Jeri, Jeri, Jeri. My favourite place ever. This place is magical and will blow your mind! Set around sand dunes and the coast, the energy that this place permeates is something that I have never experienced before. I have never felt so happy and positive in a place, I would literally wake up with a smile on my face every morning. I had originally booked 2 nights here but ended up staying 10! This is common for Jericoacoara, many people get ‘stuck’ here for months, it’s charm will suck you in.

Getting to Jericoacoara is something special as it is a little convoluted. This is what makes this place special, because it is so secluded. To get there you must take a 6 hour bus ($100 from the hostel) from Fortaleza to Jijoca. Many international flights go to Fortaleza, you do not necessarily have to fly to Rio or Sao Paulo.

I ended up staying two nights in Fortazlea in a charming hostel called ‘Refugia Hostel’. This hostel was very clean and had super friendly staff, especially Fenne- my girl! They also give you a token chocolate bar when you check out with your name on it! It is the little things that you remember. Fortaleza city centre is not the nicest but there is a beautiful beach called croco.

After arriving at the bus stop in Jijoca, I took the sand buggy through the national park. There is a tourist tax to pay of R$5 a day, a new initiative brought in since 2017. The whole bus was then transferred onto jeeps. We then rode through the beautiful dunes, which was a treat in itself! We were then dropped into the town and I was in awe of the amount of sand! It is literally a town of sand, there are no roads or cars.

The hostel that I stayed in was called ‘Jeri Central’, despite it being on the little pricey side it was excellent. Rolf, the hostel worker made this place, he was the kindest man and would really go out of his way to help his guests. The hostel also had a pool, an excellent hammock area and an awesome breakfast included. They hosted some excellent dinners such as pizzas and burgers! Rolf would also take guests on different tours: a sunset tour over the sand dune and the full moon tour near the light house. There was also a sunrise tour on offer but this required waking up at 3am, I am not a morning person!

The big thing to do here is kite surfing, you will meet so many kite surfers and see kite surfing shops and related businesses. There are also some surf schools, this was the place where I tried surfing for the first time! Jeri is a good place to learn as the waves are super small and the water is shallow. I took two lessons with Club Ventos which was a beach club type place . My instructor was so encouraging and she was a woman win win!

There are also a couple of tours you can go on where you visit the lagoon. I think it is better to take a jeep to the lagoon and chill there for the day. You can also walk to Pedra Furada where you can see the arch, I would recommend going about 5-5:30 when all the people have disappeared! When I visited, it was only me and some security guards! Make sure that you walk back to the town with someone if you do decide to visit late as it gets pretty dark.

Jeri is great for nightlife, I went out a lot here. Every night there is a different party at a different place and you tend to see the whole town and people you’ve met previously. The parties range from forro (a traditional Brazilian dance), samba, reggae and funk (music that originates from the favelas and involves ‘twerking’). On the weekends there is a beach party where all the Caipririnha stands form a circle on the sand and there is a DJ. Instead of going out every night, sometimes we would have a Caipi from the stands and revel in the atmosphere.

The sunset is the thing to do in Jeri. There is a rooftop bar called ‘Cafe Jeri’ which is THE place to be in Jeri. It is open from Weds- Sun from 4pm- 9pm where you can watch the sunset and enjoy the dancers perform with fire! As you can imagine the drinks are fairly pricey here but you can definitely afford one Caipi. There is also a cover charge on weekends so maybe go in the week.

A place where I preferred to go to watch the sunset was ‘Dumundu bar’, this bar is located right on the beach and you can watch the beautiful sunset as well as seeing the surfers. It also has live music. A third place to watch the sunset is on the dune, this is what we did on the first night because we followed all the people. It is a little crowded up there, there are definitely better options!

Acai is everywhere in Brazil and there is an awesome place in Jeri called ‘Acai SOS’, this is a self service place where you can add as many toppings as you want. You are charged by weight and it is very reasonable! There is also an incredible ice cream shop called ‘Gelato and Grano’ with flavours from red velvet to guava.

I also found two vegetarian restaurants. One was called ‘Comida conscience Jeri’ and was a place where you chose your patty from a variety of proteins such as lentils, chickpeas or sweet potato. It then comes with salad and chutney in a huge wrap- delicious! It was a little further out from the main drag but only a 5 minute walk from the hostel (remember jeri is super small!) The other place ‘Do Bem’ was a vegan place only open at lunchtime, they offer two dishes which are a choice of two types of patties, rice, salad, beans and spinach- also so good!

What I loved about Jericoacoara is that it was so authentically Brazilian, the music, dance and culture was the real Brazil. There was hardly any western influence (that I could see). As I got to know the locals better I realised that many people that own the restaurants and hostels are from the west. Unfortunately, this is a common theme for many places in South America.

Jericoacoara is a very very special place. I would encourage you to go here soon as I am sceptical that this place will get more and more popular with tourists. Prices are already rapidly increasing, so get there while you can! I cannot suggest how long to stay here as most people extend their stay!

I think I was so blown away by Jeri because I really had no expectations, this is the best way to travel. Do not google places and look at the images or search tags on instagram, just go there with an open mind and your experience will be miles better!

On my way back to Lima from Cusco, I decided to stop off for a night in Paracas. However the journey took longer than expected and as a result I only had the afternoon to explore this place. My first impressions of this place were not the most positive, it seemed like a run down sea side town with a lack of character. If I had stayed for longer, this may have changed.

Despite not staying for long, I managed to make it in time for a tour of the national park by sand buggy! This was fun and a good way of seeing the coastline as well as the sand dunes. The other main attraction here is to do a wildlife tour.

I stayed in Kokopelli again despite not liking it in Cusco as there was no other option. I stayed in a private room and was disappointed to find that there was not a private bathroom. There was a restaurant and bar with some activites. The hostel also has a pool which is good as it got quite hot in the day! I would recommend only 2 nights in Paracas. Other places to visit in Peru are Arequipa, Mancora, Iquitos and Puno. These are the places that I would have visited if I had more time!

For me, Peru was a very spiritual experience. Spending a month in this country really helped me feel connected to nature and I was in awe of the beautiful landscapes. The Peruvian culture is perhaps not as obvious as the other countries, but their love of Mother Earth is something really special.

Pisac was a hidden gem discovered through a recommendation from a friend. Of all the places in Peru, this was definitely my favourite. Buried in the valley of the Andes, the sacred valley is a very special place. Getting to Pisac is very easy from Cusco, you can either get a collectivo (1 hour) or an uber (20 minutes).

Wolf Totem Guesthouse was the name of the hostel that I stayed in and it was definitely the best hostel in Peru by far. The owner has done a fantastic job of building a hostel all with sustainable materials. The location is fantastic and the views of the rolling hills are beautiful. Some other perks of the hostel include double beds and a sauna! It has such a relaxing feel to the place and you could easily spend a whole day relaxing in the hostel itself.

The town of Pisac is a cute little hippy town with so many cute restaurants and cafes. There are so many vegetarian restaurants which I was super happy about. I would spend one afternoon at Jardin El Encanto a beautiful cafe overlooking the gardens. A great place for cakes and coffee is the ‘Bon Appetit cafe Paris’.

Another pleasant way to spend an afternoon is to walk by the river and admire the fresh water flowing past. This is a really good spot to meditate if you’re into that! There is also a market where you can buy more alpaca and fresh fruit and vegetables. The main attraction in Pisac is to visit the ruins, Wolf Totem is en route to the ruins and you can walk there, it takes approximately 2 hours.

I had originally booked 2 nights here but ended up staying 4 nights, Pisac is the perfect place to relax, reflect and feel connected to nature.

There are many different ways of getting to Cusco from Ica. We decided to get the nightbus from Ica, which took roughly 16 hours. Some people travel back to Lima and catch a flight to Cusco, for me this is a bit of a convoluted route and also worse for the environment. In hindsight, I think it is always better to catch a night bus where possible as it is also more economical as you are saving money on accommodation as well! Win win! Catching the bus is also better for adapting to the change in altitude, Cusco is 3400m above sea level and it is a more gradual change for your body. If you do take the bus, I would recommend taking altitude sickness pills (Sorochi pills are the name and you can buy them in any pharmacy), if you take them at the ‘Nazca’ stop then this will be perfect amount of time for them to effectively work.

When we arrived in Cusco, I instantly felt the change in altitude, I felt light headed and nauseous, don’t worry this is normal! In terms of altitude, you can not predict on how or if you will be affected, it is truly random! There are other remedies you can take to help like cacao leaves and also many hostels provide oxygen for you to inhale.
The first hostel we stayed in was ‘Kokopeli’, a chain of hostels in Peru.

On arrival, this place appeared clean and comfortable. The rooms were spacious and also the bathrooms were good. There is a bar and the hostel organise activities such as karaoke, girls night and 90s night. Although the 90s night did not happen which was disappointing! There is a decent free breakfast and the bar provide food for lunch at dinner which is good, not the greatest for vegetarians. The issue with this hostel is that there is not enough staff that speak good English, especially on reception.Also if you want to extend your stay (which most backpackers do), then you have to move room! Like most chain hostels, Kokopelli prioritises money over making the customer feel valued and comfortable.

Cusco is full of tourists and it can be a little overwhelming at times. There are hundreds of tourist agencies and hostels, so it is a good idea to do your research online as going from agency to agency to find the best prices for trecks can be tiring and takes a full day. The main thing to do in Cusco is trecking and of course Machu Picchu! If you do not have any trecking gear then do not worry, you can hire everything there.

Many of you would have heard of getting to Machu Picchu by the Inca trail, which is very costly and also requires you to book well in advance. A cheaper option is the ‘Salkantay’ treck which is advertised everywhere in Cusco. This is either a 4 day or 5 day treck which covers part of the Inca trail and also incorporates the Humantay Lake (a main attraction in Cusco).

The treck includes tents, sleeping bags, a guide and food. There are many different operators and prices can range from $150- $300 so do your research and negotiate if necessary! Some recommended agencies are ‘Machu Picchu Reservations’ which charge $200 but are very well organised.

After much research, we decided to go with ‘Marvelous Peru’. The cost was $150 for both the 4 or 5 day option. After an informative briefing the night before, we were ready. We were picked up from our hostel at 05:00 and we begun the 3 hour drive to the starting point! The group of 24 were split into 2 groups the 4 day and 5 dayers. We were lucky to have Brighton as our tour guide, he was so helpful and kind- one of the best tour guides I have had! After an introductory talk we were off!

From the first step, it was instantly tough, I could really feel the change in altitude and breathing difficulty. I also had a lack of sleep so found the first day the hardest. We walked roughly 15 km on the first day. The morning treck was to the first campsite, where we stopped for lunch. The food was so amazing. After lunch it was the upward treck to Humantay Lake (4120m). This was so so tough as I was still adapting to the change in altitude. But wow, the lake was absolutely stunning. As soon as I was over the other side I was blown away by the beauty of the lake. This was also the first time I had seen a glacier in real life. You could actually hear the ice cracking and moving. I could also see evidence of corries, aretes, hanging valleys, hanging waterfalls and eskers. How fitting for a Geography teacher! You could also see the extent of the ice changing, and the snow cover diminishing as a result of climate change. The way down was easy and we all enjoyed a delicious dinner. As we were all exhausted, we went to bed at 7pm!! It was pretty cold in the night so make sure you bring extra layers!

The second day of the treck was the hardest and consisted of 19 km of walking, it also involved hiking up the steepest incline of the treck which was 4600m. Again it was anearly start of walking at 5:30am. Getting to the top of the mountain was a struggle but an achievement! At the top of the peak was the famous Salkantay lake, another stunning turquoise glacial lake. The views of the Andes and glacial were some of the most stunning landscapes I had ever seen.

This was the final climb of the treck (until M.P so it felt good!). We then walked down the other side of the mountain to the lunch spot. The walk after the lunch spot was when the terrain and ecosystem transitioned into jungle. The altitude was decreasing and you could instantly notice the change in humidity, climate and vegetation. The second campsite had a bar which we were all super excited about as we had done the majority of the walking. This night was definitely the best as we had a camp site and beers were flowing!

The third and final day of the treck was the easiest as it was all downhill and in the jungle, so it was warm! We still walked a total of 16km. The biggest challenge was the mosquitos so make sure you pack insect repellent with a good DEET factor. After lunch the group split off into the 4 dayers and 5 dayers. We were heading straight for Aguas Calientes (the town at the base of Machu Picchu). Instead of walking we took the minibus to Hydro Electrica- this is also where you can catch the train to M.P. The walk from Hydro Electrica to Aguas Calientes, is roughly 2 hours and you walk along the train tracks which is pretty cool. It really feels magical as you know that you are so close to Machu Picchu. This is the last bit until you are finally there!

The third nights accommodation is in a hostel which is nice as you can have a shower and comfy bed. We all went for a final dinner with the group and received our ticket for M.P. We had an entry time of 7am so we left the hostel at 5am to make it in time. The treck to M.P. involves hiking up 1800 stairs, it is tough in the heat! There is the option of getting the bus to the top if you would prefer. As soon as I got to the top of the climb my heart sunk and I had butterflies in my stomach. This was it, I had completed the treck and I was at one of the 7 wonders of the world.

Machu Picchu really is a mystical place but unfortunately the number of tourists tainted my experience. Everyone was desperate to get ‘the’ picture and this lead to a rather pushy atmosphere. The tour guide that we had was also disappointing, his English was not the greatest so I did not really understand the full significance of this mythical place. Despite this, it was still amazing to see and learn about the story behind this place.
The transport back to Cusco was so badly organised and a complete mess up. The bus that we finally ended up on was broken so it would break down on the journey back to Cusco, a journey that was supposed to take 6 hours, ended up taking 8! After a fantastic tour, it was a shame to end it this way. Back in Cusco, we stayed in VIP house. A cheap and very basic hostel. The next couple of days in Cusco were spent resting our legs and enjoying an air bnb (super cheap in Peru!).

In addition to the Salkantay, another interesting landscape to see is Rainbow and Palccoyo mountain (the smaller one). We decided to visit Palccoyo as there were less people visiting compared to Rainbow mountain. This mountain was geologically fascinating as it consisted of different coloured stripes which were the different rock types. The treck up to the top was around 30 minutes which was a relief as the altitude was 4800m! It is best to do rainbow or Palccoyo mountain before you do the Salkantay so that your body can adjust. On the day that we went to the mountain, it hailed on the descent. So we were able to see the dry and snowy version of the landscape, super interesting!

As well as trecking, Cusco is famous for its markets. An excellent clothes market for alpaca wear is Mercado Artesenal, this is close to Kokopelli hostel. A good one for food is the San Blas and San Pedro markets. Cusco also has some excellent vegetarian restaurants, one of them being ‘Green Point’. This place is amazing! If you go on a Sunday you can get the menu of the day which included an AYCE buffet for starter, juice, main and desert. Another excellent veggie restaurant is called ‘Organika’, a cute place which offers many homemade vegetarian and also non vegetarian choices. If you need to get your haircut whilst in Cusco then Tiwegers is your place. Also a good tattoo place is Yroy tattoo.

In order to adjust to the altitude and enjoy a good rest after the Salkantay treck then I would suggest staying in Cusco for at least a week (that is including the 3 nights of the treck). We stayed for 10 nights which was a tad too long. I would strongly recommend the Salkantay, even if you’re not an experienced hiker (which I definitely wasn’t). The nature and landscapes are something that you will never forget.

As soon as we arrived here, I was truly mesmerised. I had never seen anywhere like it! Picture a small town surrounded by huge sand dunes. This was the first time I had seen sand dunes and the desert, so it was very special for me. To get there you can take a 4 hour bus from Lima to Ica. A really good bus company to use is ‘Cruz del Sol’, they are safe and comfortable. The chairs recline which is good for sleeping and they provide a meal too. Once you arrive in Ica you can catch a $10 peso taxi to Huaccachina. There are always people on buses that you can share the cost with.
We decided to stay in ‘Wild Rover’ for 2 nights which was a mistake. I’m not sure if you have heard of this chain of hostels but they are notorious for their parties, and they do not lie it really is party party party 24/7. I was unimpressed by the cleanliness of the place and the staff were not the friendliest.

On our second night, they persisted to have drilling taking place right next to the bar, the noise was so unbearable we had to leave for the evening. For me I was very disappointed with the Wild Rover experience. If you like to party, I would recommend staying somewhere else like ‘Banana’ Hostel or ‘Upcycle’ Hostel and visit Wild Rover just for a night of partying.

The main thing to do in Huaccachina is the sand buggy tour, it is so fun! The tour is only $50 pesos and you drive with a driver on the sand dunes. It feels like a rollercoaster going over all the big dunes! The second part of the tour is the sand boarding, which is just as fun as the buggying! You lie down on your front on a board and slide down the dunes. I thought it was going to be scarier than it looked but it is so so fun, definitely do it!! It is also worth walking to the top of the main sand dune to watch the sunset, the sun setting on the sand really is wonderful.

Some good eats were the Banana hostel and the main bar in Wild Rover had food too, but it was pretty average. Apart from partying and sand buggying, there isn’t much else to do in Huaccahina so I would definitely recommend only staying 2 nights. After Huaccachina, you could visit Paracas as it is pretty close.

My first experience of Lima was somewhat tainted by my skin infection. For any of you that do not know, I caught cellulitis from a mosquito bite and had to be hospitalised for 3 nights. It sounds worse than it is, it was actually a rather pleasant experience where I received 24/7 attention from medical personnel. It was also the first time I had a private room to myself for 3 months! It was also all covered by my insurance ‘world nomads’ an excellent insurance provider, definitely buy travel insurance before going on a big trip as it saves your back and bank account!

The first hostel I stayed in was ‘The Point’ in Barranco, a bohemian area about 20 minutes from Miraflores. If you like to party then this is a good hostel for you, but beware the music is so loud until 2am and it is not the cleanest place. The reception staff are lovely though and will give you ear plugs if you need them. Miraflores is the main hub for backpackers, you will find many hostels, bars and restaurants here. A good way to spend an afternoon is to walk from Miraflores to Barranco along the sea front, you get a stunning view of the ocean and the surfers. Barranco is the up and coming area of Lima and I would definitely check it out there are many cool cafes and bars. You can also walk under the bridge and check out the street art. If you like ceviche then definitely go to ‘Canta Ranita’, this spot is super popular with the locals so make sure you arrive early, I think it opens at 12:30pm so try and get there for then. If you like Mexican food then ‘Burrito Bar’ has cheap quesadillas and burritos. A third good eat is ‘Javier Restaurant’ where they have pretty much everything- including tequenos!! The second hostel I stayed in in Barranco was ‘Dragonfly’ another chain of hostels in Peru. This was quieter than the point but I still was not blown away, the dorm was so small you could hardly move in there!

After staying in Barranco for 2 nights, I moved to Miraflores. The first hostel I stayed in was ‘Alpes Lima’. This hostel is clean and has good facilities, the lady on reception is also so helpful and helped me move rooms. They have a good free breakfast and rooftop to enjoy a pisco sour or two. The only issue with this hostel is that the walls are very thin so I could hear the noise from the upstairs bar. The kitchen was also tiny and was missing many utensils which made cooking difficult. Whilst I was staying here I had the opportunity to visit an international school to gain an insight into a different kind of school. I observed some Geography lessons and helped some of the students, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Even though all lessons were taught in English, the students conversed in Spanish which was a little bizarre. I was also able to go with the surf club down to the beach. The teachers and students were all so welcoming and lovely. We ended up going for food and drinks at ‘Mercado 28’ which had multiple food and drink stands. It was cool to get an insight into how the expats live. Miraflores is a very upmarket area with many gated communities. I am starting to see a pattern with many South American cities, most of the backpacker areas are in the gentried places of the cities.

I then moved to the other ‘Alpes Lima, Parque Kennedy’ as I heard this one was more social. It was pretty much identical layout wise, they also have a BBQ which is pretty average. Friendly staff again and a bigger rooftop with a hotub (although this was not full when I was there). This hostel has an excellent location, it is in the heart of Parque Kennedy where you can find many stalls selling art and cats! There is also an excellent sandwich shop called ‘Sangucheria La Lucha’ which is a chain in Peru. If you like second hand clothes then check out ‘Al Paso’ it is a small vintage shop located 2 minutes from the hostel. It is a little hard to find on google maps but it is in the same shopping centre as the cinema. Also if you are in need of electronics then there’s an excellent market selling all sorts, it is just opposite the Inka market. I would definitely suggest waiting until Cusco to buy all of your alpaca gear as there is more choice and it is cheaper! In terms of sightseeing, the hostel offers many walking tours which are supposed to be good. You can also visit the pyramids which were ‘recommended’ by a certain guidebook. If I’m honest this was a little disappointing and underwhelming. You can only get around with a guide and the guide was not very good at all. Nevertheless, you can get a good photo (do it for the gram).

I ended up staying in Lima for longer than expected as I was waiting for my friend to arrive (he was delayed due to losing his passport). I would only suggest staying here for 1/2 nights, its the not the nicest city in Peru or South America even.

This part of my trip was shared with my beautiful best friend and soulmate Alice. I met Alice 3 years ago in Pai and we have formed a very special relationship since. We have travelled 3 times together including Budapest, Cambodia and now Colombia! Our first stop on this stretch of coastline was Santa Marta. Santa Marta is a hub town as most of the buses depart from here. We only stayed one night in ‘Dreamers’ hostel which I would definitely recommend as it was comfortable and had a good pool. The breakfast was also awesome and was only $12000 COP. It seemed like it would have a good vibe too as had a bar and events on for guests.

Our first stop was Minca, a stunning little town in the mountains of Colombia. It is about a 30 minute journey in a Collectivo from Santa Marta. The first hostel we stayed in was ‘El Mundo Nuevo’, in order to get there we had to get a moto taxi up a steep hill to the hostel. This was probably the most scariest moto ride I have ever been on, I had my eyes closed the entire time! The hostel was excellent for providing activities and educational tours such as sustainable farming and bird watching. They also provided family dinners and the food was all vegetarian, another win for me! We did 2 walks from this hostel, one was to the ‘Candalaria’, which is about 30 minutes with a cute little cafe at the end of it. The second walk was to the 360 view point, make sure you go in the morning or you will be caught in the rain and also the views are much better. Alice woke up early the next day to go to the bird watching tour where she said she learned how to call for toucans.

The second hostel we stayed in was called ‘Casa Loma’ and it was beautiful, one of the best of hostels I have stayed in in Colombia. There is a little hike to the hostel (about 15 minutes up some stairs) but it is so worth it!! The staff are so lovely, they give you water at the top and the views are spectacular. This hostel also has family dinner which is all vegetarian food, everyone sits together and it has such a lovely, friendly vibe. The dorms are in little shacks which makes you really feel like you are sleeping in the nature. From the hostel you can do many mini hikes to waterfalls. We walked to ‘Marinka’ waterfall, which took about 2 hours. It was super empty when we arrived as it was rainy so there was no one in the waterfall! We all swam in it, it was the first time I had ever swam in a waterfall so it was a special moment for me. The water was pretty cold but it was lovely and refreshing. There is also a restaurant and hammocks where you can enjoy a beer!

We visited the other waterfall ‘Pozo Azul’ the following day, this was a lot busier and we unfortunately got caught in torrential rain. We had to catch a moto back as we were super worried about our stuff getting wet. On a sunny day this would be beautiful to swim in. This was the only issue with Minca, the rain! I would suggest not going in October as it rains a lot. Another short walk from Casa Loma is to a small river, we did this on our last day so was a bit rushed. I think it would be beautiful to spend a whole day here. An excellent restaurant/bar to check out is lazy cat, it has excellent food and a decent happy hour. I would recommend 2-3 nights in Minca and make sure you get out on the hikes in the morning, we made the mistake of going in the afternoon and getting caught in the rain! Also when you go on the hikes bring minimal things- only what you really need (water, rain coat etc). If you have a wet bag bring it!

After Minca, we caught the collectivo back to Santa Marta and caught the public bus to Costeno Beach. This public bus became our best friend by the end of the trip, it was so cheap and took us all along the Carribean coast. The first hostel we stayed in on Costeno beach was ‘Costeno Beach Hostel’. Costeno beach is very small, all it really is a beach but its beautiful! The sea is a bit difficult to swim in as the current is strong and there is much seaweed. It is safe to swim and you can get in for a quick dip. If you like to surf then this is a great location. Our first impressions of the hostel were not the greatest, it felt like more of a hotel than a hostel, there was no real common area. The dining room is where you eat all your meals, it felt a bit like a canteen if I’m honest. The food was decent but nothing to write home about. The showers also felt a bit like a changing room and the dorm was huge- 32 beds! I think for the money this hostel makes (its has a rather pretentious vibe to it), it could give you a lot more. On our last night they were also doing construction so half the hostel was closed off. The hostel also runs on a tab system and there is no where to buy food, so you end up spending so much money. If you are on a tight backpacker budget then I would not suggest coming here as you could end up racking up a huge bill. However, having said this we ended up staying for 3 nights and had a lot of fun chilling on the beach in the day and enjoying some cocktails in the night time. There is not the most to do there so if you just want to relax on the beach for a while then this is the place for you, maybe only spend 2 nights here. We also stayed at a hostel a couple of minutes down from Costeno Beach called ‘Los Hermanos’. This had a more backpacker feel to it and they had some fun parties. Again it works on a tab system but it is cheaper than Costeno Beach.

Whilst at Costeno Beach we visited Tayrona national park. This is a must if you are visiting Colombia, it is stunning. I would definitely recommend staying a night if you can. You can leave your big bags in the hostel and take a small day pack. To get there, you can get a moto taxi from Costeno Beach which costs around $10,000 COP. The park opens at 08:00 am, if you would like to stay a night in a hammock on the mirador (view point) then I would suggest getting there for the opening time and reserving a spot. We arrived there too late, however we were still able to secure a hammock in the normal camp site (Cabo San Juan) which was fine. It takes about 2 hours to walk to Cabo San Juan and it is a beautiful walk with the most diverse trees and monkeys! Just beware that it is super hot and you will sweat lots! We arrived there at about 11:00 and had the whole day to enjoy the beach and the crystal clear water. The beauty of staying a night in the national park is that when all the ‘day trippers’ leave at about 3pm you have the beach to yourself. The same goes for the morning, you can enjoy the sunrise in peace and also go for a morning dip. There is only one restaurant on the camp site and yep you guessed it, it is pricey. Bottled water is also super expensive so invest in a life straw!! It saves money and the environment- win win!

After Tayrona we headed to El Rio hostel, a party hostel! You can again get a moto straight here and its pretty cheap. Just beware that again this hostel works on a tab system and there is nothing in the area so all your meals and drinks will be bought here. El Rio is a lot of fun if you love to party, I would say that 2 nights is enough. The volunteers are so fun and really make the atmosphere here. Everyone hangs out at the bar where they play such fun music. The drinks are a bit on the pricey side. In the day, the thing to do is tubing! It costs $30,000 COP and $10 000 for the crocs (I would definitely recommend the crocs, some people that went in flip flops ended up loosing their shoes). The tubing starts at 11:00 from the hostel. You then have to walk for about 20 minutes to the start of the River Palomino. You can buy a few beers and the hostel gives you a cool box which you carry down the river. The tubing is super safe as the guides go with you. I was saved so many times by the guides and their son! You also stop off at a jumping spot and rope swing where you can flip into the water. After tubing you can hang out in the hammocks! If you want to stay in the hammock dorm as it is cheaper then it is absolutely fine. We met so many people in this hostel, people that I am still in contact with.

After El Rio, a big group of us headed to Palomino where we stayed at ‘Dreamers’. Again another comfortable experience with a pool and superb breakfast. Palomino was fun as we knew everyone in the hostel pretty much from El Rio. If it wasn’t for this though, there isn’t much to do at all in Palomino, if you don’t have the time then skip it! For us it was raining so this perhaps tainted the experience somewhat. Some good eats are ‘La Frontera’ for pizza and ‘La Lupita’ for good falafel wraps. Our original plan was to head to the desert after Palomino but it proved to be a little too complicated so we headed back to Santa Marta (1 hour from Palomino) and then Cartagena (4-6 hours from Santa Marta).

So that is it for Colombia, what an amazing country, something for everyone. I really hope I have inspired some of you to visit this magical place!

Reflecting on my time here, San Andres was definitely a highlight. I stayed here for 3 and a half weeks as I was volunteering at a hostel on the island. I found the hostel through the website ‘workaway’, if you are travelling for a long time, I would suggest signing up to this website and volunteering for a bit! Most of the openings ask for at least 2 weeks commitment and some for 1 month. They also get pretty booked up so I would suggest emailing hosts one month in advance. For me, volunteering was a great way to save money and also gave me a little routine. I could not have been luckier to have Juan as my host and to work in Blue Almond hostel. This hostel is one of the best hostels I have ever stayed in, it is perfect for meeting friends! The hostel has a kitchen, beer vending machine, shaggy (the blind dog), an outside area and a little living room where you can watch netflix. It has a home feel to it and by the end of it everyone knew each other so well. I would say that I prefer smaller hostels like Blue Almond as everyone knows each other and it feels like a family. Getting to San Andres is easy from any major city in Colombia. There is also an entrance charge of $110 COP to the island.

Whilst working at Blue Almond, some of my tasks included checking guests in, Juan kindly trained me in using the ‘optilodge’ booking system. My daily routine would consist of starting work around 9ish, changing beds for guests that were checking in or out. Then Juan and I would do some cleaning or general odd jobs such as gardening and painting chairs. I became a whizz at changing beds by the end of it, it was also so nice that Juan did most of the tasks with me to keep me company. As I was working in low season, the work was super easy and chilled. I had pretty much every afternoon off which was amazing! It was also really interesting to get an insight into how a hostel is run, I didn’t realise how important it was to check guests in correctly (e.g. full name, passport name) for migration purposes. Also the way that the hostel is planned, for example organising the beds and dorms in a certain way to make sure that everyone feels comfortable. Volunteering in a hostel has helped me to become a more considerate guest as I understand the reasoning for many of the rules in hostels. I was also given the opportunity to cook a ‘family dinner’ which I enjoyed, I managed to make the guests fajitas and I was so proud of myself for making this meal!

Another factor that made San Andres so special was the scuba diving! it was here that I discovered my love for diving. I started off with doing a ‘discovery dive’ which gave me a feel for the sport. I then decided to sign up to an open water PADI course. If you decide to do something similar, then definitely do it with ‘Scuba San Andres’ dive school, the staff are lovely and they take you to some excellent dive spots. They also take awesome underwater pictures which they send you! For the whole PADI course, I paid $900,000 COP, which is pretty cheap for the world of diving!

The PADI course consists of 3 days and you are required to read the manual before you start. On the first day you are based in the pool where you learn the basic skills and familiarise yourself with your BCD and regulator. You are also required to float for 10 minutes and swim 18 lengths. I struggled with some of the skills at first, especially the one where you take off your mask and then have to put it back on underwater, it took me a couple of times to ace this skill. My instructor Andres was so patient! I also found it difficult to achieve neutral buoyancy as it took some time to get used to the breathing. On the second day you practice 2 dives where you perform the skills. I was quite nervous and anxious in these dives as I didn’t want to mess up the skills! On the third day you do your final dive where you practice other skills such as using the compass to navigate and rescuing someone to shore. After 3 days you then have to do an exam (super easy) and then you are qualified to dive at 18m! After I qualified, I then signed up for 2 fun dives which were fantastic. At first I was super nervous to go diving again as I found it quite scary on my course, but as soon as I got down to the bottom and saw all the colourful fish I was in awe. I felt super confident by the second dive and had nailed my buoyancy! We swam through caves and the corals were beautiful. I no longer felt scared but in love with this new hobby of mine! After open water there are many other levels you can achieve such as advanced, rescue and dive master. There is a lot of dive tourism on this island and if you get the chance then you should go to Providencia too. As well as becoming a diver, I also had the experience of being an extra for a Colombian TV show. As soon as I arrived at the hotel, I was taken straight to hair and make up! My role included walking across the hotel lobby, big star in the making!

If you don’t dive then San Andres is still worth visiting! The snorkelling is beautiful and you can also visit the cays and beautiful beaches, San Luis and Cocoplum are two of the best. It is also fun to hire a golf buggy and drive around the whole island, its only small at 36km! The island is divided into the ‘Colombian’ side and the ‘Caribbean’ side. San Andres is an island off the coast of Nicaragua and used to be British, so lots of the residents are Creolan. The Colombian side (downtown) is dominated by luxury hotels and restaurants, which is not really my thing. I much preferred the Creolan side which consisted of reggae bars and more secluded beaches. It was just difficult to get to this side if you don’t have a scooter as the buses are not the best! You can visit this side in a golf buggy though! One of my favourite spots for the sunset was ‘Reggae Roots’ bar, this bar also has a diving board and snorkelling gear you can rent. It is well worth spending an afternoon and evening here. Just beware that the mosquitos will come out when the sun goes down, so get out of there quick! Reggae roots is right next door to ‘West View’ which advertises itself as a water park but all it has is a diving board and a rickety slide. You also have to pay a cover charge, in Reggae roots you only have to buy a drink to enter.

In terms of restaurants, they are a little more expensive. There is an excellent restaurant at San Luis beach called ‘The Paradise’, it serves fresh fish. As a vegetation I found it quite difficult to find good veggie restaurants so I cooked most of my meals! Another good restaurant in the downtown area of the island was the 80s bar which served excellent Mexican food. As for nightlife, the island has a limited selection. There is a club called Coco Loco but I never went. There is also ‘Bonzai’ bar which the hostel goes to on a Wednesday and gets a free drink! Most of the time we would head down to the beach and have a couple of drinks at the waters edge. The island is absolutely beautiful with some of the best beaches in Colombia. It has such a nice vibe and the people are the loveliest. I was so so happy here and would wake up every day with a massive smile on my face. I would recommend staying on the island for at least 4 nights and definitely stay in Blue Almond. I made friends for life in this place (big shout out to my girl Meg and of course Juan!)

Out of all the Colombian cities, i would say Bogota is my least Favourite. The weather is grey and so are the people. The first time I visited Bogota, I caught a night bus from Armenia (near to Salento) and unfortunately I became ill and was sick on the bus. This perhaps tainted my experience as as my for my whole time there I felt nauseous and feverish. I also did not feel very safe walking around in the dark as there aren’t so many backpackers around and so I felt very vulnerable and out of place.

All of the hostels are located in Candalaria area. I stayed in the Ferweh Photography hostel to start off with and I was disappointed by the end. The staff were really unhelpful and it was freezing. I eventually moved to Cranky Croc which was much much better. The girl on the front desk was so lovely and helpful. This hostel caters so well to backpackers, with an excellent kitchen, laundry service and comfy beds. There is a restaurant, bar and also a chill out area. They have excellent wifi and can organise an airport shuttle for you for 30 000$COP.

In terms of sightseeing, I would definitely recommend doing the graffiti walking tour. Bogota is one of the most famous cities in the world for street art. It attracts some of the worlds most renowned artists. On this tour you learn the political context of much of the artwork, most of it representing the corruption present in Bogota. Lots of the pieces had weapons disguised in the background, for example ants that were flying grenades that were known as ‘warbugs’. There were also other pieces that represented child labour. One piece that resonated with me was the environmental piece, this piece was a symbol of the destruction of the Amazon due to the high rates of drilling and mining. Despite the street art being a big part of the cities identity, the officials seem to be at war with the artists and are constantly trying to remove the art work as they do not like the image it portrays for the city. At the end of the tour, you are taking to a house which homes more art work from the artists. The organisation is a charity which helps with social projects such as using art to lift people out of poverty.

Another good thing to do is to walk up or catch the cable car up to Montserrat, a park on the top of a hill. I caught the cable car and then walked down. The views up here are beautiful and its nice to chill up here for a bit. There are some other tours such as the bike tour and general city tour that people recommend. In terms of nightlife, I didn’t go out but I know the nightclub ‘Teatron’ is meant to be the biggest in South America. There is no metro in Bogota, so you have to walk everywhere or catch a bus. I would recommend only 1 or 2 nights in Bogota and just be careful of pickpocketers!

Finally its time to leave the city of Medellin and what better place to go to than Jardin, a beautiful little town in the rolling hills of Colombia’s coffee region. This place is a little bit off the tourist trail and this is what makes it so charming, the authenticity of the locals and the real Colombian cowboy culture. The town itself is based around a main square and a church and has many cowboy bars, restaurants and small tiendas. The main methods of transport around this place is by tuk tuk or horse! My experience of Jardin was similar to stepping into a time machine and being in cowboy America. The locals are lovely and there is a real sense of community in this quaint little town. The main hostel in the area is Sgt. Peppers which is right in the heart of town.

I however stayed in the ‘Creo Lodge’, an eco hostel out of town in the heart of the hills of Jardin. This was probably my favourite place that I have stayed in so far. Creo lodge is run by Thibault and Eva who are the most amazing hosts and who are what made my stay so pleasurable. The food at this place was divine!! For breakfast, Thibault would make homemade jams and spreads (the chocolate one was the best I have ever tasted) to accompany freshly baked sourdough bread, this was such a nice break from the horrible sweet bread that is common in Colombia. Dinner was of a similar ilk and was vegetarian dishes made from fresh ingredients from the garden. Creo Lodge is a perfect place to properly relax and detox, the hostel offers yoga, massages and there are many nooks where you can read your book whilst looking out to the beautiful trees. There is no wifi at this hostel so you can really unwind and connect with the nature around you. In terms of activities, there are many hikes you can do including a couple of waterfalls. The waterfalls are a bit tricky to find, but Thibault will draw you a handmade map to follow- good luck! You can horse ride around the surrounding countryside and I have been told that the stables are reputable and that they treat their horses properly. There is also a cute cafe nearby to Creo where you can use the wifi and admire the views. It is also nice to spend a day walking around the town and enjoying a coffee in one of the cafes off the square.

From Jardin, I headed to Salento. The journey was approx 5 hours and the first bus we got on was super fun! It was a bus similar style to a chiva, open sides and bench style seats. It was a beautiful journey amongst the rolling hills, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Like most buses in Colombia, the driver bleared out music- including Nelly and Kelly’s Dilemma of all songs. This leg of the journey lasted for about 2 hours and they we swapped onto a ‘normal’ bus with lasted about 3 hours.

My first impressions of Salento were that it reminded me very much of Jardin, just more touristy. The popular hostels here are Coffee Tree and Viajero. I stayed in Estrella Sin Frontiers as it was a little cheaper, I however would not recommend it here, the dorms are so small and there is no nice chill out areas. The laundry service is slow and someone stole my LED poi from the bed. On our first day we did the Kasaguada Nature Reserve tour ,which is an educational tour of the jungle and an insight to a new model of building huts out of plastic. Our tour guide, Carlos was the most passionate tour guide I have ever had, he was so passionate about what he did and this passion really shone through. There is also an opportunity to stay in the huts if you have the money and time. Sleeping in the actual jungle would be so cool! Another must do in Salento is to hike the Cocora valley, which is the place that has the worlds tallest palm trees. The hike takes 4-6 hours depending on how fast you walk and how many breaks you take. Make sure you stock up on snacks! You can also stop at the ‘hummingbird cafe’ for a coffee and a free piece of cheese and to admire the beautiful hummingbirds, I had never seen so many! Hiking the Cocora valley was one of my favourite days so far. Another good activity to do is to do a local coffee farm tour where you can pick your own coffee beans and learn about the process of making coffee. You can also eat the coffee beans whilst you pick them and of course enjoy a delicious cup of coffee when you finish.

In terms of restaurants in Salento, there isn’t the greatest selection. The most popular one with backpackers is Brunch Salento but in my opinion this was overpriced. An excellent place for menu of the day was restaurant Meraki, you get a soup, a big plate of food (veggie option was falafal with rice, beans and avocado) and fresh juice for $16,000 COP. There is also a cute vegetarian restaurant called ‘El Punto Vegetal’, good hummus and falafels. In terms of nightlife, the thing to do in Salento is to play ‘Tejos’ at Los Amigos, a local Colombian game that involves explosives and throwing things. It is also nice to climb the stairs to watch the sunset over the town. Salento also has beautiful jewellery, you can spend an afternoon strolling in and out of various jewellery stores and bartering your way down!

Another cute town worth visiting in this region is Filandia. We jumped in a jeep for 20 minutes from Salento, you could easily do a day trip here if you didn’t fancy staying. This place is off the backpacker trail so there is not many hostels as such, when we went there was a water shortage in the town so the main hostel (hostel lluvia) was closed. We stayed in tree house which was nice but beware the dorm is on the 3rd floor and the bathroom is on the ground floor and the stairs are fairly steep! Surprisingly Filanida has some great spots for food and drinks, Helena Adentro is a quirky little spot with good food and cocktails. We went here two nights in a row because it was so good. It was also nice to enjoy a cocktail from Tuk Tuk and overlook the view and the rolling hills. In terms of site seeing, do not bother with the mirador (view point) it is expensive and its just a weird and spooky place! If you are into horses, I would definitely recommend horse riding. We found an eco horse sanctuary and enjoyed a ride in the depths of the Filandia landscape. I would definitely recommend at least a week in this region as there is so much to do and it is so different from the rest of Colombia. It was in the coffee region where I discovered my love for hiking!