129. Celebrating Latin America — Insider Travel Tips, Cultural Stories & Luxury Adventures

Join me in this special National Hispanic Heritage Month episode as I take you on an unforgettable journey through Latin America. From Mexico’s vibrant culture and Costa Rica’s thrilling adventures, to Peru’s sacred traditions, Cartagena’s colorful streets, and the luxury expedition cruises to the Galápagos Islands—discover insider tips, personal stories, and how to travel with heart and style. Ready to elevate your next trip? Tune in and get inspired!

Connect with Michele on IG: @jetsettingwithmichele or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/MMTinsiders

Contact Michele to plan your next vacation: www.makinmemoriestravel.co/contact, michele@makinmemoriestravel.co, or schedule a 15 minute consult: https://tidycal.com/texasmfs/15-minute-meeting

This episode was produced by The Podcast Teacher: www.ThePodcastTeacher.com.

Transcript

Hello, jet setters, and welcome back to another episode of Jet Setting with me. I am Michele Schwartz, your travel advisor. And let me try this on for a new title, resident wanderlust instigator. I think I'm going to keep that one. I love it. Have you ever wondered what it feels like to put a pineapple with fruit on top of it, make it really tall and try that on your head in the streets of Cartagena? How about climbing the top of a volcano in Costa Rica? Or savoring the chocolate that is literally made straight from the cacao beans in Peru? Well, stick around, because today I am taking you on that exact immersive journey through Latin America. I promise you, it's inspiring as it was unforgettable for me. It's going to inspire you to want to go.

Today is the final day of National Hispanic Heritage Month, and I want to take a big heartfelt moment to acknowledge all of these incredible cultures of Latin America that I have had the pleasure of visiting. Now, I have zero Hispanic heritage in me. Zero. But here's the tea. Latin America is one of my favorite areas to travel. It captivates me, of course, like every journey that I take, because I get to indulge with the local culture, I get to savor the culinary local delights, and I always support the local businesses. And of course, there are breathtaking sites. But to me, that's what travel is all about.

I hope that I am setting an example for for you and all my clients that in this world, we are actually way more alike than different. And I know because I go, that's my unique travel perspective. I am not just booking your trips. I have literally put that pineapple thing on my head in Cartagena. I have pictures to prove it. I have hiked the cloud forest up a volcano and walked the historic cobblestone streets. So I have so soaked in the diversity of Latin America firsthand. So today, join me as we explore some of my favorite Latin American destinations and memories.

I'm going to share all my insider tips, some personal stories, a lot of cultural insights, and of course, it wouldn't be a podcast with me if I didn't add a touch of my signature luxury meats local flair. All right, let's start with Mexico, the easiest one to get to from the continental U.S. we've got an east coast, we've got a West Coast. So food lovers, grab your taco Tuesdays, because spinning them in Mexico totally rewrites the meaning. Now, I have had the pleasure of soaking up the sun along both the east and the west coast of Mexico. But the beautiful beaches, the snorkeling, the lux resorts, the spas, but those are really just the start. If you want to truly feel the soul of Mexico, it's time to travel with your taste buds. So one of my favorite memories, it's really a scene that you know would be straight out of a movie.

I was in Ixtapa, which is on the west coast of Mexico overlooking the Pacific coast and the Pacific Ocean. And. And I was lucky enough to be in the city. It was the weekly farmer's market. And so there was a lively parade, dancing, traditional dancers twirling in the beautiful costumes, the traditional Hispanic music that got your feet moving, and all culminating in this mouthwatering barbecue that was literally, you know what I'm about to say. Chef's kiss. Oh, and the coconut water, fresh from a true coconut. You know, they cut the coconut in half and then you drink right out of it.

Very refreshing. And the IG photo is the sunset beyond the Pacific horizon taken from my resort's vantage point, unfiltered. So here's my pro tip. Definitely enjoy the fun in the sun, but let's carve out time to immerse yourself in some of Mexico's best kept cultural secrets, like San Miguel, which is an art lover's dream. It's got the cobbled streets, the colorful colonial building buildings, those galleries. It's really an art city. That's really the energy there, the creative energy. It's really contagious.

Or my son did this. He took a week long cooking class in Oaxaca. Next up, Pura vida, baby. I'm talking about Costa Rica. So, adventure lovers, this is especially for you. Let me introduce you. Latin America's adrenaline capital. Did you know that Costa Rica is the birthplace of ziplining? Correct.

The very first zipline course was born here. And you can actually soar across it. You can do the canopy on that original setup. But if you are feeling extra bold, which I will tell you right now, I would never do, you can go Superman style for that jolt of pure, unfiltered excitement. My stand up monument in Costa Rica, it had nothing to do with ziplining. It was really deeply personal. I've talked about this before on the podcast, how I really pushed myself beyond my comfort zone. And I climbed all the way to the top of Mount Arenal, which, well, it was an active volcano, but it could erupt at any time.

So I think maybe that makes it still an active volcano. I don't know. But once our group made it to the top. Our guide shared that the last time it erupted, it did terrible damage. And our guide's father was there, so he shared personal photos from his father from the last time the volcano erupted. And when I got back down that hill, I mean, the tears flowed. I couldn't believe that I had done something so far away from anything I'd ever done before. And then some.

The rest of our group continued to hike and I was like, I'm good. So I got to go with our guide, just the two of us, and soak in the local hot springs. The local hot springs are like the natural baths that are warmed from the volcano itself. And it was truly absolute heaven for me. And I have to give my G Adventures guide. Her name was Gracie. She was our chief experience officer. Truly next level.

I really believe in G Adventures and their guides are phenomenal. My insider tip for Costa Rica, of course, come prepared for that adventure. Ziplines, volcanoes, soothing hot springs. Don't forget though, don't sleep on that world famous Costa Rican coffee, which, if you caught last week's episode, you know, I am obsessed with my coffee. And I didn't mention Costa Rica last week. Bad on me. The country, it's a playground. It feeds your adventurous spirit, but it feeds my spirit.

Even though I don't consider me a true adventure nut. I mean, Superman style ziplining, not. But trust me, Costa Rica is an experience that you will not soon forget. Next up, especially for my cultural lovers, Peru. A land where the echoes ancient civilizations create an experience or multiple experiences that are truly lifelong memories. Yes, Machu Picchu is the superstar of Peru's bucket list. But if you really want to feel the heartbeat of this incredible culture in this incredible country, you really have to step up to an even higher altitude. Like going all the way up to Lake Titicaca, but on your way to Machu Picchu, most people, most groups, tours, if you're just going.

Most people stop in Cusco from Lima on the way to Machu Picchu. It's a stop where you can get more acclimated to the climate. It's actually a higher altitude than Machu Picchu. So when you get from the train from Cusco to Machu Picchu, you're actually going down. So it helps a little bit with that because Machu Picchu, you climb a lot, so it helps a lot with that altitude. We indulged in Cusco through hands on chocolate class. It was so much fun. We saw how the cacao beans transform from the trees into silky chocolate.

And then we got to make our own. And nothing tastes quite like the sweet reward of making it yourself. But here is where the magic really happened. On our tour, we had some optional excursions and no one except my family went on any of them. So they became these exclusive, intimate experiences that were just for us. The first one we did was this bustling local farmer's market. I learned here that the number one export from Peru is potatoes. And I forget how many varieties we saw this farmer's market.

It was too many to count on my fingers and toes. So one variety. This is a cool story. The yana potato. It actually plays a starring role in traditional quichera que c h u a indigenous people marriage ceremonies. It's one of the indigenous peoples and their marriage ceremonies. So the groom's mother will test the bride to be cooking skills by presenting her with this yana potato. It's really gross on the outside.

It's got like, when you go outside and your dog rubs in all the sticky like burrs, I guess that potato has them all. And if she can peel this, the bride to be the challenging potato, she's deemed worthy of marrying the son. So. But we collected all these great fresh foods in the farmer's market. And then after the market, we got to go to a local restaurant that was closed at the time, but except for us. And they prepared the Peru's signature dish, Lomos saltados, using the fresh ingredients that we had just gotten at the farmer's market. And so I got to eat this meal surrounded by family, local flavors. It was really like being welcomed into the family of Peru.

It was really beautiful. And then another truly, truly unforgettable experience is when Apacos, who is a spiritual healer, descended from another indigenous people. The coup apostrophe ero. I don't want to say it, in case I say it wrong. Q aro visited us. He walked 14 miles to get to us and then had to turn around after the ceremony and walk 14 miles back to his home. These ceremonial leaders, they're the keepers of the ancient Andean wisdom. They work with kau se, which is the living energy of nature.

And their presence really did have, or his presence, I should say, really gave us a profound sense of peace. We were wrapped literally in this centuries old tradition. And that visit was just for us, like no one else in our group took advantage of it. So it was a really intimate moment. It embodies exactly why I love Latin America. It's not just the sights or the luxury. It's the raw, authentic connections to the culture, the history, the indigenous community. That makes me proud to be a traveler.

It's just a bridge between world that reminds all of us, I hope all of us, how truly united we are in spirit the world is. I can't say it because then you'll sing the Disney song that is the worst earworm of all time. But you know what I mean. So if you are longing for a trip where iconic wonders and the hidden treasures intertwine, Peru is waiting. Okay, set jetters. This one is especially for you. Who remembers Romancing the Stone, raise your hand. It's with Michael Douglas and, oh, my gosh, Kathleen.

What's her name? Joan Wilder is her character. And who doesn't remember the fascinating Joan Wilder? Oh, and Danny DeVito's in it too. Great, great movie. Cartagena, which is where June Wilder and Michael Douglas character hooked up. Charmed us. We got to go there for a day on our Panama Canal cruise stop. So it was a port day. And here's my pro tip.

For all cruise excursions, forgo the ones that you buy from the ship with the super huge large groups. Book a local private guide. In this case, we used tours by local. And that gives you the freedom to explore the city your own way. It's really the secret. Well, for us, it was the secret to unlocking Cartagena's real magic. So this is where I balance the fruit quote unquote hat. It's a Palanquiera's tradition.

And so these are Afro Colombian women. They literally carry bowls of fruit that are stacked on top of their head. It's a tradition that's rooted in the resilience and the heritage of from escaped slaves who founded San Basilio de Palenque. I think I did really well on that. Thank you very much. Which was the first free African town in the Americas. Today their colorful presence means you can pay them to take a photo with them. I took on the pineapple hat challenge, and yes, it is exactly as hard as it looks, which means I wasn't able to balance it.

But it was so worth the picture, and it was great. I know. A very touristy thing to do, but it was fun. Now, that was where I met those women, was in front of the massive fortress. It's called the Castillo de San Felipe de Baradas de Barajas. I know the S isn't pronounced Castillo. I got right. Castillo de San Felipe.

It's the massive fortress. It's the touristy thing to do in Cartagena. Everyone does it. It's Worth it. You climb to the top of the hill. It's the hill of San Lazaro. The fort was built by the Spanish in the 16th century. It was to defend the city.

At that time it was fortified city against pirate raids, invasions. Cool fact. It's the largest fort that the Spanish built in their American colonies. So largest one. It has a true intricate maze of tunnels and battlements. And yes, I've got the photos to prove that I watched walked at all. Walking through it, you feel like you're stepping back in time. They've got some of the original cannons there.

It's a UNESCO World Heritage site. So those are the two like total touristy things we did in Cartagena. But because I mentioned that we did tours by local, we got off the beaten path and we went for an intimate visit with the rabbi of Cartagena's Jewish community. So most people don't even know there is a Jewish community in Cartagena. But it for us added a very soulful personal layer. And it's a beautiful reminder to everyone. Travel is about the people and the stories and the locals as much as the beautiful scenery. So if Cartagena is on your bucket list, I will help you ditch the crowds, book your own local guide and make room for those unexpected connections.

That is how we take a port excursion day and create a memory. And finally, this one's particularly for my expedition lovers. The Galapagos Islands are one of the world's most extraordinary destinations. I actually have not gotten the pleasure of going there yet, but I am packed with plenty of insider knowledge. Celebrity cruises. The ultimate way to explore the Galapagos Islands. Luxury, sustainability, combined. They have two ships.

One is called the Celebrity Flora, the other is the Fauna. And they were specifically built and designed for Galapagos cruising. No other line has specific ships that don't go anywhere else in the world. These two. So they have expert naturalists that are guiding the wildlife encounters. And of course you've got that five star comfort, discovery and decadence. So here is where an expert travel advisor, even though I have never been, truly shines though. I had family members who went to the Galapagos on the Celebrity Flora but didn't book it with me.

That's fine. They booked with another cruise agent, but she missed an essential detail. Your passport has to have at least six months validity beyond your travel date. So they called me the week before and were like, oh my gosh, what do we do? You know, her passport expires, so I had to send them or I had to Tell them where to go to get express passport in order to enter the Galapagos again. That goes for many, many countries where they won't let you in if you don't have at least six months validity beyond your travel date. It's because they don't want you to overstay your passport. So make sure you check that the week before. And then knowing that they were going on celebrity, when I got a discount in my inbox, I forward it to them.

It was not just a discount, like it wasn't like a coupon, it was like there was a special running and I found out about it because I'm a celebrity certified travel advisor. So I got them $200 in savings that their travel agent had missed. So that's why having me in your corner matters. It's peace of mind and the best value. So my pro tip here is to book your celebrity Galapagos sailing 12 to 18 months in advance to get your preferred cabin, your preferred dates. Demand for these two ships is high, so early planning makes dreams real. So whether you are spotting those blue footed boobies or you decide to snorkel with sea lions and yes, please or meet the giant tortoises, which is really, really what I want to do. I want to meet a giant tortoise.

Explore the Galapagos. Knowing every detail is taken care of for you. That way you can concentrate on making the moments and elevating them to next level. So there you have it, friends. A whirlwind tour of Latin America's most captivating destination. Mexico's vibrant culture, Costa Rica's adrenaline adventures, Peru's heartfelt traditions, Cartagena's colorful streets and paqueros stories. And of course, the unparalleled luxury of the Galapagos. For me, I've said this a couple times now, travel is about connection.

And I hope that goes for you as well. You want to connect with the people, the cultural, the history. But most important then we get to connect with ourselves. So for this national Hispanic Heritage Month, I am proud to honor Latin America's diversity by sharing these experiences. I hope that they inspire you to thoughtful, luxurious, heart driven travel. And of course, as you dream of your next and forgettable adventure, whether it's in Latin America or in the snow of Norway, remember, expert guidance from someone who knows because she goes makes all the difference. Your memories deserve my personal touch. So if you are inspired to explore Latin America or beyond, reach out anytime.

I am here to craft your dream itinerary. Until next time, make every journey a memory worth saving.