peru
visiting manu national park
an absolutely surreal experience and an amazing opportunity to completely disconnect. i spent 4 days here and would definitely return!
hi, i’m natasha
slow travel for curious people
travel, hobbies and thoughts from a year and a half across latin america. currently in ecuador.
currently: ecuador
for curious people
“but is it safe?”
every time i share a clip from my travels in latam, someone asks. and i get it. but what i’ve found on the road is something completely different. strangers who became friends, families who opened their homes, locals who’d go out of their way to help me catch the right bus. it’s warmth, rhythm, resilience, and beauty that doesn’t fit in a headline.
yes, you stay alert. you travel smart. you listen to locals. but fear shouldn’t be the reason you never see the world for yourself.
1.5M views on brasil
1M views on rio
chapter one: april 2024 to september 2025
18 months in south america, one honest budget
the number one question i get: “how much does it cost to travel south america?” so here’s what i actually spent each month. not the “right way”, i just don’t want to gatekeep.
£21,897spent in total, over 18 months
£1,216a month on average, fairly consistent overall
7countries: argentina, chile, bolivia, peru, colombia, brazil, paraguay
£2,083the biggest month: new year in bariloche
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april 2024 · buenos aires£301.71
super inaccurate estimate as i was spending almost entirely in cash in my first month living in buenos aires. i would estimate totals are around $1500 for the month
super inaccurate estimate as i was spending almost entirely in cash in my first month living in buenos aires. i would estimate totals are around $1500 for the month
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may 2024 · atacama, santiago, valparaíso, salta£719.84
a faster month: a long weekend spent in the atacama desert, also visited santiago and valparaiso, and then headed to salta
a faster month: a long weekend spent in the atacama desert, also visited santiago and valparaiso, and then headed to salta
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june 2024 · bolivia, cusco£1,490.95
a week spent in bolivia followed by a month spent living in cusco: visited machu picchu, rainbow mountain, seven lakes of ausangate
a week spent in bolivia followed by a month spent living in cusco: visited machu picchu, rainbow mountain, seven lakes of ausangate
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july 2024 · manu, arequipa, huacachina, lima£1,148.25
a long weekend spent in manu national park. i then moved from cusco to arequipa to huacachina, before arriving in lima
a long weekend spent in manu national park. i then moved from cusco to arequipa to huacachina, before arriving in lima
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august 2024 · medellín, cartagena, santa marta£1,308.43
arrived in colombia: spent a few days in medellin before going on a trip to cartagena and santa marta, before returning to medellin
arrived in colombia: spent a few days in medellin before going on a trip to cartagena and santa marta, before returning to medellin
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september 2024 · medellín£1,368.11
a chill month spent in medellin visiting nearby towns on the weekends and dancing a lot of salsa
a chill month spent in medellin visiting nearby towns on the weekends and dancing a lot of salsa
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october 2024 · medellín£812.74
month two living in medellin
month two living in medellin
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november 2024 · huaraz, lima£1,696.39
return to peru: a few days spent in huaraz trekking, and then a week spent in lima
return to peru: a few days spent in huaraz trekking, and then a week spent in lima
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december 2024 · buenos aires, córdoba, mendoza£1,555.64
return to argentina: my parents came to visit in buenos aires, i spent christmas in cordoba, and then headed to mendoza for a few days
return to argentina: my parents came to visit in buenos aires, i spent christmas in cordoba, and then headed to mendoza for a few days
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january 2025 · bariloche, puerto madryn£2,083.27
new year spent in bariloche followed by a few days in puerto madryn before heading back to peru
new year spent in bariloche followed by a few days in puerto madryn before heading back to peru
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february 2025 · lima, máncora£1,351.44
a chill month living in lima, with a week trip to mancora
a chill month living in lima, with a week trip to mancora
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march 2025 · lima, iquitos£889.76
second month living in lima, spending just under a week in iquitos for my birthday
second month living in lima, spending just under a week in iquitos for my birthday
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april 2025 · lima£1,294.37
final month in lima: a lot of good food and a pretty chill routine
final month in lima: a lot of good food and a pretty chill routine
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may 2025 · rio, paraty, ilha grande£1,300.82
a month spent living in rio, also went on a trip to paraty and ilha grande
a month spent living in rio, also went on a trip to paraty and ilha grande
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june 2025 · rio de janeiro£817.90
month two living in rio
month two living in rio
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july 2025 · buenos aires, iguazú, asunción£1,394.40
a chaotic month heading to buenos aires for a week before visiting iguazu and spending a weekend in asuncion
a chaotic month heading to buenos aires for a week before visiting iguazu and spending a weekend in asuncion
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august 2025 · são paulo, paraty, rio, florianópolis£1,321.29
another chaotic month: went to sao paulo, paraty, and rio, before heading to florianopolis
another chaotic month: went to sao paulo, paraty, and rio, before heading to florianopolis
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september 2025 · florianópolis£1,041.29
final month in south america! a month spent living in floripa to relax for a bit after all the movement!
final month in south america! a month spent living in floripa to relax for a bit after all the movement!
figures from natasha’s own spending screenshots, posted on instagram. april 2024 is her own “super inaccurate estimate”: she was spending almost entirely in cash. i mostly travel slowly, staying weeks or months in one place.
10 experiences
worth every penny
chile
visiting the atacama desert
i spent 3 full days in atacama and it was one of the highlights of my trip! the landscapes are absolutely incredible and so diverse.
colombia
taking salsa classes in medellin
this is definitely one of the best things i did in south america. i went from never dancing to going to socials every day, and i am still obsessed.
argentina
visiting iguazu falls
as someone who has lowkey never understood the hype with waterfalls, even i have to admit that iguazu is absolutely breathtaking
peru
7 lagoons hike
this was definitely the best hike i did in my time in peru. i think it’s definitely underrated as a hiking option if you’re staying in cusco.
argentina
roadtripping la ruta 40
highly recommend renting a car and exploring salta and jujuy! so many small towns and beautiful sights on the route!
argentina
vineyard-hopping in mendoza
one of my favourite days! hired bikes for the day and went from vineyard to vineyard trying different wines
peru
climbing machu picchu
i decided to go last-minute and debated whether it was worth it, but after seeing the views i had no regrets!
peru
visiting iquitos, the city in the jungle
one of my favourite cities!! so many interesting foods to try, markets, and also the possibility to spend some time in the amazon jungle
argentina
sunset from the patagonia bar over bariloche
such a surreal view, worth the hike to get there, perfect plan for a warm summer evening. the photos do not do it justice!
chapter two: 2026, slowly north, then south again
colombia, central america and the andes of ecuador
the route so farcurrently: cuenca
colombia
jardín, guatapé, san andrés
26 trips around the sun
a birthday in jardín, feeling very grateful for such a beautiful one.
guatapé
“one of the most colourful towns i have seen.”
san andrés
the water is so blue it doesn’t even look real. a lot of time spent adventuring, on the beach or in the water, snorkelling, scuba diving, and just fully disconnecting for a few days.
first time scuba diving, and i almost didn’t go through with it. the lesson is to do it scared, but do it, because fear probably keeps us from some of the best experiences.
the dogs of kellan
a small dog shelter in san andrés, run by a couple who have dedicated their lives to rescuing dogs that were abandoned, injured, or simply left behind. what started as a few has turned into over 150 dogs.
1.2M views on her reel about them. she set up a gofundme for food and medical care.
guatemala
antigua, acatenango
a month calling antigua home
it’s easy to see why so many people fall in love with this city. the colours, the art, the coffee, the people. every day here feels simple in the best possible way.
acatenango
left antigua at 6:30 a.m. the hike begins at around 2,400m. around 7km uphill to base camp at roughly 3,600m, then the extra hike toward volcán de fuego. we made it… only for the volcano to be completely covered by clouds. and then, on the way back, the clouds finally shifted.
exhausting, freezing, dirty, chaotic, and one of the most incredible experiences of my life. would i do it again? in a heartbeat.
nicaragua
león, granada, ometepe
león, honestly
león and i had a bit of a complicated relationship. between a series of unfortunate events and the most intense heat i’ve experienced in a long time, it was not exactly my favourite place. that said, the cathedral was beautiful!
granada
sometimes the most memorable part of a place isn’t the landmark, it’s everything happening around it. the morning light catching the fruit perfectly. the smile exchanged between strangers. if you slow down enough, you start to notice the beauty in ordinary moments.
ometepe
i don’t think i’ll remember every viewpoint. but i will remember waking up to volcano views, showering outside, chasing sunsets on a scooter, and breakfasts that somehow tasted even better after a slow morning.
tap through her camera roll
costa rica
tamarindo, monteverde
first weekend in costa rica
rented a car for the weekend and drove around all of the beaches in tamarindo. some of the most beautiful beaches i’ve seen yet. these sunset photos have literally zero editing.
monteverde
where the colour hunting game was filmed. play it below.
ecuador
quito, mindo, baños, cuenca
just how diverse it is
one day looking out at cotopaxi (in theory, because realistically it was very foggy and visibility was zero), the next wandering through the cloud forest in mindo, and then relaxing in natural thermal baths. add in the crisp mornings with good coffee.
baños
“what a magical place.” bikes, hanging bridges, waterfalls and rain ponchos.
cuenca
a beautiful little city tucked away in the andes, full of colourful buildings, cobblestone streets, cafés and local markets. i can understand why it’s a unesco world heritage site! could easily have spent longer here.
a limpia is a traditional andean cleansing ritual, believed to remove negative energy, bad luck and mal de ojo. you can experience one at mercado 10 de agosto, for around $5.
would you try it?
saudade
a portuguese word. a kind of longing, a missing of something, or someone, that you can’t quite return to.
travelers know it well. it’s in the small, ordinary things you never thought you’d miss:
the street vendor you passed every morning, the coffee shop where they already knew your order, the same stray cat waiting outside your door.
they don’t seem special while you’re there, but later, they’re the ones that stay.
saudade is the feeling of carrying a little bit of every place you’ve ever called home.
1.1M views on saudade
a game for your next walk
colour hunting
- everyone picks a colour.
- along the way, you “hunt” everything you find in that colour.
- it’s fun, and a way to pay more attention to your surroundings and connect with nature.
pick a colour and go hunting through her photos
and you’ve probably never seen them before
i tried colombia’s most exotic fruits
tap a fruit to taste it, thenvote your favourite
how i get the feel for a new place
things i do in a new city that aren’t sightseeing
- try a local classceramics, salsa, cooking, making a planner
- visit the less touristic neighbourhoods
- go to a marketso many interesting fruits and vegetables!
- talk to strangersi have met some of the loveliest people just striking up a conversation
- go to a supermarketcool way to find local brands!
- make new friendstry couchsurfing or nomad table app
- take my camera and get lostpeople watching, noticing the small things
- go to a local eventinti raymi, feria de jerez, carnival de sitges, fiestas de guápulo
- try street foodoften the best food i try!
hobbies to cut screen time
the offline agenda
i’m on a mission to spend less time on my phone and more time trying new things. follow along + tell me what i should try next :)
crochet
honestly, i get the hype. there’s something very satisfying about making something with your own hands and slowly watching it come together! you can do it while multitasking: a podcast, music, a series. i think this is a hobby i will be keeping!
why it’s worth trying
you can make something usable pretty quickly! you’re not just “practicing a skill”: you can end up with a bag, scarf, top, hat, etc
the science
crochet interacts with the brain in at least 6 ways
- attention
- emotional regulation
- reward system
- motor activity
- cognitive challenge
- neuroplasticity
what you actually need
- yarn
- crochet hook
relatively low starting cost!
how to start
- buy a beginner kit
- search for classes in your area
- follow youtube tutorials
- buy a book
photo walks
a photo walk is basically an excuse to slow down and pay more attention to what’s around you. instead of walking somewhere on autopilot, you start noticing the light, colours, old shopfronts, little details and everyday moments you’d normally miss.
theme ideas
- a colour
- shops (independent stores, faded signs, old interiors)
- one street (pick a street and take 10 photos in that street)
- market morning
- doors and windows
- café life (people reading, baristas, decor)
- what people are carrying: flowers, groceries, bags, coffee
how to start
- pick a theme for a walk
- go out and experiment
- repeat each week with a new theme
- make mini projects (e.g. my city at 7am)
what you need: your phone (or a camera).
articles to read instead of doom scrolling
BicyclingWhat Happens When Two Strangers…
in the middle of the kazakh desert, two solo cyclists, one riding east, the other west, meet by chance at a roadside teahouse, share tea and stories, then continue on their separate ways.
The AtlanticThe 15-Year Layover
the true story of an iranian man who ended up stranded at paris charles de gaulle airport and lived there for 15 years.
OutsideTrapped
the true story of a canyoneer pinned by a boulder in a remote utah slot canyon who survives after six days without rescue.
EsquireWhat I Did on My Summer Vacation
a relaxed holiday in bosnia spirals into a surreal spy story when three journalists are mistaken for a cia hit squad hunting a war criminal.
NatGeo / New YorkerOut of Eden Walk
journalist paul salopek sets out to walk the entire world, retracing ancient human migration routes and telling the stories of people he meets along the way.
The New YorkerThe Lost City of Z
explorer percy fawcett’s obsessive quest for a legendary city deep in the amazon, and the mystery of what happened when he disappeared.
TimeHitchhiker’s Cuba
a drive through cuba where hitchhiking is part of daily life, and strangers regularly climb into your car as if they’ve known you forever.
ESPN / GrantlandOut in the Great Alone
following the iditarod across alaska’s fire-scarred tundra and frozen rivers, capturing the grit and beauty of one of the world’s toughest races.
one book from every country in latin america
a reading list for the road
not the “number one” books from each country, but the ones that interested me most: representative, engaging, some well-known, others a little more under the radar. every book has an english translation.
you don’t need to be rich to see the world
you just need to know where to look
how i travelled the world even when i was a broke student
free accommodation
- couchsurfing: stay with locals for free and make friends everywhere
- bewelcome: non-profit, volunteer-run alternative to couchsurfing
- trustroots: ideal for backpackers, nomads, and hitchhikers
- host a sister: women-only facebook group offering safe, free stays
volunteering & work exchange
- workaway: help in hostels, farms, or schools around the world
- wwoof: live on organic farms and learn sustainable living
- trustedhousesitters: take care of pets while staying in beautiful homes
- worldpackers: volunteer or exchange skills for free stays, with verified hosts and reviews
- helpx / helpstay: similar to workaway with flexible stays
cheap (or free) transport
- blablacar: rideshare app mainly across europe
- flixbus / megabus: cheap intercity buses
- hitchhiking: free and adventurous (use common sense and trust your gut)
- eurail / interrail: flexible train passes for multi-country travel
food on a budget
- thefork: book restaurants with up to 50% discounts (especially in europe)
- toogoodtogo: rescue surplus food from bakeries and restaurants for just a few euros
- olio: get free food shared by locals and neighbours
- street food & local markets: better than restaurants: authentic and affordable
remote work & exchange
- teach english online: platforms like cambly, preply, or italki make it easy to start (no degree needed on some)
- freelance online: write, design, or edit on upwork or fiverr
- virtual assistant: help small businesses manage emails, social media, and tasks remotely
- content creation: blog, post, or film your travels; earn via affiliate links or brand deals
how i make friends whilst travelling solo
social accommodation
hostels, homestays, and co-living spaces are built for connection! common areas, kitchen chats, and hostel activities make it easy to meet other travellers without forcing it. even a simple “where are you from?” can spark a new friendship.
work exchanges / volunteering
workaway, wwoof, trustedhousesitters, worldpackers, helpx: you live, work and eat with people who are there for the same reason.
group activities
joining group activities such as walking tours, cooking classes, or adventure excursions is an easy way to meet people while travelling! platforms like meetup make it simple to find local events and activities in any destination.
connection apps
bumble bff, couchsurfing hangouts, facebook travel groups (“solo female travelers”, “digital nomads in lisbon”), hostelworld chat. just be upfront about what you’re looking for, meet in public, and remember: worst case, you get a good story out of it.
half the fun of solo travel is the people you meet along the way
open to ugc and collaborations
43.9k curious people, one honest voice
her audience doesn’t follow a highlights reel. they follow a year and a half of real life across latin america: what it actually costs, where to sleep, who you meet, what you eat. when she recommends something, it comes with the receipts.
- 1.5M viewson one reel about brasil, with 228,788 likes. the audience goes well beyond her followers.
- 5.7M viewson six reels: safety, saudade, rio, the dogs of san andrés.
- people ask, then act“how much does it cost?” is the number one question she gets. “comment LATAM and i’ll DM you the list” turns a post into a conversation.
- english and spanishshe posts in both, for travellers and for the people of the places she stays in.
@travelsofnatashadigital creator · slow & conscious travel
43.9kfollowers
308posts
11countries in latin america
1.5Mviews on her top reel
what she already makes
- reels with music or voice
- carousel guides
- honest budgets
- top 10 lists
- photo series
- reading lists
- notes-style tips
- hobby series
a natural fit for
- stays: hostels, homestays, co-living
- local experiences and classes
- tourism boards
- travel apps and gear
- books and publishers
- cafés and food
say hi rates and media kit on request
for brands, tourism boards and curious people
travel that shows both the beauty and the reality
5.7Mviews on six of her reels
- brasil1.5M
- the dogs of san andrés1.2M
- saudade1.1M
- rio1M
- 1.5 years in latin america486k
- but is it safe?344k
43.9kcurious people following along
stay curious11countries in latin america, slowly
308posts: travel, hobbies, thoughts
15books, one for every country on her list
visit with respect. tell real stories. or don’t tell them at all.natasha, on filming favelas for shock value
danger isn’t the full story of most places, and fear shouldn’t be the reason you never experience a place at all.natasha, on brasil
say hi
for collaborations, recommendations, or just to tell her what she should try next. her messages are open on instagram.
hi i’m natasha :)