Everything was taken care of! Good reviews and a better price and more complete package than the other tour company I was speaking with. Everything was taken care of! I could enjoy just being in beautiful Patagonia and relax rather than constantly trying to sort my travel and hotel arrangements at each stop. The scenery at Perito Moreno and in Torres del Paine was unbeatable, but I also really enjoyed the hike in Ushuaia because the guide was so knowledgeable, and the lunch they prepared in they woods was quite nice. I loved all of the excursions. It was an incredible trip. As mentioned above, the guide for the hike in Ushuaia was great. I think her name was Carla, but I'm not sure. She was so enthusiastic and passionate about her work, and her love of the nature we saw on our hike was infectious.
On reflection, I would of liked there to be more trekking. Land only booking is 11 days of which only 6 are trekking. I fully appreciate the size of the region and the need for transfers to see "it all" but given the distance travelled and the cost involved I think DAY 7 should be a trekking day rather than a rest day. There is plenty of time to rest during transfers.
Hello Ursula! I'm well, how are you doing I can't believe how quickly time flies - you're right. It's already been 3 weeks since I came back to Toronto. I told you in person, and I will happily say it online as well - I was very impressed and happy with this travel agency. Even with the change in my itinerary due to the cancelled flight, the company was able to accommodate and make the necessary changes (although i wish they could have done something more to get me a refund for the one evening lost at L Hotel). All of the tours, hotels, flights and excursions went smoothly and I was very happy with most things booked via this company. The Iguassu hotel (St. George) was very well located and had great accommodations and buffet breakfast. Also, L hotel was also in a very nice location very close to Serrano Plaza. The hotel in Mendoza was ok. It was a little bit out of the way, and a few blocks away from the main streets. I think my favourite was George hotel in Iguassu. My favourite excursion by far was the wineries in Mendoza! Nothing even came close to this. I had my own person guide who was absolutely great (I cannot remember her name) and my own personal transfers by a very nice driver! I enjoyed all of the wineries I visited. The only one problem we encountered was the last winery where I was scheduled to have lunch, but had to be changed last minute because the winery had double booked an event and bumped us to one of its sister wineries nearby. It was still a great lunch experience, so it wasn't a big deal. The entire Iguassu excursion in both the Argentine and Brazilian side was also very nice. The guide was there the entire time, and took us through the entire park and explained everything, but was not overbearing. The one excursion that I wish was a bit better was the Buenos Aires city tour. I wish we spent more time in certain areas, and did more hop on/hop off at certain sites. The best part of travelling with this company was the headache-free travel! Everything was taken care of by the company, and i was able to just book my international flight and have the company do all of the rest. I liked this, because I just didn't have the time nor the patience to research everything. I had preferences and ideas in my mind, and they personalized my trip to my unique taste in every aspect (excursions, hotels, domestic flights) - it was very well done! They catered to my needs diligently. I was very satisfied. I wish i was able to have more information about the pricing of the entire trip. I was quoted a price by the company, but I really wanted to make necessary changes to reduce the price (the Canadian dollar devaluation made the US dollar price of the trip very expensive). I asked to get details of the pricing (a breakdown at least showing hotel/transfers/guide cost detail), but this was never provided. Overall, I really really enjoyed my trip created by this company. They did a fantastic job accommodating my needs and were so attentive to ensuring i was well taken care of! My pick-ups from the airport were always very dependable and punctual, there was usually a guide accompanying me in each city (that would be you Ursula!) who made me feel welcomed. I felt safe for the most part in all of the hotels I was in. My biggest fear coming to Argentina as a single young woman was that I had no idea whether this travel agency was trustworthy and dependable. My fears were definitely put to rest once I came to the country and realized what a professional and organized tour company it really is. So a big THANK YOU to you Ursula, and everyone else throughout my trip and booking process who made me feel safe, welcomed and happy :) The salad was my pleasure, and it was the least I could do.
