Jamie Swan
Jamie backpacked across Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina and Brazil before joining us; he has a degree in politics and is also a keen sportsman.
After gaining a Politics degree, Jamie worked as a researcher at the House of Commons. A career break then took him to South America, backpacking from Peru to Brazil, which ignited a real passion for the continent and, on his return to the UK, a move from politics into the travel industry.
Since joining Journey Latin America he has returned to Latin America many times, including to Nicaragua where he particularly recommends the Rio San Juan area for wildlife and history enthusiasts. Argentina’s buzzing capital, Buenos Aires, is his favourite city although the walled city of Cartagena, arguably the music capital of Colombia, is a close second. For active outdoors pursuits, Chile’s San Pedro de Atacama Chile stands out for its astonishing landscapes and extreme environment. Overall though, what continues to draw Jamie back are the many contrasts of a single continent – whether the diverse people, scenery, culture or nature there is always something new to discover. After many successful years designing tailor-made holidays as a Travel Expert in our sales team, Jamie moved to the Product department where he is Operations and Tour Leader Manager.
PersonAL favourites:
Place:
Rio de Janeiro. I’ve been lucky enough to visit a number of times and each time I find something new, along with the famous Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf mountain the city excites the senses with a fusion of cultures from all over the world all wonderful mixed to make Brazil what it is today. The beautiful beaches, iconic landscapes and amazing food never fail to impress and if you’re lucky to visit during the famous Carnival you’ll see a city party like no other.
Hotel:
Explora Sacred Valley. A wonderful hotel nestled in the rolling hills of Peru’s Scared Valley with an amazing concept, all food, drink and excursions are included so you pick what you want to do on a daily basis be it a day long trek to remote Andean villages or an exhilarating bike ride past ancient Inca ruins plus of course you can easily explore the magnificent Machu Picchu and the Inca capital, Cusco. When you’re back at the hotel you
Excursion
Bike and Beers in Puerto Varas, Chile. What can be better than a great mountain biking trip around the beautiful Chilean Lake District flanked by dramatic volcanoes and peaceful woodland whilst stopping to sample some of the local microbrewers best produce.
Try the local food: alpaca in Peru, feijoada in Brazil, tamales in Colombia, Taco al Pastor in Mexico and of course steak and Empanadas in Argentina. If you’re feeling adventurous try guinea pig (Coy) in Bolivia – eat where the locals eat and you’ll find something new every day.
Latin America can be a hard place to pack for. Whether you’re visiting one country or multiple you’re bound to visit a number of regions, you could be exploring tropical jungles in 35 degree heat one day to hiking at 3000 meters at close to zero the next so the key thing is to pack for a variety of weather conditions. You don’t need to invest in expensive trekking gear or have jackets designed for the Polar regions but layers are key, it might be hot but wet so all you need is a rain jacket or it could be cold but dry so a good fleece is ideal , they’re easily combined should the unfortunate happen and it’s both cold and wet…
