Traveling High: How to Prevent Altitude Sickness Abroad
The flight into La Paz, Bolivia was an incredibly scenic one. Our commercial airliner was soaring through snow-capped Andean peaks. Though it wasn’t by any means that the pilot was flying low, rather that these mountains stood at dizzying heights. And the same can be said about the city of La Paz.
Compelled to experience the city’s unique cultural energy and street life, we set out on mission to explore on our first day. Though it only took 10 minutes of a leisurely stroll before we turned away. While relatively fit and quite used to hiking and climbing throughout many climates and conditions, a casual city stroll had left our lungs gasping for oxygen we couldn’t have.
If there is one thing we learnt from our time in La Paz, it was that any destination at this altitude is to be savored over time, as it’s important to properly to acclimatize. When you’re traveling this high, your lungs need time to adjust to reduced oxygen and breathing thinner air. Otherwise altitude sickness kicks in.
If you know that you are going to be traveling to high altitudes, follow a few simple steps to prevent altitude sickness.
read moreSouth American Bucket List Destinations
Incan ruins, Andean peaks, and glaciers which will take your breath away. Colonial towns, white-sand beaches, and trails which lead directly under awe inspiring falls. From the Galapagos to the Amazon, and the dramatic landscapes in Tierra del Fuego, South America is just full of incredible natural wonders and bucket list destinations which set the stage for incredible adventures.
Travelers who skip South America are truly missing out – there is more culture, passion and history here than any other place in the world, and a more diverse range of natural wonders and landscapes than found in any other continent on earth.
read moreSandboarding in Huacachina, Peru
You haven’t known adventure until you have zipped down a 300 foot sand dune headfirst, screaming for your life, eating sand the entire way down. You haven’t known adventure until you have strapped yourself into a sand buggy and flown through “Everest of the Desert” at high speeds, clutching your seatbelt until your knuckles turn white. You haven’t known adventure until you have visited Huacachina, Peru.
The sand buggy tour was the most thrilling and exhilarating experience of our lives. We strapped ourselves into the 12 seater dune buggy as our driver flew over towering sand dunes at high speeds. We gripped the seats in front of us for dear life as he floored the gas and took dunes 90 degree angles. We whizzed through the desert, screaming at the top of our lungs as we blew through the most spectacular desert scenery you could ever hope to see in your life.
At 4pm we arrived at the Desert Nights Hostel, and it wasn’t long before we realized this wasn’t going to be a smooth ride! For $22 USD each, we had honestly expected a fairly tame ride through the desert, however we quickly realized that this was going to be an extreme thrill ride, not for the light of heart!
read moreSpreading the Cookie Care in Lima, Peru
At Doubletree by Hilton, they know the little things mean everything when it comes to a great travel experience. That’s why they have welcomed guests with a warm chocolate chip cookie for more than 25 years. The Doubletree gesture of a warm chocolate chip cookie on check-in is a symbol of the little, bright moments in life. No matter where you are or how you’re feeling, a cookie has the power to make you smile.
May 15 2014 was National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, and in spreading the Cookie Care, Doubletree hotels worldwide took to the streets to hand out their signature chocolate chip cookies. Anyone who walked into one of the brand’s 370 hotels worldwide was treated to an iconic cookie, and surprise cookie giveaways were held all over the world.
read moreWhere to Enjoy Peruvian Folkloric Music and Andean Dance
Lima is the culinary capital of the world, and there’s no better way to enjoy mouthwatering local Peruvian cuisine than taking in dinner with a show!
The Junius Restaurant at the El Pardo Doubletree by Hilton Hotel combines delicious cuisine with a spectacular, colorful, and live folklore show. The show features typical dance from every region in Peru, including the most impressive dances of the Peruvian Andes.
A fully interactive show which is lively, playful and upbeat, the most entertaining spectacle was Danza De Las Tijeras.
read moreTaste Buds Will Travel: The Single Foods You Must Try In South America
South America is a diverse continent comprising of some truly phenomenal cultures, each with their own authentic, local cuisine. And from Guinea Pig in Peru to Frogs Legs in Bolivia, it’s the food that travelers tend to remember the most during their time here.
There are many books to learn about traditional food of South America, though to start you off, here are the single foods you must try while traveling through South America!
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