South America is huge! The landscapes are so varied, and the distances are much larger than you think. It can be hard to get from point A to point B. But we think that it's worth it.
We've done a couple of trips to different destinations in South America in the past, such as Machu Picchu in 2011, and a cruise down the west coast in 2017. But this was the longest and the most intense one yet, in terms of time on the ground and planning. Even though Awasi took care of a lot of the planning for us, there was still a lot to do.
We often take public transport when we travel but in Santiago and Buenos Aires, this wasn't a great option so we arranged private transfers for most of our needs. It was a drop in the bucket compared to the overall cost of the trip and well worth it.
Some comments on the individual locations we stayed, and what we did:
Awasi Atacama was the biggest surprise for us. We had been to San Pedro for a long day trip once before and we had enjoyed it, but we didn't think that there was enough to do here for three days. Nonetheless, we figured that we'd put this first on our agenda and use the time to relax and not do much. Boy, were we wrong about that!
The desert landscape is gorgeous and the area is so interesting from a geological perspective. There is so much to do here that we easily could have spent another day or two. Our guide at Awasi was Sebastian, who was one of the best guides we've had in any location. He planned a spectacular itinerary which went to great places, which we wouldn't have known to go to. It was a fantastic introduction to the superb travel experience which Awasi provided.
Awasi Patagonia was a great lodge and the setting, food, and the room were incredible. Considering the remote location, it was even more amazing that they had built such a facility here in the middle of a ranch full of guanacos. We struggled a little bit here because there were almost too many things to do and to choose from, so we were hoping for a little more guidance. And it was hard to plan one day at a time without a cohesive overview of what we wanted to accomplish during our stay here.
However, the weather in Patagonia is variable and hard to predict, so therefore one must remain flexible. We saw jaw-dropping scenery, and the hikes we did (other than the Baguales section) were situated in some of the best landscapes we've ever seen. I don't think we missed anything we really wanted to see (other than a puma), but it was different than our Atacama experience.
I think that we got really lucky with the weather here as well. The towers were totally clear for a big part of our stay. So no complaints about our time here - it was just different from what had happened in Atacama.
The wine tour was just great. Our tour guide and driver took such good care of us and we would recommend them to anyone. Wine tasting in Chile and Argentina is laid-back and is at a slower pace than we are used to in North America, which is very pleasant. And the wines are priced very competitively, considering the quality.
Iguazu was just as good as Atacama. Our guide Nieves was super experienced and she knew every trick in the book to avoid crowds and to make us feel like it was a private tour for just the two of us. Considering how popular Iguazu Falls is, that in itself is a major accomplishment. There is a lot to do here besides the falls. We didn't have time to go for a hike in the jungle to look for wildlife, nor did we have time for a visit to some old colonial missions. Next time, maybe?
With regard to traveling in South America, I would give the edge to Aerolineas Argentinas over LATAM but that is probably only because we have status on the former. Airports are crowded and it can be a real scrum to get anything accomplished. So status helps. Priority Pass helps. Anything to get some breathing room.
So, after a few trips to South America we have one more planned for January 2020. We will be on a cruise to South Georgia and a revisit of Antarctica. But after that, we will have hit the majority of our big-ticket destinations, so we will probably take a break from South America and concentrate elsewhere for a few years. That's not a knock on South America - just a statement that we've been there a few times and now other places are higher on the agenda.
We've done a couple of trips to different destinations in South America in the past, such as Machu Picchu in 2011, and a cruise down the west coast in 2017. But this was the longest and the most intense one yet, in terms of time on the ground and planning. Even though Awasi took care of a lot of the planning for us, there was still a lot to do.
We often take public transport when we travel but in Santiago and Buenos Aires, this wasn't a great option so we arranged private transfers for most of our needs. It was a drop in the bucket compared to the overall cost of the trip and well worth it.
Some comments on the individual locations we stayed, and what we did:
Awasi Atacama was the biggest surprise for us. We had been to San Pedro for a long day trip once before and we had enjoyed it, but we didn't think that there was enough to do here for three days. Nonetheless, we figured that we'd put this first on our agenda and use the time to relax and not do much. Boy, were we wrong about that!
The desert landscape is gorgeous and the area is so interesting from a geological perspective. There is so much to do here that we easily could have spent another day or two. Our guide at Awasi was Sebastian, who was one of the best guides we've had in any location. He planned a spectacular itinerary which went to great places, which we wouldn't have known to go to. It was a fantastic introduction to the superb travel experience which Awasi provided.
Awasi Patagonia was a great lodge and the setting, food, and the room were incredible. Considering the remote location, it was even more amazing that they had built such a facility here in the middle of a ranch full of guanacos. We struggled a little bit here because there were almost too many things to do and to choose from, so we were hoping for a little more guidance. And it was hard to plan one day at a time without a cohesive overview of what we wanted to accomplish during our stay here.
However, the weather in Patagonia is variable and hard to predict, so therefore one must remain flexible. We saw jaw-dropping scenery, and the hikes we did (other than the Baguales section) were situated in some of the best landscapes we've ever seen. I don't think we missed anything we really wanted to see (other than a puma), but it was different than our Atacama experience.
I think that we got really lucky with the weather here as well. The towers were totally clear for a big part of our stay. So no complaints about our time here - it was just different from what had happened in Atacama.
The wine tour was just great. Our tour guide and driver took such good care of us and we would recommend them to anyone. Wine tasting in Chile and Argentina is laid-back and is at a slower pace than we are used to in North America, which is very pleasant. And the wines are priced very competitively, considering the quality.
Iguazu was just as good as Atacama. Our guide Nieves was super experienced and she knew every trick in the book to avoid crowds and to make us feel like it was a private tour for just the two of us. Considering how popular Iguazu Falls is, that in itself is a major accomplishment. There is a lot to do here besides the falls. We didn't have time to go for a hike in the jungle to look for wildlife, nor did we have time for a visit to some old colonial missions. Next time, maybe?
With regard to traveling in South America, I would give the edge to Aerolineas Argentinas over LATAM but that is probably only because we have status on the former. Airports are crowded and it can be a real scrum to get anything accomplished. So status helps. Priority Pass helps. Anything to get some breathing room.
So, after a few trips to South America we have one more planned for January 2020. We will be on a cruise to South Georgia and a revisit of Antarctica. But after that, we will have hit the majority of our big-ticket destinations, so we will probably take a break from South America and concentrate elsewhere for a few years. That's not a knock on South America - just a statement that we've been there a few times and now other places are higher on the agenda.
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