Overlanding

A massive 8.8 earthquake has struck central chile, please contact your tour operator for advice.

Tucan Chile earthquake update

Kumuka Chile earthquake update

Due to heavy rains over a period of several days, the Cusco area and surrounding regions have experienced flooding, mudslides and bridge outages that have severely affected transportation in several sectors.

Services/travel affected include the trains to Machu Picchu, which are not currently running due to damage to the rails, hikes to Machu Picchu are also suspended or not advised.

Transportation to Lima via Abancay has been suspended, and some areas of the Sacred Valley (the road to Pisaq) are also unpassable though alternate routes have been opened.

Flooding had been reported on the road out of Cusco at Urcos heading towards the Puno direction. However, we´re told that travel to and from Puno and Arequipa is still possible.

Within the city of Cusco, services are in normal operation (with exception of flights suspended or delayed during heavy rains). Mudslides have been experienced in some of the steeper, surrounding hills.

Please note that flooding is common during the rainy season and that this adverse weather will not affect trips planned for later in the year. Source

The long-awaited new competitive train services to Machu Picchu have begun! Inca Rail, which has an office on Avenida el Sol runs trains daily from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes. Despite originally only offering (more…)

Snowstorms have distrupted transport networks across nothern Europe with many flights delayed or canceled in France, Germany and the UK. At one point -33C was recorded in Germany. Across the Alantic in North Eastern US States a blizzard continues to cause major disruption to transport.

Overlanding companies have been running through the Uyuni Salt plains in Bolivia for as long as overlanding in South America has existed. However the recent news of a proposed large scale Lithium factory in the area my harm both the amazing views and increase the traffic following through the area.
However Bolivia is a poor country and the Lithium may prove an excellent source of income, whether the factory can be built sympathetically to the landscape is yet to be seen.

The continued drought in Kenya has fuelled conflict with a greater number of reported deaths due to violence with food and water supplies now reaching dangerous levels.

If the Travel Promotion Act is ratified by the end of 2009 it will see a $10 entry fee applied to all visitors of North America. All countries covered under the visa-waiver system will pay the fee when applying for their electronic system for travel authorisation.

Will this put you off travelling to the US?

Turkey has experienced heavy rainfall in past few days which has resulted in serve flooding in Istanbul.

Well at least until the 20th September, due to a dispute between the the current interim government of Gabon and Société de Conservation et Développement (SCD SA). It now prevents the country’s main eco-tourism partner Africa’s Eden from continuing its conservation-enabling activities in Loango National Park. Hopefully the suspension will be short lived. More details
Although so far no official winner has been announced on the elections held on the 30th August, Ali Bongo, was widely expected to win.

Not usually on an overland tour iterinary but the Chacaltayas glacier which used to be the worlds highest ski area has completely melted away according to latest news reports. Worringly this will have a knock on effect on hydro-electric plants and water supplies to the the capital La Paz.