Discover Chile

Most Inspirational Moment

So many! Flamingos at Chaxa Lagoon Seeing Milky Way at the Atacama Desert Walk at Osorno Volcano Colourful Valpo the view in Torres del Paine National Park Grey Glacier boat trip

Thoughts on Group Leader

Felipe was great; there was not a question he couldn't answer about Chile and its history or culture. There was a lot to organise on this trip, 4 Flights (including one connection flight), bus transfers - everything worked like clockwork! He reserved dinners for the group for the most evening, all of them were a hit with the group!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared to move around a lot; there are many plane journeys, so you need to get yourself organised so it doesn't overwhelm you! Packing cubes are handy to organise your luggage. For shopping, any jewellery or home accessories/decoration, the Valporaiseo jewellery shop seemed particularly good! For clothing and textiles, the market at Puerto Montt is excellent and has very good prices! You don't get to return to these places, so you must make some quick decisions.

Suggestions

The lower rating is because Exodus lacks organisation and communication with its travel agents. Expressing interest in optional excursions like Atacama Observatory is pointless. Despite appearing on the final Invoice (with a note to be paid locally), this is not communicated to travel agents and gets booked only a few days in advance anyway (which means you potentially could miss the opportunity completely!) Exodus needs to update trip notes, particularly on the first day; if you get final joining instructions as vague as ours, you will wonder what to do! From now on, If I am not on the group flight, I will only book Exodus holiday if they commit to complete and accurate joining instructions and the time and place when we have to meet our guide. Another example of not updated trip notes would be Day10, as the suspension bridge doesn't exist any more! I think the afternoon of day 10 should happen on day 11. Otherwise, you end up walking the same peninsula twice. Things can be improvised depending on the weather. I am rating the trip, not the Exodus. I will separately do this on the Trustpilot or similar. Otherwise, I would have to downgrade the rating.

Most Inspirational Moment

Staying at the Hotel Del Paine, with a wonderful view of Torres del Paine, was totally cool.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Felipe was fantastic. He had to do a lot of improvising, and did it well. Some things haven't totally reopened since covid. On our day trip to Valparaiso, he had trouble finding a lunch spot opened on Tuesdays, but had a friend with a newly opened restaurant, which was great! Felipe is obviously a very experienced guide. He said it was his first trip since the one he was leading when everything shutdown in March 2020.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We had a bad experience with the glacier boat trip at Grey Lake. We had to pay in advance, but then the weather was too bad, and the trip was cancelled. At first, they said they wouldn't refund our money, but then relented. However, we had to push to get the local Chilean agency, Turavion, to actually follow through on the refunds. The 6 people who used credit cards got their refund, but those of us who used debit cards did not. Turavion couldn't figure out how to refund us, which I found surprising. At any rate, 2 months later, I'm still out almost $500. I've disputed it with my bank, and they are working on it. So at the very least, my advice is to pay with a credit card.

Suggestions

The internal flight travel days are hectic. We didn't find out until the last minute when our flights would be. I have no idea what is behind that. It all worked out, but there were a couple of early days(leave at 4 or 4:30am) that weren't exciting. On the early days, breakfast suffered, since the bag breakfasts were inferior to what was served at the hotels. The hotels themselves were perfectly nice.

Most Inspirational Moment

The boat trip to the glaciers was excellent. The blue ice was spectacular!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Felipe was excellent. he guided us to some excellent restaurants and was. He was very personable and receptive to the wishes of the group and provided his wide knowledge of Chile without talking too much. The short visit to his home where he showed us his artwork was fantastic. I felt that sometimes he could have given us a slightly clearer plan for the day.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Inevitably there is a lot of travel and in particular several days were spent relocating. These involved early starts which was fine for me since it meant more time in the destination.

Suggestions

The timing of some of the flights were changed very late - for one the guide called us at 11pm to tell us that we were leaving the hotel at 4am rather than 6am. It wasn't clear to us why the changes were made so late and it clearly meant that our guide was scurrying around at the last minute to make rearrangements.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking in the High Atacama Desert.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Felipe was a very nice person. He was personable and helpful on a one to one basis. He also had some nice touches in organising things for the group. But, unfortunately, he was not a strong group leader. For the first few days he did not give clear instructions on where and when to meet. On the walk around Santiago we just wandered around some streets with little idea of their history or what to look for. He was not able to project his voice to cover our group of 14. There were also lots of little things, like when we were in the Atacama we constantly had to ask for the air conditioning to be switched on in the mini bus. Luckily, we had a very compatible and easy going group and over the 2 weeks we found our own ways of working things out. I could see him leading a small Private Tour very effectively.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Of the 12 days in Chile, half of the time is, in effect, spent in travelling. Prices in Chile are at least comparable or more expensive than in the UK. Even the same Chilean wine that you can buy in the UK is more expensive there. Consider booking your own flghts to avoid long changeovers.

Suggestions

I want to know why the 3 flights were changed at the very last minute and by whom. We have flown with Latam several times and this has never happened before.

Most Inspirational Moment

Torres del Paine in Patagonia.

Thoughts on Group Leader

As mentioned above, he was FANTASTIC! Highly recommended.

Advice for Potential Travellers

No

Suggestions

No

Most Inspirational Moment

It is impossible to choose a single highlight as there were so many. The colourful houses and street art of Valparaiso; the Atacama desert with its rock formations, lagoons, wildlife and the most amazing night sky; the boat trip on Lago Todos los Santos, gazing up at the snow-topped Orsorno volcano; the breathtakingly beautiful Torres del Paine and Last Hope Sound; watching the mesmerising waves of the Pacific Ocean break on the rocky shores around Rapa Nui and visits to places such as Rano Kau and Ahu Tongariki.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nacho was calm, caring and a real gentleman. He enjoyed telling us tales of his life as a flight attendant and introducing us, with a mix of enthusiasm and humour, to his wonderful country. He always had a variety of restaurant suggestions for dinner to cater for people's different preferences. I was the only one in the group who had chosen the Easter Island extension. Nacho took me to the airport for the flight, met me upon my return a few days later and took me back again the next day for the journey home to the UK. He waited while I checked in and then, deciding that the queue to go through customs was too long, took me to another part of the airport where the queue was much shorter.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I took advice from a previous review and took Chilean pesos with me (which meant I could gauge exchange rates and determine when to purchase them). As a result I managed with cash throughout the trip but others in the group used their credit or debit cards without difficulty in most places. Chile is notably expensive. Just one main course and some water for dinner could cost £12-£15 and, in Easter Island, it was even pricier (for example, a fish and rice dish with a natural fruit juice in a café away from the harbour cost over £25). This was a more sedate trip than I had anticipated so don't choose it if you prefer or expect some proper walks or long hikes. It is a busy schedule with some long days. There isn't much time to do handwashing and get clothes dry before heading off to the next location so you may wish to factor that into your packing. The hotel in San Pedro also has notices in the rooms asking people not to wash clothes. I ended up wishing I'd packed more long-sleeved shirts as I found myself wearing them for sun protection in the desert as well as protection against both the sun and dengue fever-carrying mosquitoes in Easter Island. If you like a bath, bring a universal bath plug as many of the hotels don't provide one.

Suggestions

I investigated several companies who offered pretty much identical trips. I particularly liked the fact that Exodus included most of the activities (eg the visit to Valparaiso) in the upfront price, avoiding the need to budget for additional expenditure/take extra cash. Many in the group would have preferred to have saved time by having lunch in Valparaiso rather than Vina del Mar and therefore been able to include a trip to a winery on the journey back to Santiago. While I enjoyed the stay in Puerto Varas, I'd happily dispense with the walk in the Orsorno lava fields and the few hours in Puerto Montt seemed to be just a filler while we waited for the flight to Punta Arenas. I'd also have loved more time and a chance to do some walks (e.g. for 1-2 hours) while in Torres del Paine. I had visited the area previously on a similar tour several years before and know that there are some walks that could have been worked into the itinerary without turning it into a different type of trip. I appreciate that the main 'Discover Chile' itinerary has been designed to be accomplished in 2 weeks. However, for somewhere like Chile with the sheer distances involved, it would have been lovely if it could have been extended by a further few days, giving more time in Torres and perhaps including a boat trip amongst the fjords.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the stars in the Atacama Desert and the landscapes of Patagonia

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ignacio was wonderful. He was organized, attentive and had a good sense of humor.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring layers! It was unexpectedly cold when we visited the geysers.

Most Inspirational Moment

The Atacama Desert. Its forever changing scenery. The Lagoons, The Wetlands and Flamingo's, Geysers over 80 in one area. Sand dunes and forever rock formations. The long long roads and starry nights. Unlike any other desert I have visited.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nacho was brilliant. His charm, smile and funny stories, seeing us all through some very long days. He was Informative throughout the trip. His observations and empathy were outstanding. Great fun and ensuring everyone's needs were met. A calm and unstressful gentleman. Would be great to have Nacho on every Exodus trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Chile felt to be a very safe and friendly country from the moment if arrival. This did not change or alter throughout. Happy walking around alone. Don't expect your International adapter plugs to work. I borrowed one and some bought some locally. The 2 circular pins were much smaller. I believe it was the European pinned one that works.

Suggestions

A boat trip to through the Fjords would be a great addition to this trip. As would a few hours at one of the vineyards when driving right through them.

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to mention high Lakes in the Atacama, hummingbirds in the temperate rain forest and all of Patagonia!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our le.ader was knowledgeable, helpful, enthusiastic and fun. He made the trip much more enjoyable

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't expect to stop for long meals or have much down time but you do see a lot instead.

Suggestions

If you can avoid spending a morning in Puerto Montt do so. Stay and have a better look round Puerto Varas instead, it is much prettier and interesting.