One of my fave pics ever – a group of the cutest penguins you can find in South America!

I never managed to make it to Ecuador on my travels in South America, so when I heard that Peru offered it’s very own version of the Galapagos Islands I couldn’t pass up the chance!

I managed to book a trip with my hostel in Huacachina, so for just over a £10 you get transport via Pizco and the boat trip included in your day. The place is called Islas Ballestas, and offers you a close-up view of dolphins, penguins, sea-lions and all sorts of birds that you might see in the Galapagos.

The penguins were so tiny but I’m glad I finally saw some. Not going to Patagonia made me think I was missing out on South American wildlife, so yes I admit I screamed like a 5-year-old when I saw them! The trip itself only lasted about an hour, but to be honest staring at wildlife wears thin after the same amount of time! One of my highlights was visiting the sea-lion beach… the noise of hundreds of sea-lions all guffawing at each other kind of reminded me of the racket humans make when they’re on holiday too! It looked like a fun life, just sitting there basking in the sun and collecting a fish or two when you feel the urge.