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After a 4 hour journey by road from Rio de Janeiro I arrived to Reserva do Ibitipoca, a special new find for Last Frontiers. I was given a wonderful welcome by the friendly staff, with drinks and delicious home-made cakes for tea – what more could one ask for? It’s an isolated property sitting at 900m overlooking a small lake, in a reserve that is over 3,000 hectares. The views are great, the accommodation very comfortable and the project for tourism that began in 2009, aiming to increase local employment and increase education and qualifications in the region, is something I feel is a real asset and worth supporting.

It reminded me of an Estancia stay in Argentina or a stay at a Hacienda in Ecuador – everyone was encouraged to eat ‘family style’ around the main dining room table but for those that want more privacy separate tables can be set. The food was superb – breakfast is eaten on the terrace outside (weather allowing but if it’s a bit cold they give you a blanket!) and was an excellent buffet with eggs available to order. Lunch was also a buffet of typical/regional food from Minas Gerais – all set out around the wood burning stove to keep warm and delicious (in my opinion it was the best meal of the day with many of the veggies produced on the farm). Dinner is generally a la Carte (choice of 3 starters, 3 main courses and dessert).

The 8 rooms are all slightly different with wooden floors, traditional/tasteful furniture, very comfy beds (with pristine white cotton sheets) and interesting wall hangings that reflect local handicrafts and culture. The bathrooms have under floor heating and Victorian style baths, plus L’Occitane amenities, a real treat.

Sitting around the open fire in the sitting room in the evenings, or the fire pit outside, created a warm, friendly atmosphere – I felt quite at home! Another bonus is the small Spa where massages and yoga are available, and there is also a sauna and outdoor hot tub (great place to sit in the dark with a cold beer).

One of the main activities is riding and the best way to explore the area is on a horse. They have plenty of beautiful horses for everyone (Mangalarga and Anglo-Arabian), and horses to suit both experienced and novice riders. We went on 4 hour ride with stops at caves, waterfalls, natural pools etc and at times we were riding across very poor and sandy soil. Sadly I only had time for one ride, a good reason to go back.

The Ibitipoca State Park, 1,923 hectares, only 5km away from the reserve, is a conservation area and definitely worth a visit. Due to the quartz, it is characterized by a landscape of cliffs, rocks, natural bridges, caverns, grottoes, waterfalls, orchids, bromeliads, cactus and lichens – the water has a real coca cola colour and there are well marked walking trails of varying lengths.

Politicians, with their usually short term outlook, have often used populist issues to distract their public from other less easily-solved economic problems. A whiff of oil, or any other potential natural resource, will always lubricate the rhetoric. Since the history of the islands, like many far-flung outposts, is complicated and rather murky, it is quite possible to convincingly argue for either side.

A permanent agreement on the Falklands/Malvinas issue can only come about through diplomatic endeavours, and in practice the onus is on Argentina to take this forward. British politicians, who have already committed publicly to self-determination of the islanders, are very unlikely to change their policy within the lifetime of a parliament.

If Argentina is to be successful, its challenge is to persuade the islanders that they are better off as Argentine citizens (a policy that had started quite successfully in the 1960's and 70's). One can imagine that given time and a consistent foreign policy this would be quite achievable - via trade, education and flight connections for a start.

So let's leave this to the diplomats, who should at least know that the citizens of Argentina are Argentines and not, please, Argentinians.

Oli made his first trip to Uruguay, visiting Carmelo, Colonia, Montevideo, Punta del Este and discovered some new properties near the chic little fishing village of José Ignacio. Fine wine, good food (and interesting and unusual cuts of meat), and even some glamping. Read his full Uruguay trip report here: www.lastfrontiers.com/articleview.php?id=257

Ed visited Bonito, clear rivers with fantastic snorkelling, and then moved north to the Pantanal - Brazil's main wildlife destination. Here he stayed at our friend Paul Grol's Embiara Lodge, but also found time to pop in on some of the neighbours. Read his Brazil trip report here: www.lastfrontiers.com/articleview.php?id=259 

Sue was in Mexico, where she loved the cobbled streets and colonial charm of Oaxaca, before continuing to Chiapas (the Sumidero canyon, the Maya site of Bonampak, Yaxchilán and Palenque, where she found a lovely new hotel, the Quinta Chanabnal). She then continued to the Riviera Maya where two private villas particularly caught here attention. Read her Mexico report here: www.lastfrontiers.com/articleview.php?id=271

Ed made his first foray to little-visited Paraguay. He visited several of the fascinating ex-Jesuit missions and wondered why more people don't spend at least a few days in this very friendly country. Read his Paraguay trip report here: www.lastfrontiers.com/articleview.php?id=258 

We are looking forward to welcoming Becks and Lizzy back from maternity leave in late October and February respectively (young Henry and Joseph are both frequent, ever-growing, visitors), and Tracy has just stopped work in anticipation of the birth of her second. Our newest recruits, Oli and Claire, are both settling in very well (and currently travelling in Panama and Belize respectively). We do feel rather short-staffed, however, so if you know of any Latin America enthusiast looking for a (demanding, but fulfilling) job do point them our way! 

Towards the south-western tip of Bolivia, high in the Andes bordering Chile and Argentina, is some of South America's most captivating scenery, an otherworldly showcase of lunar landscapes, petrified forests, geysers and multicloured lakes all under huge aqua-blue skies. However, amongst the geological marvels, the highlight is the Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt-lake in the world and a dazzlingly white expanse of hexagonal salt crystals stretching out as far as the eye can see.

For years, this was purely backpacker territory, a long slog south from the capital la Paz on rickety buses but now a brand new flight from la Paz to Uyuni has finally opened Bolivia's southern highlands.

Last Frontiers can offer a 7 day trip to Bolivia starting from £2244 per person. Spend 2 nights in the capital La Paz with a city tour before you fly to Uyuni to embark on a unique 4 day jeep journey to take in the geysers, smoking volcanoes, petrified forests and colourful lakes of the southern altiplano culminating in the Salar de Uyuni. Each night is spent in a rustic lodge before you fly back to La Paz for a final night. The price includes international and internal flights, all transfers and accommodation and the 4 day guided jeep tour with all meals included.

To extend the trip, why not continue across the border into the Atacama Desert in Chile, see here, or even continue south though the mutlicoloured canyons of Tupiza into northern Argentina and Salta. Please contact us for more information.

After a day in Mexico City and overnight in the lovely boutique hotel Las Alcobas we set off for Oaxaca. I loved it, cobbled streets lined with colonial buildings, a beautiful main plaza, many churches and some excellent restaurants. The Casa Oaxaca is one of our favourites but a new find was the charming Casa Catrina. Our stay was non-stop but my highlights were the archeological site of Monte Alban, where the royalty and elite of the Zapotec (and later the Mixtec) people built their homes and temples, and visiting local families in the nearby valleys where we saw famous artisans at work - wood carving, pottery and candle making - all made to look so easy! We were also treated to lunch with a local family – my favourite was the chicken and squash-blossom quesadillas with the Fuertes family, accompanied by shots of Mezcal (the local alcohol)! The weekly market in the Tlacolula Valley was amazing - very much of a local market with 1000’s of stalls selling everything - fruit, vegetables, clothing, livestock, electrical goods, etc.

The next day was full of adventure – it started with a great scenic flight from Oaxaca to Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, on a 13 seat Cessna Grand Caravan and was followed by a boat trip through the Sumidero canyon - the limestone walls are over 1,000m high, we saw white herons, pelicans, monkeys and crocodiles and during the wet season I’m sure the Christmas tree waterfall would be spectacular.  San Cristobal reminded me of Antigua in Guatemala and, at 2,200m, was lovely and cool in comparison to the heat experienced in Oaxaca. Cobbled streets, colonial architecture, churches, local markets and lots of shopping, bars and restaurants make it a popular stopping off point for many travellers and I can understand why. Casa Felipe Flores is a gem but if you want to be outside of the city in an old hacienda I would recommend Parador San Juan de Dios. A visit to the Church in San Juan Chumula is a must for anyone visiting San Cristobal – a unique and very moving experience and I am amazed that visitors are able to visit.

I don’t think I have ever experienced quite as many speed bumps as there were on the twisty road to Palenque but it was a lovely journey passing through small villages, pine forests and farmland. En-route we stopped at the archeological site Tonina - we were the only people there which made them particularly special, they more than lived up to my expectations and were definitely worth the short detour. There are 7 platforms, it is 71m from the main plaza to the top up tiny steep steps but worth it for the view. Quinta Chanabnal was a great new find for us in Palenque and the ruins, set in jungle, are very impressive. However, the long (13 hour roundtrip), excursion to Bonampak and Yaxchilán were a highlight, even though it was over 40 degrees! Bonampak (means painted walls) is famous for its frescoes in the Templo de las Pinturas and there are some wonderful stelae. Yaxchilán on the Usumacinta River, and bordering Guatemala, is only accessible by boat - we felt like real explorers, there was no-one else around, The Temple of the Murals was amazing and the view from the top of the main temple worth the climb.

Leaving Chiapas it was on to the Yucatan Peninsula for some hacienda hopping before finally arriving to the Riviera Maya for some time on the beach. This section of the trip makes an excellent holiday in its own right if time is more limited. Mérida is an interesting city, there are some wonderful haciendas in the region, and many fascinating archeological sites including Uxmal and famous Chichen Itzá. A couple of my favourite haciendas were Hacienda Uayamon and Hacienda Santa Rosa both with lots of history, beautiful grounds and excellent food.

The Riviera Maya now has many hotels but it’s a beautiful coastline with wonderful beaches. I was lucky enough to have a night in both Maroma and Esencia, which both continue to be favourites but the Ana y Jose and be Tulum, in Tulum, are both excellent alternatives for those on more of a budget and wanting to be less isolated. Other great finds, particularly if you are looking for somewhere to spend time with a group of friends, were the private villas I visited, either Villa Xpu-Ha or, for somewhere more remote, Casa Nulum.