"The Amazon at Night Is Dolby Sound"—What It’s Like to Visit Peru as a Blind Traveler

Welcome to Unpacked: Five Questions. In honor of our latest issue of ⁠Afar magazine⁠, which focuses on epic trips—the kind of adventures that change your world—we're hearing from the writers and photographers who chronicled and captured those trips. In the final episode of the series, host and Afar executive editor Katherine LaGrave speaks with Ryan Knighton, a memoirist, screenwriter, surfer, and Afar contributing writer, about his first trip to Peru with Intrepid Travel. Blind since his late teens, Ryan reflects on orchestral nights in the Amazon, the terrifying thrill of canopy rope bridges, and why tactile histories — from Incan pebble counting to khipu knot records — stayed with him long after he left Machu Picchu. On this episode you'll learn How a blind traveler experiences the Amazon’s soundscape and why a night in the Amazon became the trip’s standout moment What the canopy walk felt like and why tactile, sensory experiences mattered more than famous vistas The Incan tactile systems Ryan encountered and why those discoveries resonated with him personally How group travel reshaped Ryan’s experience and turned strangers into a supportive traveling “tribe” Don't miss these moments [3:23] Ryan describing the Amazon at night and its “Dolby” soundscape [6:25] The first step onto a high canopy rope bridge and the trust it required [8:49] Reflections on Machu Picchu, expectations, and why some bucket-list sites land differently for different travelers [13:46] The guide’s tactile pebble-and-grid demonstration of Incan counting systems [20:29] How group dynamics transformed the trip into a shared, memorable experience Resources Read Ryan Knighton’s Afar story about Peru Learn more about Intrepid Travel Take This Trip Contributing writer Ryan Knighton joined Intrepid Travel on its nine-day “Premium Peru” trip, which visits Lima, the Amazon, Cuzco, and Machu Picchu. On the ground, meals, transport, accommodation, and luggage and airport transfers are included. Travel dates for 2025, 2026, and 2027 are available at intrepidtravel.com. From $4,600 per person. Stay Connected Sign up for our podcast newsletter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Behind the Mic⁠⁠⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode.  Explore our other podcasts, View From Afar, about the people and companies shaping the future of travel, and ⁠Travel Tales⁠⁠⁠, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us. Unpacked by Afar is part of ⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media⁠⁠⁠'s podcast network. Please contact ⁠⁠⁠[e-mail]⁠⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices