The Wonders of Perito Moreno Glacier

I saw a lot of natural wonders on my recent jaunt around South America including roiling lava in the crater of an active volcano, a collection of ferocious waterfalls and innumerable snow-capped mountain peaks. For me, however, the most astonishing of them all was Perito Moreno Glacier situated in Argentinian Patagonia where you can while away hours listening to the creaks and groans of the ever expanding ice and watch enormous chunks of it crash into the beautiful azure waters of Lake Argentino.

The Long Hard Road to Machu Picchu

Getting to Machu Picchu on a budget is not as straightforward as you might think – the journey to this wonderful site can be a real challenge and, at times, is certainly not for the faint-hearted! If you want to visit while spending as little cash as possible be prepared for arduous walks, nerve-shredding drives and times of overwhelming exhaustion. Read on to find out how I sorted tickets and travel arrangements before I made my way from Lima to the mountain citadel via Cusco and Aguas Calientes.

Summiting Volcan Villarrica

When, over breakfast at our hostel in Valparaiso, a young couple told us of a climbable active volcano in Pucón near the Chile-Argentina border we knew we had to go. Pucón, a hub for adventurous travellers, offers opportunities to hike, white-water raft, ski and snowboard. Its most famous attraction, however, has to be Volcan Villarrica which allows those hardy enough to reach the top a glance at a bubbling lava lake deep within its crater.

Things to do in Glorious Gunma

Gunma is a prefecture some two hours train journey to the northwest of Tokyo. Gunma is far more relaxed and much quieter than the capital but that doesn’t mean it’s devoid of amazing sights and things to do. If you have a craving for rugged areas of great natural beauty or want to hunt for Daruma related gifts, then Gunma is the place for you. Train stations are far less frequent when compared to Tokyo and these sights are widely spaced, so a hire car likely will be required if you wish to take in all of the landmarks listed below.