The following is the route I took on my year long trip round the world (Which ended up being mostly Central and South America because I fell in love with them so uncontrollably!). I am just learning about technical stuff, so it’s a work in progress and currently just a big list… one day it will be a fancy map with links and everything. For now, I hope the pictures inspire you – I’ve seen some beautiful places so far during my wandering…
28th December 2013 – fly to Guatemala City
28th December – Stay in Antigua at the Terrace Hostel
29th December – bus to San Pedro, Lake Atitlan
29th December – 5th January – Spanish School, La Escuela Cooperativa, with a home stay. 6 hours of lessons a day.
5th January 2014 – 12th January – 1 further week at Spanish School, 3 hours lessons a day, staying at hotel Fe. Visit San Marcos, sunrise on Indian Big Nose Volcano and kayaking.
12th January: 16 hour bus journey to Flores via Antigua.
13th January – 16th January: Arcas animal sanctuary in the jungle near Flores. Howler monkeys galore, toucans, parrots, mackaws, jaguars, an otter and a hungry spoonbill.
17th January: Flores mooching, drinking liquados and washing stinky jungled clothes.
18th January: Flores exploration via kayak.
19th January: Tikal – Ali too sick to go 🙁
20th January: travel to Belize
20th January – 24th January: Caye Caulker.
25th – 27th January: Ragamuffin tour – island hopping, snorkeling and fishing in Belize. Stay on Rendezvous and Tobacco Caye.
26th – 29th January: Placencia.
31st January: Travel to Livingston, Guatemala (Bus and boat)
1st February 2014: Walk to Siete Altares in Livingston
2nd February: Travel to Rio Dulce by boat from Livingston
3rd February: Travel to San Salvador
4th – 7th February Playa El Zonte, El Salvador
7th February: Travel to Leon, Nicaragua.
8th – 10th February: Leon
10th February: travel to Isla Ometeppe, Nicaragua. Stay at Monkey Island hotel.
12th February: climb volcano in isla Ometeppe.
13th February: can’t walk due to volcano death in ometeppe!
14th February: travel to Managua
15th February: fly to Corn Islands.
15th – 20th February: Corn Islands
20th February: return to Managua
21st February: Lose my amazing Amy travel partner 🙁 Fly to San Jose, Costa Rica. Travel to Jaco.
22nd February: boat to Montezuma.
22nd – 28th February: stay in Montezuma at Luna Llena hostal.
23rd February: Montezuma waterfalls
27th February: Isla deTortuga snorkeling.
28th February: bus to Arenal and La Fortuna
1st March: Ziplining (The craziest thing I ever did)
2nd March: Hot Springs in La Fortuna
3rd March: Travel to Monteverde jeep by jeep
4th March: trekking the cloud forest
5th March: travel to Parque Manuel Antonio
5th – 9th March: Manuel Antonio
9th March: Travel to Dominical
10th – 17th March: AEC Spanish School in Dominical.
16th March: Surf competition, Dominical
16th March: Travel to Tortuguero
18th March: Afternoon canoe tour of Tortuguero national park
19th March: Morning silent boat tour of Tortuguero national park
20th March: Travel to Abuela backpackers
21st March: fly to Managua and travel to Leon
22nd March: Shuttle bus to San Salvador. Stay in Santa Tecla, El Salvador
23rd March: La Libertad, El Zonte, Sleep in a hammock, El Salvador
27th March: Eat more pupusas than should be humanly possible with crazy things like banana and potato. Happy tummy.
28th March: Night out in Santa Tecla
29th March: Night out in San Salvador – Ska band
31st March: El Volcan Boquerón, El Salvador
2nd April: Kayaking in lago de Coatepeque, El Salvador
4th April: Museo Antropologia, San Salvador.
5th April: Jardin Botanical, San Salvador.
8th April: Travel to Honduras for a night in Aramecina. Hot. Ate a small bit of Iguana.
9th-10th April: El Progresso. Drinking fresh coconut from the garden and making tortillas by hand.
11th April: Travel to Lago de Yojoa, Parque archeological y cascada pulpansak. Stay at D&D Brewery, Honduras
12th April: Early morning boat trip, Lago de Yojoa, Honduras. Travel to Copan Ruinas.
13th April: Copan Ruins, Honduras
14th April: Return to Santa Tecla, El Salvador
17th April – 2nd May: Helping Yuri paint at a school in Santa Tecla, El Salvador.
19th April: Santa Semana, Santa Tecla. The streets are full of art. El Salvador.
4th May – 9th May: El Zonte, Surfing and hammocks!
10th May: Night out in Santa Tecla, ending in a crazy jam session with some Salvadorenians, beer and a guitar.
13th May: Travel to Honduras. Stay in El Pino.
14th May: A day in the Rio at El Pino, followed by a fogata and marshmallows at night time.
15th May: Parque Nacional Pico Bonito cascada and walk into the mountain. Beers and Pupusas in La Ceiba at night time.
16th May: Travel to Tela.
17th May: It rained in Tela, so travel to El Progresso
18th May: Picking fruits in El Progresso
19th May: Travel back to Tela.
20th May: Walking on the beach in Tela and eating lots of food.
21st May: Walking in the other direction on Tela beach and getting very sunburnt.
22nd May: Being sunburnt and travelling back to La Ceiba
22nd – 25th May: La Ceiba, days in the Rio and night times at the carnival
26th May: Travel back to Santa Tecla, El Salvador
27th – 29th May: Downtime in Santa Tecla, El Salvador
30th May 2014: Accidental night out in Santa Tecla, El Salvador
3rd June 2014: Archeological Site, San Andreas, El Salvador
4th June 2014: Memorial of Señor Romero, San Salvador
5th June 2014: Cycling in Santa Tecla, El Salvador
6th June 2014: Suchitoto, El Salvador
7th June 2014: Birthday Party, La Rayuela, Santa Tecla, El Salvador
9th June 2014: Playa El Sunzal, El Salvador
14th June: Fly to Lima, Peru
15th June: Day in Barranco, the Plaza De Armas and the Catacombes, Lima. Meet Machu Picchu tour group. Dinner in Lima, Peru.
16th and 17th June: Nazca, Peru. Sunbathing by the pool. Peruvian dinner.
18th June: Arequipa. Monestario de Catalina. Making Pisco Sours.
19th – 20th June: Chivay and Colca Canyon, Peru
21st June: Cusco, Peru. Parade for the festival of the Sun.
22nd June: Ccacaccollo, Peru
23rd June: Ollantaytambo, Peru
24th – 27th June: INCA TRAIL!!! And Machu Picchu
28th June: Return to Cusco
29th June – 5th July: Excel Spanish School, Cusco, Peru
5th July: Over night bus to Lima
6th July: Arrive in Lima. MALI Art museum
7th July: Barranco, Lima. Museo Chocolate. Overnight bus to Trujillo
8th July – 13th July 2014: Huanchaco Beach
9th July: Chan Chan
11th – 12th July: Surf Lessons in Huanchaco
13th July: Bus to Tumbes
14th July: Night bus to ECUADOR
15th July: ECUADOR!!!
15th July: Guayaquil. Booking Galapagos Tour!
16th July – 18th July: Bus to Puerto Lopez
17th July: Whale Watching and Isla De la Plata
18th July: Playa Frailes
19th July: Bus to Ayampe. Ayampe beach for the day and live music in the evening
20th July: Return to Guayaquil
21st – 28th July: GALAPAGOS!!!! Tour on the King of the Seas boat
28th July – 2nd August 2014: San Cristobal Island. Cant leave the galapagos as its too brilliant so stay for longer
30th July: Camping on Puerto Chino beach
1st August: Kicker Rock snorkeling
2nd August: Quito
4th August – 8th August: Spanish school in the Old Town, Quito
9th August – Otovalo Market
10th August – touristy stuff in Quito Old Town
11th – 15th August: Amazon Jungle tour
16th August: COLOMBIA!!
17th August: Night bus to Cartagena
18th – 21st: Cartagena
20th: Islas Del Rosaria y Playa Blanca
22nd – 25th: Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona
25th – 28th: Costeña Beach
28th: Night bus to Medellin
29th – 1st September: Medellin
29th: Walking tour of Medellin
1st September: Bus to Salento – Zona Cafeteria!!
2nd – 5th: Salento
5th-6th: Bogota
7th: Fly back to Quito
8th: Jardin Botanico and Guayasamin Museum, Quito, Ecuador
9th: Bus to Lima
11th September: Fountain and light show, Lima, Peru
12th September: Explore Miraflores, Lima, Peru. Bus to Pisco, Peru
13th September: Islas de Baracas, Paracas, Peru. Bus to Huacachina, Peru.
14th-15th September: Climbing sand dunes, buggies and sandboarding, Huacachina, Peru
16th – 17th September: Arequipa, Peru
18th-19th September: Lake Titikaka, Puno, Peru
20th September: Bus to Copacabana, BOLIVIA!!
20th September: Copacabana, Bolivia
21st-23rd September: Isla del Sol, Lake Titikaka, Bolivia
24th-25th: La Paz and Death Road cycling
26th-30th: Salar de Uyuni
31st-2nd: Sucre
2nd October: Night bus back to La Paz
3rd October: La Paz then night bus to Cusco
4th – 6th October: Cusco = Ollyantaytambo, Saqsayhuaman, Qenco, Pisac…
8th October: CHILE
9th October: Santiago. Walking tour, Central Market, Trying to get cash out!
10th – 12th October: Valparaiso. Pretty views, street art, colourful houses.
13th – 16th October: Pucon. Hot Springs, National Park Huerueque
17th – 19th October: More of Santiago because its a cool city.
18th October: Bike and Wine cycling tour!
19th October: Funicular to the top of the hill! Santiago.
20th October: Fly from Santiago to Auckland, NEW ZEALAND! (Arrive 22nd October, losing a whole day and therefore I will always be younger than everyone else born on the same day as me)
22nd October: Day in Christchurch, then meet Helen Melon in the evening. Pub dins and staying with lovely friends.
23rd October: ROAD TRIP! Drive across the south island to Queenstown
23rd – 27th October: Queenstown. Walking, drinking, eating, seeing a kiwi, taking and Gondola and MILFORD SOUND
28th – 30th October: Franz Joseph. Seeing the glacier from afar due to the weather. Hot pools for much longer than is normal behaviour.
31st October: Christchurch. Have the best hostel food ever cooked by an Italian.
1st November: Fly to Sydney, AUSTRALIA!
2nd – 4th November: Blue Mountains, Australia
5th November: Fly to PERTH
6th – 14th November: Stay with the Rootys in Perth. Visit Freemantle market and prison, Cottesloe Beach, Kayaking day, Rottnest Island, Caversham Wildlife Park, and a super cool outdoor cinema.
15th November: SINGAPORE in a day. Botanical garden, China Town, Lion and much more.
16th November: Fly to Chiang Mai, THAILAND
17th November – 12th December: Chiang Mai, Thailand. Ridiculously difficult CELTA course, which I passed – amazingly!
13th December: Chiang Mai touristy stuff, temples and markets
14th December: Chiang Mai Elephant Sanctuary
15th – 21st December: CAMBODIA. Ankor Wat and other temples, night markets, and many massages!
21st December: Fly back to UK via Dubai.
The Plan for the future
We’ll be here to make you tea and give you cuddles! xx Your plans look amazing I’d love to go to the Galapagos Islands… very jealous! xx
🙂 yay – that will make coming home much more bearable xx
Sounds amazing. come up to Far North Queensland if you have time in Oz, you’re more than welcome! Enjoy Alicat xxx
Well that all sounds pretty horrendous. It’ll be a dreadful bore for you to haul yourself across the globe like that Ali cat. If you’re in need of any light relief then maybe, just maybe, I’ll offer my services and drag myself on a plane to rescue you 🙂
You enjoy this special adventure. We’re all missing you and thinking of you, but I’m so pleased you’re following your travel dream. Stay safe. Here if you need me xx
Well Jel….it all looks amazing. Keep the blogs coming. xx
The kettle will be on when you return 🙂
Amazing Ali.
Love Kate (and Iris) xxx
Looks like ur having a fab time hun & enjoying every minute. Take care & happy travelling xxx
Thank you lovely – it’s been really great so far. Hope you and the family are well xx