Valerie Burden
United Kingdom
Customer
Rating
10
Customer Rating On return from their adventure we ask customers: “On a scale of 0-10, with 10 being the highest, how likely is it that you would recommend Swoop to a friend or colleague?”
Valerie Burden's Trip Date:
15th Feb - 4th Mar 2019
Overall, how was your trip?
Highlights were the hikes to Laguna de los Tres, Loma del Pilegue Tumbado and the French Valley hike. Non hiking highlights were having our Argentinian welcome dinner in Masden’s house and the dinner in the dining dome at Serrano River Camp where we saw a Puma stroll by. The best meal of the trip was in a small restaurant in El Calafate opposite the hotel which was recommended by Rosio, our guide. The vast landscapes were stunning and we saw plenty of Condors, Giant Woospeckers, Rheas, Flamingoes and Guanaco. We loved the plants, particularly the alpines on the Tumbado hike and the Nothofagus betuloides. Everyone we met was friendly. The other members of our group were great fun and we all got on well.
In one sentence, what did you think of Patagonia? Did it live up to your expectations?
Fantastic open spaces and unique mountain peaks and glaciers. The forests reminded us of New Zealand.
Would you visit again?
Maybe
How was the service that Swoop provided?
The whole trip went smoothly. The service before and during the trip was excellent.
How likely is it that you would recommend Swoop to a friend?
10 out of 10
How was your Patagonian adventure?
Highlights described earlier. Our tour leader in Los Glaciares, Rosio and our trekking guide, Sophie, were excellent. They were professional and knowledgeable but relaxed and friendly. They managed the pace to suit the group.
Do you have any tips or advice for other people planning a trip to Patagonia?
Take Crocs for the evenings. Expect all weather conditions on the trails; zip off hiking trousers and both long and short sleeved tops plus good warm layers.
Anything else? Tell us anything you’d like to share that we forgot to ask! It’s ok to leave this empty too :-)
In Torres del Paine our tour guide Pelin and trekking guide Jaime were excellent. There was a change to the planned itinerary because of the tragic zodiac accident that happened a couple of days before we were due to travel up the Serrano. The day out on catamaran with lunch at the Estancia Perales was our least favourite day. Although the scenery was spectacular, it was noisy mass tourism and the food was nothing special. If you could do this with a smaller boat, similar to the Southern Spirit Perito Moreno trip, it would be much better. On arrival at Hosteria Mirador del Payne after a 2.5 hour road trip, we had one hour before dinner. Unfortunately, the water in the bathrooms didn’t get hot until about ten minutes before dinner. It would have been nice if our arrival had been anticipated with a little more thought. It was a wonderful location though.
How was your experience in Buenos Aires?
We enjoyed a complimentary city tour provided by the hotel. (Casasur Palermo).We also took advantage of free bicycles provided by the hotel to explore on our free day, particularly enjoying the botanical gardens. The El Querandi Tango Show and Dinner was excellent. The young man who met us at the airport was delightful and provided lots of useful information. We loved Buenos Aires; plenty to do and very diverse.