About Alan…

Alan has recently left Andean Trails to pursue alternative interests.

I was born in Zambia to Scottish expats and first set foot in South America as a 5-year-old, in Santiago, Chile.

Travel was already in my blood – my earliest memories are boarding ships, giraffes standing at the roadside, getting on planes and adapting to different cultures and ways of life.

After a couple of years my father was transferred to Spain and two years later to Brazil. During the family’s 8-year stint in Brazil, I was sent to school in the UK travelling backwards and forwards in the school holidays.

The family then moved to Chile and ever since I have been to-ing and fro-ing between South America and the UK, with one 10-year stretch of working in tourism in Chile.

Having lived in Santiago, my colleagues call me the Chile king, as well as the African-born Scotsman with a Latin soul.

My passion for South America…

I love South America because the languages, the people, the culture, the scenery and the vibe all appeal to me.

Needles to say Chile is the destination I know best but I have spent a lot of time travelling in Patagonia, Peru, Ecuador, Paraguay, Guyana and Argentina.

Back home, I love sitting at a roadside cafe with an espresso watching the world go by, eating out doors with a good glass of wine, pottering around Edinburgh on my bike, or sitting in a beer garden with a good book. This is not always easy in Scotland!

I also love simply listening to the rain. One of my favourite travel memories is falling asleep in the Amazon in Peru’s Tambopata region, surrounded by the noises of the jungle.

My favourite destination is…

Chile – this thin long country offers an incredible variety of landscapes from the incredible Atacama desert to the glaciers and fjords of Patagonia all sandwiched between the majestic Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.

Apart from the scenery, an incredible people, incredible food, incredible wine and incredible adventures. What more could one ask for.

Talk to me about…

Chile, Argentina, Patagonia, Peru, Ecuador, Guyana , Paraguay, Brazil.

Where I’d love to go back to…

I’d love to go back to the Galapagos but this time to do a hotel-based trip and take in Isabela Island.

The Galapagos surpassed my expectations and at the time I felt that having done an 8-day cruise I had not missed out on anything. However, I do know that there is so much more I can see and discover there.

What my customers say…

“I’m back! Needed a few days recovering….it’s a long flight back…..had an amazing time….thanks for everything you’ve done…..have flown the flag for Andean Trails to everyone I’ve spoken to!”

Marion Rosen, TM, August 2016

My top tip..

Don’t shy away from Chilean sandwiches, they are full dishes in a roll.

A favourite is a “Chacarero” – home made bread roll filled with thinly sliced slivers of beef,  sliced tomatoes, green beans, chopped green chili and dressed with a dash of olive oil, salt and some mayonnaise. Yum.)