I went to Chile last year and spent a fantastic month visiting the central and northern regions. There are two disadvantages to visiting Chile - firstly, it is a bit expensive so is not that well-suited to backpackers or those travelling on a shoe-string, and secondly it is such a long/thin country that travelling around it can be a bit difficult. Having got these out the way, I can tell you some of the numerous advantages. For a start, Chile has all the basics you want from a holiday destination - attractive cities (like Santiago), fun nightlife, good beaches. Also, I have travelled around a lot and Chile is unquestionably the most beautiful country I have visited. The landscape is amazing - partly due to the fact that the country runs between two stunning mountain ranges so you are always surrounded by mountains. One great experience I had was bathing in some hot springs up in the Andes with snow falling around us - an unmissable experience! Up in the north is the Attacama desert (the driest desert in the world, I am told...) which has beautiful sparse scenery. Every so often in the barren desert you come across a huge lake which is quite a sight. The north is good to visit apart from the scenery because it is so Chilean in feel (unlike the more Westernized central region). Valparaiso and Vina del Mar in the centre of the country are lovely coastal resorts, particularly Valparaiso - a charming, higgledy-piggledy place which is a hive of activity and history. I didn't get the chance to visit the south of the country which contains a famously beautiful lake district and some glacial lakes, but I am told it is the best part to visit. The middle and north of the country are so stunning that I can't imagine what the south is like! EVERYONE I have shown my photos to has vowed to visit Chile and they will not regret it!
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