Escape to South America

Since the early 16th Century when 175 avaricious Spanish zealots armed with muskets, one dodgy cannon and a Swiss Army Knife defeated the empire of the Incas, South America has been the destination of choice for a steady stream of colourful European ne’re-do-wells. U-Boat commanders, bank robbers, fraudsters, Catholic priests gone bad and bankers (I’m guessing here), have all shipped out to Latin America’s New World for a fresh start.

However, one no longer needs a recidivist rap sheet or a shipping container of Nazi gold to enjoy South America. Travellers with a clear conscience are invited to join Dragoman’s 19-night Ecuador & Peru Discoverer, a microcosmic South American overland experience, journeying from Quito to Lima, featuring off-the-beaten-track exploration and jungle trekking, combining tropical Amazon jungle, high Andean passes and stunning coastal desert, departing Quito 2nd April 8th May (and from Lima 29th May 2009).

Travellers initially acclimatise to the continent in Quito, a city lying nervously in a hollow at the base of Volcan Pichincha that manifests a fusion of Indian and European styles amongst its maze of cobbled streets. A journey out of town to the Indian village of Otavalo reveals a profusion of markets selling indigenous textiles, wall hangings, jewellery, pottery and woodcarvings – just remember, what you buy you carry for the next two weeks.

Next, Dragoman strikes deep into the heart of the Amazon for a three-day jungle experience. Based at an island lodge located midstream on the Rio Napa, the forests are explored during canoe trips and guided jungle walks offering insights on an indigenous lifestyle at one with the Amazonian ecosystem. Camping amongst the waterfalls of Rio Verde, a few miles from Banos, precedes time spent in the provincial town of Cuenca.

Here, travellers may wander through cobblestone streets and plazas, passing colonial churches dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries, visit one of the famous Panama hat factories, and if time allows, trek around the slopes of nearby Tungurahua Volcano. Crossing into Peru near Punta Sal on the Pacific Ocean coast, there’s time to relax and enjoy the wide sweeping bays, go horseriding or perhaps take deep sea fishing trips.

The route continues south via the pre-Inca ruins of Sipan and Tucume, then to Chan Chan, the world’s largest adobe city, and Huanchaco, ancient capital of ancient Moche civilisation. High up in the Andes, Huaraz is dominated by the Cordillera Blanca, and Peru’s highest peak Huascaran (22,205 ft). Time here, allows for hiking, mountain biking and visiting the Pastoruri Glacier. The overland concludes in Lima, founded in 1535 by Francisco Pizarro, first Viceroy of Peru – it was after all his Swiss Army Knife.

The overland costs £550 p/p plus kitty of USD$340 (~£240) including travel aboard Dragoman Overland’s customised Mercedes Benz truck, hostel/hotel, campsite and wildcamp accommodation (35%/65%) all camp meals, many activities, entry fees and the expertise of Dragoman’s two person crew and a local guide. Flights, new identities and plastic surgery are not included but may be available through Dragoman!

For more information, log on to Dragoman.com.