For a culturally unique vacation set amongst the natural wonders of South America, suggest your clients take part in one of these tours.
Wonders of Chile
Bicycle Adventures’ new 10-day Chile Lakes & Volcanoes bike tour travels from Santiago to the northern edge of Patagonia past lakes, snow-capped volcanoes and along the Lake Ranco Route. In Temuco, Chile, guests ride from the UNESCO Araucarias Biosphere Reserve to their first accommodations at the Corralco Hotel and Spa. Later, guests trek through Kutralkura Geopark on to Vicente Perez Rosales National Park and the Osorno Volcano. A short departure from cycling takes place on a no-less-adventurous hike to Coloradito Hill plus a walk through a forest made up of 2,000-year-old trees. The tour picks back up with more rides up volcanoes and explorations of the Chilean Patagonia rainforest and the Huilo-Huilo Biological Reserve, where guests have the option to zipline or take a spa break. Guests also have the unique opportunities to stay in tree house accommodations, have lunch in a microbrewery and have a local family prepare and host a special dinner. Rates start at $4,850 pp dbl, and include accommodations, most meals, the services of a bilingual guide and bikes. For more information, call (800) 443-6060 or visit bicycleadventures.com.
Wonders of Peru
On Travcoa’s 8-day Hiram Bingham’s Hidden Peru tour, a personal travel concierge helps guests plan their small group journeys through Peru’s Sacred Valley of the Incas in the Andean highlands, Machu Picchu, and Lima. In Lima, guests can step into history on a tour of the city’s plazas, museums, markets and temples where they can find everything from pre-Columbian art and handmade folk art to the carved wooden balconies once used by colonial women as a viewing point. A 1-hour flight over the snow-capped peaks of the Andes brings guests to Cusco, and a short drive down to the Urubamba Valley takes guests to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. A real treat for guests is sure to be the guided sunset tour of Machu Picchu (“Lost City of the Incas”). Rates start at $6,395 pp and include accommodations at the Miraflores Park Hotel, Hotel Rio Sagrado, Sanctuary Lodge and Hotel Monasterio. For more information, call (844) 673-5142 or visit travcoa.com.
Wonders of Argentina
Say Hueque’s new 6-day Salta: Adventure Tolar Grande takes place off-the-beaten path in Salta, a colonial city located in the northwest region of Argentina. Not only does Salta feature large salt flats—dried-up desert seas covered with salt and other minerals— but it is also home to historic museums, colonial architecture and authentic peñas (places where locals go to sip wine, dance and watch their favorite folk singers perform). Here, guests can view Ojos de Mar, three small lagoons that formed millions of years ago in the salt flats. At Siete Curvas (seven curves), guests can snap a photo in front of Desierto del Diablo, bright red rock formations that resemble the surface of Mars. Next, guests travel to the small rural village of Tolar Grande, located in the corner of the Salar de Arizaro salt flat, where no more than 400 inhabitants reside. In the 19th century, the town served as a hub along the industrial trail that connected Argentina to the Pacific. Today, the town’s abandoned train station serves as a tourist attraction. One of the last stops on the tour is to Purmamarca, a picturesque town sitting at the base of the Jujuy province’s seven color mountain, best viewed at sunset and dawn. Rates start at $1,210 pp dbl, and include accommodations, some meals, transportation and guide fees. For more information, visit sayhueque.com.
