All you need to know to use Santiago’s excellent metro system, compiled from local experience. Includes hours, fares, how to pay (including contactless payment and the bip! transit card), the best metro lines for visitors, and tips on safety, etiquette, buses and transfers, and rush hour crowds.
My reflections on why one-bag, minimalist travel appeals to me, after years of sticking to it. And also a bit on how I got to my current 30L setup, and how my one-bag travel philosophy has translated to my everyday living.
I built and tested this 1-day Santiago itinerary with my Santiaguino partner — an efficient route covering the city’s highlights with a map, hour-by-hour plan, transit/safety tips, and notes on each stop. Includes Bellavista, Plaza de Armas, museums, Santa Lucía Hill, and more.
My two-shoe strategy for full-time, four-season travel in one 30L bag: trail runners plus flip-flops. I’ve refined this strategy over time, and here’s why it works, my key selection criteria, pros/cons, and occasion-specific swaps for cities, trekking, rain, snow.
Compiled from my many visits to Santiago, here’s a practical guide to the city’s best neighborhoods to stay: safety, walkability, transit, food, noise, and runner-friendly tips.
A fast, practical guide from SCL to Santiago: Uber vs airport bus + metro vs public buses + metro, with costs, timing, and safety tips. Born from my experience having navigated this route many times!
Living Santiago travel hub: efficient itineraries, neighborhoods, transportation logistics, no-car day trips, one-bag packing, and running routes. Updated regularly.
I spent 3 days in Viña del Mar and this was my favorite active day. I stitched together a full coastal loop — Concón Dunes first, then a cliffside walk into Reñaca for lunch and beach time, finishing with the waterfront path back to central Viña.
A flat, foolproof beachfront run in Viña del Mar: a 5K (3.2 mi) out-and-back from Muelle Vergara to Playa Los Marinos along the oceanfront park. Wide paved paths, minimal crossings, nonstop views—perfect for keeping up training while traveling.
This easy 3.4-mile / 5.4-km coastal landmarks walk links some of the city’s most iconic landmarks – Casino de Viña, Castillo Wulff, the Flower Clock, and others – with beautiful ocean views, then loops back to Playa Acapulco for golden hour and sunset. Great for first-timers to quickly get immersed in Viña’s vibe.
I spent 3 days in Viña del Mar and didn’t expect it to be such an active traveler’s dream. This guide includes travel logistics plus the 3-day itinerary I built and followed to hit the highlights (beaches, oceanfront landmarks, and scenic coastal paths) while getting your steps (or miles) in.
I’ve refined this 30L one-bag setup over years of active travel. Here’s my exact four-season packing list — get the gear, capsule wardrobe, and minimalist packing system I use to travel lighter and move easier.
I challenged myself to pack for a 3-day, 2-night Universal Orlando trip using only my everyday 2-liter sling. This post breaks down what I wore, what I packed, what I learned, and why traveling ultralight made the trip more flexible and freeing.
This guide distills my time in Lima into everything you need to plan your trip: neighborhood pros and cons, best spots to eat Peruvian classics, efficient itineraries, what to pack for each season and practical tips for the city.
Barranco is Lima’s bohemian coastal district, known for colorful street art, historic casonas, and ocean views. I spent an afternoon exploring on foot — this hour-by-hour walk hits the best street art, parks, landmarks, and cliffside views.
After years of travel and more than 100 Airbnb stays around the world, I’ve learned plenty of lessons – some the hard way. In this post, I’m sharing the practical, lesser-known Airbnb tips I now follow to find great stays, avoid hidden rules or surprise fees, and protect myself while traveling.
Lima was once the capital of the Spanish Empire in South America. Its UNESCO-listed Historic Center boasts one of the continent’s grandest collections of Spanish colonial landmarks. During my visit in Lima, I planned a half-day itinerary where I covered the major sites and rich history in this area in an efficient walking tour.
Miraflores is Lima’s easiest district to explore on foot, with cliffside parks and major sights packed into a walkable loop. This efficient one-day itinerary covers Punto Azul ceviche, Parque Kennedy’s cats, Mercado Indio, an epic Malecón ocean walk, Larcomar, and dinner plus dessert.
Being the opportunist that I am, I took my 12-hour layover as a chance to explore — from watching massive ships transit the Panama Canal to wandering through Casco Viejo, all before my next flight. Traveling with just an everyday-sized backpack made it easy to be spontaneous, and this post shares how I spent my solo day in Panama City.
Covering most of Olympic Peninsula, Olympic National Park encompasses almost a million acres and includes vastly distinct ecosystems. You can find rolling mountains with grazing deer, the rugged Pacific coastline, lush old-growth temperate rain forests, and mineral hot springs. In this itinerary, I share an efficient route through the park, with recommended hikes and tips at an easy glance.
![Olympic National Park: 4-Day Bulleted Itinerary [Updated 2025]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59494a70ff7c504114292d44/1629156881778-CRI6BZY5KI83KKE5NPB1/IMG_3432_HEIC.jpg)