Chile adventure vacation
Highlights
Santiago | Valparaiso | San Pedro de Atacama | Salt Flats | El Tatio geysers | Lake District | Puerto Varas | Torres del Paine National Park | Optional: Magdalena Island penguin colony, zodiac tour to Balmaceda Glacier
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about this vacation or need help finding one we're very happy to help. The Travel Team.
Toll free 1-866-821-6866 Calling from outside the US? rosy@responsibletravel.com
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Responsible tourism
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we screen every trip so you can travel knowing your vacation will help support conservation and local people.
Activity:Our guides enforce a strict 'Leave no trace' policy in National Parks, which involves ensuring that so litter is left behind and that flora and fauna are left undisturbed by our tours. We visit Valle de la Luna, Vincente Perez Rosales and Torres del Paine National Parks. In each case we pay entrance fees which then go towards supporting indigenous communities in surrounding areas and for conservation initiatives. Although much of this trip is spent exploring rock formations, glaciers, lagoons and geysers, we still make time to explore cities and small towns. By giving guided tours of these inhabited areas (Puerto Varas, Puerto Montt, Valparaiso etc.) we are introducing clients to aspects of Chilean culture and supporting the employment of a local guide.
UK Office:
It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK Offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.
Group Size:
This small group tour has a maximum of 16 participants, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.
The Impacts of this Trip
Local Craft and Culture:
There are several local craft and food markets on this tour which sell traditional handicrafts and regional delicacies like in San Pedro de Atacama, Puerto Montt and Punta Arenas. These are great opportunities to support small vendors and get in insight into daily life for many locals. Handmade earthenware, painted pottery, brightly woven textiles and intricate jewellery are all common items. At the Central Market in Santiago and Angelmo Market in Puerto Montt it is possible to buy and eat an array of colourful, fresh local food- fruit, ice cream, empanadas, completes, shellfish and sopaipilla.
Accommodation and Meals:
We use several small, family owned hotels and hosterias during this trip which helps to keep money in the local community. We spend 12 nights in mixed hotels or locally owned bed and breakfasts. One of the hotels you will stay on is in on the edge of the Torres del Paine National Park, set on the banks of the Serrano River. At these places, locally food is served wherever possible and where meals are not provided, we encourage clients to spread their commerce to a variety of authentic restaurants. Chile is famed for BBQ and wine but they also have several micro-breweries and some wonderful, local seafood.
Activity:Our guides enforce a strict 'Leave no trace' policy in National Parks, which involves ensuring that so litter is left behind and that flora and fauna are left undisturbed by our tours. We visit Valle de la Luna, Vincente Perez Rosales and Torres del Paine National Parks. In each case we pay entrance fees which then go towards supporting indigenous communities in surrounding areas and for conservation initiatives. Although much of this trip is spent exploring rock formations, glaciers, lagoons and geysers, we still make time to explore cities and small towns. By giving guided tours of these inhabited areas (Puerto Varas, Puerto Montt, Valparaiso etc.) we are introducing clients to aspects of Chilean culture and supporting the employment of a local guide.
UK Office:
It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK Offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.
Group Size:
This small group tour has a maximum of 16 participants, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.
The Impacts of this Trip
Local Craft and Culture:
There are several local craft and food markets on this tour which sell traditional handicrafts and regional delicacies like in San Pedro de Atacama, Puerto Montt and Punta Arenas. These are great opportunities to support small vendors and get in insight into daily life for many locals. Handmade earthenware, painted pottery, brightly woven textiles and intricate jewellery are all common items. At the Central Market in Santiago and Angelmo Market in Puerto Montt it is possible to buy and eat an array of colourful, fresh local food- fruit, ice cream, empanadas, completes, shellfish and sopaipilla.
Accommodation and Meals:
We use several small, family owned hotels and hosterias during this trip which helps to keep money in the local community. We spend 12 nights in mixed hotels or locally owned bed and breakfasts. One of the hotels you will stay on is in on the edge of the Torres del Paine National Park, set on the banks of the Serrano River. At these places, locally food is served wherever possible and where meals are not provided, we encourage clients to spread their commerce to a variety of authentic restaurants. Chile is famed for BBQ and wine but they also have several micro-breweries and some wonderful, local seafood.
3 Reviews of Chile adventure vacation
Reviewed on 24 Mar 2019 by Susan Winter
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
I thought the Atacama desert was truly wonderful especially the salt lakes and
lagoons
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
If you don’t like cheese and ham stock up on snacks for the long journeys as
meals when traveling are a little unpredictable
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Clearly tourism is a significant economy it environmentally it is always hard to justify. Plastic remains endemic.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Reviewed on 23 Apr 2017 by Anna Hards
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
I fell in love with Patagonia and in particular our time in Torres del Paine. It's absolutely stunning!
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Don't expect to have much free time for independent exploring, it's an action packed itinerary.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
This was my first trip to South America and going solo I was a little nervous. It was great to be part of a group and explore Chile together. Even though the
itinerary is action packed everything is organised for you so long travel days are stress free. This trip allows you to experience the diversity of Chile from the
deserts to the lakes and mountains. It's a great adventure! I particularly enjoyed our time in Atacama at valley of the moon and the optional stargazing
evening. We also had the chance to go to the hot springs which were so peaceful. My favourite part of the trip was Torres del Paine, it's such a beautiful setting and feels so remote.
Reviewed on 05 Dec 2017 by Phil Duddles
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Atacama Desert & Patagonia - these were quite stunning.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
The vacation was quite expensive and I had to share a room with a fellow traveler. I was disappointed that the tour operator made no attempt to advise if the fellow traveler had any habits such as snoring that would keep you awake most nights. Having discussed this with the vacation rep there was nothing that could be done, about this. Taking into account the cost of the vacation. I feel that the tour operator have a responsibility to highlight situations like this to their customers so that a solution can be found before embarking on the vacation. If our tour operator can not do this then I would not hesitate to use another travel company.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes we stopped in local hotels and dinned in local restaurants.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
The country was great and the scenery was quite spectacular for this I would give a 4 or 5 star rating. However, the lack of sleep for the reasons stated in 2 above and the fact the tour operator could not find this out from a polite questionare before the vacation has reduced my overall rating to a 2 or 3 star.
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