Reader, 2025 was a record-breaking year of travel in HoneyTrek Land. Exploring 29 countries across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, North America, and South America, we took on the world with as much gusto and gumption as the day we left on our honeymoon. Why such a whirlwind tour? We’ve been diligently researching our next book on The World’s Best Glamping Destinations and trying our darndest to experience as many leading eco-resorts as possible. Seeking properties with creative accommodations, immersion in nature, sustainable practices, experiential dining, uncommon adventures, and inspiring proprietors (to name a few of our criteria)…we are so thrilled with what we found! That said, it wasn't always roses getting to these camps...schlepping our backpack on to yet another overnight bus, waiting for a hitchhike in the beating sun, and forking over $800 for long-haul flights...but always worth it to share each inspiring place's story!

In addition to sharing HoneyTrek's Year in Review & 2026 Preview, chockful our favorite places and funniest moments, this newsletter is a juicy recap of our last three months in South America—from Chile to Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, and The Guianas, with Colombia on the horizon!

Chile: Patagonia to Easter Island

To kick off our eight-country tour of South America, we couldn't have picked a better event than the Adventure Travel World Summit in Patagonia! Hosted by the Adventure Travel Trade Association, the largest global network of adventure travel leaders, this is much more than a conference; it’s a week-long event to learn, play, connect, and mobilize for a better travel industry.

This year, 700 adventure outfitters, eco-lodges, tourism boards, travel advisors, conservationists, and 30 hand-selected media were in attendance. It was not only an honor to be on the short-list of journalists, but also to be a speaker on the mainstage panel: “Content Creation & Storytelling: The Great Debate in Adventure Travel.”

ATTA knows you can’t confine adventurers to a conference hall, so half of the event was spent in the fjords, glaciers, subpolar forests, high desert, and volcanic mountains of Chile. Mid-conference, all 700 of us embarked on a “Day of Adventure.” For Mike, this meant sailing to the southern end of the Patagonic Icefield to watch Grey Glacier calve cannonballs of blue ice. While Anne plied a fjord to reach Bernardo O’Higgins National Park to explore two more awe-inspiring glaciers, followed by a farm-fresh feast at a third-generation estancia. Plus, we extended our ATTA adventures with a trip to Chile’s corner of the Polynesian Triangle, the mysterious Rapa Nui, and a four-day trek in Torres del Paine National Park–both epic (see galleries below).

Argentina's Next Hot Thing

In pinpointing the “World's Best Glamping Destinations," we have to balance the tried and true five-star eco-resorts with the next hot thing. Keeping our finger on the pulse of the outdoor hospitality industry, we heard about a glamping-camp-meets-conservation project in the depths of Salta, Argentina. Where the Juramento River cuts through the Andes, a 19th-century estancia has been quietly protecting 65,000 acres of wilderness. Few have set foot on this pristine landscape, beyond their 6 species of cats, 264 bird species, and a handful of families who’ve been caretaking the land for generations.

To continue as a private conservation area, the owner, Hank, had to find a partner who appreciated Condor Valley’s beauty, history, and potential for adventure…enter Sentio Camps. This fabulous new glamping destination just opened this month, but we got a sneak peek in November of their outdoor hospitality offerings–from river rafting through a 60-million-year-old canyon to wine tasting at South America’s first solar-powered vineyard. See the gallery above for Northern Argentina’s next great getaway…

Paraguay: South America’s Overlooked Nation

Not many travelers go to Paraguay or know much about this landlocked South American country, but we were fascinated by it! Did you know 90% of Paraguayans speak an indigenous language (more than any other South American country)? That 40% are of Italian descent? Or that it’s a digital nomad mecca with zero percent tax on foreign income? Find out more surprising and fun facts about Paraguay in this gallery from our recent trip.

Brazil's Ecotourism Capital

As the first country on our HoneyTrek, Brazil will always hold a special spot in our hearts. Back in 2012, we traveled here for six weeks and overlanded 6,000 kilometers, but we were always bummed that we never made it to the state of Mato Grosso do Sul and the Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland! Flash forward 14 years, and the region has only gotten better…with Bonito becoming the adventure capital of Brazil and the world’s first certified carbon-neutral ecotourism destination!

Follow the dirt roads and spelunk into the depths, and you will find over 200 limestone caves, blue grottos, bubbling springs, macaw-filled caverns, and some seriously epic scuba diving. We spent five days exploring Bonito’s boundless attractions, and are excited to share our 8 favorite adventures—from rappelling 236 feet into a blue grotto, to cave diving between stalactites and stalagmites.

Travel with love,
Mike & Anne