Recommend November 2015 - (Page 22)

latinamerica Keiki hula dancers at Turtle Bay Resort. carla hunt Cool Patagonia is a Hot Ticket Standard dome tent at EcoCamp Patagonia, where AdventureSmith Explorations clients stay while touring Patagonia. carla hunt Bruce Chatwin's best-selling book, "In Patagonia," may have triggered the stampede of travelers to this part of the world. More likely, however, the newfound popularity of Patagonia is just a credit to the discovery of its timeless landscapes of glacial lakes and towering peaks, its spectacular parklands and diverse flora and fauna. More timely is the arrival of luxury lodges in the middle of nowhere and paved and/or all-gravel roads to connect them, making the Patagonian wilderness experience comfortable as well as memorable. Patagonia is indeed a many-splendored place, one that can be customized to travelers' expectations in many ways. patagonia by chile Scenically an excursion to rival any in South America is the trip to the southern tip of Chile's Patagonia, a region of pristine forests, snowcapped mountains, glaciers, fjords and national parks. Overland, this frontier wonderland is linked south from Puerto Montt by the Carretera Austral, a 700-mile gravel and dirt road that ends at the ice fields. The major air gateway is Punta Arenas, located on the Strait of Magellan. It's a windswept, red-roofed town that welcomes travelers in some lovely hotels and serves as a comfortable base for excursions to see colonies of Magellanic penguins. Visitors can either head south from town to Seno Otway or ferry out to Magdalena Island. Punta Arenas is both the jumpoff point for inland travel to Puerto Natales and Torres del Paine National Park, as well as the Pacific port for luxury ships that cruise round the tip of the continent to Ushuaia in Argentina. Additionally, weekly air service from here connects Chile to the Falkland Islands. Puerto Natales sits on the gorgeous shores of the Ultima Esperanza (Last Hope) fjord, 100 miles from Punta Arenas. This Patagonian outpost is a modern mecca for adventurers, who set out to ride the ranges of nearby ranches, hike in the mountains, On recommend.com, you cruise on the fjords, and take day can learn about Patagonia's trips to Torres del Paine National Atlantic coast, including a Park. Just outside town, there tour sample with are now top-of-the-line lodgings, Borello Travel & Tours. 22 november 2015 complete with heated pools, spas, good restaurants and a full menu of regional excursions. By far the most stunning and dramatic site in the south is the Torres del Paine National Park, crowded with glaciers, lakes and gnarled Magellanic trees. While inhabited by few people, the park is full of wildlife, including guanacos, flamingos, rhea and condors. The signature park feature is the "towers" of Paine, needle-like formations of gray granite, dusted with snow, enveloped in mists. They form the dramatic backdrop for beautiful Lake Sarmiento and Lake Grey, two of many glacier attractions. There's a handful of excellent lodges and luxury tented camps in the park-explora Patagonia, Hotel Rio Serrano, Hotel Las Torres Patagonia, and Patagonia Camp for glamping-offering guided trekking and horseback tours, as well as 4x4 vehicle touring. For travelers driving from Punta Arenas, the trip, with a stop in Puerto Natales, is close to five hours. TOUR SAMPLE: AdventureSmith Explorations focuses on Torres del Paine National Park in its 7-day Patagonia Wildlife Safari, starting in Punta Arenas and driving to EcoCamp Patagonia in the park. During the 5-night stay, there are daily excursions ranked either "easy," "active," or "mountain bike." "Easy" includes a full day on the Fauna Trail at Lake Sarmiento to Laguna Azul with BBQ lunch; "active" options include a Trek Towers Base; and "mountain bike" could mean cycling to Laguna Azul with a BBQ lunch, among an array of other options for all categories. Priced from $1,365 pp dbl with Standard dome tent. patagonia by argentina Patagonia occupies the southern third of Argentina, whose major air gateway to Los Glaciares National Park is El Calafate, the town on the edge of 566-sq.-mile Lago Argentino, where black-necked swans and flamingos ply the icy waters. During the optimum travel season, between October and March, the most popular excursion indeed leads to Los Glaciares, a million-anda-half acres of ice, water, mountains and virgin forests; declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981, it is one of 18 national parklands in Argentina. recommend.com http://www.recommend.com http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend November 2015

Editor’s Notes
Hotel Desk: Hilton
Tour Talk: What’s New
Cuba for Everyone
Cruising Asia’s Waterways
AmaWaterways’ AmaDara
Why Vietnam Now!
Canada: Road Tripping Through Ontario
Cool Patagonia is a Hot Ticket
Manchester, England
The Art of Cooking

Recommend November 2015