Nikki Scott

Nikki Scott is the founder & editor of South America Backpacker. A traveller-turned-entrepreneur, she left the UK in 2009 for Asia and after 6 months on the road, she started a bi-monthly print magazine about backpacking. South America Backpacker soon followed and today she runs her backpacking enterprise from her base in Spain. Her honest and fascinating book, Backpacker Business, tells the story of her success in the face of adversity.

Beach town near Rio

11 Amazing Day Trips From Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Rio is one of the most exciting, enthralling and beautiful cities in the world. However, if the pace of the city gets a bit too much, don’t worry. These day trips from Rio de Janeiro will deliver the change of pace you’ve been searching for!

Hiking in South America

13 Amazing Hikes in South America

Introducing the top hikes in South America! This guide includes the best time to do each, what to expect from the trail and the associated costs. Will you do all of these epic adventures?

Is Colombia Safe to Travel?

Is Colombia Safe to Travel?

Is Colombia safe to travel? It is a question we get asked a lot, especially by solo travellers. Generally, the answer is yes but Colombia is still a country where you have to remain vigilant. Here are our top tips for staying safe.

24 Best Spanish Movies on Netflix

24 Best Spanish Movies on Netflix

Heading to South America and want to brush up on your Spanish? Watching Spanish movies is a great way to hone your language skills.

Change your Life! Jobs for Travelling Yoga Teachers…

After qualifying as yoga teachers earlier this year, we discovered a website called Yoga Travel Jobs, that listed volunteer, work exchange and paid job opportunities all over the world! It was really exciting to see all of the positions available in beautiful locations from beach resorts to mountain retreats… It seemed that Yoga Teachers were really in demand!

How South America inspired one adventurous couple to be entrepreneurs!

This week we caught up with backpacker-turned-entrepreneurs Ela and Douglas, who are the founders of new travel website Quest Organizer – an easy to use flight search engine that finds the cheapest flights by adding a stopover into your trip. The idea was born during an eight month backpacking adventure in South America…

A Pair Of Peru Shoes

How Peru Inspired Three 23-Year Old Backpackers To Start a Socially-Conscious Business!

When three 23-year old French backpackers travelled to Peru last year, they didn’t think that their journey would result in a life-changing project. Wandering through the streets of Cuzco, the ancient capital of the Inca empire, they came across a pair of shoes, sneakers to be precise, with a textile pattern that was unique and eye-catching. Why not bring this distinct design to Europe and the rest of the Western world? AND – at the same time, create a brand that is beneficial to the local people of Peru… Here is their special story!

Yoga in Máncora, Peru

There’s More to Peru than Machu Picchu! Discovering Yoga in Mancora…

Machu Picchu, Inca ruins, Cevice, Pisco sours, trekking, the Andes… We don’t often associate Peru with Yoga and Meditation. Here, traveller and yoga teacher, Laura Heininger describes her experience of living and teaching Yoga in the seaside town of Mancora, Peru, a place once renowned for surf and party…

The Start of South America Backpacker…What Life is Like on the Road!

We are now five months into our South American adventure, where we’ve been creating a brand new hub for backpackers! When we’re not summiting 5,000 meter mountains or salsa dancing until the wee hours of the morning, we’ve been scribbling away. Spilling all of our crazy stories and secret tips so that your time in South America is equally incredible. So, what does tackling a whole new continent entail? Here’s how we keep busy…

Graffiti that says "todo bien" in Bogota

Learning Spanish in Montañita, Ecuador

Explorer Tyler Protano-Goodwin ponders the question; can you really call yourself a traveler without language? With a desire to brush up on her Spanish skills and connect more to South American culture Tyler enrolls in language classes at the Montañita Spanish School in Ecuador.

Why Do I Travel? Reflections on Packing up and Heading to South America!

Over the past few weeks as I prepare to switch continents to launch South America Backpacker Magazine, I have been asked the question. “Why do you want to travel to South America?” I find it to be an unusual question to be asked. “Why not?” is generally my first response. Thoughts from Editor Nikki Scott about why she wanted to start a brand new magazine and a brand new backpacking adventure!

Gabriel Garcia Marquez quotes on the wall of his home in Aracataca

Colombia is Magical Realism, a Journey with Tim Buendia to Aracataca-Macondo

Tim Buendia a Dutch artist and expert on all things Gabriel Garcia Marquez has been leading groups through the famed authors hometown for years. Taking the seemingly dusty town of Aracataca, Colombia and transforming it into Macondo the famous setting from “100 Years of Solitude.” As we got lost in between the stories and realities of the town we realized the true power that lies in getting to know the places that we travel to.

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