Argentina: Salta and the northwest Andes

Wander round the cobbled lanes of Cachi, a peaceful 18^th century mountain village. Pop inside its wood-floored whitewash church before walking out of town to visit the colorful rustic cemetery  from where there are wonderful views of the valley and looming mountain ranges.

Go wine-tasting in one of the bodegas of Cafayate and discover the very distinctive Torrontés produced in the surrounding high altitude vineyards. A delicious aromatic flowery white wine, it is a perfect complement to the delicious regional cuisine for which Cafayate is also known

Dont miss out on a visit to the Musuem of High Altitude Archaeology (MAAM, closed on Mondays) in Salta's impressive colonial center. Not for the faint hearted, the museum displays the burial artifacts and perfectly preserved mummies, with feathered headdress and ceremonial costume, of three Inca children sacrificed 500 years ago to the gods atop 6730m Llullaillaco volcano.

Travel along the winding, high-altitude trans-Andean road from Salta to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile, From Purmamarca, the road follows the stunning river valley before zig-zagging up past armies of cacti and into a landscape of permanent ice peaks and vast salt pans. It is one of the most scenic road journeys in South America, and a great way to combine the two countries.