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Chile

5 Spots in Chile’s Patagonia You Cannot Miss

by Andrea
written by Andrea

There is a saying in Patagonia that goes “El que se apura en la Patagonia, pierde su tiempo” which can be translated into, “ If you rush in Patagonia, you lose time”. Planning is very important when visiting this area. Outside of a few areas like Torres del Paine, there is limited bus schedules, flights, and places to stay.

So where do you start? Well, I certainly can’t tell you that but I can suggest my list of 5 spots in Chile’s Patagonia that you cannot miss! They are not in any special order, in case you were wondering. ENJOY

5 Spots in Chile’s Patagonia that You Cannot Miss

Number 1: Lookout of Torres del Paine:

Location: Torres del Paine National Park, Magallanes, Chile

I’m sure that is one of the places that you already had your eye on and it’s for good reason. It’s absolutely breathtaking! Torres del Paine is definitely top of people’s bucket list and let me tell you, the pictures you’ve seen are nothing compared to what you’ll see in real life. You can go for the day without reservations or plan ahead and spend the night in a variety of places from hotels to campsites. From Puerto Natales you take a bus that will bring you the entrance of the park at “Laguna Amarga” and you must pay an entrance fee of 18.000 CLP for foreigners. From there you can start walking or take another bus that will bring you 7km closer. Take that bus (it’s only 3,000 CLP) and you’ll save energy and time instead of fighting with the dust. Once you arrive at the welcome center, you have anywhere from a 4-6 hour hike depending on your fitness level and the number of times you stop to take pictures. The whole way there you’ll pass several rivers and experience different landscapes. It’s quite a fun, long, but amazing day.

Number 2: 2-Day Hike with Estancia La Peninsula:

Location:  Peninsula Antonio Varas, 30 minutes from Puerto Natales, direction Monte Balmaceda where the glaciers Balmaceda and Serrano are located.

Located right outside of Puerto Natales, this place is a perfect getaway from the crowds and you’ll see what the region really has to offer. Estancia la peninsula has an area that covers a little more than 45,000 acres and currently uses about 10,000 of those acres on farming and tourism. Our guide, Trish, was amazing and took us to an amazing 360 viewpoint of all the fjords in the area. You’ll see a variety of landscapes that will leave you a bit perplexed about why or how it’s possible; fossils, rivers, driftwood, mud, marsh, mountains and views that will leave you breathless. Everyone here just laughs and says, “That’s Patagonia”.  You have to cross some rivers, nothing difficult, or least I thought. Check out my wipeout on Facebook. Your overnight stay is in a beautiful simple cabin that looks out to the water. The next morning you get up and make your way towards these caves that once had Kaweskar children dating back to about 250 years ago. Our day ended with a delicious Patagonian Lamb BBQ and then a shearing demonstration. This hike is totally different than the Torres del Paine National Park and should be up there on your list because I honestly felt like I got to see a part of the region that most people don’t have the time to do. For more info about the trek and how you can make a reservation, click here.

 

Number 3: Maqui Waterfall

Location: Puerto Guadal, Aysen, Chile

This spot has been a well-kept secret for the people of Puerto Guadal for quite some time. When you start the hike, you think it’s like any other hike. You’re walking through bushes and trees as you make your way up; the view is beautiful because you can see the General Carrera Lake the whole time. The trail isn’t very well marked so it’s best to go with a guide. I went with Felix, a German who has been living in the area for some time now and works with TerraLuna Lodge just around the corner from this waterfall. Then you finally arrive at a canyon where you see water is flowing so we followed it until we reached the waterfall. Our guide took us to the where the waterfall begins and lead us all the way back down to where it ends in the lake. It’s amazing how something that you might have thought wasn’t going to be too impressive actually takes the words out of your mouth. I’m not going to tell how many falls I saw but I will tell you that if you go during the months of January and February, there is a high chance you can take a dip in the natural infinity pool.

 

Number 4: Lake Jeinimeni National Park

Location: Chile Chico, Aysen, Chile

This untouched piece of nature is an outdoor lover playground right outside of a small town called Chile Chico.  The national park is the 4th largest in Chile covering 1.6 million acres. You can come out for the day or spend a couple of days on their campsites. There is a wonderful 7.5 km trek, which you can do on your own but I would recommend going with a guide because there are a lot of historical points throughout the hike to learn about. After the trek, we had lunch by Lake Jeinimeni of grilled Salmon and some local craft beer. After lunch, we took a 1-hour bike ride towards the green lagoon. There are a few rivers that you need to cross. They are not difficult but because I have a thing with the rivers, I fell. And of course, it was recorded. Check it out here. If you want to do the same tour I did, check out Patagoniaxpress.

Number 5: Carretera Austral road trip:

Location: Aysen Region, Northern Patagonia, Chile

Grab a car and hit the road. You’re looking at 1240km from the starting point in Puerto Montt all the way down to Villa O’ Higgins. The majority of the road is gravel so you need to drive about 40km per hour and has several curves and smaller lanes. You’re not going to mind driving this slow because the views are so beautiful you’re going to want to stop constantly. Every 100 km on average you have an opportunity to sleep, eat, and/or explore the area. Most people can do the entire thing in 15 days but you can definitely take your time and stay longer. I was there for only 7 days and it left me wanting more. My detailed post about this road trip is coming soon. I’m working hard on it!

 

So that’s my top 5. I’m sure you’re going to want to do them all so the question is, which one are you going for first? Let me know if there is a place in Chile’s Patagonia that I missed. I know that Patagonia is shared with Argentina, but that’s a whole different trip that I haven’t visited, yet. You’ve got to visit one place at a time.

Please reach out to me if you have questions because I would LOVE to help you plan your visit to Patagonia.

Remember, when you give good you get good.

 

 

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Chile

Before you Go: Torres Del Paine

by Andrea
written by Andrea

You’re probably reading this blog because you have decided to visit the Torres del Paine National Park. This beautiful park is located in Chile’s Patagonia, the southernmost tip of the South American continent. Visiting the Torres was always on my bucket list and I finally made it at the end 2017.

In the weeks (OK months) leading up to my trip, I spent hours reading weather reports, stalking the Instagram hashtags #torresdelpaine, and talking with others who have already done the Torres del Paine for their best tips and tricks. I put all this information together and mixed in my own personal experience to come up with 5 things you need to know before going to Torres Del Paine.

Number 1: When is the best time to go?

Most visitors hit the park between December and February. Torres del Paine can experience four seasons in a day, so bring thermals, sunscreen, hats, and waterproof gear because you never know what can happen. I personally went during the first days of December and had excellent summer sun weather for almost all 3 days and on the last day going to Glacier Grey, the winds were so intense that we couldn’t make it all the way and we had to return back to camp. One week, later a group of friends went and they were hit a snowstorm and it rained so hard that everything got wet. The best site to check weather conditions days before and only believe 70% of what it says.

 

Number 2: Plan the Number of Days.

It’s really important to plan the number of days you’re going to spend in the park. The shortest and most popular hike that people do is the “W Trek” and will generally need 4 days/3 nights It can be done in 3 days by the hard-core or stretched to 5 days or more if you want to add a rest day or two in the middle. If you’re an experienced hiker, you might consider trying “The O Circuit,” which is a 9-day loop around the entire park that includes the “W.”  The length of “W trek” portion is just about 50 miles.

Most people fly into Punta Arenas and then take a 3-hour bus ride to Puerto Natales, the city closest to Torres Del Paine. The first Bus from Punta Arenas-Puerto Natales leaves at 7 am and the last one is at 9 pm

From Puerto Natales, you’re looking at another 3-hour bus ride to the entrance of Torres del Paine National Park. The first bus from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine leaves at 7 am and the last one goes back to Puerto Natales at 7 pm

There are two entrances to the park; it doesn’t matter if you want to do the “W” or the “O”. They both have the same entrance fee and the only difference is where you personally want to begin your hike. If you enter or leave the park through Lake PEOHUE you must take a catamaran, which leaves every day at starting at 9 AM and the last one at 630 pm. One way will cost you 18.000 CLP or you can buy a round trip for 28.000 CLP.

 

Number 3: How to make reservations

This part is mandatory to enter the park. Due to overcrowding and its growing popularity, Torres del Paine now requires advance reservations to spend the night in the park. Park entrance fee is 21.000 CLP. I would recommend reserving your camp as soon as you have purchased your airline tickets. It gets a bit tricky because there are a lot of options. You can see the Torres del Paine in one day and so you would just pay the entrance fee. If you want to spend the night, you have three entities that own different sections of the park.

A while back, Torres del Paine used to be private property owned by several families. In the 80’s, all those families have turned in their pieces of land to create the Torres del Paine National Park except for one. That one family runs Fantastico Sur, which currently offers a total 5 campsites and 4 Refugios, which are hostels with bunkrooms and hot showers. Prices start at 10.000 CLP for camping if you want to take your own gear and food or pay up 54.000 CLP and they take care of all that for you. Click here to make your reservations.

Then you have to make separate reservations with the park concessioner Vertice for its 4 campsites and 3 refugios. At the time of this post and during my visit, they were revamping their website so it was required to send them an email for a request to stay at their campsites and Refugio. Check it out here for updates and instructions on how to make reservations.

Then you have CONAF, which is the government national park service, which provides free campsites. Spots are released for the season and are limited. I personally wouldn’t recommend this because when I visited their campsite; I found it to be in poor conditions. If you insist on doing Torres del Paine on a budget, then click here for more info on availability. You can only reserve one night at a time with only 6 months in advance.

Supposedly, they are working together to create a platform where you can make all your reservations from just one website. As soon as I get that information, I’ll update this post and explain the process. But for now, this is the way you must do it.

Number 4: Guide or No guide:

I will be the first to say that I’m no expert in trekking, camping, or anything outdoors related but I love the idea of connecting with nature and testing my limits. I would call myself averagely fit but my never-ending positive energy is my greatest strength when it comes to taking this hike on.

It’s important to know your limits. Along the trail, you’ll never be alone even if you go to the park alone. You’ll always run into someone in case you need help or just someone to chat with for a couple of minutes. The trail is also pretty clearly marked. I would say that the only place where I had a hard time reading the signs was when I was in the Fantastico Sur part of the Park.

If you were interested in learning about the wildlife and history of the park, then I would go with a guide. I would recommend with my eyes closed to hike with guys from Trekking.cl. This is there 9th season of working in the park and they have an incredible network of agencies, hotels, transportation that are available for support and offering the best price in town.

Number 5: Remember Where You Are

Torres del Paine or the Patagonia area, in general, is in a very remote part of the world and the weather is extremely unpredictable. Connectivity to your global social media world will be limited and so will charging stations for your cameras and electronics. Take a battery pack with you. Most hostels or hotels in Puerto Natales will offer tents, sleeping bags, kitchenettes and gas for rent at very affordable prices. Don’t worry about lugging that stuff around unless you’re going to use it during your entire trip. You can also buy all your food in Puerto Natales. I spent approx. 26.000 CLP ($50 USD) for two people to eat for 3 full days. Not bad right?

Last but not least, please take care of the park. Take your trash with you. Try to use the same water bottle and refill them up with the river water along the trail. Yes, it’s safe to drink. You’ll see signs repeatedly telling you not to start a fire. Don’t do it. In 2011, 40,000 acres of the park was burned due to a result of a tourist’s irresponsible conduct. You’ll see what is left over when you’re walking between glacier grey and the French Valley.

I hope this information was helpful in your planning of Torres del Paine. Remember that Torres del Paine isn’t the only thing you can do near Puerto Natales. There are a number of alternative hikes and things you can do in the area. Check out my friend’s blog Patagonia dreaming who lives in Puerto Natales and has a number of posts about things to do in the area.

Remember when you give good, you get good.

 

 

 

 

 

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Chile

3-day Guide to Chiloe

by Andrea
written by Andrea

Chiloe is a beautiful island in the south of Chile. Know for its mythology of witchcraft and old wives tales, this island has some magical places that you won’t find anywhere else in Chile. Upon your arrival, you’ll see lush forests and iconic wooden churches that can easily be explored by car, bike, bus, or foot.

My month-long trip through the south of Chile only allowed me 3 days on the island but I could have easily stayed for 3 more days just to explore traditional chilote life and maybe a few more hikes through its national parks. I decided to rent a car as I was traveling with a few friends and figured the cost would be the same as going in a bus with 100% more freedom. It was totally worth it. We rent the car from the Puerto Montt Airport early in the morning and then made our way to the island.

If you notice on my map, I focused my trip on the northern part of the island. Each day is marked with a different color and then I’ve detailed each day below. Enjoy

Day 1: Puerto Montt-Castro

Distance Drove: 205 miles

Start point: We arrived at the Airport at around 8 am to rent our car. Once we were in we headed straight to the island of Chiloe. The only way to the island with the car is by taking the ferryboat from Pargua to Chacao. Each way will cost you 12.000 CLP (18 USD) and the charge is per vehicle and not per person.

Stop 1: Breakfast in Ancud.

This is one of the larger cities on the island and we knew we needed to fuel up here before heading on. We made our way to the Plaza de Armas to park and started wandering around until we found a small breakfast bar to eat. I think we spent about an hour in total to eat and take a couple of pictures before our next stop to see the Penguins.

Stop 2: penguin colony at Puñihuil

Who doesn’t love a cute little penguin? This is a must-see spot when visiting the island. There are 3 islands that both Magellanic and Humboldt penguins call home. I visited during the last week of November and was able to see baby penguins that were just born about a week ago! They will hang around the island until about April when the babies are strong enough to travel. The tour lasted about 35-45 minutes and cost 7,000 CLP (10 USD) per person.

Stop 3: Lunch in Dalcahue

Since we were not in any rush, we decided to forgo the main highway and take a side road that went south along the coast and then cross over towards Dalcahue for lunch. I would definitely recommend doing this because you will see a mixture of farmland, forest, and the traditional Chilote houses that everyone loves to see. We had lunch in a small restaurant on the Costanera called Restaurante Palafitos Dalcahue where I had Chupe de centolla, which is a king crab casserole. It was to die for and only 7.000 CLP (10USD)

Stop 4: Churches on Island Quinchao

Right in front of Dalachue, you’ll see the Island of Quinchao. This island has several iconic churches. Chiloe has over 150 churches and only 16 of them form part of the UNESCO World Heritage site. This island has 3 of them, one of them being the largest of them all. We took a small ferryboat that cost 2.500 CLP (4 USD) each way and headed towards Quinchao, Achao, and Curaco de Velez (in that order)

Stop 5: Sleep in Castro

We decided that Castro, the island’s largest city, would be the best place to sleep in both nights because it was the most central spot and we wanted to check out the nightlife on the island. We stayed at Hotel Esmeralda located near the Plaza de Armas. Breakfast was included and we stayed in an apartment style room that had a small kitchen and living space.

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Day 2: Muelle del Alma

Distance Drove 78 Miles

Stop 1: Muelle del Alma

One of the main reasons I wanted to come to Chiloe is this bridge. Legend has it that when a person dies, their spirit must go come to this area and call for the Tempilkawe, a mythical character who comes in on a boat of foam and takes the soul of the deceased. This bridge was built to honor this legend and keep it alive. From Castro, it took us about 1 ½ hours to get there. The signs are very clear on how to get there. The best time to visit is before 12 noon. During the high season (Dec-Feb) you can be waiting 3-4 hours to get a picture on the bridge. The space is pretty small and I don’t know about you, I hate being rushed to get the perfect shot.

Park entrance fee is 1.500 (2.50 USD) per person and parking is 2.000 CLP (3USD) per vehicle. Once you park your car, you have about a 1 ½ mile (2KM) walk that will take you about 30-45 minutes depending on how fast you want to walk. The view is beautiful and you’ll find white paint on the trees that will indicate the route so you don’t get lost.

Once we came back to the car, we noticed a small food truck selling water and empanadas so we decided to grab a snack before getting back into the car.

Stop 2: Late lunch at Chonchi.

I was told by several people to stop in the little seaside town for lunch and let me tell you it did not disappoint. We made our way to the shoreline and parked the car to start exploring. We went into several artisanal stores before eating at “El Trebol” where I had fried Chilean sea bass.

Stop 3: Castro

Before heading back to Castro, we stopped several times to admire the Chilote architecture. Right before getting into town there is a lookout that I highly recommend stopping at called “Mirador Gamboa”. That’s where you’ll see all the typical houses on stilts.

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Day 3: Tocoihue Waterfall and Churches

Distance Drove: 163

Stop 1: Tocoihue Waterfall

We heard about a waterfall along the iconic route of the churches so we decided to check out. We were warned by the local people not to follow the route on Google maps because it will take you down a road that is in terrible conditions. Near the Tocoihue Church, you’ll find a road that forks from a one-way street. Go down that road, even if your going against traffic, trust me, it will lead you to where you want to go. Check out the map above and you’ll see what I’m talking about. You’ll find a house with a sign that says “Casacadas”, its nothing special but a young man will greet you and charge 1.000CLP (2USD) per person to enter the park. You can get up close and personal with the waterfall or just take a look from above at the lookout.

Stop 2: Tenaun Church

This is probably one of my favorite churches on the island. Back in 2011, I visited this part because my cousin’s husband bought a piece of land very close to Tenaun and I spent about 2 weeks camping and connecting with nature. I think I met everyone in that small town and there is a small restaurant that I highly recommend called “El Cañazo”. If you want peace and quiet, this is the place to go.

Stop 3: Acuar Island

I saw that there was a church in the middle of the water on my google maps that caught my attention. I felt the need that I needed to see it but the maps didn’t explain well how to get there. So we followed this dirt path and found this really long bridge with a sign that said, “welcome to Acuar Island”. We went on the bridge and found the cutest church surrounded by several national trees and bushes that have been planted on the island. Totally worth the stop!

Stop 4: Quemchi

Our last stop on the island was to have lunch in Quemchi. I don’t even want to recommend stopping here because our lunch service was so terrible we lost about 2 hours of our day. I would say the only thing that made it worth our while was to see all the colorful boats parked along the coast waiting for the tide to come up.

Stop 5: Puerto Varas

Since our lunch took longer than expected we skipped the rest of the Church route, which is along w-15, and took Highway 5 to leave the island. We still had a couple more days with the rental car so we decided to visit Puerto Varas and the surrounding areas. You can read that post here.

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There is so much to do on the Island that 3 days is a perfect introduction. If you want to stay a couple more days I would recommend going down to Quellon, the southernmost city on the island and is the end station of the Panamerican Highway, considered the longest highway in the world. Close by is the Tantauco National Park, which has one of greatest biodiversity in the world and some great hikes. I know personally, I need to come back and see this for myself.

I hope this guide has helped you plan your own trip to this magical island. Let me know if you need additional help or comment below if there is a place that you think is a great spot to stop!

Remember when you give good, you get good.

 

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FloridaUSA

Know Before you go: Universal Orlando Resorts

by Andrea
written by Andrea

Are you ready for a full day of action-packed fun? Universal Orlando Resort is the place where you can be part of your favorite movies and experience rides that will leave you screaming for more. If you’re coming to Orlando, I’m sure your considering coming to this park. Here is everything you need to know before making those final decisions on your trip:

What is Universal Orlando Resorts?

Universal Orlando Resorts is the second largest theme park area in Orlando right after Disney World Resorts and has a collection of two theme parks, one Water Park, 5 on-site hotels, and one dining and entertainment complex:

  • Universal Orlando: Universal’s first theme park Composed of 8 themed areas and endless attractions based on the film industry.
  • Universal Islands of Adventure: features 6 themed islands and is the Trip Advisor travelers’ choice as the #1 Park in the world for the 3rd time in the world.
  • Volcano Bay: This new water park replaced Wet ‘n Wild in 2017 with a Polynesian themed attraction and its signature Volcano.
  • On-Site Resorts: Portofino, Hard Rock, Cabana Bay, Sapphire, Lowes Royal Pacific
  • City walk: Fun place for dancing, listening to live music and dining options such as Bubba Gump Shrimp, Bob Marley, and my personal favorite Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville.

Both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure have attractions from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The two are completely different and the rides on each side are amazing.

Costs

If it’s your first time, I really would spend one day at each park. There is so much to do and if you go in high season, the lines will consume most of your day.

There are several price options and it can get confusing. The base price of a 1 day 1 park ticket runs approx. USD 110 plus tax. From there, depending on how many days you want to spend at each park, the price can vary. I believe the best value for your time at universal is to do 3-Day, 3-Park per day. On the Universal website, at the time of this post, this will run you 259.99 plus tax. This option does not include the Hogwarts Express. If you are a die-hard Harry Potter fan and need to ride the train for that fully Potter World experience, then go for the 3-Day, 3 Park Park-to-Park option for 314.99 plus tax. Personally, I feel it’s not worth spending the extra $55 for a 4-minute train ride.

If you want to skip Volcano Bay, then you’re looking at a 2-Day 2 Park per day for 199.99 plus tax or 254.99 plus tax with Hogwarts Express.

To make those lines go by quicker Universal has rolled out with a Universal Express Pass for you’re to skip the regular line one time per ride for 69.99 or you can opt for unlimited for 89.99. If you’re going during the summer months, this is totally worth it.

I’d skip on the Dining Plan. Go the supermarket and stock up on sandwiches, snacks, and water. You can buy beer in the park and one of those huge turkey legs and call it a day.

Best time to go:

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts about planning your trip to Orlando, May is a great month to come. The weather is nice and you won’t find very long wait lines. Same goes with the September, November, and February.

Special events:

Throughout the year, the park will host special annual events. Universal’s biggest event is Halloween Horror Nights. Its 30-plus nights filled with scare houses, chainsaws, and terror that will leave your voice horse by the end of the night.

The other big event is a Celebration of Harry Potter, which is a 3-day weekend event held on the last weekend of January at both parks. Special demonstrations, sessions, exhibitions are on display during this weekend. So if you’re a big harry potter fan, this would be a great weekend to go. Plus the weather is amazing around that time of year.

Staying on Property or not:

This question is really up to your budget. I will say that you get a 1-hour early access admission to the parks before it opens for staying on-site. I’ve never stayed at any of these hotels so I can’t recommend one but each is specially themed and they are beautiful.

My Favorite Ride:

If you click on the park name, you’ll be able to read my top 5 rides for each park. These are just my number one for each of the parks. Check them out!

  • Universal Studios Orlando: Hollywood’s Rip Ride Rockit
  • Island of Adventure: 
  • Volcano Bay: I haven’t been yet but I’m a sucker for lazy river type rides.

Not worth the wait:

  • Universal Studios Orlando: The Simpson Ride: hang out in the world if you’re a fan, the ride sucks
  • Islands of Adventure: Anything in the Lost Continent. I really don’t know why it’s still there. Waste of time

Other things to know:

  1. WIFI: There is free WIFI throughout Universal Orlando Resorts
  2. Download the Official Universal Orlando Resort App. You can plan your day, see actual live wait time for your rides and get alerts for shows.
  3. Bring food. You can save a bit by bringing your own sandwiches and snacks. You can’t bring a cooler but you can definitely fill your backpack with food.
  4. Be careful with discounts on tickets at your hotel or those booths you see in the outlets or malls. All discounts come with a price. And it usually will cost you half a day of sitting through a “90” minute presentation. I can’t tell you if it’s worth it or not but I will say that those salespeople are trained to turn your no into a yes. You’ve been warned.

I hope these tips have helped you planned your trip to Universal Studios. Let me know if you have any questions! If you have any additional tips to share please do!

Remember when you give good, you get good.

 

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Chile

5 Reason Why You Must Visit Chile’s Northern Patagonia

by Andrea
written by Andrea

Cerro castillo

I was able to discover this region thanks to the incredible invitation from recorreaysen.cl All opinions are my own based on my experience.

The Patagonia is a vast area filled with magic. Glaciers, mountains, firjods, rivers, fill the end of the world and in my humble opinion is one of the worlds most beautiful destinations. Chile’s Patagonia is so large that it’s difficult to explore it all if you’re crunched for time. Torres del Paine is the Patagonia’s most popular destination with approximately 250,000 visitors a year. If you’re looking for something a little more isolated or something new, I want to highly recommend exploring the northern part of Patagonia in a region called Aysen.

Here are My 5 Reasons Why:

Cerro castillo lookout

Number 1: Perfect Road Trip Destination

Who doesn’t love a good trip? Turn up the tunes and explore Patagonia on one of the most iconic routes of South America. Starting in Puerto Montt, the Carretera austral hugs along the mountains and goes through 1240 km of the Aysen region until reaching Villa O’ Higgins. It’s recommended to take about 15 days to do the entire route. This gives you enough time to drive explore different towns. If you’re pressed for time, 7 days will allow you to only explore only one side of the route. Which one is the best? That’s a tough question that only you can only. Each side has so many things to offer and is completely different than one another.

Number 2: It’s Full of Outdoor Adventures

Many of you might already know about the marble cathedrals in this area. While they are beautiful, this attraction is just one of the countless outdoors activities available in the region; trekking, horseback riding, kayak, boat excursions, helicopter rides, fly fishing, natural infinity pools, white water rafting, waterfalls, the list goes on and on.

San Rafael National Park

Number 3: Did I Mention Glaciers?

This region is the beginning point of Chile’s Ice fields which has some of the most breathtaking glaciers that must be seen before they are gone. (Climate change is real people). San Rafael national park is the most popular place to see a glacier up close. However there are several opportunities to see more glaciers in the northern and southern region. You can explore them by foot, boat, and even by helicopter.

Number 4: Southern Hospitality is Out of This World

I’ve found that southern people, no matter where you go in the world, are the most welcoming, friendliest, and warm hearted people on earth. The southern people of Chile definitely has its charm. They are so proud of their region and want to show you everything and go above and beyond to make you feel at home. Don’t even get me started with the food. Want a real southern home cooked meal? This is the place to go.

Number 5: Untouched by Mass Tourism

This region has so many places that haven’t been developed yet by huge corporate agencies. There are so many family businesses that are passionate about what they do. I don’t know about you but When i visit family run business i feel like im treated better, I’m not just another number, the service is much more personalized and I leave the place, tour, restaurante knowing that the money I just spend there goes directly to support that family’s small business and the local people.

Have I convinced you yet? You really need to come to the Patagonia to understand how beautiful this place is. I spent 7 days in the region and I’ve fallen in love. This is definitely a destination that I’ll be visiting more than once in my lifetime.

For more information about this region please check out recorreaysen.cl they have an overwhelming amount of information about things to do, how to move around, and places to stay.

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Travel Tips & Tricks

How to Travel with Friends

by Andrea
written by Andrea

I love to travel with my friends. I consider myself very lucky to have more than a handful of people to choose from when I want to visit a new destination. Traveling with friends isn’t easy but from my personal experience, it’s my favorite way to travel. I’ve traveled with just 1 extra friend and even up to 22 different people. How do I do it with pulling my hair out?

Here are some of my tips that might just help you in planning your next trip with a group of friends:

 

Find motivated Travel-Loving Friends

7 Tazas Natural Park, Chile

This might be the hardest step because it’s really a two-step in 1. First, We all love the people that we call our friends, but we also know which ones you can spend a whole week with without a problem and you know which ones have a 72-hour time limit. Second, Be Honest with yourself and your friends. It’s also important to know how they manage stressful situations and how quickly they can adapt to other cultures when traveling. How open are your friends? Are they will get a little dirty or how flexible are they if plans change?  Travel can make or break friendships.

 

Decided on a Place that Everyone Would Like to Visit

Little Tokyo

Little Tokyo, LA

Get together like you usually and start talking about destinations that you would love to see. Create group chats and start sending ideas. Pick places that you can do on a short weekend trip and places that might need a minimum of two weeks to explore. It usually takes one person to randomly say a destination and the other one who says “oh yeah, I haven’t been there either!” or “I’ve been dying to visit that place”.

 

 

 

Plan and Create a Budget

Catamaran Sunset Tour, Santorini, Greece

Knowing what your spending budget is and those of your friends is crucial in the planning of a trip. Start looking into flights, hotel stays, tours or costs of food in the area that you and your friends have decided to visit. Create a Google Drive Excel and share with everyone so you’re working on the same document and you can see the changes being made.

Pinterest, skyscanner.com, and booking.com are my go-to sites when trying to create a budget. I just do a quick search of prices and then round up. For example, if something costs $7, I would round up to $10 and add $5. If something cost $250, I’ll round up to $280 and add $20.  I always do this as a way plan for more than I except that I would need. Also when I go back weeks later to actually book I can take into consideration if the price has gone up a bit or feel like I’m super saving if the price goes down. Mind games…yes I know. But it works for me. Plus if I have that cash into consideration and it’s left over, I can buy something nice that I didn’t have planned.

Download Payback

London Bridge, UK

Most hotels and restaurants won’t let you split the bill 5 ways. I know back home in the States one of the first things they ask “is this separate or all together?” Unfortunately, in most parts of the world, this just doesn’t work that way. I stumbled upon an app called Payback (only available for iPhone) that is my “MUST HAVE” on my phone when traveling

During the trip, each person starts to pay for different things; Hotel stays, lunch for everyone, gas for the car, whatever. At the end of the trip or every new city, it’s up to you, this app will automatically calculate who owes who and how much. It’s amazing. You can divide the cost between all or just a few of your friends. From experience, I’ve learned to have one person in the group as the designated payback app person. When you share the same “trip” online it’s not very friendly and money can get mixed up.  

 

  1. Research,  Again!

.Chiloe, Chile

Once you’ve done all the logistical research it’s time to figure out what you guys are actually going to do on the trip. Like I’ve said before, I’ve traveled with 1 other person and I’ve traveled with 20 people at a time. I’ve traveled with all girls, me being the only girl, couples, only singles, you name it. From experience, I can say it’s best to have an idea or a list of things that you can do in a city and then work from there. Prioritize your list and be flexible. You never know how the weather is going to be when you wake up, check to see opening hours for museums (most are closed on Mondays), and consider that you’re going to be doing some parties with your amigos so Chill days are also necessary to cure that hangover.

 

Travel Day

Travel Day Ibiza- Naples

Make a copy of everyone’s passport and flight/hotel reservations just in case. You can have one or two copies but make sure that everyone has a digital copy.  This is important if you’re going on an international trip and you get separated at customs. Each person needs to know where they are staying and for how long they are staying in each location. If you want to take additional safety measures, send your group’s travel information to a loved one back home that you trust. You can also take pictures of what each other is wearing on that travel day just in case anyone gets lost. It most likely won’t happen but you never know.

 

Have fun

Macchu Picchu, Peru

Traveling with friends is my favorite way to travel. You have time to connect with your friends and talk about things that you never have time for. Plus you’re visiting a new place so you’re creating new memories! Don’t forget to meet other people while you’re traveling. Don’t close yourself off to just your friends. You never know who you’re going to meet. Don’t be afraid to split up either. Ya’ll don’t have to be together 24/7. Sometimes it’s nice to take a break from each other, especially if you’re traveling for a longer period of time.

 

 

Those are my tips! Are you ready to tackle on a trip with your BFFs? Let me know in the comments below where you’re going and who you are going with! Happy Travels!

 

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FloridaUSA

Know Before You Go: Orlando , FL

by Andrea
written by Andrea

Is it time for a vacation? Orlando is known as the theme park capital of the world! Growing up here, I get asked constantly what’s the best way to go about planning a trip to Orlando. With so many things to do, Let me share with you my best tips, tricks, and things you need to know before you go.

Fun history fact: Back in the late 60’s, a man saw a huge potential in the little town filled with lurking alligators, mangled flatland, and acres upon acres of orange groves. Who was that man? Well, it was Walt Disney. He had a bigger vision for this town than anyone could imagine.

The city grew rapidly during the 80’s and has continued to grow thanks to the several theme parks that now call Orlando home. While the theme parks may form the backbone of the city, there is so much to offer.

There is something for everyone. The business world can network in the 2nd largest convention center in the United States. Students come to the University of Central Florida, which has the largest enrollment population in the United States. And you can’t forget about sports, Orlando is home to the NBA’s Orlando Magic and MLS Orlando City Soccer Team.

So are you ready to come? Let me fill you in with a few things you should know before coming to Orlando.

The most important thing to know:

Plan!

I know some of you have just let out a big puff of eye-rolling air me. But I cannot stress enough how important it is to plan your trip out when coming here. There is so much do, it can get overwhelming: 9 Big theme parks, 4 water parks, and over 20 smaller attractions like dinner shows, museums, blah blah blah. The more you plan, the more you will take advantage of your time. Orlando is not a place for rest and relaxation.

So how do I plan?

Start reading! Each of the theme parks websites has great information about how to purchase tickets, what rides are available, park hours, and all the practical information that you need.

But if you want the juicy details about which ride is worth the wait or what foods you must eat at a certain park, then travel blogs are the best answer for you. There are so many of them online that I have recommended a few that I have personally tried out and feel that have great information for your next trip.

Disney Blogs:

Universal Blogs:

General Orlando Blogs:

These are also great to read because as I mentioned before, Orlando has so much more to offer than just the Theme parks

How to Get to Orlando:

Orlando International Airport is the 13th busiest airport in the US and 29th in the world. So you can just imagine how many people are rolling through the city.

Orlando’s Airport Code is MCO. There is another airport called Sanford International Airport but it’s farther away from downtown and the major theme parks. Its code is SFB and it’s worth considering if your hometown’s airport flies with Allegiant Airlines.

If you look with enough time, you can always find a good deal to visit Orlando. Skyscanner.com is my go-to site. I’ve purchased tickets from LAX, ORD and JFK to MCO for less than $100 with Spirit or Frontier. The lowest international flight I’ve seen was with Thomas Cook Airlines from the UK for $450 round trip.

Best time to go:

I wish I could tell you that there is a slow season for Orlando. As each year goes by, more and more people are coming to visit Orlando. But there are less popular times than others. Come on down during the 2nd week of January and you’ll see Disney wait times at about 20 minutes plus the weather will be amazing. Or try the 3rd week of August where you might melt off all the calories you eat in a day.

Should I rent a car?

Short answer: No

Long answer: No. Ride-Sharing apps have taken over the city. I’ve done the math a couple of times. It’s cheaper to take 4 ride-share rides a day (to and from Hotel/Parks, hotel/dinner, or hotel/shopping) and even give your driver a tip than it is to rent-a-car, pay for gas, and pay for parking ($20-40 USD) at each park you visit. Plus you get dropped off right at the door of the park and you don’t have to worry about getting lost. This is the best way to go.

If you decide to rent a car, plan ahead. Book it ahead of time. Most websites will let you reserve with free cancellation at any time. Roads are pretty simple to use and if you decided to drive outside the tourist bubble, I would definitely recommend getting the daily toll pass because there are a bunch of toll roads in Orlando. You can plan the cost of tolls here

Shopping:

Get it done here in Orlando. Orlando is home to some of the best outlets in the nation. You have two amazing outlets called the Premium Outlet Mall at Vinland Rd and International Drive. Plus you have a bunch of little connecting ones nearby.

Please don’t waste your time and go to Miami outlets if you decide to head down there. Enjoy the beach. Don’t get me wrong, the outlets in Miami are good, but the distances from each other plus traffic will make you want to pull out your hair. Get it all done in Orlando so you can have fun in Miami.

Other Tips?

  1. Be ready to walk. Get comfortable shoes. You will walk about 6-10 miles a day at these parks. I’m not kidding.
  2. Pack Sandwiches and snacks. Park food to can get pricey and most of the time your in a rush anyways. Spend your money on the Mickey ears IceCream, Dole Whip, or those huge turkey legs. Even better, just Drink around the world at Epoct.
  3. Bring extra meds, especially prescription stuff.
  4. Hotel Stay: I didn’t mention this much because there are so many options to choose from for all price ranges. If you don’t want to stay on property, I would just look at a map and pick somewhere central between Disney and Universal. You’re not going to be spending much time in the room anyways.

 

I hope this helps guides you in planning your trip to Orlando. What did I miss? Is there something that I should add? Also, don’t hesitate to reach out! Let me know if you need help.

Remember when you give good, you get good.

 

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