Our diverse team here at VIP Journeys celebrate "Latin America Christmas" in different ways depending on where they were born or where they live. We thought we would explore and share their local experiences with you.For more than 2,000 years, Christians around the world have celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ annually on December 25. Today, Christmas retains most of its religious symbolism (and also some Pre-Christian pagan rituals.)
Read MoreLast year, in honor of the World Oceans Day, we paid homage to our Top 10 favorite national marine reserves in Latin America around the theme “healthy oceans, healthy planet.” The post, featuring 10 national marine parks taking action to ensure a healthy planet and oceans, as well as providing future generations with amazing places to learn about the world beneath the sea.
Read MoreIn 1973, at a time when commercial interests often outweighed the wellbeing of the planet’s plants and animals, the United Nations drew up an international treaty to “protect wildlife from over-exploitation and to prevent international trade from threatening the survival of species in the wild.” This global agreement between governments was called the Convention on International Trade...
Read MoreTomorrow, February 2, is World Wetlands Day. In honor of this decades old celebration, we’re sharing our Top 10 wetlands of Latin America!Since the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands in 1971, World Wetlands Day has been celebrated annually on February 2 to mark the occasion— that’s more than 45 years! The first meeting was held in the Iranian city of Ramsar, and the Standing Committee of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands...
Read Moret’s our final blog post in January, and we’re wrapping up our 17 in ’17 series for Latin America travel! So far, we’ve given you our top picks for must visit Latin America cities and amazing active tours in the region. This week, we’re hitting foodies in their sweet spot— the stomach— with our favorite restaurants…
Read MoreIn honor of the U.S. National Park Service’s centennial birthday celebration this week here at home, there’s never been a better time to share our favorite national parks abroad. From glaciers in South America, to Mayan ruins in Central America, our continental neighbors to the south boast some of the most awe-inspiring national parks in the world. We’ve covered national marine reserves before...
Read MoreEarlier this week, Americans celebrated their independence from Colonial rule. This annual tradition, held each year on July 4, marks the signing of the Declaration of Independence after the Revolutionary War and represents the official separation of the United States from the vast British Empire.Though the holiday wouldn’t be referred to as “Independence Day” for many years to come, the first celebration of U.S. independence took place July 4, 1777...
Read MoreWith its moderate rainfall, cool coastal breezes and extended warm summers spanning almost from November through March, it’s easy to see why Chileans have been making wine since the mid-16th century when European settlers first arrived with Spanish grapes in tow.
Read MoreHere at VIP Tour Group, we agree with author Helen Keller that “life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” That’s why we make it our business to plan distinctive one-of-a-kind journeys to Central and South America for a wide variety of travel styles and personal interests.
Read MoreOutside of Carnival, there are no bigger celebrations in all of Latin America than those that take place to ring in the New Year. Traditions are wild, colorful and, in many cases, hold great significance for revelers, so a trip to Central or South America for New Year’s Eve brings not only a raucous good time but also a peek into other cultures.
Read MoreAwasi Patagonia at the End of the World - No one knows this better than the team behind the privately held Relais & Chateaux Awasi hotel group. One of the first VIP luxury hoteliers in the region, they provide “the joy of tailor-made” to guests in Southern Chilean Patagonia at Awasi Patagonia in Torres del Paine park and much farther north in the driest place on Earth, the Atacama desert...
Read MoreScientists estimate there likely have been millions of active volcanoes throughout our planet’s lifespan, but in recent history there are only about 1,500 known active volcanoes. Of those, 75 percent occur within the Pacific Ring of Fire, and as many as 20 are erupting somewhere on Earth on any given day. Humbling, awe-inspiring and formidable, volcanos...
Read MoreWhat do you get when you land a billionaire jet-setting business whiz with an affinity for art at some of South America’s most awe-inspiring locales? If that whiz is the somewhat reclusive Alex Vik, a man Forbes has called “the most interesting man in the world,” you get an exclusive handful of critically-acclaimed retreats and a spattering of vineyards and wineries home to a delectable, award-winning brand of wine.
Read More10 Best Beaches in Latin America, by our trip designers at VIP Journeys! When filmmaker Bruce Brown followed fellow surfers around the world in The Endless Summer, nomadic surf culture was cemented as a carefree part of the American psyche. But, the seminal 1996 documentary certainly wasn’t the beginning of hanging ten. That honor goes back 200 more years to 1776—
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