Picture yourself looking down at dazzling turquoise waters lying beneath cascading waterfalls and gorgeous glaciers, occasionally hearing the loud thunder of a distant avalanche. It's no wonder that Laguna 69 is at the top of any hikers list visiting Huaraz and not to be missed.

Eager to visit and somewhat selfishly have it all to myself, I spent a few good hours researching online and talking to locals. Here's a step by step guide on how to visit away from the tour groups....

Located in the Huascarán National Park around 1.5 hours outside of Huaraz, Laguna Churup is one of the few lakes that can be done on your own without a guide or a tour bus. If you're looking to hike somewhere without the crowds of tour buses...

The Salar de Uyuni tour takes you to unimaginably stunning landscapes across Bolivia. From salt deserts and active volcanoes to lagunas reflecting, ruby, emerald and sapphire hues. From wild flamingos to rocky desert landscapes, geysers, hot springs and salt hotels, the itinerary will keep you on your toes with one surprise after another...

One might think that the more I travel, the shorter my bucket-list becomes. Yet every time I visit a new city or country, that list just seems to be ever growing. Stretching my legs in Sucre after a 9-hour rugged bus journey, a brief stop-over turned into...