ROMAR TRAVELER South America

BRAZIL: Paraty, A City Named, “For You”

When spoken in Portuguese, Paraty sounds like "para ti", which means "for you", and that is exactly the idea and the atmosphere of the city, a place to be enjoyed for its quiet pace, its history and its marvelous beaches and natural attractions.

Threads Of Peru

Threads of Peru, a nongovernmental organization, offers volunteer vacations to visit remote mountain communities of indigenous Andean weavers to learn about the aesthetic and cultural significance of Andean textile traditions. Side trips to Lake Titicaca are available.

Cartagena, Colombia: The Enduring Jewel

Cartagena, as much a Caribbean port as it is the jewel of the South American country of Colombia, has known a turbulent history that includes sixteenth century pirates, independence revolutions from Spain and brushes with drug cartels. These days it can be more accurately described as: ‘safe’, 'nostalgic', 'charming' and 'romantic'.

Santiago de Chile: Before the Quake:

On February 27, 2010 Santiago, the capital of Chile was the victim of a major earthquake. The damage was severe. In the days that followed, the iconic words, "Fuerza Chile" ("Be Strong Chile") became the determined slogan for all Chilenos. In the spirit of rapid recovery, we recall for our readers what this remarkable city was before the quake and soon will be again.

Exploring Chile’s Patagonia:

At the southernmost tip of South America, Chile’s region of Patagonia remains one of the pristine unspoiled areas on the planet. It is a land of glaciers and incredible vistas that include the Torres del Paine National Park, one of the most beautiful nature preserves on earth. Romar Traveler revisits this special destination and brings you an update.

Exploring Chile’s Glaciers and Fjords:

Snow-capped mountains, glaciers, vast virginal panoramas, salmon-filled waters--no, not Norway, not Alaska, not Scotland. All of these exist below the equator in southern Chile, together with that region's own unique attractions. Romar Traveler brings you an update of cruising Chile's inland waterways to explore its ice fields.

Crossing the Altiplano: Chile to Bolivia:

The Bolivian Altiplano is the highest plateau in the world. By far the easiest way to cross the Altiplano is to take one of the many famed three-day jeep tours starting from San Pedro de Atacama in Chile, the driest place on the planet, crossing the Salar de Uyuni, the saltiest place anywhere, and ending at Uyuni in Bolivia.

Biking The Inca Highway

Bike Dreams, leads a group of adventurous bicyclists on The Andes Trail, a challenging tour along El Camino Inca, the extended original Inca road system that connected the regions of empire from the northern provincial capital in Quito, Ecuador past the modern city of Mendoza, Argentina. It will be a ride of 11,000 fascinating kilometers (6,875 miles ) along, through and over the longest mountain range in the world.

Crossing Bolivia's Altiplano

Lying at an elevation of 4000 meters and covering 10% of the country, the Bolivian Altiplano is the highest plateau in the world.

Gold, Rum And Calypso: El Callao, Venezuela

Once every year, an undistinguished backwater mining town explodes with all the color, music and merriment of the wildest carnival in Venezuela.

Stoves For The Incas

In a small but significant way, a dedicated student volunteer brings cooking improvements to help indigenous Quechuan communities in Peru in their centuries-old struggle to persevere

"Mi Buenos Aires Querido"

The many unique neighborhoods of Buenos Aires are the elements that give color and flare to this exciting city.

Santigo, Chile: A Rare City In A Troubled World

Santiago, Chile, is a rare find in this day and age. It is an inviting, thoroughly modern city whose citizens exhibit a natural old-world charm and courtesy. It is a country where elders are revered and gentlemen still tip their hats to ladies.

Kapawi: The Outter Limits Of Soft Adventure

Ecuador's rainforest still offers the real thing: former headhunters, magical shamans, "chicha" beverages made from masticated and fermented yucca roots, blowgun practice, rainforest treks, tropical-bird-watching and lots more for the reformed couch potato.

Venzuela From Angel Falls To Angel Fish

The first doorway to European colonization of South America, Venezuela offers today's ecotourist a rich choice of soft adventures

Chile: Cruising In The Wake Of Magellan...

Machu Picchu: Enduring Treasure Or MacPicchu

The exact nature of all the structures in Machu Picchu is still unknown, but the citadel is just on the border of the cold highlands and the warmer rainforest. It is thought to have been an important religious center and a place of retreat for the emperor from the colder climate of Cusco and the demands of empire.

Kapawi Ecolodge

NOT Ecuador's "Surviving Amazon..."

Galapagos 2001

Adam and Eve and Charles Darwin never had it so good. M/V Galapagos Explorer II makes exploration of this corner of Eden an experience fit for royalty.

Exploring Peru's Manu Forest Reserve

Peru's Manu National Park, since 1997 a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve, is just one of this South American country's treasures. Thanks to the variety and rarity of its ecosystems and their scientific interest, Manu is considered to be one of the most significant parks in the world. Its Reserved Zone is now open to visitors.

The Rainforest Of Bolivia

"So you sometimes feel like getting away from it all--as far away as you can get--maybe to a jungle somewhere!"

The Best Of Patagonia

"There lives the blue mother-of-blue; blue's secret, blue solitude; blue'saerie, lapis lazuli blue; the blue spine of my country."

South America: It's Time To Rediscover It!

"...Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo... and Buenos Aires... Each is a sophisticated, vibrant and remarkable world-class metropolis with its own soul and personality."

Guyana: An Undiscovered Eden

You've done the Caribbean resorts, you've been to Europe. Now you're looking for a really unspoiled destination where you can get close to nature in a place that hasn't been hyped, paved over and glitzed up. Try Guyana.