Chile Experience

Patagonia calling again...

Advantages: An out of this world experience.
Disadvantages: It's a bit far but most certainly worth it.

The Torres del Paine National Park lies to the extreme south of Chile, in the Chilean Patagonia. To be precise, in the XII Región of Magellan and Chilean Antarctica (Chile is divided into 12 regions). The province is known as "Ultima Esperanza" (Last Hope). Hope is not a word I would use. Reality is more like it. Hopeful Reality. Or perhaps Realistic Hope. I am afraid Patagonia has stolen my senses, and senses I did not have a lot. So do forgive ...
...left it somewhere there, wandering the Patagonian plains, lakes, forests and mountains. It is an area roughly 242,242 hectares large and was officially declared a National Park in 1975, and from this date to today, has been administrated by the National Forestry Service of Chile (Conaf). On the 28th of April 1978, the United Nations recognised it as a World Biosphere Reserve. Thank Goodness! This has enabled many endangered species to recover and ...

Librelola 24.08.2005 · Read full review
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Review of Parque Nacional Torres del Paine

South Americas Finest Powder

Advantages: Better terrain than El colorado
Disadvantages: Further away from the hostels

...coloured shirt. The area. La Parva, El Colorado and Valle Nevado are as connected as Meribel, Courcheval and Val Thorens in France. In this comparison, La Parva would be Courchevel, off to the left side of a combined piste map and away from the slightly more crowded central resort of El Colorado. As in France, you can ski all 3 areas on the same pass, and it will take you more than a couple of days to do so. Off the slopes, however, the comparison ...
...Accommodation Accommodation in La Parva is limited and hard to find out about. There is almost nothing in the way of big apartments or hotels in either El Colorado or La Parva, most of the property is either chalet style buildings which I suspect are owned by wealthy Chileans or the original Andean stone/wooden buildings. I have never stayed in La Parva, which as far as I know has no budget accomodation. If I was going with my family now, and wanted ...

jimh1 07.07.2005 · Read full review
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Review of La Parva

The most wonderful seaside town!

Advantages: local people and activities
Disadvantages: not very well known

...even in cold London is La Serena; a seaside town in the north of Chile. It is the second oldest town in Chile and at only 5 hours drive from Santiago is a must visit place of the country in my opinion. Although known as a tourist place to the locals it is not as well known by foreigners as say the Atacama desert or Santiago center. La Serena meaning the serene one, has lots to offer travelers as well as Chileans. It has a mixture of both old and ...
...and Americanization. When in La Serena it is easy to find your way around as the town is very traveler friendly and has a range of maps and tourist information around. With a taxi costing as little as 300 pesos a ride, which is about 30p it is very affordable to get to know this gorgeous place. La Serena cators for all ages and for all interests. For the young it has a beach front full of nightclubs and amusements. Including a funfair on the beach ...

olgita 12.02.2007 · Read full review
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Review of La Serena

Perfect Chilean Patagonia...

Advantages: Stunning scenery and enough adventure to last a lifetime
Disadvantages: Huge distances and the developing transport system

As a volunteer English teacher in the very depths of Patgonia here I managed to explore the region fully, experiencing the culture and seeing the lives that enfolded before me each day. It was only by spending so long in this beautiful region that I fully discovered what Chilean Patagonia, let alone the rest of Chile, was about. As it is such a huge country that I can only begin to describe the beauty of this part of the country and what amazing ...
...with Coyhaique, the capital of the XI Region, about half way from between Santiago and the end of the world, Tierra del Fuego... Coyhaique: this town, of population 40,000, is a bustling centre of all activities in the XI Region. With easy access from Santiago Airport to Balmaceda Airport (1 hour drive - taxi buses are cheap and easy to find in the airport), Coyhaique is experiencing the tourist explosion. Its advantages are more than obvious: ...

Piers85 15.04.2005 · Read full review
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Review of General: Chile

Easter Island to you and me

Advantages: Mysterious history
Disadvantages: Getting there

...island these days call it Rapa Nui. This came from Tahitian Sailors in the 1800's The current population is about 2000 mainly concentrated in one town, and it is here that there is an airport. In town there is a range of accomodation from 5 star to bed a breakfast but be warned it is'nt cheap. As for nightlife, well for a small town its not bad. There is a nightclub on the edge of town and the night I spent there was pretty wild. Being so remote ...
...fields behind the town, marujana is openly grown, and by all accounts its some of the best stuff on the planet. This according to my mate who smoked one joint and spent the rest of the evening in a corner gazing into space. The funniest thing about the nightclub was the low rails outside. When you come out drunk and trip over them, it can be quite puzzling as their purpose. Its only when you look up into the face of a horse that you become aware ...

Jasonrow 04.08.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Rapa Nui