juyjuy itself for a coffee break but this was not anything special, it was a town with a plaza so you do not need to stay there.

We arrived in Tilcara pretty late but my first impressions was that it is like a small cowboy town. It had a very local feel as most people spoke only Spanish. We stayed in a hostel that was recommended to us ‘Carbon hostel’ but it was half finished and very basic. It was pretty cheap though!

Our first real day in Tilcara consisted of visiting ‘Pucara’, the ruins of Tilcara. As the guide was in Spanish, I have no idea what the significance of these were. I’m not doing so well in this post am I! There were a lot of cacti and it was hot! It was also interesting to see Alpaca wear being sold everywhere, this was the first time I had seen this since Peru. Again this is so different to Buenos Aires where everything felt European.
What I do remember about the ruins is that there was a super cute cafe on the way to the ruins called ‘Las Golondrinas’, it had excellent food and amazing staff- definitely go. Tilcara is full of cute cafes and bars, despite being a local town it has that backpacker feel to it as well.

On our second day we visited the market and the waterfall ‘Garganta del Diablo’. This involves a small hike to the waterfall which consisted of jumping from rock to rock trying to not get our shoes wet! We tried to drive to it but the drive was super risky so we decided to grab a taxi! This was a common theme with this region, the roads were very rocky. We were lucky enough to have such a stable driver.

Two nights in Tilcara was enough especially as the hostel was not so great. Our second stop was heading to Humahuaca. This was less built up as Tilcara but still had that small town charm. On our way to this town we also stopped off at ‘Quebrada de Las Senoritas’ which is a unique formation of rocks, similar to the canyons in El Calafate. You can hike through these rocks but it was super hot so we decided against it. Also the altitude is high here so it makes breathing difficult.

In Humahuaca there is Frida Kahlo cafe which serves all vegan and vegetarian food- winning! The hostel we stayed in was called ‘Giramundo’ and had a really nice atmosphere with a rooftop and family dinner. The volunteers were musicians so they treated us to a little concert whilst we were eating.
The main attraction is the 14 coloured mountain, ‘Hornocal’. We decided to get the minibus (1 hour) provided by the hostel but in hindsight (a wonderful thing) you could probably drive up there. Getting to the view point of the mountain was fine as it was downhill, however getting back up to the car park was a struggle and a half as the altitude is greater than 4000m.

The other main thing to do in this area is the ‘Salinas Grandes’ which are the salt flats of Argentina, as I knew I was heading to Uyuni in Bolivia, I skipped this out! The other place to visit in this area is Uquia, another super cute pueblo.

I would suggest staying 4 nights in this area and definitely doing it in a car as you can stop off as many times as you want. If you are heading to Bolivia, the border crossing is super easy. From Humahuaca you get on a bus to La Quiaca which takes about 1hr and a half. Then you literally walk the crossing. This was my first land crossing of my trip so far and I was expecting much worse!

The Juyjuy region of Argentina is something you would imagine in an American cowboy film. When you look at the view it is like a backdrop! It is some of the most authentic South America that I have seen so far.

I think of all the countries I have visited in South America, Argentina varies the most with it’s climate, culture and terrain. If you compare Patagonia, ice fields and snow caps with Northern Argentina, desert and canyon structures, it feels like you have surpassed into a different continent.

Getting from Mendoza to Salta is a hefty bus journey, it took me 20 hours. It originally was supposed to take 18 hours but we got blockaded by protestors in the road. I was told that this was common practice for the North of Argentina, with the financial crisis that is occurring there at the moment.

It was on this bus journey that I started to get real travellers fatigue. I was exhausted and I couldn’t be bothered to travel anymore. I draggedmyself of the bus and made my way to the hostel ‘Hostel in Salta’ or ‘Salta por Siempre’ as it is advertised. I really had low expectationsof this place as I walked in as the reception staff spoke no English and I could not see a fellow backpacker in sight.

I was actually really pleasantly surprised by this hostel, at the back of the hostel they had a kitchen and garden where everyone sat and socialised. No organised fun just a simple table and a bar where you could buy drinks if you wanted to. There was also a really good fruit and veg stall nearthe hostel where I was able to make my speciality dish: guacamole! There was also a lady selling tortillas with cheese in the middle (basically like a calzone).

Half an hour in and I had secured a place in a car with 4 lovely people. Before I arrived in Salta I was told by many that the way to explore the north is by hiring a car. I was anxious that I would not find a group but low and behold my mind was playing tricks on me again, it always works out! One of the guys was also heading north to Bolivia which perfectly slotted into my plans.

Salta is not the most picturesque city, most of the stuff to do is in the surrounding area. However if you do need to fill a day in Salta then I would recommend climbing up the Cerro San Bernardo to capture beautiful views of the city.

You can also organise a tour to El Calafate for relatively cheap which includes a mini bus to the town. The drive here is beautiful, the reddish orange mountains are stunning. You also stop at the canyons and to many view points along the way. You also stop at a winery and souvenir shop (classic tour).

The town El Calafate itself was disappointing, it was just a tourist town with restaurants. The drive there is the best bit. Instead of doing the tour I would drive there in your hire car, as you are on your own timeline and you don’t have to stop every 5 minutes.

It was in Salta after talking to a very inspirational lady (Nihal), that I came up with the idea of interviewing strong inspirational women I meet along the way about the challenges and empowerment they have experienced during their trip. This is a work in progress but hold tight, I will be changing this blog to a different website soon where there will be lots of feminist threads woven in.

For those ladies reading this, be aware that there is a lot of cat calling the further north you get in Argentina. I have a friend who is studying woman’s rights in South America as part of her masters and she informed that Buenos Aires has the biggest feminist movements in South America. Particularly now as they are campaigning for abortion to be legal. I also found out that if you are cat called in Buenos Aires, you can fine the person. Unfortunately, This rule has not made it to outside the capital be warned.

Having spoken to some Argentinian friends, I also found out about the economic situation in Argentina. I’m no financial expert but what I gathered is that as a foreigner prices for things are super cheap due to the devaluation of the peso. For someone living in Argentina this is not the case, prices for them are increasing and wages are not. There was a lot of talk of Argentinians moving to Europe (as many have Italian, Spanish passports) to make money and save up. It was at this point where I felt gratitude for living and working in the UK, where you can make a decent wage. It’s crazy to think that you would make more money booking a flight back to work for a month than working in South America for 3 months.

I ended up staying in Salta for 3 nights as I met some fab people, but I would perhaps recommend 1 or maximum 2.

For those wine lovers out there, this is the spot for you! Getting to Mendoza is pretty easy, it is only a 13 hour night bus from Buenos Aires, Andesmar is the main company. The nightbuses tend to be a little more expensive compared to the rest of South America, I think I paid $40. It is also cheaper to book it at the bus station rather than online. For $40 you get a semi cama (reclining chair and foot rest) and 2 meals, not the greatest veggie option so load up on snacks!

Wine here is cheap and tasty, from Malbec to Chardonnay there are many wineries to visit. The funnest way to visit the vineyards is by bike. Maipu bikes is the best company to go with, the easiest way of getting there is to catch an uber from your hostel as it is about 30 minutes out of town. You have the option of visiting all 8 wineries if you want to, the bikes open at 10am and close at 6pm, I would recommend getting there for close to the opening time as it takes around 20 minutes to cycle between them, and you want to see as much as possible!

At 5pm the bike company open up a bar and offer happy hour (s) and supply free wine, this is the best part of the tour as you are joined by all the other cyclists (backpackers). As we arrived at the bike shed at 11:30 ish we were only able to visit 3 wineries in the time. The first one Mavi was set in a beautiful green vineyard. You are allowed 3 glasses of wine to try for $150 pesos. We spent about an hour and a half here enjoying wine, listening to music and some lunch (empanadas of course!).

The second one Tapiache was the posh, expensive one that you had to book in advance ($400), I would not recommend going to this one unless you want a guided tour of how the wine is made. The wine was disappointing and they only gave you a tiny bit to try (the cheek!). We were in a bit of a rush to find the last winery as some of them close a bit early. We found an olive oil and sweet wine tasting place instead! As we were hungry from the cycling the bread and dips was a welcoming treat. We were also able to try some sweet wines and liquors which always go down well.

The hostel that I stayed in was called ‘Windmill’, I was recommended this hostel by someone I had met on my travels but I was a little disappointed. It was very expensive for what it was, the rooftop was rundown and there was no real common area. Some of the staff were rather defensive and preoccupied with getting a ‘good’ review on hostelworld.

Having said that I met some great people. Apart from the wine there is not much to do in Mendoza, there is a lot of nature and tours to see in the surrounding area such as rafting, hiking, zip lining. These can be a little expensive though (range from US$15- $30) so if you’re on a budget the main thing for you to do would be the wineries!

As I had 3 days here, I decided to book onto the sunset horseriding tour which included a swimming pool and BBQ. The charge for this was US$30 which in hindsight was far too much. The horse riding lasted for 1hr 30 minutes and was a little boring as we stayed riding through the same terrain for 90 minutes. The horses were very docile and tame until the very end where they started to trot a little. After the horse riding we had the opportunity to swim in the pool, we then had to wait for the other group before eating the ‘passada’ which is a traditional Argentinian BBQ. The atmosphere was very local, with the gauchos (Argentinian cowboys) singing and playing traditional music.

After a merry evening spent with my friends, I decided to book onto zip lining for the following day. Zip lining had always been on my bucket list, so I thought I would give it a try. For me doing it in Argentina seemed like the safest option too and it was only $20 which is cheap for European prices! For $20 we were able to do 3 different zip lines over the river and the dry landscape. For an extra $10 you could also do rafting, hiking and abseiling.

I did not realise how dry and barren northern Argentina was! The guide was super helpful and told us some information about the fauna and flora of the area which was greatly appreciated. One thing that was a little disappointing was that the tour was sold as there being a pool for you to relax by whilst you wait for your turn. The swimming pool was green in colour, not inviting at all!
I would recommend staying more than 2 nights here as you could do the wine bike tour more than once and cover more of the wineries. It would good to book a hostel with a pool as you could soak up some sun whilst enjoying a glass (or 2) of wine!

Be prepared to have your breath taken away by the sheer awesomeness of this geographical feature. The Argentinian’s have done it so well, the park is spacious and not at all gimmicky or touristy (as expected- damn those expectations again). The park opens at 08:00 and I would recommend getting there for then, the town is about 30 minutes away so that would mean leaving your accommodation at 07:30. As there was 3 of us we booked a taxi to drop us off and collect us. As the bus is 800 pesos both ways it was only a little bit more and way more comfy! I think most people fly to Iguazu as flights are cheap and it is fairly difficult to get to by bus. If you are on a tight budget though definitely check buses out as it is feasible.

The Park is not only about the waterfalls but also the nature and jungle vegetation that surrounds you. As we were some of the first people in the park, we were greeted by a family of coati mundi’s who emerged from the bushes! We discovered that these coati’s pretty much ruled the park and would always hang around the eating areas. Watch your food! We had one cheeky fella go into our bag and take a pack of cheese out! As we walked round the park we were also lucky enough to see monkeys, catfishes and massive spiders. The sound of cicadas also added to that tropical feel.

The national park is split into two sections, the trails which take you round the whole park and lead you to different viewing platforms where you can see the different waterfalls at different angles. Remember Iguazu is a collection of all sized waterfalls which lead to the huge one at the end. This is the other section of the park, you are required to catch a train to the final viewing platform. Bear in mind that the park fills up by lunchtime, we decided to do the trails in the morning where there were less people and it was also less hot, this made the walk very pleasant. We did the viewing platform at about 13:00pm and the crowds of people were a little annoying.

The park costs 130 soles and you need at least 6 hours to explore the park. The town Iguazu itself is a little run down and disappointing so I would recommend only staying there 2 nights. There are tonnes of hostels around so you will have no trouble finding a good spot. I heard some of my friends went out in Iguazu so there is a bit of nightlife.

You also have the option to see the falls on the Brazilian side, but I heard that the Argentinian side is much better. You also have the option of visiting the park a second day in a row (for half price) you might want to do this if you want to enjoy the boat ride to the falls or even the helicopter ride if you feel like splashing out!

About an hour and a half flight from Ushuaia, El Calafate is much bigger and touristy than Ushuaia. On first glance, I did not warm to El Calafate as much as Ushuaia. This could have been partly due to the air bnb being in a bit of a dodgy end of town, and the fact that everything was falling apart did not help either! There are way more restaurants, cafes and bars than Ushuaia, it really does cater to the outdoor tourist.

The main thing that made this place so special for us was the doggies! When we arrived, we went on a walk and we were accompanied for about 2 hours by these very special dogs (gordo and perrito, perrito was defo my fave she just wanted love and affection). They were so cute and protective, especially as we accidently walked down a side street lined by rather aggressive street dogs. Gordo and perrito proceeded to walk very close to us and protect us. We also picked up a third shaggy looking dog who joined us partway. Saying goodbye to them was heartbreaking, it’s crazy how attached one can get.

Another day, another tour (in hindsight I think Mum booked too many tours but I am very grateful for her exceptional planning), this time it was to El Chalten and Mount Fitzroy. If you love hiking then definitely stay here, it is the most popular place in the world for hikes! The tour consisted of a minibus with a guide to El Chalten, we then walked up to the view point (40 minutes hike) of Mount Fitzroy. I would have much preferred to hike closer, I know that on the O treck in Chile you can get much closer. What’s super interesting about the Patagonia region is that it is so close to Chile! The tour finished with lunch, a look around the town and then a waterfall stop. If you are interested the tour company was called ‘Tolkeyen’s tour’, the tour guide was super informative I just think it was a little bit too pricey.

The third and final tour of El Chalten was to the Perito Mereno glacier which was well worth it! We went with Hielo and Aventure tours as theypick you up in the afternoon and you spend the evening there. There were fewer people in the national park which was better. The only issue was that the cafe was closed so make sure you bring snacks!

The tour also included a boat ride which takes you right up close to the glacier, which is absolutely phenomenal. I had never seen anything like it. The glacier was so blue in colour and huge, it reminded me of the white warkers from Game of Thrones. Getting up so close to the glacier meant that you could also hear parts of the glacier breaking off and crumbling into the sea. The noise that this produced was super loud! We were all waiting for a huge chunk to break off and fall in, unfortunately this did not happen.

The second part of the tour was entering the park and walking the trails to the different view points. I would definitely recommend the boat tour as the view points do not get as close. Another super cool thing to do (expensive) is mini trecking on the glacier, but make sure you book in advance, we unfortunately missed out on this. You can only do this was Hielo and Aventura tours.

Some of the restaurants we visited were mediocre. The first night we went to Isobel after being recommended by one of the tour guides. Unfortunately the steak was tough, I had trout and it was tasty. The second night we visited a pizza restaurant- Pietros. I am not too keen on the pizzas in Argentina, they are way too cheesy. One of the best meals we had in Argentina was on the third night in a beer house called X. The steak was much better and the veggiie burger was also really good. There is also a really good ice cream place called Tinto’s.

If I came back to this area, I would suggest only staying in El Calafate for one night for the glacier. I would definitely spend more time in El Chalten.

Ushuaia is a very special place, not only is it Argentina’s (and the world’s) furthest point but it is a town full of charm. Picture houses made of corrugated iron and a village atmosphere, it is a big contrast to Buenos Aires. It also does not get dark until 10pm which adds to its character.
If you do not want to get a bus (maybe you’re on a tight time frame) then you can get a flight from Buenos Aires, it takes around 3 hours. Top tip for flights, if you can leave your luggage in B.A. then definitely do as it saves a lot of money!

We stayed in ‘Antarctica Hostel’ which is a little on the pricey side, but worth it as it is super comfortable and warm! It also has a nice common area and breakfast is included. Generally the breakfasts in Argentina are not the best, most of them consist of bread, jam and very watery coffee. This was the first time that I had been in a hostel with my Mum and Rob so it felt a little strange, as I was doing all the ‘backpacker’ norms (staying in a dorm, talking to people in the common area) but it also felt like I was on a family holiday.

On our first day we decided to take the train to the ‘end of the world’, which took us through the national park. This was our first glimpse of Patagonian landscapes and it was stunning, seeing the Andes as a backdrop reminded me very much of Peru, if not better. As you can imagine the train was very touristy and gimmicky with people trying to take your photo and various stop offs to see the ‘view’. The end of the world point was also very underwhelming. I think it would be better to walk through the national park then take the train!

The main thing to do in Ushuaia is to visit penguin island, the tour (Pira tour) is a little expensive but it is well worth it, seeing an island full of penguins was magical and something I will never forget. Not only do you see penguins but you also stop off at various points to see sea lions and native birds. As soon as you step off the boat onto penguin island you are greeted by two types of penguin X and X. The way they waddle is so cute and the baby ones are adorable! The penguins did not seem scared at all by our prescience, many were on the pathway and one was even hidden under the stairs! Pira tour were an exceptional tour company with passionate guides who genuinely care about the wildlife.

There are many restaurants in Ushuaia including a hard rock which dominates the high street. The first one we visited was ‘Ramos Generales’ this was a place where you could go for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It had very quirky decor including a unicycle and type writer. The food was good, there are many lighter options. The second night we went to Bar Ideal (the oldest bar in Ushuaia), the food here was not great, it lacked flavour and spice. It was more of a pub which could be fun for some drinks! Another good bar with pub food was ‘Van Gough’, the staff were super friendly and the chips were nice. There is also an awesome chocolate shop called Laguna Negra on the high street, we visited that place many times!

We only got to stay 2 nights in Ushuaia, I could have definitely stayed for 4 as I loved its charm and cuteness.

My experience of Argentina was very special as I shared most of it with my Mum and Rob. It was the first time I had seen my family for 6 months, it was amazing to see them in Argentina of all places! I was also dead impressed with my Mum as she has a fear of flying and she still managed to make it over here!

Buenos Aires is completely different to all other South American cities I have been to. Its super safe and I never felt vulnerable walking around at night. It feels very European and this comes from the influence from the French. The Argentine’s were keen to dissociate themselves with Spanish culture after being colonised by them as so they adopted the French style. This can be seen in the architecture and also the selling of Croissants (media lunas) for breakfast!

The first thing that struck all of us is the beautiful trees in Buenos Aires. There is such a variety of trees and they beautifully line the streets. There are also many parks and green spaces, you could easily spend a day relaxing in one of the parks. A good one to visit is the Eco Park which used to be the former zoo. Just a word of warning, some of the animals are in enclosed spaces. The ecological gardens close to the river are also worth a visit, we saw a lizard and baby crocodile!

Buenos Aires is a big city, it is broken up into districts. The main areas the tourists stay in are Recoleta, Palermo and Santelmo. The first area we stayed in was Recoleta. There is an older feel to this area but its beautifully lined with trees and restaurants. There is also the famous cemetery where Evita was buried.

Most of our time in B.A. was spent getting lost in the city and discovering new places. For example, the river area, Puerto Madero is lovely and you can spend an afternoon walking by the river. You must also check out the old town, Santelmo. There is an awesome indoor market which consists of food outlets as well as a vintage market. Close by to the market is a really interesting museum called Zanyon museum about the underground tunnels of Buenos Aires. It is a little expensive as there is a guided tour included ($1564 pesos).

Another interesting place to visit, is the old theatre that has been turned into a book shop, it is called El Ateneo. A really moving experience was to visit Plaza de Mayo on a Thursday at 3pm as this the hour when the ‘lost madres’ of Argentina visit the square. This is a tradition undertaken by these women who are still looking for their lost children from the old military regime.

It is also worth visiting Boca to get a taste of the tango culture. There are many coloured houses here and it feels authentic Argentinian, despite all the tourists. On the topic of tango, we forked out and attended a real tango show called Madera Tango. It was an hour and a half tango performance and displayed the history of tango, which was interesting! For me it was a little too long, we also discovered that in San Telmo square there are tango performances which are free (tips) and much better!

If you have the time, you could visit Uruguay. You can catch the Colonia express to Colonia, which only takes 1hour 15 minutes. The first boat leaves at 08:00 which gives you a full day in Colonia. We stayed one night in Colonia which perhaps was not necessary as there is not that much to do, it is also very expensive. Try to take Uruguayan pesos if you can as the exchange rate to Argentinian pesos is terrible. If you do stay for longer you could check out Montevideo too. A good restaurant in Colonia is Gitano, they have a beautiful outside area and good food! Pricey though!

The second place we stayed in was Palermo, this is where all the bars and nightlife is. Everything in Argentina starts late, people do not eat dinner until around 10pm and nightclubs do not get started until 02:00am and go on to the early hours of the morning. Some good bars to visit are Makena for live music and Uptown is you like clubbing. A good hostel in this area is ‘Sato’ hostel, cheap and really easy to meet solo travellers. The best way of getting around B.A is by uber, it is super cheap and you can practice your Spanish with the drivers!

In terms of food, we ate out most nights and on the whole were disappointed! There is a lack of flavour and vegetables to most of the dishes. For steak, there is a good steak house called Cabrera in Palermo, make sure you arrive before 20:00pm as it gets full! If you get there at 18:00 you can also get 30% off your bill.

Money can be a little complicated in Argentina. Due to inflation many of the ATMs do not have cash, charge a hefty fee or only allow you to withdraw $4000 pesos at a time. But the good news is that there is Western Union, which will be your saving grace. If you download the app and follow the instructions, all you need to do is visit a Western Union store with your passport and they will give you the money you are owed. They will charge a small fee but it is much less than the ATM charge so it is worth it.

I would recommend staying 4 nights in Buenos Aires. It is a good base and you may find yourself coming back as it is a pretty central point in Argentina. As we were back and forth a lot, I ended up staying 10 nights.

After the craziness of Universo Parallelo, my French friends and I decided to take it easy in Itacare. I had heard great things about Itacare. When we arrived it was however extremely busy and crowded, most places were booked up!

The ‘hippy, laid back’ vibe that was promised was not found. It was packed everywhere. We spent a day on what we thought was a quiet beach. It turned out to be full of people- not what we expected at all! Despite being disappointed by Itacare, we did find a really good vegetarian restaurant- ‘Restaurante Naturalmente’.

I had much higher expectations of Itacare than what I experienced. But again this could have been tainted by the fact we went at the height of the season. I was also only able to stay 2 nights. Staying in places of at least 3 nights is always a good idea.
This was my last stop in the North East of Brazil and I have to say that I completely fell in love with this region. It is completely different to anywhere I have been before. The people are what make this place so mesmerising.

When I first arrived in Salvador I felt a little scared and vulnerable. Perhaps this was because many people that I had met had warned me about the danger of the city (in terms of pickpocketting). I was also a little disappointed by the staff in the hostel that I stayed in- ‘Hostel Galleria 13’. I felt like they were very money grabbing. They had nothing planned for Christmas which was disappointing to hear.

Nevertheless, myself and a group of people decided to head to Morro de Sao Paulo (a nearby island about two hours away) on Christmas Eve. This was my first Christmas away from my family so I figured spending it on an island would be a good idea. Getting the catamaran is easy, you can get there 10 minutes by uber before and grab your ticket.

As soon as we arrived on the island, we decided it would be best to spend the night there. I would recommend staying the night as I think the last boat is 3pm which does not give you much time on the island. We managed to walk into hostel ‘DPM Eco Hostel’ a small hostel run by Argentinians (like most of the island). It was comfortable enough and I liked the reminders of how to be more eco by saving water. We spent the day enjoying some beers on beach 4. The beaches are named by numbers and you can either walk or catch a small boat.
For me, I was not that enamoured by the island, I found it very touristy and expensive.

However, I was only there for one night and also at the height of the season. It was nice to spend Christmas here and the hostel did a great job of hosting a meal for Christmas Eve, which consisted of each guest bringing a cooked dish. We made guacamole (which went down well!) and an aubergine and chickpea salad which was not as popular. The other main hostel on the island is ‘Che Lagarto’ which is a bigger chain.

We caught the catamaran back to the mainland at 3pm which got us back to the hostel in perfect time- ready for the free Caipi hour (17:15-18:15), this was the awesome thing about this hostel (its saving grace). Hostel Galleria 13 is located in the old town, Pelourinho. Just be careful walking around here at night alone. It can feel a little overwhelming as people will approach you to sell things. For me it was similar to the vibe in Cartagena, I could just speak the language so I felt safer.

The breakfast at the hostel is also a plus, it has an excellent selection and goes on till 12pm, good for those who like a lie in! We had an enjoyable Christmas dinner at ‘Zulu restaurant’ which is the sister restaurant to the hostel. Guests get a 10% discount here. I had a vegetable Moqueca which is the traditional dish from Bahia state. Typical street food dishes consist of tapiocas (similar to a pancake) and acaraje (imagine falafel dough balls with shrimp or your choice of meat as a filling)

My last day in Salvador was spent shopping and preparing for Universo Paralleo (a weeklong festival in Bahia state). The city really warmed to me and that was a real Brazilian vibe. There were many beautiful coloured houses and stunning churches. I would suggest 3 nights in Salvador. If you do visit this area then make sure you factor in the national park: Chapada Diamantina. Unfortunately I ran out of time to visit this, but for some people this is their favourite place in Brazil. Compared to all the cities in Brazil, Salvador is beautiful and very Brazilian!

Pipa is another hidden gem of the North East coast. This place is somewhat undiscovered by Western tourists (like most of the North and North East) and this is what makes Pipa so wonderful. Getting here is easy, if you are coming from the North it is a 2 hour public bus from Natal. From the South, another option is to travel from Recife and catch a bla bla car or bus to Goianiniha. You then catch the public bus to Pipa. You can also catch a bus from Joao Pessoa, which is the nearest city.

My experience with bla bla cars was perfectly safe and also cheaper and faster than catching a bus! Booking buses can be a little complicated in Brazil as some debit cards do not work and also you need a CPF number. There is always a way around these things though and most sites let you use Paypal. If you want any more information about this, then get in touch with me! The best site to use for booking buses in Brazil is ‘Click Bus’.
Pipa has some of the nicest beaches I have seen in Brazil. Playa de Amor and Madeira are the two main ones. If you like to surf then this is a good spot for you. For me the waves were a little too strong!

The vibe in Pipa is amazing, it has a laid back atmosphere with many bars and restaurants. They have an awesome beach party on some Saturdays, which is right on the beach next to the surf shop. Similar to Jericoacoara, there is a place where most people go to each night and it is themed around the type of music. I was lucky enough to be there when there was a Fohor night.

For me, the best thing about Pipa was the hostel- ‘Lagarto Na Banana’. This is my favourite hostel ever! It is not just a hostel but a space where you feel totally yourself. Similarly to Jeri, people never want to leave this hostel and stay for months!
At Lagarto, Effi (the owner) has designed a beautiful place where people can express themselves through creativity. There is a strong sense of spirituality through offering meditation and yoga. The hostel is unique in itself as the whole place is run by volunteers. The volunteers do everything, from cleaning, checking guests in, partying with guests and the cooking! The food is all vegetarian and it is some of the best veggie food I have had on my travels.

Another special element to this hostel is that every night a volunteer will run a class, guests even have the opportunity to teach a certain skill they may have. In my stay there was an arts and crafts class, a funk (dance) class, quiz and a sustainability workshop. But the most beautiful thing about this place is the welcoming presence of the owner. Effi gets stuck in with everything and makes a concerted effort to get to know every guest. It is my dream one day to open a hostel and Effi has really inspired me with his vision. Thank you so much Lagarto, I will definitely be back!