Things to Do in Girona, and Where to Stay
Most people give it half a day as a stop-off from Barcelona. It has its own airport, it is an hour from the Costa Brava, and it works far better as a base than as a stop. If you are…
Luke Nicholson
Luke is Charlie's partner and long-term travel companion. Luke loves howler monkeys, whale sharks, Komodo dragons and manta rays. When he's not looking for wildlife, he'll either be working in online marketing or drinking coffee. Read more about Luke here.
Vegetarian in San Sebastian: Our Survival Guide
San Sebastian’s Old Town is a mythical destination for foodies, spoken of in hushed, reverent tones. On every cobblestone street, there’s a welcoming bar with small plates of “pinchos” already piled high to the delight of customers.
Cuenca, Ecuador Travel Guide
Cuenca is the prettiest city in Ecuador. Expect curved, narrow streets dotted with cute cafes, more patisseries than you’ve seen in the rest of Ecuador put together, and historic churches and squares.
Quito Travel Guide
Quito’s UNESCO-listed old town is a sight like none other. Distinctive green and gold domes, grey-faced churches with glittering baroque interiors, indigenous street sellers with stacks of avocados, cherries, mangoes and blueberries and endless buses spewing petrol fumes combine to…
Quito Food Guide
Eating out in Ecuador can either be dirt cheap or surprisingly expensive, as restaurants seem either to be holes-in-the-wall or high-end. Our favourite local dishes were quinoa soup and llapingacho (a potato, cheese and egg concoction), as well as arepas…
A Guide to Otavalo Market in Ecuador
Otavalo is home to Ecuador’s most famous market and it is the place to shop for ponchos, jumpers and other textiles in Ecuador. This highland town has a strong indigenous community who earn a living making and selling their beautiful…
Crossing the Colombia/Ecuador Border at Rumichaca
According to travel guides, the only safe place to cross the overland border between Colombia and Ecuador is Rumichaca. The closest Colombian town is Ipiales (but we recommend staying in Pasto) and the closest Ecuadorian town is Tulcan (but we’d…
Stopover in Pasto — Colombia’s Unappealing Border City
Pasto is a small city near the Colombia/Ecuador border and a frequent stopover for those making the long overland journey from Colombia to Ecuador. It’s an unappealing city and we wouldn’t recommend more than an overnight stop here, but it’s…
Popayán, Colombia’s White City
Popayán is known by two names: the white city (la ciudad blanca) and the fertile city (la ciudad fecund). It’s known as the white city because the old town is whitewashed and the fertile city because no other town has…
Salento & Hiking Cocora Valley
Wax palm trees and coffee farms — those are the two things that Salento is famous for. The little Colombian town of Salento is nestled in the verdant green Andes mountains and is just a short ride from the Valle…