Having a mountain lion brush up against my leg as she passed by. Photographing Goucho herding sheep. Ordering dinner in Spanish at a cafe in Santiago.

Life changing

We love this city!! -Honestly, it's better than Atlanta (home). There's culture, community, excellent food, walkable streets, beautiful buildings. It was great, just perfect!

The guides, trackers, and hosts made this an unforgettable experience. Torres del Paine is beautiful, but can be full of empty roads and crowded tourist hotspots. Without guides that care (Diago, Marcel, Jr.) this wouldn't have been nearly as epic. "Nacho" took us on a 3km hike through the mountains on day 1 that was my childhood explorer heart's dream. Discovering flowers, birds, and taking incredible pictures. It was everything I had hoped for.

Rapa Nui should be on every explorer's bucket list. It's safe, beautiful, and adventurous all in one.

Excursions were awesome. If I had to rank them, the puma tracking was hands down the best experience of the entire trip. Nothing really compares. The hiking and photography with Nacho was solid too. We had some great trails, good laughs, and plenty of shots worth keeping. Rapa Nui comes in third. Beautiful place, some epic frames, no doubt about it. What really separated each experience was the guides’ willingness to chase the good light. Early mornings and late nights are where the magic happens. Midday is a graveyard of blown-out skies and animals hiding from the sun. Our puma team got that instinctively. Nacho was mostly onboard with a little nudge. And our Rapa Nui guide felt more like he was punching the clock. We still made the most of every situation, and the trip overall was fantastic. That’s just the honest feedback I’d pass along.

I can send you the pics if you'd like. They're insane. -And everyone I've shown them too is in disbelief. Diago and Marcel are absolutely the best guides and trackers ever!

Just one note: the food portions at the Serano camp were very, very small. And rather than substituting food that didn't have lactose in it, they just didn't add in that ingredient. So the portions were even smaller than usual. Since we were hiking the whole day, we had to reply on our stash of camp food after dinner. So I'd say the portions needed to be bigger.

The sun here is no joke. We were loaded up with sunscreen, wearing loose long sleeves, doing everything right, and you could still feel the radiation cutting through. Diago, one of our guides, mentioned this region sits right under the thinning ozone layer, and it makes sense the moment you step outside. The UV hits differently. You can sit under an umbrella, full shade, and still feel the burn working its way in. Bring UV-protective clothing, put sunscreen underneath it, and expect the kind of heat that doesn’t ask permission. This place will cook you if you’re not ready.

We came to South America for the first time not really knowing what we were stepping into, and we left with a deep appreciation for both the culture and the wildlife. Honestly, they’ve got a lot going for them down here. Strong communities, a thoughtful society, landscapes that stop you in your tracks, and wildlife that feels almost otherworldly. It deserves protection, and the way they guard their land makes total sense once you’ve seen it up close. If there’s one thing I’m taking home from this trip, it’s a real respect for Chile and its people. And, I’ll admit, I think I’ve found a new favorite place.

This was my first time using a tour company, so I don’t have a long list of comparisons or industry best practices to pull from. What I can say is that we were genuinely impressed. The entire trip was smooth, organized, and free of the little logistical gaps that usually creep into travel. Any time a flight schedule changed, Swoop reacted instantly. We didn’t have to scramble or guess. Cecilia and her team were on it before we even had time to worry, and it showed. Even when LATAM had that labor dispute and some of their staff walked out, Swoop reached out right away. It ended up not affecting us, but knowing someone was watching the situation and ready to adjust gave us the freedom to just enjoy the trip. We got to focus on the experience, not the mechanics behind it, and that made all the difference. For travel this complex, I’m confident we’ll book with Swoop again.

I feel we had everything we needed for the trip.

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Beyond 12 months