This was not like arriving in another European city. This felt like landing on the last frontier before the North Pole. Just frozen land, sharp mountains, Arctic wind, and a feeling that nature was completely in charge.

Where is Svalbard?

Svalbard is a remote Arctic archipelago located between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The main settlement, Longyearbyen, is one of the northernmost towns in the world — surrounded by glaciers, fjords, mountains, polar bears, and extreme wilderness.

How to Get There

I travelled from London to Oslo, then Oslo to Longyearbyen. As the plane approaches Svalbard, the view changes completely — white mountains, frozen coastlines, and a landscape that feels almost untouched.

Visa information

Svalbard is outside the Schengen Area. If your nationality requires a Schengen visa, make sure you have a double-entry or multiple-entry visa for transit through mainland Norway.

Reindeer roaming completely wild on the Arctic tundra outside Longyearbyen.

Best Things to Do

Snowmobile expedition

Snowmobiling was one of the most powerful experiences I had. Travelling across the Arctic wilderness gives you a real sense of how vast and extreme this place is — frozen valleys, white mountains, endless snow, and silence.

Hundreds of kilometres of frozen wilderness — the snowmobile trails of Svalbard.

Husky sledding

There is something deeply emotional about travelling through the Arctic behind a team of dogs. The sound of the sled, the breathing of the huskies, the cold air, and the open wilderness create a feeling unlike anything else.

Is Svalbard Safe?

The biggest safety issue is nature — polar bears, extreme weather, avalanches, and remote terrain. Never walk outside Longyearbyen without a guide and safety equipment.

Final Thoughts

Svalbard is remote, expensive, cold, powerful, and sometimes unpredictable. But that is exactly what makes it special. Some places change the way you see the world. Svalbard is one of those places.

The Amazon does not reveal itself all at once. It slowly pulls you in. First the river, then the heat, then the sounds, then the movement in the grass, the monkeys in the trees, and the sudden feeling that you are not just observing nature — you are inside it.

My journey took me through two very different worlds: the open wetlands of the Pampas and the dense rainforest of the Selva near Madidi National Park. One was full of visible wildlife from the boat. The other felt deeper, darker, and more mysterious.

Entering the Selva — the moment the jungle closes in from every direction and the town disappears behind you.

Where is the Bolivian Amazon?

The Bolivian Amazon is in the northern part of Bolivia, where the Andes fall away into rivers, rainforest, wetlands, and tropical wilderness. For most travellers, the gateway is Rurrenabaque, a small town on the Beni River — the base for tours into both the Pampas and the jungle.

Pampas vs Jungle: What is the Difference?

The Pampas

The Pampas are open wetlands and river systems explored mainly by boat. Because the landscape is more open, wildlife is often visible along the riverbanks. This is where you have the strongest chance of seeing:

• Caimans in the water
• Capybaras on the riverbanks
• Monkeys in the trees
• Pink river dolphins
• Spectacular sunsets on the river

Left: A spectacled caiman who lives under the camp kitchen. Right: A squirrel monkey in the riverside trees.

The Jungle / Selva

The jungle is a completely different experience. Here the forest is dense, the light is lower, the sounds are louder. You may not always see large animals, but you feel the presence of the rainforest around you. The Pampas show you the Amazon from the river. The jungle makes you feel swallowed by it.

On the boat through the open Pampas wetlands — wildlife appears from every direction along the riverbanks.

How to Get There

Start from La Paz. From there, fly or travel by road to Rurrenabaque. The easiest option is to fly with EcoJet — around 40 minutes direct. The road journey is possible but long, tiring, and not recommended if you're carrying camera gear.

Best Things to Do in the Pampas

Look for caimans

The Pampas are caiman territory. You may see them resting near the water, partly hidden in the grass, or watching from the river — sometimes only the eyes visible above the surface. It reminds you that the river is alive.

Pink river dolphins

One of the most special encounters is the pink river dolphin. In the same dark water where caimans watch, dolphins appear suddenly, break the surface, and disappear again. Completely unexpected. Completely unforgettable.

Sunset on the river

Sunset in the Pampas is one of the most cinematic moments of the journey. As the sun drops, the river changes colour, silhouettes of trees appear against the sky, and the sounds of the wetlands become stronger.

Best Things to Do in the Jungle

Night walk

A night walk in the jungle is one of the most intense Amazon experiences. Once the sun goes down, the forest changes completely. The sounds become louder, the darkness heavier, and your torch starts revealing insects, spiders, frogs, and movement you cannot explain.

Learn from local guides

Without a good guide, the jungle is just a wall of green. With a good guide, it becomes a living world full of stories — plants used for medicine, animal tracks, survival skills, and the deep relationship between local communities and the rainforest.

How Many Days Do You Need?

For the Pampas alone, 3 days is enough. For the Selva, 3 to 4 days. If you want both — plan 5 to 7 days. If you are filming or making travel content, the extra days give you time for weather changes, travel delays, and stronger storytelling.

My Experience

I booked through Viator with Mashaquipe Tours — a group tour combining both Pampas and Selva. As soon as we reached the river and got into the boat, the environment changed. The heat, the water, the wildlife, and the open landscape made it feel like we had entered another world.

The caimans appeared first. Then the capybaras. Then the monkeys. Then the pink river dolphins — appearing suddenly in the same dark water where caimans watched from the shallows. After the Pampas, the jungle became something else entirely. Darker, slower, more immersive. The night walk was unforgettable — every sound felt closer, every shadow felt alive.

Final Thoughts

The Bolivian Amazon is one of the most unforgettable places I have ever travelled. The Pampas and the Selva are completely different, but together they show the real power of the Amazon. One shows you the animals from the river. The other makes you feel the forest from the inside. It was not just a trip into the Amazon. It was a journey into a world that felt alive, ancient, and watching.