— Your Trusted Guide to the Americas
Introduction
At AmeTrip, we don’t just see ourselves as a travel website—we see ourselves as storytellers, navigators, and fellow adventurers bound by a singular passion: the Americas. This vast, vibrant continent, spanning from the Arctic ice of northern Canada to the tropical rainforests of Brazil’s Amazon, from the colonial cobblestones of Mexico’s Oaxaca to the modern skylines of New York City, is more than a collection of destinations. It is a living, breathing tapestry of cultures, landscapes, and histories, each thread woven with stories waiting to be told.
Our journey began not in a boardroom, but on the road—trekking the Inca Trail at dawn, where the first light of day turned Machu Picchu’s stone peaks gold; haggling for handmade tortillas in a Mexico City mercado, where the scent of cilantro and chili filled the air; watching glaciers calve into Patagonia’s turquoise lakes, their thunderous cracks echoing across the valleys; and dancing to reggae under the stars in a Jamaican village, where locals welcomed us like old friends. These moments weren’t just “trips”—they were transformations. They taught us that travel, at its best, is about connection: to the land, to the people who call it home, and to the parts of ourselves we didn’t know existed.
But along the way, we also encountered a frustration shared by countless travelers: the lack of trustworthy, human-centered information about the Americas. Too many travel resources were either superficial—regurgitating the same “top 10” lists without context—or overwhelming, dumping disjointed facts about visas, transportation, and hotels without guiding users on how to weave them into a meaningful journey. We’d scroll through pages of generic advice only to arrive at a destination and realize the “must-see” museum was overcrowded and underwhelming, or the “budget hostel” was in a neighborhood where we didn’t feel safe. We’d rely on secondhand stories about “authentic” experiences, only to discover they were staged for tourists.
That’s when AmeTrip was born. We set out to create something different: a resource that combines the expertise of local insiders with the empathy of travelers who’ve been in your shoes. A place where you don’t just find information—you find confidence, inspiration, and a sense that someone who truly cares about your journey is guiding you. Today, AmeTrip stands as a community of explorers, writers, photographers, and local experts united by one mission: to make every trip to the Americas not just memorable, but meaningful.
Our Story: Born from a Passion for the Americas
The idea for AmeTrip first took root in 2018, when our founding team—Lila, a former travel journalist who’d spent a decade covering Latin America; Marco, a geographer with a PhD in Andean ecosystems; and Mia, a digital strategist who’d quit her corporate job to backpack across the Caribbean—met at a small café in Lima, Peru. We were all in town for different reasons: Lila was researching a story on Peruvian cuisine, Marco was leading a study on glacier conservation in the Andes, and Mia was wrapping up a three-month trip through the Caribbean islands. But over cups of strong Peruvian coffee and plates of ceviche (the kind with fresh sea bass, lime, and a hint of ají limo that makes your taste buds sing), we realized we shared the same frustration.
“I’d just spent three days trying to find a reliable guide for the Salkantay Trek,” Lila said, stirring sugar into her coffee. “Every website had a different ‘best time to go’ or ‘hidden trail,’ but none of them mentioned that the local Quechua communities offer homestays—places where you can eat traditional quinoa soup and listen to elders tell stories about the mountains. That’s the stuff people actually want to know.”
Marco nodded. “I had a family email me last month, asking about visiting Patagonia with kids. All the guides said ‘it’s doable,’ but no one told them about the short, accessible trails near El Calafate that are safe for toddlers, or the lodges with heated pools to warm up after a day of hiking. They ended up booking a trip that was way too strenuous—and disappointed.”
Mia leaned forward, pulling out her laptop to show us a messy spreadsheet. “I’ve been tracking my Caribbean trip costs, and half the ‘budget guides’ online are outdated. They said Jamaica’s buses cost
1,butthey’re3 now. And no one mentioned that in the Dominican Republic, some beach bars add hidden ‘tourist taxes’ to your bill. It’s the small, local details that make or break a trip—and no one’s covering them.”
By the end of that café meeting, we had a napkin covered in notes: “local contributors,” “tested itineraries,” “honest reviews,” “community-focused.” We wanted to build a platform that didn’t just tell people where to go, but why they should go—and how to go in a way that respects the land and its people.
Over the next two years, we traveled tens of thousands of miles across the Americas to build our network. In Banff, Canada, we met Jake, a former park ranger who’d spent 15 years leading hikes through the Rockies. He told us about the secret lake off the Icefields Parkway where you can swim in turquoise water surrounded by snow-capped peaks—no crowds, no signage, just a trail he’d learned from his Indigenous guide as a kid. In Mexico City, we connected with Sofia, a chef who runs a food tour focused on “forgotten” Mexican cuisines—think mole negro from Oaxaca, tlacoyos from Puebla, and champurrado from Veracruz. She taught us that the best tacos in the city aren’t in the tourist districts, but in a tiny stall in Tlalpan run by a woman named Doña Maria, who’s been making them for 40 years. In Rio de Janeiro, we met Carlos, a former police officer who now leads “safe solo travel” tours, showing visitors neighborhoods like Santa Teresa and Lapa after dark—places that many guides warn against, but that are full of art, music, and warmth when you know where to go.
These people became the backbone of AmeTrip. They’re not just “contributors”—they’re our eyes and ears on the ground. They update our guides when a bus route changes, warn us when a restaurant starts cutting corners, and share the little-known gems that only locals know about. Today, our team includes over 50 local experts across 18 countries in the Americas—from a Mayan archaeologist in Guatemala to a surf instructor in Costa Rica, from a wine sommelier in Argentina to a wildlife biologist in the Amazon. Each one brings a unique perspective, but all share our commitment to authenticity.
We launched AmeTrip in 2020, in the middle of a global pandemic—hardly the ideal time for a travel website. But it turned out to be a gift. While the world stayed home, we doubled down on creating content that mattered: deep dives into Indigenous cultures, virtual tours of national parks, and guides to “slow travel” for when the world opened up again. We built a community on social media, where travelers shared their dream trips and locals offered tips. When borders finally reopened in 2021, we were ready—and so were our readers. A woman from Chicago emailed us to say she’d used our Peru guide to plan a trip to Machu Picchu, and thanks to our tip about staying in a Quechua homestay, she’d made friends with a local family who invited her to a traditional festival. A couple from Toronto told us our Patagonia itinerary had saved their honeymoon—they’d swapped a strenuous hike for the toddler-friendly trail Marco had recommended, and their 3-year-old had spent the day chasing llamas and collecting rocks. These stories aren’t just “successes” for us—they’re proof that our mission works.
Our Mission: To Make Every Journey to the Americas Meaningful
At AmeTrip, our mission is simple, but ambitious: to make every journey to the Americas not just a trip, but an experience that enriches both the traveler and the communities they visit. We believe travel should be transformative—and that transformation starts with how you plan it. To that end, we’ve built our platform around three core pillars: Delving Deeper, Empowering Your Decisions, and Igniting Inspiration.
1. Delving Deeper: Beyond the Tourist Trail
We refuse to settle for surface-level content. When we write about a destination, we don’t just list its “top attractions”—we uncover the stories behind them. Take Machu Picchu, for example. Most guides will tell you it’s a “15th-century Inca citadel” and advise you to book a train ticket to Aguas Calientes. But at AmeTrip, we go further. We talk to Quechua elders about how their ancestors built the citadel without modern tools, using only stone and rope. We explain why the Incas chose that specific mountain—because it aligns with the sun during the winter solstice, a sacred time for their culture. We recommend the Salkantay Trek over the Inca Trail not just because it’s less crowded, but because it passes through Quechua villages where you can buy handwoven textiles directly from artisans, supporting their livelihoods. We even share the story of Doña Elena, a woman in Aguas Calientes who runs a small restaurant serving quinoa soup made from her family’s farm—she doesn’t have a website, but her soup will warm you from the inside out after a day of hiking.
This commitment to depth extends to every corner of the Americas. When we write about New York City, we don’t just mention the Statue of Liberty and Times Square. We take you to the Bronx’s Little Italy, where nonnas make fresh pasta in storefront windows; to Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, where locals gather for free jazz concerts in the summer; and to Harlem’s Apollo Theater, where you can catch an amateur night just like Ella Fitzgerald did in 1934. When we cover the Caribbean, we don’t just list beaches—we tell you about the hidden cove in Jamaica’s Negril where locals go to surf, the Dominican Republic’s Samaná Peninsula where humpback whales mate every winter, and Cuba’s Trinidad, a colonial town so well-preserved it feels like stepping back in time.
We also prioritize underrepresented destinations—places that don’t make the “top 10” lists but are full of beauty and culture. Take Guyana, for example, a small country in South America that’s home to one of the world’s largest rainforests and Indigenous communities that have lived in harmony with the land for millennia. Most travel websites ignore Guyana, but we’ve partnered with a Makushi Indigenous guide named David to create a guide to trekking through Kaieteur National Park, where you can see the world’s largest single-drop waterfall and spot jaguars (if you’re lucky). Or consider Nicaragua, a Central American country often overshadowed by Costa Rica, but with volcanoes you can hike, colonial cities like Granada, and beaches where you can learn to surf for a fraction of the cost. Our Nicaragua guide was written by Maria, a local journalist who grew up in Managua and knows the best places to eat gallo pinto (rice and beans) and dance to merengue.
2. Empowering Your Decisions: Trustworthy, Practical Guidance
We know that planning a trip to the Americas can be overwhelming—especially if you’re visiting multiple countries, navigating different languages, or traveling with specific needs (like kids, disabilities, or a tight budget). That’s why we’ve made it our mission to eliminate the guesswork with content that’s accurate, clear, and tailored to you.
Every piece of practical advice on AmeTrip is vetted by local experts and tested by real travelers. Our visa guides, for example, are updated monthly by a team of immigration lawyers who specialize in American travel. If the U.S. changes its tourist visa application process, or Brazil introduces a new electronic travel authorization (eTA), we update our guides within 24 hours. We don’t just tell you “what” to do—we walk you through the process step by step, with screenshots of application forms and tips for avoiding common mistakes (like forgetting to include a copy of your flight itinerary).
Our transportation guides are equally detailed. If you’re planning a road trip through the Canadian Rockies, we don’t just say “rent a car”—we tell you which rental companies offer winter tires (essential in December), the best stops along the Icefields Parkway (like Peyto Lake and Columbia Icefield), and how to avoid wildlife collisions (never drive at dusk, and keep a bag of dog food in your car to distract bears—pro tip from Jake, our Banff park ranger). If you’re taking buses in Mexico, we explain the difference between first-class (ADO) and second-class (colectivo) buses, how to buy tickets (online vs. at the station), and which routes are safe for solo travelers.
We also create guides for specific traveler types, because we know a family of four has different needs than a solo backpacker. Our “Family-Friendly Americas” section includes itineraries tested by parents—like our 10-day Costa Rica trip that includes a sloth sanctuary, a kid-friendly zip-line course, and lodges with pools and babysitting services. Our “Backpacker Budget Guides” break down costs for every country: how much a dorm bed costs in Colombia (8–12/night), how to get free accommodation in Argentina (workaway programs on vineyards), and where to find cheap, delicious street food in Peru (anticuchos—grilled beef heart—for $1 each). For travelers with disabilities, we’ve partnered with organizations like Accessible Travel International to create guides to wheelchair-friendly destinations, like Vancouver (which has universal access to its public transit and parks) and Rio de Janeiro (which offers accessible tours of Christ the Redeemer).
Honesty is at the heart of all our practical guidance. We don’t sugarcoat the challenges of travel. If a neighborhood in a city is unsafe after dark, we’ll tell you. If a popular attraction is overcrowded and overpriced, we’ll suggest an alternative. If a country has strict entry requirements (like proof of yellow fever vaccination for the Amazon), we’ll remind you repeatedly. We’d rather you be prepared than disappointed—or worse, unsafe.
3. Igniting Inspiration: Crafting Journeys That Reflect You
Travel isn’t one-size-fits-all. What excites a foodie (hunting for the best arepas in Colombia) might bore an adventure seeker (who’d rather be white-water rafting in Costa Rica), and what delights a history buff (exploring Maya ruins in Guatemala) might not interest a beach lover (who just wants to relax in the Bahamas). That’s why we don’t just “recommend” destinations—we help you discover the ones that align with your passions.
Our “Experiences & Themes” section is designed to spark inspiration. If you love nature, you can dive into guides like “10 Best National Parks in the Americas” (including Canada’s Banff, the U.S.’s Yellowstone, and Chile’s Torres del Paine) or “Amazon Rainforest Adventures” (where you can spot pink river dolphins and sleep in a treehouse). If you’re a foodie, we’ve got guides to “Taco Trails of Mexico” (from Mexico City’s al pastor tacos to Oaxaca’s mole negro) and “Wine Tours of South America” (Argentina’s Mendoza region for Malbec, Chile’s Casablanca Valley for Sauvignon Blanc). If you’re into culture, you can explore “Maya & Aztec Ruins” (Chichén Itzá in Mexico, Tikal in Guatemala) or “Colonial Cities of the Americas” (Lima’s Barranco district, Cartagena’s walled city).
We also share real travel stories from our community—both our team and our readers. Our “Travel Stories” section features essays like “My Month Living with a Quechua Family in Peru,” “How I Learned to Surf in Costa Rica (and Overcame My Fear of Waves),” and “A Solo Woman’s Guide to Traveling Safely in Brazil.” These stories aren’t just entertaining—they’re relatable. They show you what travel actually feels like: the messy moments (missing a bus, getting lost in a market), the magical ones (making a friend with a local, seeing a sunset that takes your breath away), and everything in between.
Every month, we also publish a “Destination of the Month” feature, highlighting a place that’s flying under the radar. In January 2023, it was Uruguay—a small South American country with beautiful beaches, charming colonial towns, and a laid-back vibe that’s perfect for a winter escape. We interviewed a local winemaker in Montevideo, a surf instructor in Punta del Este, and a chef who specializes in Uruguayan asado (barbecue), and created a 7-day itinerary for travelers looking to avoid crowds. Within a week, we received dozens of emails from readers saying they’d booked trips to Uruguay—something that would have never happened if they’d stuck to the “popular” destinations.
Our Commitment: You Deserve the Best—In Every Detail
At AmeTrip, we believe that “trusted guide” isn’t just a tagline—it’s a promise. And that promise is reflected in every detail of our work, from how we hire our team to how we update our content. Here’s what makes us different:
Local Expertise, Global Perspective
We don’t just “write about” the Americas—we live it. Our team of local contributors is spread across 18 countries, and each one brings a deep, personal connection to their region. Jake, our Banff-based expert, grew up hiking the Rockies with his Cree grandmother, who taught him about the plants and animals that call the mountains home. Sofia, our Mexico City food writer, learned to cook from her abuela, who ran a restaurant in Puebla for 50 years. Carlos, our Rio de Janeiro guide, was born and raised in Santa Teresa and knows every street art mural and samba club in the neighborhood.
These local experts aren’t just “writers”—they’re advocates for their communities. They tell us when they’re advocating for sustainable tourism initiatives (like limiting visitor numbers to fragile sites) or when a local business deserves more recognition (like a women-owned weaving cooperative in Guatemala). This combination of local roots and global vision ensures our content is both intimate and comprehensive—we know the hidden trails in Banff and how to help a traveler from Tokyo plan a trip to them.
Hiring our local contributors isn’t a casual process. We don’t just look for good writers—we look for people who are passionate about sharing their culture with respect and pride. Every potential contributor undergoes a rigorous vetting process: we review their work samples, interview them about their connection to their region, and even ask them to create a sample guide for a lesser-known spot. For example, when we hired David, our Guyana-based Makushi guide, we asked him to write about Kaieteur National Park from the perspective of someone who’d grown up visiting it. His sample included stories about his grandfather teaching him to identify medicinal plants in the rainforest and the importance of asking permission from Indigenous elders before entering sacred areas—details that no outsider could have captured. That’s the kind of expertise we value.
Authenticity Above All: No Paid Promotions, No Compromises
In an era where many travel websites rely on paid partnerships and sponsored content, we’ve made a deliberate choice: we never accept money for recommendations. Every hotel, restaurant, trail, or tour we feature on AmeTrip is there because we (or our local experts) have personally experienced it—and loved it. We don’t let brands pay to be included in our “best of” lists, and we don’t sugarcoat reviews to keep sponsors happy.
This commitment to authenticity has cost us at times. A major hotel chain once offered us a five-figure sum to feature their properties in our Mexico guide, but we turned them down because our local contributor Sofia had stayed at one of their resorts and described it as “overpriced, impersonal, and disconnected from the local culture.” Instead, we recommended a small, family-owned boutique hotel in Oaxaca’s Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán neighborhood, where guests sleep in rooms with hand-painted murals and eat breakfast made with ingredients from the family’s farm. The hotel doesn’t have a big marketing budget, but it offers an experience that’s true to Oaxaca—and that’s what matters to our readers.
We also believe in being transparent about our process. At the bottom of every guide, we include a note explaining who wrote it, their connection to the region, and whether they visited the recommended spots in person. We want our readers to know exactly where our information comes from—and to trust that it’s not influenced by money or bias.
Constantly Evolving: We Learn from You
Travel is dynamic—and so are we. The Americas change every day: a new bus route opens in Colombia, a restaurant in Rio closes after 30 years, a country updates its visa requirements. That’s why we don’t just “set it and forget it” with our content. Every guide on AmeTrip is reviewed and updated at least twice a year by our local contributors. For high-traffic pages (like our Machu Picchu and New York City guides), we update them quarterly—or even monthly, if there’s a major change.
But our biggest source of growth is you—our readers. We encourage feedback, and we listen to it. Every email, comment, and social media message is read by a member of our team, and we use that input to improve our content. For example, last year, a reader from London emailed us to say that our Costa Rica surf guide didn’t include enough information for beginners. We passed that feedback to Carlos, our Costa Rica-based surf instructor, who updated the guide with tips for first-time surfers (like which beaches have gentle waves and where to rent affordable, well-maintained equipment). Another reader from Sydney told us that our backpacker budget guide for Argentina was missing information about how to use public transit in Buenos Aires. Our local contributor in Argentina, a backpacker who’d lived in Buenos Aires for two years, added a detailed section on the subway system (including how to buy a SUBE card and avoid pickpockets during rush hour).
We also host regular community Q&As, where our local experts answer readers’ questions live on social media. Last month, we held a Q&A with Maria, our Nicaragua guide, and hundreds of readers tuned in to ask about everything from “Is Nicaragua safe for solo female travelers?” to “Where can I find the best gallo pinto in Granada?” Maria’s answers were honest (she admitted that some neighborhoods in Managua are best avoided at night) and helpful (she recommended a tiny breakfast spot in Granada’s central square run by her aunt). These Q&As aren’t just a way to share information—they’re a way to build connection, letting our readers know that there’s a real person behind the content.
Sustainability: Travel That Cares for the Americas
We believe that being a trusted guide means caring for the places we write about. The Americas are home to some of the world’s most fragile ecosystems—from the Amazon rainforest (which produces 20% of the world’s oxygen) to the Arctic ice in Canada (which is melting at an alarming rate) to the coral reefs in the Caribbean (which support thousands of marine species). They’re also home to Indigenous communities that have protected these lands for millennia—but who are often marginalized by tourism.
That’s why sustainability is woven into every part of our work. We prioritize eco-friendly accommodations (like ecolodges in the Amazon that use solar power and composting toilets) and tour operators who follow “leave no trace” principles. We write guides to “responsible wildlife watching”—like how to see humpback whales in the Dominican Republic without disturbing their mating grounds, or how to visit Maya ruins in Guatemala without touching or climbing the ancient structures. We also highlight Indigenous-led tourism initiatives, which let travelers support local communities directly. For example, our guide to the Navajo Nation in the U.S. Southwest features tours led by Navajo guides who teach visitors about their culture, history, and relationship to the land—instead of non-Native tour companies that tell inaccurate, stereotypical stories.
We also practice what we preach. Our team offsets the carbon emissions from all our travel (like when we fly to meet local contributors) by donating to reforestation projects in the Americas, like the Amazon Rainforest Reforestation Initiative in Brazil. We also partner with organizations like Rainforest Alliance to promote sustainable tourism practices among our readers—like bringing reusable water bottles to avoid plastic waste and respecting local customs (like dressing modestly when visiting religious sites).
Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword for us—it’s a responsibility. We want future travelers to be able to experience the same beauty we’ve found in the Americas, and that means protecting it today.
Our Community: Travelers, Storytellers, Friends
AmeTrip isn’t just a website—it’s a community of people who love the Americas. Our readers aren’t just “users”—they’re fellow adventurers who share our passion for connection and discovery. Over the years, this community has grown in ways we never imagined.
We’ve seen readers connect with each other through our “Travel Stories” section. A woman from Toronto who wrote about her trip to Peru struck up a friendship with a reader from Los Angeles who’d also visited the same Quechua homestay—they now plan to travel to Bolivia together next year. We’ve had local contributors meet readers in person: Jake, our Banff guide, led a group of 10 AmeTrip readers on a hike to the secret lake he’d written about, and they still keep in touch via a WhatsApp group. We’ve even had readers become contributors: a man from Miami who submitted a story about his backpacking trip through Colombia impressed our team so much that we asked him to become our local contributor for the country’s Caribbean coast.
This sense of community is what makes AmeTrip special. Travel can be lonely at times—planning a trip, navigating a new place, missing home—but it doesn’t have to be. When you use AmeTrip, you’re joining a group of people who’ve been there, who care about your journey, and who want to help you make the most of it.
An Invitation: Let’s Explore the Americas Together
The Americas are waiting—and they’re full of stories. Stories of Quechua elders passing down traditions, of chefs reinventing classic dishes, of surfers riding waves at dawn, of glaciers standing tall against the sky. These stories aren’t just in guidebooks—they’re in the people you’ll meet, the places you’ll visit, and the moments that will stay with you long after you return home.
At Ametrip, we’re here to help you find those stories. Whether you’re planning your first trip to the Americas (maybe a family vacation to Disney World in Florida, or a solo adventure to Costa Rica) or you’re a seasoned explorer (looking to hike Patagonia’s W Trek or explore Guyana’s rainforest), we’ve got you covered. We’ll be with you when you’re scrolling through destination guides at 2 a.m., wondering where to go. We’ll be with you when you’re filling out visa applications, stressing about deadlines. We’ll be with you when you’re standing in a Mexico City mercado, trying to order tacos in broken Spanish. And we’ll be with you when you’re back home, looking at photos and thinking, “That was the best trip of my life.”
We know that trust is earned, not given. And we’ll work every day to earn yours—by providing content that’s accurate, authentic, and full of heart. We’ll listen to you, learn from you, and grow with you. Because your trip to the Americas isn’t just a trip—it’s a story. And we’re honored to be a part of it.
So what are you waiting for? The Rockies are calling. The Amazon is whispering. The beaches of the Caribbean are glowing. Your adventure starts here.
Welcome to AmeTrip. Welcome to the Americas.
The AmeTrip Team