Patagonia highlight holiday
| country: | Argentina, Patagonia, Chile |
| departures: | 2009: 20 Dec 2010: 3 Jan, 7 Mar, 3 Oct, 24 Oct, 21 Nov, 19 Dec 2011: 16 Jan, 13 Feb, 6 Mar |
| price: | From £2689 - £3349 (15 days) including flights from the UK, from £1599 - £1939 excluding flights. Single supplement £210. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This short but comprehensive introduction to Patagonia explores the wild, mountainous south of Argentina and Chile, a region of often extravagant beauty. Rugged, snow-capped mountains are fringed by huge lakes and windswept grasslands inhabited only by shy guanacos and a few hardy gauchos tending millions of sheep. Our trip is a feast of wild places and astounding scenery. There are plenty of opportunities for walking and other outdoor activities as we visit some magnificent and lesser-known beauty spots off the main tourist trails.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Depart London. |
| Day 2: | Arrive Buenos Aires, afternoon walking tour. |
| Day 3: | Fly south to El Calafate; transfer to El Chalten in Los Glaciares N.P. |
| Day 4: | Daywalk to Cerro Fitzroy Base Camp and Laguna de los Tres. |
| Day 5: | Free morning to relax, further trekking or optional boat trip to Viedma Glacier. Transfer to El Calafate. |
| Day 6: | Private tour to the incredible Moreno Glacier. Optional boat trip. |
| Day 7: | Free day in El Calafate, on the shores of Lake Argentino. |
| Day 8: | To Torres del Paine N.P.; tour of the park. |
| Day 9: | Daywalk to the base of the Towers of Paine. |
| Day 10: | Morning in the park; in the afternoon we drive to Punta Arenas. |
| Day 11: | Ferry across Magellan Straits to Tierra Del Fuego. Public bus to Ushuaia, the end of the world! |
| Day 12: | Morning walk in Tierra del Fuego N.P.; optional afternoon boat excursion on Beagle Channel. |
| Day 13: | Free morning in Ushuaia; fly to Buenos Aires. |
| Day 14: | Free day, evening depart Buenos Aires. |
| Day 15: | Arrive London. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. how this holiday makes a difference
|
Community
Our leaders, already committed to Responsible Tourism, have received training and get additional refresher training on a regular basis. Our leaders are trained to show you the places where you can buy local handcrafts, and other locally produced products whilst in areas like Chalten, Calafate, Ushuaia, where tourism is the main economical activity, they will make sure that where possible your money stays in the areas you visit. We use all locally owned and run accommodation on this trip. In Calafate and Chalten, small towns with very short history, the owners are not local, borne in the town, but they come from other regions of Argentina. This contributes directly to the local communities as local staff are employed and locally produced and sourced goods are bought for the accommodation benefiting the wider community. In Patagonia the conditions are not the best for growing vegetables and fruits, so these products come from other parts of the country, but you will be eating locally produced lamb and beef. Environment As a part of our continued commitment to responsible tourism, we operate this trip in a way that aims to reduce impacts and to give as much back as possible to the local communities. Included in the trip cost is entrance fees to National Parks in Calafate, Torres del Paine and Ushuaia, aiding the conservation efforts of the different areas. This trip has a strict maximum of 16 people making sure your impact on the landscapes you visit will be kept to a minimum whilst giving you the opportunity to experience the pleasures of small group travel. We have at our offices worked to reduce our carbon footprint through a reduction of energy use and energy conservation measures. We also actively try to reduce the waste produced by having active reduction and recycling policies in place. We run annual staff workshops on Responsible Tourism. Global warming is a reality and to help you make a difference by reducing the carbon dioxide that is produced when you travel we offer a chance to carbon balance your flights. We encourage all our clients to do this and do so for all our staff travel. Go on do your bit! |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |