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Do you have an extended period of time off work, or a career break? Planning your family adventure holiday to South America for several weeks or months, or have a solo extended holiday planned? Our luxury eco sabbatical holidays to South America are key to our sustainable travel goal; to slow travel.

For a fully bespoke Sabbatical holiday – Enquire Now

What is a sabbatical holiday?


Incredible views of Machu Picchu

A sabbatical holiday is a longer trip; giving you more time to explore a country, combine more destinations and get to know the area and its people and cultures better.

There are industries such as law and finance that reward long service with a sabbatical or career break. We have designed many slow travel holidays for guests who have longer to spend away; for luxury sabbaticals, or once-in-a-lifetime epic family adventures.

Sabbatical journeys mean less flying; seeing the real country in a slower more environmentally conscious way. More time in a region means more money goes back into the local community and more local people are employed. You can properly experience and appreciate a country when you are not moving on every few days; fall in love with local food and music, reach the lesser known spots, see the rarer breeds of birds, explore the markets that are for locals not tourists, experience peace, take the epic trekking routes that require longer.

Feel the thrill of a 4×4 in remote Argentina, see Machu Picchu away from the crowds, try boat and land combined safaris in the Galapagos to tick off all the wildlife on your wish list. There are real rewards for slow travel sabbatical holidays. Our bespoke South America sabbatical trips can include luxury hotels, eco lodges and bucket-list highlights; with longer trips away you don’t need to compromise on where to include and what to see.

Example Sabbatical Holidays


Horseback riding

‘Encanto’ Colombia Family holiday

14 days from £4,200 pp

Our 16-day family adventure holiday to Colombia is inspired by the Disney film Encanto, which means lots of colour and charm. Visit small towns, try delicious local food featured in the film and explore the magical Rainbow River Cano Cristales; a must-see in Colombia.

Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of the Amazon jungle, connecting with nature and learning about Colombian culture. Explore the coffee region and uncover the breathtaking landscapes and colourful houses of El Penol and Guatape.

Visit UNESCO-protected Cartagena and sample the exquisite street food, ‘Arepitas’, as in the movie, and even dance to local music. To finish your family adventure holiday, head to the crystal waters of the Caribbean Coast of Rosario Islands. And yes, on this holiday, we definitely talk about Bruno!

If you’re looking for Colombia family holidays that offer a wonderful experience for both parents and kids, it’s hard to beat an Encanto adventure to this South American gem.

People sitting on top of a rock

Rio and Green Coast Beach Adventure

14 days from £2900 pp

World-renowned for its stunning coastline, this is the ideal trip for those interested in luxury Brazil beach holidays. It seamlessly blends relaxation with adventure, all the while completely avoiding internal flights.

Kayak to pristine bays and mangrove forests. Hike to dramatic lookouts and untouched beaches. Visit waterfalls and clifftops. And of course, relax! Immerse yourself in the beauty of the shores of the “Land of the Palm Trees” with a beach holiday to Brazil.

Swimming in the mangroves of Ilha

Brazil Wildlife, Waterfalls & Beach

16 days from £3950 pp

For those seeking adventure travel in Brazil, explore everywhere from the wildlife wonderland of the Pantanal to the breathtaking Iguazu Falls, all the way to iconic Rio de Janeiro via the Green Coast on this itinerary.

Kayak through mangroves, hike into the Atlantic Rainforest and discover dozens of hidden beaches, accompanied by mouth-watering cuisine and hidden communities. If you’re seeking wildlife holidays to Brazil that also tick off cascading waterfalls and breathtaking coastlines, this is the adventure for you.

Lilly Pads

Pantanal, Amazon & Rio Luxury Adventure

15 days from £6500 pp

Combine the wildlife wonderlands of the Pantanal wetlands and Amazon rainforest on this luxury holiday to Brazil, staying at strategically located first-class wilderness lodges with expert naturalist guides. In between you will visit the lesser-known but equally dramatic Chapada dos Guimarães, a land of waterfalls, caves and rock formations waiting to be explored. Finish with days of relaxation and iconic sightseeing in the incomparable Rio de Janeiro.

People looking at giant tortoise

Ecuador & Galapagos Active Adventure

17 days from £4300 pp

Hike, bike, swim and kayak your way around Ecuador’s multitude of natural wonders. From snow-capped volcanoes and mountain valleys, to the remarkable Galapagos archipelago via the steamy cloud forest, this example trip is one for the outdoor enthusiasts.

Intricate work of a Master Weaver

Slow Travel: Ecuador in-depth

23 days from £6400 pp

Go deep on this journey through a remarkably diverse little country. Explore indigenous markets, steamy cloud forests, volcanoes, lakes, the Amazon basin, Inca ruins, colonial cities, working farms, and the Galapagos Islands. Designed at a leisurely pace to immerse yourself in the true spirit of Ecuador.

Ecuador & Galapagos in Luxury

Ecuador & Galapagos in Luxury

14 days from £9550 pp

Explore Ecuador in supreme comfort. Stay at a historic hacienda amongst Otavalo’s lakes and volcanoes, enjoy the cloud forest from the iconic Mashpi Lodge, and explore colonial Quito with a cacao-infused twist. Complete your Galapagos Island holiday with a choice of deluxe boutique cruise or safari-style.

Sabbatical Holidays: Frequently Asked Questions


Please reach us at info@traveldifferently.co.uk if you cannot find an answer to your question.

If you’re considering a sabbatical holiday or career break, the first thing to do is work out exactly much time you have off work. Whether between jobs, or a paid/unpaid break from work, the amount of time you have will dictate how in depth your sabbatical holiday will be.

Our South America experts will then arrange a call or face to face meeting with you (and other family members) to sit down and go through your wish-list, time frame, budget, and tastes. We will then go away and work on your sabbatical holiday plan, making sure to include styles of hotels and lodges that suit you, activities you will enjoy, unique suggestions, upgrade options where the value is worth it and always including ways to travel differently. Your sabbatical will be completely unique and bespoke.

We will rework your bespoke sabbatical with your feedback until its perfect and you are happy, then book everything for you.

This will depend on the time of year and length you have free to take your sabbatical. As sabbatical holidays tend to be longer than typical holidays, this should help us include most areas and regions so as best to avoid any specific wet seasons, and make the most of the best time of year to travel to each country in South America. We will also advise how best to avoid the crowds and avoid peak season surcharges where possible. If you have a time- specific place you want to see, or specific wildlife only found at certain times of the year, will will design your sabbatical around this.

One of the best reasons to book a sabbatical trip is to cut out or reduce extra flying. You have longer in each area to take land transfers, trains or sometimes luxury coaches. Often the most beautiful and remote areas of a country can be discovered when you take land transfers in South America, which would be missed if you are purely flying.

We plan your sabbatical to ensure the route and order mean where possible, transfers are by vehicle not flights. Where driving or trains is not possible due to distances, domestic flights are used, but these are kept to a minimum in our sabbatical journeys.

Looking for a luxury sabbatical? We have first-have knowledge on which hotels and lodges are best for luxury and which activities/ services are worth upgrading for a 5* luxury experience.

If you wanted to have Iguazu falls to yourself and stay at The Belmond for exclusive access, or stay in an all-inclusive luxury yurt in Patagonia Chile with all activities included, our experts will plan out all details of your luxury sabbatical.

Want to eat in Michelin star restaurants during your time in Peru? or want to have a private boat for your Galapagos holiday? Speak to our team who know each country inside out, and will tailor your luxury sabbatical trip.

A slow travel trip or sabbatical holiday is generally a more responsible way to travel. By taking longer in each country and region you are avoiding flying, and putting more money back into the local community. By staying longer in areas you are directly contributing to the community and environment by spending money in local markets and restaurants, paying conversation/park fees, and more local staff can be employed as demand for services and hospitality staff is higher.

Spending longer away on holiday means you can tread lightly, avoiding over crowded hot spots that erode the landscape. A slow-travel holiday or sabbatical gives you more time to experience and explore the cultures, routes less trodden, and see the real country. You will feel a deeper sense of connection to each area and its people, and learn more about specific communities and eco systems. This can only be a positive for long haul tourism.

Why Book a Luxury Sabbatical With Travel Differently


Drawing of a tree

Sabbatical Travel Greener

When going on a career break sabbatical, the last thing you want is to negatively impact the landscape and ecosystems you are there to admire and enjoy. That’s why at Travel Differently only work with sustainable, environmentally-conscious properties and partners.

Keeping in mind the climate emergency, our sabbatical holidays are all longer than 30 days to encourage clients to see more and travel for longer, reducing the need for multiple trips.

Drawing of a compass

Sabbatical Travel Slower

Many of our guests start their sabbatical holiday to South America from the UK, which involves flying a considerable distance. To promote sustainability and enhance the travel experience, our sabbatical holidays encourage you to stay for longer and travel slower, using land-based transport throughout the country where possible.

By allowing guests more time to immerse in multiple destinations, we aim to reduce emissions associated with additional flights. Further to this, we believe that embracing a slower approach to adventure travel sabbatical holidays enables you to fully relax and engage more in the destination, resulting in a more genuine, enjoyable and fulfilling experience.

Drawing of 2 hikers

Sabbatical Travel Fairer

One of our key aims for every sabbatical holiday to South America we offer is a commitment to fairer travel. We are sure to only work with partners who actively encourage and support local communities in the regions we visit, making sure that regional tourism benefits local people. Slow travel and longer sabbatical holidays ensure more local people are employed, and more money goes back in to the local area to benefit the region and its environment.

Drawing of a bag

Sabbatical Travel Better

Our South America experts specialise in knowing how to travel better when it comes to luxury Sabbatical holidays. As well as our commitment to sustainability, we are passionate about designing fully personalised, unique tailor-made holidays.

We pride ourselves on getting to know each customer individually and offering direct contact with our founder. Our 5* reviews on our Trust Pilot page reflect our first class service. This ensures that every luxury sabbatical holiday is meticulously tailored and tweaked to match our clients distinct needs and interests. We don’t offer a generic, one-size-fits-all package or price, all our sabbatical holidays and career breaks are completely bespoke.

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