We all travel differently.
Some of us are thrilled by the words “sunrise yoga.” Others hear “sunrise” and immediately start negotiating with the itinerary for the sleep-in they long for on vacation. Some people want to hike, kayak, and raft until their legs file a formal complaint. Others would like to sit near the ocean with a book and consider that a perfectly productive afternoon.
Then there are also the people who see a colorful market, ancient ruins or an unusually photogenic sea lion and immediately reach for their camera.
The good news? There’s room for all of us on an adventure with The Travel Yogi. So, as we make our way through Central and South America, we have a question: What type of Travel Yogi are you?
The Early Bird
You like mornings. Not in a “I suppose I can function before 9 a.m.” kind of way. You actually loooooooveee mornings. Give you a sunrise, a cup of coffee and somewhere beautiful to be, and you’re happy. Meanwhile, the rest of the group is still trying to remember where they left their shoes.
The Galápagos was made for you.
Several days begin with early morning yoga before heading out to explore the islands or getting an early start to experience something that’s best done early, and on your final full day, you’ll take a sunrise stroll to Las Grietas, a local (and very special) swimming spot. After your morning swim, you’ll grab breakfast in town before exploring Puerto Ayora, visiting the Charles Darwin Research Station and wandering the waterfront.
And that’s before we even get to the giant tortoises, sea lions, marine iguanas, penguins, sea turtles and blue-footed boobies.
Basically, if you’re the person who says, “Let’s get an early start,” this is your moment.
The Photographer
You don’t just take vacation photos. You document the evidence.
The colorful building? Photo. The breakfast? Photo. The volcano behind your yoga mat? Obviously a photo. Someone in the group says, “Wait, don’t move,” and suddenly you’ve been standing there for seven minutes.
Guatemala is going to keep you busy.
You’ll wander the colorful streets and markets of colonial Antigua, visit local communities, learn about traditional weaving and explore the Maya Biosphere Reserve. Then comes Uaxactún, where you’ll discover ancient ruins and enjoy dinner beneath the stars, followed by Tikal National Park, one of the most significant archaeological sites of the Maya civilization.
Tikal is especially good news for your camera roll: the vast jungle setting, towering temples and abundant wildlife make it considerably more interesting than your average vacation backdrop.
Just remember to occasionally put the camera down. Your travel companions would like proof that you were actually there, too.
The Adrenaline Junkie
Your idea of “taking it easy” involves a helmet. You see Class IV rapids and think, fun. You hear “steep hike” and think, great. Someone mentions kayaking, mountain biking and rafting in the same itinerary and you immediately want to know what took everyone so long.
Welcome to Patagonia.
Here, you’ll raft Class IV rapids, kayak Class II and III sections, mountain bike along the river, hike through ancient forests and paddle across a stunning mountain lake. And for those who want to turn the dial all the way up, Class V rafting is available on one of the trip’s big adventure days. The Futaleufú River is internationally known for its world-class rafting and kayaking, so this isn’t a case of us getting a little carried away with the adjectives.
And thankfully, there’s a recovery plan. Yoga. Hot tubs. Stargazing. Dinner. You know, the essentials.
The Beach Bum
You believe vacations should include some serious downtime.
Not because you’re avoiding adventure. You’re simply committed to a healthy work-life balance, and sometimes “life” means sitting by the pool.
Panama understands.
After exploring historic Casco Antiguo in Panama City, you’ll head to Bocas del Toro, where the pace gets considerably more relaxed. There are beach and pool days, leisurely afternoons, snorkeling, time on the water, and plenty of opportunities to simply enjoy your surroundings.
Of course, you’ll also sail through Dolphin Bay, snorkel through mangroves, look for sea turtles and explore the reefs around Hospital Point and/or Bird Island. But after all that exertion, you can return to the pool. For your recovery. Obviously.
The Culture Collector
You don’t just want to visit somewhere. You want to get involved. You want to know what people make, what they eat, how they spend their days, and what makes a place feel like itself. Ideally, you’ll also come home with something you made yourself.
Colombia is calling.
In Medellín, you’ll explore Comuna 13, visit Casa Kolacho and experience the city’s metro and cable cars. Then you’ll head into the countryside, where you’ll paint your own ceramic piece in El Carmen de Viboral, a town known for its long-standing hand-painted ceramic tradition.
You’ll visit a local farm, harvest ingredients for dinner, learn about Colombian coffee and eventually make your way to Cartagena for salsa, cooking and drumming. By the end of the trip, you may have painted something, danced something, cooked something, and drummed something.
And you will almost certainly have eaten something. Probably several somethings.
The “I Want a Little Bit of Everything” Traveler
You don’t necessarily have one travel personality. You want all of them. You’d like some adventure, but also some downtime. You want to learn something, but you don’t want to spend your entire vacation in a museum. You’d like to see wildlife, eat extremely well, get outside, meet locals and maybe have a beach day thrown in for good measure.
Honestly? We understand. That’s the beauty of these trips. You don’t have to pick just one way to travel. There are new places to explore, new things to try, and plenty of opportunities to figure out exactly what kind of traveler you are along the way.