Ken Powell, a seasoned globe-trotter and experienced photographer (powellphotography.ca), blogs (powellponderings.com) about his journey with Adventures Abroad’s 21 Day Five Stans Tour, which covers Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. His insights, images, and expertise offer a wonderful glimpse into this extraordinary tour.

A brief synopsis of the physical and cultural landscapes of these regions will help give you a deeper appreciation of the diversity and history I will encounter on this tour. And the blog entries that follow will be instead of a day-by-day diary account of the delights and challenges of exploring the five Central Asian "Stans", I have chosen a number of memorable vignettes and experiences to tell the story another way. So let's start!

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In his latest blog post, Dale Dunlop, The Maritime Explorer, describes the his Chile Tour as "one of the best Adventures Abroad tours we have ever been on" and ends it with a stunning exploration of the Moais of Rapa Nui. If you are interested in what Adventures Abroad has to offer, please check out our Small Group Tours to Chile.

In the last post from this unparalleled trip to Adventures Abroad 21 Day Chile Tour our group reached our final destination, Rapa Nui, aka Easter Island. In that post I wrote about everything on the island except the main reason we were there, to see the giant statues known as moais that are unique to Rapa Nui. In this post we'll see and discuss more moais than you probably ever want to see, but trust me, these figures are so entrancing that you will not get tired of visiting them. In short, is it worth the time and expense to come to the remotest place on earth to see them – damn right it is and here's why.

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In his latest blog post, Dale Dunlop, The Maritime Explorer, checks off a bucket list item by visiting Rapa Nui - Here at Last. If you are interested in what Adventures Abroad has to offer, please check out our Small Group Tours to Chile.

Alison and I originally signed up for Adventures Abroad's 21 Day Chile tour before Covid and when trips to Chile resumed after Covid there was no guarantee that the Rapa Nui would be included so we decided to wait. That was hard – Rapa Nui has been right up there with the Pyramids, Angkor Wat and only a few other places I had to visit before I died. The pyramids, Egyptian, Aztec and Mayan have been seen in person as has most recently, Angkor Wat. Rapa Nui was finally guaranteed on the March 2024 departure and now at last I'm about to board a plane in Santiago for the almost six hour flight to this most exotic of all locations. Hop on board to find out why this place has such an allure for the sixteen AA patrons about to make the trip.

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In his latest blog post, Dale Dunlop, The Maritime Explorer, endures one of the driest places on earth and treks through Atacama Desert - Chile's Arid Wonderland. If you are interested in what Adventures Abroad has to offer, please check out our Small Group Tours to Chile.

In my introductory post on the Adventures Abroad 21 Chile tour, I emphasized what I called the big three – Torres del Paine, the Atacama Desert and Easter Island as being the quintessence of this amazing country. Well, Torres del Paine certainly lived up to its star billing and in this and the next post, we'll be putting the Atacama Desert to the test. Join our intrepid group as we explore the many landscapes of the second driest place on earth.

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In his latest blog post, Dale Dunlop, The Maritime Explorer, takes in some outer-worldly sites here on Earth while visiting El Tatio Geysers - Highest in the World. If you are interested in what Adventures Abroad has to offer, please check out our Small Group Tours to Chile.

In the last post from this epic trip to Chile with Adventures Abroad, we ventured into the driest place on Earth outside of Antarctica, the Atacama desert and found a landscape that was almost surreal in its transcendent beauty. Day two in Atacama will feature a visit to the El Tatio geyser field which is the highest in the world and the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. Later in the day, we will listen to the rocks whisper in the Valley of the Moon. It promises to be another astounding day in Chile, but there's a catch – we need to get up really, really early to see the geysers because they only do their thing at daybreak. So let's get moving.

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In his latest blog post, Dale Dunlop, The Maritime Explorer, describes a rare and exceptional chance to experience the San Rafael Glacier and Aiken Park up close. If you are interested in what Adventures Abroad has to offer, please check out our Small Group Tours to Chile.

This is my eighth post from the March 2024 trip to Chile with Adventures Abroad led by champion empanada eater and all-around great guy, Chris Tripodi. In the last post, we cruised the waters of Lago Todos dos Santos and enjoyed the lovely German architecture of Puerto Varas in the Patagonian Lake District. After two days in Puerto Varas, we are on the move again as we fly to the remote settlement of Balmaceda on the Argentinian border some 715 km. (444 miles) South of the Lake District. From here we will take a bus for the two-hour ride to Puerto Chacabuco, a small village at the end of Aysén fjord which will be our base for the next three nights. On our first day in Chilean fjord country, we will spend an entire day cruising up the fjord to where San Rafael Glacier ends its journey to the sea from the Northern Patagonian Ice Field. While I've seen many glaciers in my time, I've never seen one close up from the ocean side. It should be a real exhilarating experience and I hope you'll come along for the ride.

On day two in Puerto Chacabuco we'll take a walk to a waterfall in Aiken Park followed by a traditional Patagonian barbecue. Let's get started.

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