This is a review of a nine-day itinerary, starting in Calafate, Argentina and ending in Santiago de Chile, taking in El Chalten, Puerto Natales and Torres del Paine along the way.
What was your favourite cultural destination in the itinerary?
Valparaiso
What were your favourite natural destinations in the itinerary?
My favorite place was the Perito Moreno Glacier and the hike in El Chalten.
How did your guides perform?
The guides were all lovely people and both informative and helpful as well as professional and genuinely kind.
Which was your favourite accommodation and why?
My favorite hotel was Hotel Vendeval in Puerto Natales.
Which was your favourite restaurant / dish / drink? Did you lose or gain weight over the course of the holiday!?
I loved all of the wine and lamb of course. All the hiking and eating balanced it all out.
What forms of transport did you use? Pros/cons?
The flights were all great, the buses were all lovely.
There were times when a driver came to drive me, only a few blocks away from where I needed to be, which seemed like overkill and I was happy to walk.
Did your itinerary involve any hiking? How would you rate it in terms of difficulty?
The hiking in El Chalten was lovely. It was straight uphill and then straight downhill so it was a bit difficult but the distance wasn't very great so it was manageable.
What was the most pointless item in your luggage!?
I used everything! I'm glad I brought a raincoat and a wool hat/sweater. It was cold down there!
What were your favourite natural encounters?
I loved seeing the Spring wildflowers, and the Guanacos.
The woodpeckers in the trees were really special as well.
Did you suffer any insect bites? Other physical discomforts?
It was great! No bites and no physical discomfort.
Overall, this trip was a magnificent exploration into Patagonia. I can't wait to return for longer and explore more!
You, your team and your partners were amazing!
Thank you so much!