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First-hand guides for independent travelers. No press trips, no sponsored stays — just honest writing from places we actually went.
Editor’s pick
Everything we know about
Brazil’s northeast — after three visits.
The transport network, the best months to go, the towns worth slowing down in, and the parts of the coast that still feel undiscovered in high season. This is the guide we wish we’d had.
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Brazil
Jericoacoara: the beach at the end of the road
No paved road, no chain hotels, no crowds. Here’s how to actually get there and what to do once you do.
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USA
Road-tripping the American Southwest in winter
Fewer tourists, lower prices, and the same red rock formations. Why winter is the better season.
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National Parks
The national parks no one tells you about
Beyond Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon — lesser-known parks that are spectacular and actually have parking.
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Ski
Ski resorts that are still worth it in 2025
Lift ticket prices are up everywhere. Here are the mountains where the cost still makes sense.
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Brazil
Northeast Brazil: the part left out of the brochure
The northeast isn’t on the standard Brazil itinerary — which is exactly why you should go there first.
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USA
The coastal drives worth the rental car
Specific routes, actual driving times, and honest notes on where to stop versus where to keep going.
Read more“We never go somewhere because it’s trending. We go because someone on a slow bus told us something was there — and it usually is.”
— Packzup Field Notes
Honest travel writing, nothing else.
Packzup is an independent travel blog. Every destination we write about was visited first-hand by someone who paid their own way. No press trips, no sponsored posts, no affiliate hotel roundups — just the trips we actually took and the things we actually noticed.
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