December Reviews

The highlight was the Towers, We met great people all along the trail and had nice conversations at dinner with people. I think the thing that surprised us the most was the quality of the food at the refugios and also how organized the bus system inside the park was.

This was the trip of a lifetime. We were amazed by the beauty and magnificence of the glaciers and the mountains. The wildlife we saw was incredible, giant woodpeckers, huemuls, caracaras, condors, guanacos, and rheas. We were fortunate to be part of a very interesting and fun group. We all got along beautifully and intend to continue to stay in touch. We hiked in sun, rain, snow and strong winds at times that made the trip magical. Our guide was engaged, caring, knowledgeable, funny and took great care of all of us.

Great group of kindred spirits, lots of laughs after amazing hikes. Wonderful to have had all logistics taken care of so effectively. Landscape exceeded our expectations in its size and grandeur. We were supremely lucky with the weather.

Patagonia was full of the most gorgeous landscapes, wildness, and authentic people. We had adventures, ate amazing foods, and made friends that we still keep in touch with. It was truly the trip of a lifetime.

The ice hiking stands out the most, I wish I knew I would enjoy it so much I would have done the Big Ice Hike instead of the mini-trek. I enjoyed the Chilean side of Patagonia more than the Argentina side.

We had a wonderful time hiking, sightseeing, and eating in Patagonia. Our old bodies hiked like we were 30 years old. We especially loved hiking the W. It was so beautiful, with dramatic mountains of towers and glaciers, and hillsides in prime flower blooming season. We met lots of other travelers and shared stories, and ibuprofen for our sore muscles, at the dinner table. The biggest surprise for us was actually the relaxing bus trip from El Calafate to Puerto Natales. The buses are extremely comfortable and you get to view the vastness of Patagonia and spot a lot of guanacos and rheas along the way.

Highlights includes the view from the base of The Towers, viewing icebergs from the ferry, the eco-domes and meeting new friends.

There were so many highlights, but I guess I would say my days at Torres del Paine were the most memorable. Seeing the beautiful cliffs at different times of the day, in the clouds, in the sun - they had a different personality every hour. The people of Chile and Argentina were warm and friendly.

I answered 'Maybe' to the above question because Patagonia is so very far away from South Africa, but if it was nearer we would definitely want to go again. For me, the unexpected highlight were the epiphytic forests, especially in Pumalin Park. We were very struck by the politeness of everyone in Chile, and the safety - given where we come from! We found everyone we were in contact with to be welcoming and helpful. One of the most magical moments was our arrival at Tepuhueico, where we were stunned by the architecture and the warm tones of the wood, as well as the thought that had gone into every aspect of the building. It was a lovely treat of a stay to end the trip.

Great trip - a mixture of excellent day hikes, a longer multi-day hike and great food/ wine. Both Los Glaciares and Torres del Paine national parks were highlights with the highlight being the quieter back areas of the O trek which is a little closer to more wilderness trekking. I was a little surprised how busy parts of the Torres del Paine mainstream hiking areas were, particularly on the W circuit areas. I really enjoyed El Chlaten - it's a great size for a trekking type town and a fantastic base from which to explore the surrounding areas

Overall, the obvious highlight was the W-trek through Torres Del Paine. The park is great, the route is fantastic. We got very lucky with the weather. We did the refugios and the 'glamping' option which we enjoyed for our short trip - the food in the refugios was surprisingly excellent and we enjoyed all of that a lot. In particular, our guide Chuma, was fantastic and really made the trip too. I was a bit dubious about having a guide but that worked out brilliantly. The whole W is great, but getting up to the towers, and hiking up to Brittanica (a slight detour) were both really great. As was going up to see the glacier field above Glacier Grey by hiking up over the second suspension bridge (another detour). Alongside all the of the information and time with glaciers was fascinating.

The highlight of my trip was seeing the wildlife up close and personal. My EcoCamp dome was nestled in the bushes where the chincols (rufuos-collared sparrows) sang for my arrival. Guanacos were not sparse and I felt I got the full experience being able to see them anytime we traveled on the road. In addition, the iconic rock formations were stunning and a real privilege to see in person. I enjoyed the experience at EcoCamp. The structure of eating with your group tour for breakfast and dinner was an absolute bonding experience with people from all over the world. The most exciting moment for me was seeing the young pumas napping while the guanacos walked by to taunt them. I came for the hiking experience as well and the hikes were challenging but not intimidating. My guides were exceptional at knowing about the park, motivating me through my treks, and making me feel comfortable back at EcoCamp.

The circuit trek in Torre del Paine was by far the highlight. The remoteness and the untouched nature were amazing. Both of our guides on the hikes were amazing! The simple and quiet beauty is what we will remember forever.

Highlight: thermal therapy in glacier los perros!! And Xmas eve - beach party with the lodge staff! And how awesome my group was (literally couldn’t have been better - made lifelong friends) Landscape was fabulous, so varied and spectacular. Not much wildlife. Our group was awesome - all young, fit, full of energy and life! Will tell my grandchildren about all of it! Surprised by how good the food was - especially dinner.

Awasi in Torres del Paine was the highlight. Staff were outstanding and service impeccable. Our guide, Catalina was one of the best we have experienced anywhere. Seeing 5 pumas in one morning was an absolute highlight as was the walk through Frenchman's valley. Loved all the hiking, every walk we dud was fantastic.

Perito Moreno was the highlight. Weather was far worse than expected.

We experienced an airline strike in Argentina, which complicated the trip, but Swoop was totally helpful in assisting us rearrange everything. Great travel company.

The trip rated 12 out of 10. Its very hard to pick a highlight - but (before I change my mind) the walk in French Valley in the Torres del Paine NP. Or maybe the day we drove into the Perito Moreno NP, or sea kayaking in Chiloe or walking the Aviles trail in Park Patagonia or visiting the Marble Caves or... The landscapes were sensational - I'd love to see them in Autumn. ? We really liked the Chileans - they have a great sense of humour! Of all the many lovely places we stayed Mirador de Guadal was my favourite.

There were many highlights but the wildlife would have to be amongst our favourite experiences. To see twelve orca up close in the wild was a real treat. Kayaking up close to a sea lion colony and walking amongst the burrows of thousands of magellanic penguins were absolute highlights. Watching condors circling overhead as we were being blasted by the wind on rocky cliffs was memorable. Stumbling across a family of upland geese feeding and seeing a family of huemul were real treats. I could go on and on about rheas, guanaco, mara, king penguins, torrent ducks etc.

Loved the boat trip and estancia and hiking the W. Folks were terrific..friendly and helpful. Only surprised at how well everything went.