Yesterday was a significant day over here at Wanderland HQ — my third travel-and-blogaversary. This post is a toast to three years of wanderlust, three years of location independent employment, and three years of pouring my heart out here on Alex in Wanderland. This year I learned more about myself, my travel style and my professional […]

 

After eight weeks of pretty non-stop travel, I slowed way down and put the breaks on for Month 31 — a much needed Christmas present to myself. Our original plan for this period was even more sloth-like, but insane prices in Montañita caused us to slash our time there to a third of what we had […]

 

My Peru and Ecuador packing list was a detailed confession of my overpacking addiction. Unfortunately my proposed support group, tentatively titled Yes In Fact I do Need Both Styles of Jeggings Thanks For Asking never came to fruition and along the way I grudgingly admitted that in certain categories I would have been better off packing […]

 

This may shock you: I am not much of a tent-sleeping kind of girl. While I may rough it in the name of adventure every once in a while, I much prefer accommodation that includes running water and electrical outlets. And, to be totally honest, I’m a pretty big fan of mattresses. I know, right? What […]

 

Welcome to my final Peru hostel roundup! I’ve reviewed accommodation from the big city, the jungle, and the highlands, and now I’m covering my favorite region — the coast. The hostels in this roundup are proof that you don’t need to break the bank to enjoy an oceanfront view or a swim up bar! Kokopelli Paracas […]

 

Confession — one of my favorite things about Mancora was the endless array of restaurant options boasting cuisine from all corners of the globe. While my food budget skyrocketed during our ten days here, so did my tummy’s approval rating. I get plenty of thumbs up from readers on my Where to Eat in Koh Tao […]

 

Despite the seven destinations on the itinerary, Month 30 felt like a laid-back breeze compared to the one before it. That probably has to do with the fact that two out of the four weeks were spent in places I’d already been once before, which released me from any pressure to sightsee or play tourist. This […]

 

Diving in Peru? It might not be one of the first adventure you associate with the country (the Inca Trail just steals all the thunder, doesn’t it?) but we’d soon discover it was an unexpectedly impressive one. Originally we had attempted to dive in Lima, tempted by the offshore sea lion colonies. But the prices were […]

 

Don’t worry, I’m not going to draw this one out. The magic of Mancora, quite simply, was that we stayed put there for ten entire days. Mancora is so far north in Peru it’s practically making out with Ecuador, and many travelers use it as a short stop to break up the overland journey between the […]

 

I want to take a moment to thank you all for your overwhelming responses to my last post. You amaze me with your wisdom and warmth!  After returning from the jungle, our next mission was to travel up the coast to Máncora, Peru’s most happening beach town. There, we’d cap off our Peru travels with a […]