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Mes: Octubre 2023

How to ask for your customized trip

Posted on by Emily Gregg

At Ecochile, we absolutely love planning unique vacations for every individual and group that contacts us – in fact, we pride ourselves on our ability to tailor each itinerary to every traveler’s needs. But if you’ve never asked for a personalized itinerary before, maybe you’re used to planning your own vacations, here are a few tips to help ensure that we do the very best we can for you. 

More information means more personalization

If you only read one sentence of this blog, let it be this one: the more information you give us, the more we can do for you! No detail is too small or too big. If you’re traveling for a special occasion, have health-concern that could be relevant, or there’s a trip you’ve always been dreaming of, knowing these can help us shape your trip. 

Tell us where you want to go

Do you have a list of places you want to visit in South America? Let us know! This can be as specific or as general as you like. Maybe you’re dreaming of one specific small town in the Chilean Lake District, or maybe you just want to explore Argentina! The benefits of a bespoke vacation is that we will make a trip that works for you. If you have some destination ideas, include these in your form and make sure to say which are non-negotiable and which would be a bonus ‘if possible.’ 

Activities 

If you’re totally unsure of destinations, giving us an idea of the kinds of landscapes and activities you want to explore will help us guide you to the perfect vacation. If you have a special interest, from bird-watching to cooking, from cycling to kayaking, wine tasting to photography, we want to hear it! South America is incredibly diverse and we can accommodate almost any activity if you name it!

Have a look at our Instagram & Facebook for more inspiration! 

Equally important is letting us know if there’s an activity that would be an absolute ‘no’ for you. Every traveler is different, and while some may dream of going horseback riding across the Patagonian landscape, that may sound like a nightmare to others. Equally, if you don’t drink alcohol, we wouldn’t want to suggest a trip around Mendoza’s vineyards… 

On that note, let us know if you want a fast-paced vacation to see and do as many things as possible in the time you have, or if you prefer to take it slow and soak up each destination. Of course, we can do somewhere in the middle too!

Flexibility

This is a big one! How fixed are your dates, budget, and destinations? 

Travel times, flight availability, and certain tour requirements (like cruising through Tierra del Fuego or traveling to Antarctica) may shape the rest of your itinerary. If you can be flexible with your dates, do let us know so we can plan the smoothest and most efficient itinerary possible. Equally, if your dates are fixed, we will work with providers to make everything work for you. 

Something to consider before you contact us is what is your priority for your South American adventure: sticking to a strict budget or having the most epic experience possible? If you fall into the first category, we’ll create an incredible vacation that will leave you with amazing memories and without worries about the cost or FOMO of the activities you didn’t do. If you fall in the latter, we’ll offer you some of the best experiences that you can find in Chile and Argentina. If you’re in the middle, willing to spend a little more for something truly special, we’d love to make sure you know all the options available. 

What happens next

Once you’ve sent your form, we’ll take a look, pull a few ideas together and get back to you with a potential itinerary. The more detail you can give us in the first step, the closer you will be to having a confirmed holiday. Be sure to leave a contact number so that we can call (this really speeds up the process for you!), as well as your preferred contact hours and time zone. If you prefer not to be contacted by phone, just leave a note of this and we’ll email the information across instead. 

If you have any questions about planning a trip to Chile, Argentina, or Antarctica, contact us today. Or let’s get started on planning your vacation of a lifetime!

A week on Easter Island

Posted on by Emily Gregg

In August 2023, Claudia, one of Ecochile’s Travel Specialists, visited Easter Island to see how the island’s tourism has changed since the pandemic. One thing that was adamantly clear was that the magic and charm of Easter Island remains as fascinating and enticing as ever.

In this blog post, Claudia tells us about how she was enchanted on her week on the island the locals call Rapa Nui. 

Arriving on Easter Island

After an early start on a Saturday morning, we headed to Santiago’s airport. Travelling to Rapa Nui, otherwise known as Easter Island, means going through the special customs area of the domestic terminal for Easter Island and filling out the required entry form to protect the ecosystem and control the number of tourists. 

The flight is surprisingly long – 5 hours flying over nothing but the Pacific Ocean. Then, all of a sudden, the emerald-green island appears in the middle of the sapphire-blue sea. You can see the waves crash against the cliffs and the volcanoes and craters that dot the island. As you get closer though, tiny figures looking out to the coast appear – my first sighting of the moai statues that make Easter Island so famous.

Stepping out of the plane, I was welcomed immediately by the Easter Island breeze and a wall of greenery. The luscious green jungle veins where the tarmac ends and seemingly coming from it, the sound of Rapa Nui music. Local guides greeted me with a customary Rapa Nui flower necklace as we walked out. It couldn’t have been a better start to an incredible week on Easter Island.

Guides and caring for the island

These guides are a must on the island, not least because there are so many monuments that it is hard to tell what is a rock and what is a monument! The guides are a font of knowledge when it comes to all things Easter Island and, as well as showing you all the hidden spots on the island, without them, you can’t get into any of the parks or see the monuments up close.

All the archaeological sites are looked after like a giant museum over the whole island. Although there are a couple of decorative reconstructions, Sebastián was great in helping us identify which were real and telling us the story behind the replicas. I was definitely amazed at how well cared-for the artefacts are, and how much the locals respect the history and the island’s ecosystem completely. 

Seeing how locals care for their island was fascinating. They truly care for their land, practicing traditional land management including Manavai – a way of watering plants and gathering water. That is also why there are more limitations on what you can do, where you can go, and what you can touch (don’t touch the moai statues!). Far from seeming restrictive, these rules make you feel like you are part of the island’s story, helping to protect it for other generations.

Exploring the Island

We were incredibly lucky to be able to spend a whole week on Easter Island, which meant we were able to see almost everything. We visited so many of the moai statues (of course!), rode horses along the coast, swam in the sea, learned about the origins of Easter Island, and awed at its outstanding beauty.

But the highlight of the trip was definitely exploring the underground caves. There are caves are scattered around the island, and some are open to tourists. My partner was a little nervous as he was unsure of how safe they were and how much we would see, but the guide was very reassuring. We donned our helmets and, looking back, I couldn’t be more glad that we both made it.

The Caves

Walking into the caves was like walking into another world. Each was unique and holds a part of Easter Island’s history. Gods, demons, and animals are carved into the walls. These petroglyphs (stone drawings) are tiny artefacts which, along with tools and the design of the caves themselves, offer a glimpse of the islanders’ historic cultures and the beliefs that shaped the island. Although the caves would be fantastic at any time of year, we were lucky to visit during the off-season meaning that many of the caves were empty. 

Sebastian, our expert guide, told us the story of three different caves we visited adding another level of understanding and fascination. The first cave was a strategic lookout point for the islanders, two windows meant approaching boats and potential invaders could be spotted. Another, filled with the weight of its history, had once served as the island’s prison. And finally, the third cave was a kind of temple, adorned with petroglyphs of the island’s god, Make Make, to which women and their partners were sent for the caves fertility-boosting powers. 

The History

The island has been home to a lot of tribes over the years – despite only being a 1,000 years old. Each tribe has changed the island and we can see their legacy everywhere – in drawings, statues and caves – but very little is really known about them. A lot of theories exist though and this makes for great conversation with guides and fellow travellers over dinner.

These days the island is ruled by its weather. There is an almost constant wind, which can affect activities but it doesn’t really affect the temperature. We visited in the winter, so it stayed between 15-20C (60-70F) most days although the locals were wrapped up warm. Don’t be fooled by the cooler temperatures though – make sure you pack and apply sunscreen!

Our most memorable moment…

It is pretty much a fact that you’ll leave the island with more friends than you started with. The guides and those they show around often make real friendships, creating networks of Rapa Nui devotees across the world. 

When I think back to my time on the island my mind returns straight away to the sunrise in Tongariki. Watching the sun emerge from to the side of the statues (it emerges from behind in the summer) as lit up the sky in an array of pastels was unforgettable. It was also a brilliant way to say goodbye to the island and the memories we made there.