Ecuador's undisputed adventure capital and gateway to the nearby Amazon Jungle, Baรฑos de Agua Santa (or simply Baรฑos) is one of the country's most spectacular destinations, a lush riverside town whose love for high adrenaline is every bit as alluring as its pumping waterfalls, boiling hot springs[...]
Situated in the misty foothills of Volcรกn Tungurahua, the jungle air thick with a palpable, infectious energy as countless cascadas drum out a beat amongst the trees, Baรฑos is THE place to go for outdoor activities in Ecuador. Amazingly, its high adrenaline offerings are every bit as spectacular[...]
Snow-capped and burnt-red Cotopaxi is one of Ecuador's most striking natural icons, but also one of the worldโs highest active volcanoes, rising nearly 5,900m above sea level and erupting more than 50 times in the last 300 years. It is an absolute highlight to see this volcano up close, and[...]
Once considered to be among the world's most dangerous cities, recent years have seen Ecuador's volcano-circled, high-altitude capital gain popularity as a tourist destination, most notably for its rich Andean culture and impeccably preserved historical centre. In fact, Quito was the first ever cit[...]
Inspiration for a young Charles Darwinโs Theory of Natural Selection, the Galรกpagos Islands are home to the greatest number of unique land and marine species in the entire world, all descended from animals on the mainland and adapted over time to thrive on these volcanic islands off the coast of[...]
For so many wildlife lovers and avid scuba divers, Ecuadorโs Galรกpagos Islands are a top bucket-list destination. Months of planning go in to crafting the perfect island-hopping travel itinerary, but itโs always challenging to know just what to expect, and therefore what to bring, when visitin[...]
The Galรกpagos are widely regarded as one of the best places in the entire world to spot animals in their natural habitat, as well as being home to amazingly dramatic landscapes, pristine beaches, and scuba diving to rival all other scuba divingโ and Santa Cruz is absolutely no exception to[...]
Said to be the most visited island in the Galรกpagos, Isla Bartolomรฉ is a barren and small but intensely striking island located just north of Santa Cruz. It's not possible to stay on the island overnight and all visitors must be accompanied by a guide, but even a day tour out to Bartolomรฉ is a g[...]
Formed by 6 different shield volcanos about a million years ago, Isla Isabela is both the youngest and largest of the Galรกpagos Islands, home to a wide diversity of land and marine species, as well as an incredibly varied landscape from wetlands and beaches to highlands and volcanos. But, des[...]
Among Isla Isabela's many spectacular snorkelling spots, Las Tintoreras at the south end of the island is a real standout. Named for the White Tip Sharks who live here by the thousands, Las Tintoreras offers particularly interesting snorkelling through narrow channels in the lava, with hundreds of[...]
Isla Isabela in the Galรกpagos is jam-packed with wonderful scenery and interesting things to do, from awesome snorkelling and hiking tours to sightseeing excursions out to neighbouring islands. Between all these worthwhile and very pricey activities, though, it's definitely worth saving half a day[...]
As the largest of the Galรกpagos Islands, activities on Isla Isabela are in no short supply. Beautiful beaches, turtle and shark-filled swimming holes, challenging volcano hikes, and wetlands abustle with birdlife cover every inch of Isabela, making it a genuine challenge to settle on only a few ex[...]
In the 14 months since I published my blog series on applying for the 820/801 Australian Partner Visa, I've received hundred of comments (more than 700, at the time of writing!) about the online application, specific documents, what evidence to provide, getting a BVA or BVB, and a myriad of other c[...]
If you've lived in the United States of America for a period of more than 12 months during the last 10 years, you'll need to submit an FBI Identity History Summary police check as part of the requirement for your 820/801 Australian Partner Visa. This applies even to non-US citizens and non-US perma[...]
Every year, millions and millions of travellers are drawn across the world to Australia, exploring immensely popular sites from the Great Barrier Reef and Gold Coast to bustling Sydney and Melbourneโ but a small fraction of these visitors ever make it over to Western Australia and its capita[...]
As one of Australia's most prolific wine regions, Margaret River has long since drawn wine snobs and wannabe viticulturists to its sunny vineyards in the country's South West. What many travellers (and locals) may not realise is that this area is so much more than just a destination for wine lovers[...]
Said to be the world's most isolated city, Perth is somewhere extremely few travellers to Australia (and equally few locals) ever visit, most sticking instead to the concentrated attractions of the East Coast. But, in a country overflowing with natural beauty, Western Australia may just be the most[...]
With pristine white-sand beaches, tranquil swimming bays, vibrant reefs, and pumping surf, it's no secret why Rottnest Island has become one of Western Australia's most popular travel destinations. Coupled with the fact that it's one of only a few places in the world where you can see quokkas, the[...]
As Western Australia's premier wine region and one of the country's largest wine producers (accounting for more than 25% of all Australian wine), Margaret River has been high on my list since I first visited WA in 2015. It's taken a while to get back to the west coast, but the allure of white sand[...]
Welcome to Aotearoa, the Land of the Long White Cloud. Mฤori people originally used this word to refer to New Zealand's North Island, but it has since come to define the entire countryโ and it seems a perfectly mystical name for a positively magical place. High alpine peaks and imposing[...]