Simon Willis on Muck Rack

Simon Willis

(He/Him)
Colombia, Ecuador, Medellín, Peru
As seen in: Medium, MSN, Yahoo Life, Financial Times, Nature, The Daily Mirror, The Guardian, The Washington Post, 1843, Die Welt and
Covers:  Adventure, sustainability
Travel Journalist covering Latin America and Switzerland. I write for the Washington Post, Boston Globe, Afar, Guardian Bradt and Delta simonwillistravels.wordpress.com

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Simon Willis’s Biography

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I am a travel writer working in Latin America. I have written for the Washington Post, Guardian, AFAR magazine and many more.

I am also the founder of a Latin American travel agency called Kagumu Adventures - https://kagumuadventures.com/

Simon Willis’s Journalist Portfolio

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Treading Carefully in the Galapagos | Kagumu Adventures

Treading Carefully in the Galapagos | Kagumu Adventures

The Galapagos is among the most fragile archipelagos on earth. Read a first-hand account of the importance of…

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Turtle power on a solo trip to Colombia

Turtle power on a solo trip to Colombia

Kagumu founder, Simon Willis, explores one of the world's most biodiverse regions, searching for nesting sea …

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A rebirth of ancient skills revitalises a village in Peru's Sacred Valley

A rebirth of ancient skills revitalises a village in Peru's Sacred Valley

A tourist boom and natural disaster almost led to the extinction of an ancient way of life but, thanks to a w…

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7 Reasons to Drop Everything and Visit Colombia Right Now

7 Reasons to Drop Everything and Visit Colombia Right Now

Coffee, nature, architecture: 7 reasons to visit Colombia right now

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Educational Travel for Students | Kagumu Adventures

Educational Travel for Students | Kagumu Adventures

Looking for the best place for an academic trip in Latin America? Choose from our subject-focused educational…

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In Colombia, herding cattle like a real llanero

In Colombia, herding cattle like a real llanero

At this dude ranch in Colombia's Los Llanos region, you can ride and herd like a cowboy, or zip-line if you p…

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Articles

This New Train Is Making It Easier to Explore Remote Corners of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula-How to Visit Original

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By Simon Willis
| Travel + Leisure Verified
Dawn was breaking over the lagoon when I looked down and saw one of the oldest life forms on earth. It wasn’t much to look at. Lumpy, white, and sitting just below the surface of the water, it resembled an overgrown cauliflower. But its appearance notwithstanding, this was one of the most remarkable objects I had ever encountered. “It’s called a stromatolite,” my burly and ebullient guide, Edwin Ruiz, explained as he nursed his flask of morning coffee.
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This Traditional Indonesian Island Is Quietly Opening Beautiful New Hotels — Vetted by Ancient Ancestors

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By Simon Willis
| Travel + Leisure Verified
For miles, the only buildings we saw were traditional bamboo houses, their towering thatch roofs poking up above the trees. It was early September and my wife, Charlie, and I were driving south from Tambolaka Airport on the Indonesian island of Sumba. The place was still in the grip of its long dry season. All around us, a landscape of parched, golden grassland was dotted with villages. Buffalo grazed in the fields. Along the road we passed young men riding bareback on lean, sinewy horses.
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How to See Machu Picchu: Tours, Hikes, and Travel Tips

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By Lyndsey Matthews Verified, Simon Willis, Kyana Moghadam Verified
| AFAR Verified
One of the New Seven Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage site, Machu Picchu is practically synonymous with Peru. Built during the 15th century, this Inca citadel was abandoned sometime after the Spanish invasion and remained unexplored until 1911 when American scholar Hiram Bingham III and a team of Peruvian explorers stumbled upon it in the cloud forest about 50 miles northwest of Cusco. Why it was built and why it was abandoned are still mysteries.
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See all 67 licensed articles (161 Total)

Interview

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What was your first job as a journalist?

At university

Have you ever used a typewriter?

No

How is social media changing news?

Less reliable
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