https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/ Trip recaps, travel guides and honest write ups from Kiran Goes Places, to go alongside the videos. en-gb Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/japanese-grand-prix-suzuka-first-f1-race/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/japanese-grand-prix-suzuka-first-f1-race/ Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT I flew to Japan a week early with no ticket and no plan, then drove a tiny kei car across the country to watch my first ever F1 race at Suzuka. Here's how the Japanese Grand Prix actually went. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/mount-fuji-viewpoints-kawaguchiko/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/mount-fuji-viewpoints-kawaguchiko/ Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Not every viewpoint around Lake Kawaguchiko is worth the walk. Here are the seven that actually deliver, from a convenience store car park to a five hundred year old pagoda. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/tokyo-vegetarian-food-guide/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/tokyo-vegetarian-food-guide/ Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tokyo has a reputation as a hard city for vegetarians. It isn't true anymore. Here's everywhere worth eating on a five day trip, from honey mustard gyoza to the best ramen of my life. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/5-days-in-tokyo-itinerary/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/5-days-in-tokyo-itinerary/ Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Hidden bars in Shinjuku, flying sushi in Shibuya, sumo wrestling in Ryogoku, cherry blossoms in Asakusa and Mario Kart through the neon streets. Here's exactly how we spent five days in Tokyo. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/tokyo-travel-guide-20-things/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/tokyo-travel-guide-20-things/ Wed, 17 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tokyo isn't one city, it's 23 different ones stitched together. From fighting a sumo wrestler to a whiskey bar the size of your living room, here are the 20 best things to do. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/salkantay-trek-things-to-know/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/salkantay-trek-things-to-know/ Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Altitude, weather, tickets, tour companies and everything else I wish I'd known before hiking the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu. The honest guide. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/la-paz-travel-guide/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/la-paz-travel-guide/ Tue, 26 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT South America's most underrated city. Cable cars instead of buses, dried llama fetuses at the Witches' Market, $10 fine dining and cycling Death Road. The full La Paz guide. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/silent-hiking-salkantay-to-machu-picchu/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/silent-hiking-salkantay-to-machu-picchu/ Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT No talking, just the trail. Glacial lakes, a 4,630m pass, jungle glass domes and the walk into Machu Picchu, told entirely through the scenery. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/machu-picchu-everything-you-need-to-know/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/machu-picchu-everything-you-need-to-know/ Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tickets, circuits, mountain hikes, real costs and a genuine hack for when Circuit 2 sells out. The video I wish I'd had when planning my own trip to Machu Picchu. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/we-made-it-to-machu-picchu/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/we-made-it-to-machu-picchu/ Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Four days of the Salkantay Trek, a final brutal climb to the Sun Gate, and the moment Machu Picchu finally appears through the clouds. Is it worth the hype? https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/cusco-in-3-days/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/cusco-in-3-days/ Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Cusco is the gateway to Machu Picchu, but the city deserves far more attention than that. Three days exploring the city, the Sacred Valley and hiking Rainbow Mountain. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/hiking-the-salkantay-trek/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/hiking-the-salkantay-trek/ Sun, 05 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Four days across glacial passes, turquoise lakes and dense cloud forest, climbing to 4,630m before descending towards Machu Picchu. The full Salkantay Trek, day by day. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/salt-hotel-bolivia/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/salt-hotel-bolivia/ Sun, 29 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Walls, floors, tables, beds, all carved from blocks of salt on the edge of the Uyuni Salt Flats. One of the strangest and most incredible nights of my life. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/uyuni-salt-flats-things-to-know/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/uyuni-salt-flats-things-to-know/ Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Season, altitude, tours, photography tricks and why you need Wellington boots. Everything worth knowing before visiting the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/sunrise-uyuni-salt-flats-mirror/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/sunrise-uyuni-salt-flats-mirror/ Sun, 22 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT A 5am jeep ride onto a flooded salt desert, breakfast at a second salt hotel, and the sunrise that made our guide compare it to Bruce Almighty. Chasing the mirror effect on the Uyuni Salt Flats. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/atacama-to-uyuni-road-trip/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/atacama-to-uyuni-road-trip/ Sun, 15 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT A 4am border crossing, pink lagoons full of flamingos, bubbling geysers at 5,000m, llamas charging our group and an actual train cemetery. The three-day 4x4 road trip from Chile to the Uyuni Salt Flats. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/rainbow-mountain-clouds/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/rainbow-mountain-clouds/ Sun, 08 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT A 3am bus from Cusco, altitude sickness at 4,900m, and a summit completely swallowed by cloud. What Rainbow Mountain in Peru is actually like, colours, crowds and the Red Valley bonus most people skip. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/w-trek-four-days-patagonia/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/w-trek-four-days-patagonia/ Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Granite towers at sunrise, a lake that never seems to end, the Cuernos up close, a windy final stretch to Paine Grande, and a walk on the Grey Glacier itself. The full 4-day W Trek in Torres del Paine, start to finish. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/w-trek-things-to-know/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/w-trek-things-to-know/ Tue, 17 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Flights, buses, catamarans, and a campsite booking system split across two rival companies. Everything I had to figure out the hard way before hiking the W Trek in Torres del Paine. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/w-trek-silent-hiking-patagonia/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/w-trek-silent-hiking-patagonia/ Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT No talking, just the trail. Granite towers at golden hour, a turquoise glacial lake, lenga forest, and a walk out onto the Grey Glacier itself, told entirely through the scenery. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/w-trek-day-4-grey-glacier/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/w-trek-day-4-grey-glacier/ Sat, 07 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT A storm blew away tents overnight, then it was porridge, a hike along Lake Grey, and an ice hike onto the Grey Glacier itself, crevasses, an ice cave and all. The final day of the W Trek in Patagonia. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/w-trek-day-3-french-valley/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/w-trek-day-3-french-valley/ Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT A hanging glacier, an autumn forest that looks like a fairytale, two lookouts, and wind strong enough to whip a lake into tornadoes. Day 3 of the W Trek in Patagonia. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/w-trek-day-2-los-cuernos/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/w-trek-day-2-los-cuernos/ Sun, 01 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT A 4:30am hike back up to Las Torres for sunrise, then 23km along a turquoise lake past Los Cuernos to Camping Frances. The longest day of the W Trek in Patagonia. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/w-trek-day-1-edge-of-the-world/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/w-trek-day-1-edge-of-the-world/ Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT A sleepy bus from Puerto Natales, a footbridge over glacial rapids, a fridge full of forgotten cheese sandwiches, and a cloudy first look at Las Torres. Day 1 of the W Trek in Patagonia. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/colombia-2-3-4-week-itinerary/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/colombia-2-3-4-week-itinerary/ Tue, 27 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT Medellín's Comuna 13, the rock at Guatapé, birdwatching in Minca, a hammock over the sea in Tayrona, dancing in Cartagena, coffee in Salento and Bogotá's gold museum. Here's how I'd actually route a first trip to Colombia. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/12-hours-in-bogota/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/12-hours-in-bogota/ Tue, 20 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT Most travellers skip Bogotá entirely or just pass through. Here's why one day in La Candelaria, the Botero Museum and the Gold Museum changed my mind about Colombia's grey, high altitude capital. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/cartagena-food-crawl/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/cartagena-food-crawl/ Tue, 13 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT Nia Bakery's V60 coffee, tacos in Getsemaní, a coconut lemonade in San Diego, and what might genuinely be the best sushi I've had anywhere. Everything we ate and drank across a few days in Cartagena. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/salento-coffee-country-guide/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/salento-coffee-country-guide/ Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT Galloping through a river on horseback, picking coffee cherries by hand, and a national sport played with gunpowder and beer. Seven things that make Salento one of the most memorable stops in Colombia. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/cartagena-street-art-and-wildlife/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/cartagena-street-art-and-wildlife/ Mon, 29 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT Beyond the coffee and cocktails, Cartagena's old town hides a complicated history, some of the best street art in Colombia, and an actual iguana crawling through a city centre park. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/salento-two-day-vlog/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/salento-two-day-vlog/ Tue, 23 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT Two days in Salento, Colombia, a misty Cocora Valley hike that nearly gave us nothing, a night of tejo with the locals, and a horse ride upstream through a river to a coffee farm. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/cartagena-salsa-lessons-and-door-knockers/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/cartagena-salsa-lessons-and-door-knockers/ Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT Three days in Cartagena, Colombia, a salsa class we booked to look less ridiculous on the dance floor, a painting-and-wine night by the pool, and what the door knockers of the old town actually mean. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/tayrona-national-park-guide/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/tayrona-national-park-guide/ Tue, 09 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT Two entrances that matter, a passport you actually need to carry, hammocks that creak all night, and a warning sign about currents that's worth taking seriously. Ten things to know before Tayrona National Park. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/tayrona-hostel-that-feels-like-fiji/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/tayrona-hostel-that-feels-like-fiji/ Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT A boat-shaped grill, a DJ party we stumbled into by accident, a jungle offering to a big rock, and the strangest place we've ever slept. Two days in and around Tayrona National Park, Colombia. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/medellin-hummingbird-murals-and-bulletproof-walls/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/medellin-hummingbird-murals-and-bulletproof-walls/ Tue, 25 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT Comuna 13's murals and outdoor escalators, a michelada from a street stand, salsa lessons, Guatapé's giant rock, and the darker side of the city's history. The best things to do in Medellín, Colombia. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/minca-a-guide-named-richard-who-talks-to-birds/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/minca-a-guide-named-richard-who-talks-to-birds/ Wed, 19 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT A 5:45am wake up call for birdwatching, a waterfall hidden inside the forest, and a sunset viewpoint with a live band and torches. 48 hours in Minca, a mountain town tucked into Colombia's Sierra Nevada. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/medellin-three-days-and-a-guide-called-miguel/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/medellin-three-days-and-a-guide-called-miguel/ Tue, 11 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT A Comuna 13 guide's dark sense of humour, a wall of old newspaper front pages, and a spontaneous day trip to Guatapé with someone we'd met an hour earlier. A few extra days in Medellín, Colombia. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/guatemala-itinerary-7-10-or-14-days/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/guatemala-itinerary-7-10-or-14-days/ Sat, 08 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT Two days in Antigua, an overnight on an erupting volcano, and a lake with a 5pm boat curfew. How to structure a Guatemala trip depending on whether you've got a week, ten days or two weeks. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/guatemala-erupting-volcanoes-and-a-bee-that-bites/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/guatemala-erupting-volcanoes-and-a-bee-that-bites/ Tue, 04 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT Volcanoes, chocolate anthems, turquoise pools and a lake with five different personalities. Looking back at everything Guatemala threw at us, and where to find the full story on each stop. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/acatenango-weak-ankles-and-what-i-wish-id-known/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/acatenango-weak-ankles-and-what-i-wish-id-known/ Sat, 01 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT Altitude sickness at 3,976 metres, a headlamp you genuinely can't hike without, and the shocker that some companies will carry your bag up for you. Ten things to know before hiking Acatenango, Guatemala. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/acatenango-fuego-smoking-and-the-best-sunset-yet/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/acatenango-fuego-smoking-and-the-best-sunset-yet/ Tue, 28 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT Thrift-shopping for hiking gear, four and a half hours of volcanic sand, hot chocolate and marshmallows by a fire facing an active volcano, and a 5am sunrise hike to the rim. 24 hours on Acatenango, Guatemala. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/semuc-champey-butts-up-and-the-prettiest-water/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/semuc-champey-butts-up-and-the-prettiest-water/ Tue, 21 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT Standing on the back of a moving jeep, a slippery hike to the postcard viewpoint, and tubing down the Cahabón River while a guide shouts warnings about rocks. 24 hours in Semuc Champey and Lanquín, Guatemala. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/tikal-howler-monkeys-and-a-lost-mayan-city/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/tikal-howler-monkeys-and-a-lost-mayan-city/ Tue, 14 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT A flooded island, a restaurant with a fireman's pole, a 4:20am wake up call, and a 2,000 year old Mayan city where 85% is still buried underground. 24 hours in Flores and Tikal, Guatemala. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/lake-atitlan-one-lake-five-different-towns/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/lake-atitlan-one-lake-five-different-towns/ Tue, 07 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT Sunrise hikes, hippy streets, a horse ride, cliff jumps and a hostel that feels like family. Why Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, is really a handful of different places sharing one volcano-ringed lake. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/free-cerveza-hostel-and-a-tiny-scorpion/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/free-cerveza-hostel-and-a-tiny-scorpion/ Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT Free Cerveza on Lake Atitlán, family dinners with strangers who become friends, a hotly disputed cliff jump height in San Marcos, and a tiny scorpion in the tent next door. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/san-pedro-san-juan-top-things-to-do/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/san-pedro-san-juan-top-things-to-do/ Tue, 23 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT The quick version of San Pedro and San Juan around Lake Atitlán, plus the one thing that's easy to forget about, actually getting out on the water. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/san-pedro-horseback-and-a-4am-sunrise-hike/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/san-pedro-horseback-and-a-4am-sunrise-hike/ Tue, 16 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT A horseman who trusted me with his horse alone in the forest, a pitch black hike to Indian's Nose for sunrise, and a Mayan bee sanctuary where we tasted twelve honeys. 48 hours around Lake Atitlán, Guatemala. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/antigua-top-things-to-do/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/antigua-top-things-to-do/ Tue, 09 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT Green jade masks that once got buried with the dead, and a volcano hike where you camp opposite an erupting neighbour. The quick version of what to actually do in Antigua, Guatemala. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/antigua-chocolate-anthem-and-a-volcano-view/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/antigua-chocolate-anthem-and-a-volcano-view/ Tue, 02 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT A chocolate making workshop that ended in a sing-along, a coffee farm that felt like a scene from Narcos, and the arch on every Guatemala postcard. 48 hours in Antigua, Guatemala. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/kathmandu-top-things-to-do/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/kathmandu-top-things-to-do/ Tue, 26 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT A fierce black statue that was once used as a lie detector, why Kathmandu's rooftops are its best kept secret, and the short list of what to actually do in the city before heading to the mountains. https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/kathmandu-haircut-and-momos-24-hours/ https://kirangoesplaces.com/blog/kathmandu-haircut-and-momos-24-hours/ Tue, 19 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT A street barber who wouldn't leave my fringe alone, a monkey that stole a watermelon and then a Coke, and a city that's equal parts chaos and spirituality. 24 hours in Kathmandu, Nepal.