Maxim Levoshin

Category: Chile

  • Helicopter flight rankings: the best and worst routes in South America

    Helicopter flight rankings: the best and worst routes in South America

    I really love flying, and if there is an opportunity to see something beautiful, I definitely take it. Here’s my ranking of experiences:

    🤮 Chile, lines in the Nazca Desert – 4/10
    School textbooks say that geoglyphs in the desert are only visible from a bird’s eye view. That’s a lie! Near the highway there are metal towers from which everything is perfectly visible. Above the desert tourists are taken by a shaking corncob, the views are monotonous, you get seasick. I don’t recommend it.

    😎 Brazil, Rio de Janeiro – 10/10
    The most beautiful helicopter tour on the continent! Ocean, beaches, impressive city in the hills, Jesus statue above the city. At the same time – the most careless security system at the airport. Bags are not checked, documents are not even asked. Apparently the aura of the city’s saint keeps everyone safe.

    😁 Brazil, Iguazu Falls – 8/10
    The most powerful waterfall system in the world. The most famous part is the Devil’s Throat, a 270 degree circular space surrounded by waterfalls. Powerful and beautiful: a helicopter flies right up to the Throat itself! I took off two points, because from the bottom, from the boat, you can drive into the waterfall itself, and it is much cooler in impressions! Brazilians are leisurely, both the boat and the helicopter will take half a day. If you have to choose one thing, definitely the boat!

    😎 Argentina, Martina Garcia Island – 9/10
    The exile island of a former president on the border with Uruguay. Perfect location for a date: beautiful flight over the La Plata river delta, interesting architecture of the island (even a theater building has been preserved!), lunch in a small authentic restaurant, crocodiles on the waterfront.

    😁 Argentina, Buenos Aires – 8/10
    It’s just really nice to fly over your city and take a look at your favorite places.

    🥲 Peru, Machu Picchu – 0/10
    A place that doesn’t have a helipad, but would really like one! The ancient Inca temple is protected on all sides by the high Andes Mountains. You can only get here by train, but it would be great to fly in.

  • A Car Guide to the Atacama Desert

    A Car Guide to the Atacama Desert

    The Atacama Desert in Chile is the driest place on earth. A fantastic land with a harsh climate and cosmic mountain scenery. I tell you about the coolest locations, get your four-wheel drive vehicles ready and hit the road!

    👋Hand of desert: 8/10. Huge hand sculpture in the middle of nowhere, an elusive hello to Burnin’ Man. I drove to Atacama along the coast from Santiago and the hand was on the way, but I wouldn’t stop by on purpose.

    All other points are conveniently accessible from San Pedro de Atacama, a small atmospheric oasis town with great vacation hotels.

    🧂Laguna Cejar: 3/10. A popular salt lake for tourists to swim above the surface of the water alone, arrive at 9am for the very opening. If you’ve been swimming in the dead sea, there’s nothing to see.

    🌖 Valley of the Moon: 7/10. Sunset near the town in case you’re too lazy to drive somewhere far away. Beautiful trekking trail for three hours: flew a drone to check it out, recommended 😎

    🌈 Valle del Arcoiris (rainbow mountains): 9/10. My favorite genre – beautiful mountain scenery to admire from a car window.

    🦩 Laguna Chaxa: 10/10. Huge salt lake. Arrive at sunset – incredibly beautiful and quiet, amazing light, flocks of flamingos and mountains.

    Next points above 4000 meters, be careful of yourself.

    💦 Geysers el Tatio: 1/10. The most hyped place in the Atacama, but it’s not worth it. First of all, the geysers are larks and spit spectacularly only at dawn. Secondly, there are no hotels nearby (and in vain!) and you will have to drive along the dark serpentine at 4 am. Third, you’ll be joined by a crowd of tourists from San Pedro. Fourth, you’ll get sick along with the geysers.

    🗿 Monjes de La Pacana: 10/10. Have you seen Salvador Dali’s cartoon Destino? This surreal desert really exists! It’s unknown how the huge vertical stones ended up in the middle of nowhere, but it’s simply the best place to picnic and ponder the meaning of life: just you, the desert, and the cobblestone overhanging from above.

  • What I love most about traveling are the beautiful roads

    The most epic mountain serpentine is Los Carcaroles, on the border between Argentina and Chile.

    There is also the longest border in Latam: border guards unload all the things from the car and with dogs look for illegal goods. A huge sheepdog sniffed the car and suddenly barked loudly and joyfully. You know what they took away from me? The worst offense I will never repeat in my life: two apples and a handful of raisins.
    The explanation was that Chile is closed off from the rest of Latin America by the high Andes. So high that not a single fly could pass through. Chileans are terribly proud of this (the absence of flies and the Andes, too) and that is why they do not allow fruit from Argentina – what if they turn out to be rotten and insect-ridden?

    The three-hour wait was worth it – the road is magnificent, look!

  • How to pass the border quickly by car

    In a year of road-traveling around Latin America, I’ve learned the cardinal rule:

    Never cross the border at a popular place. You will spend three hours in line, they will make you unload all your stuff from the car, take away your bananas (did you know that banana gnats travel only in four-wheel drive cars with air conditioning, and can’t fly across the border because your passport is the wrong color?), and will explain for a long time that you should have bought a special toilet paper with a printed questionnaire for a dollar in advance, and if you don’t have the paper – well, go look for it somewhere in the night yourself.

    Change countries through villages in high mountains or impenetrable jungles. There will be a strong wind outside, so they won’t even look in the car, all customs officers and their dogs will take pictures with you, because ruso gringo turisto in such a hole is the main entertainment of the week, maybe even pour coffee. If you don’t get caught in the lunch break of the only migration officer, you will pass everything literally in 10 minutes.

    What was the most epic thing that happened to you at the border?

  • I am often asked: Max, how safe is it to drive in Latin America?

    I am often asked: Max, how safe is it to drive in Latin America?

    I tell you about my experience (Argentina/Paraguay/Uruguay/Brazil/Chile/Peru/Ecuador). During the year I was attacked only once by petty thieves: monkeys in the jungle got into my travel food bag and snatched chips. Be careful, though!

    Basic rules:

    🌃 Drive around the arc of tourist areas in big cities. Locals know there are gringo white tourists with money walking around. Of course, you can see us all from a kilometer away and the risk of your phone/wallet being stolen is quite high. In Brazil, it’s also dangerous in megacities.

    🗻 It’s quiet in villages in the mountains: locals often don’t even close their doors. Fences are immediately low, there are no bars on the windows.

    😎And the obvious: don’t talk on the phone on the street, don’t put valuables on the table in cafes, don’t drive into slums at night, check that your hotel has parking (for example, in Cusco, the streets are so narrow that even five-star hotels without parking, I was shocked😳), when renting a place for a long time – choose gated neighborhoods with security guards.

    I feel like the danger of latam is exaggerated, the chances of something being stolen from you in London/Barcelona/San Fran are about the same.

    What’s the security situation in your city?

  • I was driving along the ocean yesterday and realized that one of my wheels is dead

    I was driving along the ocean yesterday and realized that one of my wheels is dead

    I was driving along the ocean yesterday and realized that one of my wheels is dead. It’s Sunday, and usually everything is closed, but I’m lucky – there’s a garage with an auto mechanic near the highway.

    While the master removes the tire and pulls out the nail, I chat with his ten-year-old son Danilo. Children are, of course, the best tutors for language. It never occurs to them that someone might not understand them, so they chatter at first space speed and of course with all the slang.

    I divert the conversation from questions about how much my iPhone costs to school and geography: Danilo likes school, but he doesn’t know where the exotic country of Russia is.
    “You’re going to Chile, do they have beaches and blue water there too?”

    – Yes

    However, after about 10 minutes, the boy guesses something:
    “You don’t understand everything in Spanish. Is your mother tongue Quechua?”

    Quechua in Peru is spoken by the indigenous population in the mountains, about 13 million speakers. I couldn’t explain what Russian or “another language” in general was😂

    The older kids taught me how to say hello:
    Nuha essence Max – my name is Max.

    And what new things did you learn from the children?

  • 🚘 Checklist: “How to Survive Travel in Remote National Parks”

    After covering 100,000+ kilometers across two Americas and Eurasia, I’ve learned that near stunning natural spots, accommodations can be… let’s say basic (if they exist at all). Here’s a tested checklist of must-ask questions for hotels, especially in Latin America, where reality often diverges from online descriptions.  

    Before Booking: Ask These Questions

    ✔️ Are you open today? (Obvious, but sometimes surprising answers.)  

    ✔️ What time does the reception close?(Arriving at midnight to locked doors isn’t fun.)  

    ✔️ Is the room warm / does the AC work?(Altitude and jungle climates are unpredictable!)  

    ✔️ Do you have hot water? (And no, “lukewarm” doesn’t count.)  

    ✔️ Is there enough hot water for a full shower or bath? (Because trickling water ruins vibes.)  

    ✔️ Is the internet reliable? (If you’re working remotely or just want to Google stuff.)  

    ✔️ What time does the kitchen close? (After a long hike, you’ll want food ready.)  

    ✔️ Is there secure parking on-site? (Especially crucial in areas with sketchy security.)  

    Pro Tips:

    1. Book last minute – Natural beauty often dictates your pace. Don’t lock yourself into a schedule when the best moments are spontaneous.  

    2. Pack backup food & essentials – Some places lack restaurants or have kitchens with weird hours.  

    3. Bring a power bank and flashlight – Electricity outages in remote areas are common.  

    Trust me, double-checking these small details will save you from big headaches. What’s your go-to travel tip? 🌍✨