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I’m back and ready to share the final two countries from my South America adventure — Bolivia and Chile. After exploring Lake Titicaca and Puno, we woke early for the journey from Puno to La Paz. We had arranged a private driver and guide, which allowed us to stop along the way in places including Chucuito, Hayu-Marca, Juli and Pomata on the Peruvian side of the border.

At the border, we swapped guides and had the chance to see the hustle and bustle of the local market between the two countries. From there, it was around five hours to La Paz, with plenty of fascinating stops along the way. We visited Tiwanaku, home to one of South America’s most important pre-Inca civilisations, dating back to approximately 400–1100 AD. We explored the Kalasasaya Temple, the Akapana Pyramid and a couple of museums, but perhaps the most impressive moment came as we drove down into La Paz itself.

The city sits dramatically in a deep bowl, surrounded by the snow-capped mountains of the Altiplano. At 3,646 metres above sea level, with its airport sitting around 4,000 metres, it certainly makes you appreciate just how high you are! Our hotel, Atix Hotel, was another great choice. Located in a safe, upscale neighbourhood with plenty of restaurants nearby, it was perfect for an early morning walk.

On our second day, we took a private city tour — something I would highly recommend to anyone visiting La Paz. One of the highlights was spending time with a local lustracalzado, or shoe shiner, who showed us around her neighbourhood and gave us a small insight into everyday life in the city. We started at the Valley of the Moon, an incredible landscape of clay formations carved by erosion over hundreds of years. We could easily have spent much longer hiking through the area, but unfortunately, we only had around 15 minutes to explore.

Next came one of my favourite experiences — the red line cable car. The views over the city were incredible, and I would recommend allowing an extra day in La Paz just to explore more of the cable car network. Our walking tour then took us through the enormous main cemetery, which was both fascinating and humbling. It is hard to describe exactly what you see, but the way families honour their loved ones was incredibly moving.

We also visited Fish Street Market, the Flower Market and the Uruguay Market, passed the famous Witches’ Market on Linares Street, and finished at San Francisco Church and Murillo Square.

And, of course, I can’t skip over the food! We tried a salteña, a Bolivian-style baked empanada. Mine was delicious, although I accidentally chose the spicy one — and WOW, it certainly woke up my taste buds! Lunch was at a wonderful social enterprise café serving traditional Bolivian dishes including Pique Macho, Sopa de Mani and Majadito. Everything was fresh and delicious. One evening, we also tried a Japanese-Bolivian fusion restaurant, which was surprisingly good. I will say, though, that the Bolivian version of a pisco sour wasn’t my favourite!

Our next adventure took us to Uyuni. I’m not going to lie — flying into the town felt like stepping back in time. It looked like an old mining town and, because there was a festival happening nearby, most of the locals had left town. The empty streets made it feel even more eerie. From this point on, we barely saw a vehicle larger than an SUV. There were no big coach buses, very few hotels and only small businesses catering mainly to locals. It truly felt like we were visiting an untouched part of the world.

This was a BIG day! We explored the train graveyard, the colonial church of San Cristobal, the Great Salt Flats of Uyuni and the village of Colchani. We also visited Fish Island, where we hiked before enjoying an amazing picnic lunch overlooking the endless white landscape. Later, we visited the mummies at Pucara de Ayque and finished the day watching the sunset with wine and snacks on the salt flats. Our lovely guide was extremely passionate about photography and capturing the full impact of the landscape. I think he was slightly disappointed that we weren’t bigger photo people!

That night, we stayed at the unique Palacio de Sal Hotel, built predominantly from salt. It had a fabulous bar complete with fireplaces, a pool table and games, as well as a larger restaurant and bar where karaoke was on offer in the evening. And yes, we absolutely took part! It was such a unique place to stay, and we would have happily spent another night there.

After a little sleep-in, we began our journey towards the Chilean border. We knew we would be driving most of the day, but what I didn’t realise was that there were no real roads — and certainly no road signs! I was amazed that our driver knew where he was going as we travelled along what appeared to be nothing more than dirt tracks. At one stage, we reached 5,000 metres above sea level, and I felt the altitude. Breathing became a little more difficult, and I was certainly tired by the end of the day.

Our hotel that night was probably our least favourite of the entire trip, but we soon realised there were literally no other options in the area — so we made the best of it! The following morning, we said goodbye to Bolivia and crossed into Chile. It was also time to farewell our wonderful driver and guide, two young men who had been a delight to travel with during our three days exploring the salt flats.

Crossing the border was relatively straightforward, and we made our way to San Pedro de Atacama, located on the arid high plateau of the Andes. We arrived early in the afternoon and spent some time wandering through the quaint and popular town before returning to our hotel — and once again, we had been spoilt!

The Desertica Hotel & Spa was a beautiful boutique oasis. We loved the food, drinks and atmosphere and spent the evening chatting with other travellers. Many were staying for up to a week to enjoy the area’s incredible hiking and cycling opportunities.

The following morning, we took a short tour of what is often referred to as the archaeological capital of Chile. The scenery was beautiful, and I could easily understand why outdoor enthusiasts would want to spend much longer exploring the region.

Then it was time to fly to Santiago.

After a few flight delays, we finally arrived in Santiago around midnight and went straight to bed. When we woke the next morning, we had the chance to explore our hotel — and, surprise surprise, it was another beauty! Hotel Cumbres Lastarria was perfectly located and a great base for exploring the city.

Our final private tour included some of Santiago’s best-known sights, including Plaza de Armas, the Royal Court Palace and the Central Post Office, which was completed in 1882. We also climbed Cerro Santa Lucia, where we were rewarded with panoramic views across the city and the snow-capped mountains in the distance. That afternoon, I took some time to simply sit outside near my hotel and people-watch. There was a small local market nearby, and I enjoyed some delicious drinks and appetisers while watching the locals go about their day. And I have to say — Santiago has some pretty gorgeous-looking dogs!  For our final dinner in South America, we visited a popular local restaurant and enjoyed one last ceviche before packing our bags and preparing for the journey home.

Almost a year later — sorry it has taken me so long to share it all! — I can honestly say this was one of the best trips I have ever been on.

I’ll admit, I didn’t do a huge amount of research beforehand, and I also hadn’t sold a great deal of South America to my clients. That made the experience even more valuable for me, both personally and professionally. Of course, there are a few things I would do differently, but honestly, it would mainly involve adding more nights in certain places!

Overall, the trip was everything I could have imagined and so much more. If you are looking to travel somewhere different, love discovering new cultures, enjoy incredible food and want experiences that stay with you long after you return home, then South America should be on your list.