I have over 19 years’ experience as a travel agent, with almost half working at Tailor-Made Journeys and, with my avid enthusiasm for Latin America showing no sign of lessening, I am currently planning my eighth holiday to my favourite part of the world. With my love of fitness and the outdoors, trekking through Torres del Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia on a previous trip gave me an opportunity not only to see some of the most spectacular scenery I have ever encountered but also to put myself to the test physically. On a later visit, the truly amazing wildlife of the Galapagos Islands gave me another great opportunity, this time to work on really improving my photographic skills. Cuba would have to rate very highly – perhaps highest – among my most enjoyed destinations; its history is extraordinary, its people so beautiful and so friendly – and of course there’s the hot, hip-swivelling rhythm of ‘salsa’, a fiery dance I still haven’t mastered!
So planning holidays for my clients who have never been to Latin America is a very enjoyable part of my life, sharing their excitement when they come to visit me or telephone with their ‘bucket-list’ of dreams and plans. It really is satisfying to successfully arrange someone’s once-in-a-lifetime trip, and even more rewarding to hear about their adventures and memorable moments when they return.
Places Visited
Chile: Santiago, Valparaiso, Puerto Natales, Torres del Paine National Park – W Trek, Atacama Desert.
Argentina: Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls, Bariloche – Lakes District, El Calafate – Perito Moreno Glacier, Salta, “Train to the Clouds”, Purmamarca.
Brazil: Rio de Janeiro, Iguassu Falls, Buzios.
Peru: Lima, Cuzco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, Puerto Maldonado Amazon Jungle.
Bolivia: Copacabana, Isla da Sol, La Paz, Coroico – mountain bike ride down “world’s most dangerous road”.
Ecuador: Galapagos Islands – “MV La Pinta”, Cotopaxi Volcano, Quito, Otavalo.
Mexico: Mexico City, Cuernavaca, Taxco, Puebla, Cholula, Oaxaca, San Cristobal de Las Casas, Palenque, Villahermosa, Merida, Uxmal, Kabah, Chichen Itza, Xel-Ha, Cancun, Copper Canyon, San Miguel De Allende, Guanajuato.
Cuba: Havana, Jibacoa, Vinales Valley, Santa Clara, Cienfuegos, Trinidad, Sancti Spiritus, Camaguey, Bayamo, Santiago de Cuba, Baracoa.
Antarctica: Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia & Falkland Islands