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South America

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Photo of the Month: Machu Picchu, Peru

It’s one thing to ogle other people’s photos of the mythical Inca city of Machu Picchu. It’s another, I discovered, to huff and puff your way up Andean mountainsides and steep Inca staircases to take your own. That’s the glory of a Peru walking vacation: Each step reveals a new vista more impressive than the last. 

The ancient Inca citadel as viewed from Machu Picchu Mountain.

While hundreds of visitors queue up before dawn each morning to climb Huayna Picchu (the distinctive horn-shaped mountain that appears in the background of many Machu Picchu photos, including this one), we wisely opted to make the the steep sixteen hundred foot ascent up the lesser known Machu Picchu Mountain to capture this bird’s eye view of the ancient metropolis, the iconic Huayna Picchu pinnacle, and snaking below, the silvery streak of the Urubamba River.

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Valle California, Chilean Patagonia

A gaucho works his horse at Valle California, Patagonia Sur.

There are many reasons to travel: relaxation, escape, service, adventure, learning, etc. For me, the perfect trip is simple - it immerses me in the world’s natural beauty while providing the opportunity to observe and engage in the daily lives of its people. 

In Valle California, a remote conservation property in Chilean Patagonia, not only was I smack dab in the middle of one of the most majestic landscapes on the planet, but also introduced to the region’s rich cultural customs by the people who live and work there: My dream combo. 

Framed by the snow-capped Andes, a Valle California wilderness lodge vacation offers guests extensive hiking and horseback riding trails, opportunities for river kayaking and float trips, mountain biking, bird watching, fly fishing, and a five-star experience with an environmental sensibility.

In the above photograph, Valle California gaucho, Gustavo Neumann, works a horse in the estancia corral. 

See more Patagonia Sur pictures 

Read about Patagonia Sur at National Geographic Travel Favorites

Learn about getting back to basics at a Leica/Patagonia Sur photography workshop

Plan a visit

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Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

I could read about it forever. Look at other people’s photos. Dream about going. But until I personally came face-to-face with the extraordinary wildlife that inhabit this special part of the world, it was impossible to fully wrap my head around what an amazing vacation a trip to the Galapagos really is. 

Marine iguana, Española Island, the Galapagos. ©Ellen Barone.

What makes the experience so unique is the opportunity to get up close and personal with the unusual creatures that define the famed archipelago where animals have no instinctive fear of humans. For wildlife lovers and photographers, the Galapagos Islands are as good as it gets.

Crouching down inches from this colorful marine iguana on Isla Española, I was able to capture this tight portrait during a recent week long voyage with Ecoventura, a leader in responsible tourism to the Galapagos Islands since 1990. 

 Click here to view more Galapagos photos or here, to read my recent article ‘GALAPAGOS ADVENTURE CRUISE: Reptiles, Preservation and Paparazzi, featuring the voyage. 

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