Posts tagged travel

Puno and Lake Titicaca – Exploring the Coolest Places of Peru

in South America travel on Share
Puno+and+lake+titicaca+from+hilltop+near+Puno+peru

While traveling in Peru when I was climbing up the Colca Canyon near Arequipa, a traveler friend from the US asked me where I wanted to go next. I had heard about Puno and Lake Titicaca from the hostel people so I blurted out, maybe Puno. She said that she had heard that there are not many things to do in Puno, and most travelers skip visiting Puno; she was going straight to Cusco.

When my friend said that most people don’t travel to Puno, I felt thrilled. Though I have been to both offbeat and touristy places on my trips, Peru is a country with some of the coolest and remotest places to see which I definitely wanted to explore. While feeling unprepared to visit Cusco and join the mass of tourists who crowd the city hoping to see Machu Picchu, I booked a bus ticket to Puno.

Puno and Lake Titicaca were two of the coolest and most cultural places in Peru. While Lake Titicaca is one of the largest and highest lakes in South America, Puno is a small city that thrives on its bank. Though both the places are situated in the high Andes at an altitude of 4000 meters, they are not short of life.

Read More

Samaipata – A Bolivian Village You Must Experience

in South America travel on with 21 Comments Share
a horse grazing in samaipata bolivia

Samaipata is easily one of my favorite places in Bolivia. Why? Maybe this quaint village in east Bolivia showed me how to slow down. Or perhaps the Bohemian attitude of Samaipata made me think about life differently. Or maybe the German and the Dutch and the Arabs who have settled down in Samaipata taught me that home is where the heart is.

I cannot pinpoint on any one reason, but Samaipata, a lush town in the foothills of Andes, calmed me down. It is after all the resting place in the mountains (the meaning of Samaipata in Quechua).

Read More

Why You Must Visit Santa Cruz –The City of the Rich in Bolivia

in South America travel on with 6 Comments Share
Why You Must Visit Santa Cruz –The City of the Rich in Bolivia

When I had stuffed myself with enough streetside potato empanadas, I flew from La Paz to Santa Cruz. The dream was to see the wild jaguars in the forests near Santa Cruz.

Drifting off through a one-hour flight and waking up to chew upon the dry fruits that the Boliviana de Aviación attendant served, I landed at the Viru Viru international airport and hopped onto the airport shuttle to go to the central plaza. My travel friend was staying in a fancy hostel there.

As always, I had not read much about Santa Cruz. But my curiosity to talk to the local people makes up for my lethargic online research, mostly. In a casual conversation, the manager of the Santa Cruz airport shuttle told me that Bolivia was still furious about losing the Pacific coast to Chile. He added that the elite businessman and politicians of that wealthy city we were in had stopped caring as they were busy securing their bank balances.

And that is how I was introduced to Santa Cruz, a city where you would forget that you are in Bolivia, if not for the cholitas selling sinful salteñas on the roadside.

Read More

Bolivia Visa for Indians – Getting the Visa from India and South America and the Extension Process in Bolivia

in South America travel visas on with 1 Comment Share
a flamingo is eating in the atacama desert on my bolivia travel

Bolivia gives a visa on arrival to most of the western countries (excluding the USA), to other South-American countries such as Chile and Peru, and India. But you can only get the Bolivia visa on arrival if you land at Santa Cruz or La Paz airports, and this visa costs USD 55. As I was crossing into Bolivia via land, I decided to get a visa before the visit, and so I went to the Bolivian consulate in Cusco. The visa application process was fast; the visa was free; I had the visa in an hour.

If you are planning to get a Bolivia visa on arrival, then please confirm by calling the Bolivian consulate in Delhi, as I have heard mixed reviews of Indians who tried getting a visa on arrival in Bolivia.

Read More

Teach English in Chile – All You Need To Know About English Open Doors Volunteer Program

in South America travel on with 5 Comments Share
teach english in chile

What does this Teach English in Chile guide contain?

  1. What is the English Open Doors Program?
  2. What is the duration of the English Open Doors program?
  3. Who can apply to the English Open Doors program?
  4. What is the application process?
  5. But English Open Doors is a volunteer program. How well-organized would it be?
  6. Do I have to pay to volunteer for the English Open Doors program?
  7. Does the program pay the volunteers to teach English in Chile?
  8. What all does the English Open doors program provide?
  9. Which visa do I have to take to teach English in Chile?
  10. Do I need to know any Spanish if I travel to Chile?
  11. Which grades does a volunteer teach?
  12. Would the program train me to teach English in Chile?
  13. What is the English level of the students whom the volunteers would teach in Chile?
  14. How did a week of teaching English in Chile look like?
  15. Is teaching English to Latin-American students hard? How was your teaching experience in Chile?
  16. How was your living experience in Chile?
  17. Do you think your classes helped the students or made any impact?
  18. What do I do when the English Open Doors program finishes?
  19. Would you recommend the English Open Doors program and teaching English in Chile?
  20. I am still not convinced if the English Open Doors program is good?
  21. How do I contact the English Open Doors program?

 

Read More

How to Score Chile Visa on an Indian Passport – From India and South America

in South America travel visas on with 77 Comments Share
volcanoes as seen from the atacama desert in Chile south america

Chile gives free ninety-day entry to most of the countries. But, of course, India doesn’t get free access, and we have to apply for a Chile visa. I was once stuck on the Chile-Bolivia border because I didn’t have any tourist visa for Chile as I had thought that India was also in the list of those fortunate countries. How wrong I was! 

Having paid more than what I should have for this mistake, I decided I would be more sincere while doing visa research and would also help other travelers by updating them with my knowledge on the world visas.

A Really Helpful Read: My experiential and well-researched guide to world visas for Indians

 

[Update 2019] : Since April 1 2019, Chile allows all Indians holding a valid B1/B2 visa or residence permit to the USA into Chile without any tourist visa. 

Please read the official message of the Consulate of Chile:

***

The Consular Section of the Embassy of Chile in India states that henceforth all Indian travelers holding B1/B2 Visa or Residence Permit (Green Card) from the USA, with current validity of six months, do not require a Chilean tourist visa (either Simple Tourism or Multiple Tourism or Multiple-Business). This came into effect from the 1st April 2019.

NOTE

– All travelers to Chile need to have a valid passport for at least six months from the date of entrance into the country.

– Tourist travelers should have enough financial support for their stay in Chile.

– The period of stay in Chile for tourists is up to 90 days.

– Not applicable to USA Transit Visa.

***

You can read more about the change here on the official website of the Chilean government.

But if you do not have a valid US visa or a green card, please keep reading.

Read More