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Shaun Edmond Product & Marketing

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A recent arrival to Journey Latin America’s marketing team, Shaun joined in the wake of a seven-month trip across Latin America, from Rio de Janeiro to northern Mexico. Before this, he spent up to a year working in marketing, primarily in tech, and spent a great deal of time learning new languages and travelling to other parts of the world.

What is your favourite...

Accommmodation:

Santuario do Caraca – as an 18th Century monastery in the Brazilian highlands, I expected this place to be on the rustic end of accommodation, though I was prepared to rough it in exchange for experiencing its historical heritage and nature. There was no need for compromise this time, though: as well as the mod cons, including comfortable rooms and locally brewed ale, the monastery is beautiful and there are plenty of hiking trails one can do around the estate. At night, foxes and maned wolves come to feed on morsels left out for them. Right in front of spectating guests, no less.

Place

As someone who’s very into nature and wildlife, I’d have to say Peninsula Valdes. Wildlife is abundant and extraordinary; three of the top highlights are whales that get within spitting distance of boats, groups of maras (guinea pigs with long legs) grazing out in the open plains and orcas that launch themselves onto beaches to catch sea lions. In addition to this, the village of Puerto Piramides is a delightful place to grab a coffee or go to the clifftops and watch the sun set over tens of frolicking whales.

Favourite excursion

The Amazon is a place I’ve always wanted to visit, so being able to do so from Colombia was a dream come true for me. It was every bit as lush and untamed as I’d imagined it, and the lodge I stayed at was one of the very few places where I can comfortably say the absence of Wifi never caused me even the edge of bother. The best excursion within this excursion was without a doubt trekking to a harpy eagle nest – those birds are so huge I probably could have ridden one at a younger age (if only that were possible).

Top packing tip

Bring layers AND shorts – nearly every in Latin America has bits that are baking and bits that are baltic. Sometimes this is because of elevation, often the case in Andean nations and also Costa Rica and Panama. At other times the country’s size means its climates vary from one end to the other – Argentina, going from the Iguazu Falls to Ushuaia, is a prime example.

My Destination Highlights

The Pantanal

The Pantanal

This wetland area the size of France is, without a doubt, Latin America’s wildlife piece de resistance. All the classics are here, from toucans to monkeys, there are more capybaras and caimans than you can count and this is the best place in the world to see jaguars. I, unfortunately, did not spot any of the big cats, but was lucky enough to have a giant otter approach my boat and watch a tapir going for a dive – you can never tell which way your luck will go when on safari!

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Tierra del Fuego

The town of Ushuaia at the southern pinnacle of South America is more than just a launchpad for Antarctica, with excellent museums, cafes and pubs, and plenty of nearby outdoor activities to enjoy. What I love most about Ushuaia, however, is how close the mountains get to the town – unlike many places, where they’re a feature on the horizon, here they get right up to the centre in all their snow-capped glory. My town centre hostel had a view akin to that of a Swiss mountain chalet!

Panama City

Panama City

I found Panama’s capital underrated. As the capital of a country with a fascinating history and present, there are plenty of museums and a lovely old town quarter to explore, plus some smashing ceviche at the local seafood market. Just outside the city are some truly excellent places to visit, including a park whose wildlife (in my humble opinion) rivalled that of Costa Rica’s, and the canal itself – watching a tanker pass through the Miraflores Locks really makes you appreciate the skill and planning that goes into keeping this marvel of engineering running.

Papagaio

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