Patagonian Highlights

Most Inspirational Moment

Really Slow Test

Thoughts on Group Leader

Really Slow Test

Advice for Potential Travellers

Really Slow Test

Suggestions

Really Slow Test

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved the Torres del Paine Trek.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Luciano was very caring and diligent, amusing and knowledgeable. We all enjoyed his company and he made sure our holiday was a success. He communicated with us well. Good wine knowledge too!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't underestimate the trek to Fitzroy base camp. For us the day was very long and very hot. Make sure you are properly fit and well enough to do this. Some in our group were not. Buy snacks, fruit etc when you see it because it's not always easy to find. Keep it ready for your hiking days.

Suggestions

For me, the days spent going all the way down to stay in Ushuaia were not the best. I would have preferred more time in the Torres del Paine National Park and more walks here. The trip notes were clear about the long travelling days but it felt like we'd gone here just to say we'd been to "the end of the world". The hotels and hostels were generally adequate but we felt Hosteria Don Atilio in El Chalten was really sub standard. Perhaps we were unlucky with our room which was very small and gloomy (a double and a single bed crammed in), far too hot, had nylon sheets (awful) and most things in the bathroom and bedroom were broken or missing. The people who worked there seemed lovely but we found the accomodation here quite depressing. If the sun hadn't been shining it would probably have been even worse.

Most Inspirational Moment

Mount Fitzroy Moreno Glacier Penguins Iguazu Falls The views generally

Thoughts on Group Leader

The best. Exodus is lucky to have him. Don’t lose him whatever you do.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Couple of tips. When walking ten hours - Mount Fitzroy take a water pack ie a tube that you can sip on frequently. I got heat stroke that day and think this would have been a much better idea to keep permanently hydrated. Of sun out that day. Keep back of neck cool with damp cloth which you can regularly dip in all the streams you pass climbing up. Lots of snacks for energy. Also if exodus are to stay in Puerto Natales again as we did. There is a wonderful museum at the. Hotel Singular And the most amazing lunch. 5 star it was amazing . Some people might not want to climb Torres Del Paine like me and this is brilliant. The hotel is so unique . Something you might find in Europe and it is built in old meat packing factory but has kept it authentic and the history there is really interesting. Museum attached . Also another museum in port natales as well which is interesting.

Most Inspirational Moment

Difficult to pick out one as the whole trip was inspirational. The first sight of Mount Fitzroy, the Moreno Glacier with the thrill of seeing it calving, crossing the Magellan Straits, a 'navigation' on Beagle Sound almost within touching distance of basking seals and penguin colonies with a the solitary King Pengiun in their midst. Birdwatching opportunities everywhere, beautiful spring flowers, the immensity of the steppes. And then just being there, down at the 'Fin del Mundo.'

Thoughts on Group Leader

Xavier was excellent. He was cheerful, knowledgeable and very efficient. One of the main reasons I travel with Exodus is the quality of the local group leaders and Xavier was certainly one of the best. I could not recommend him more highly.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The trip notes say 'while the trip is graded moderate we recommend you have a reasonably good level of fitness to really enjoy the hiking opportunities available.' The two long walks - the one at El Chalten was 23km are serious hikes with significant climbing. I am over 70 but more than reasonably fit, used to hiking long distances and skiing, but the final stage of that climb was obviously going to be very challenging so I gave it a miss (perfectly possible to do that) meaning I only had an exhilarating 20km with most of the staggeringly beautiful views and only moderate climbs to deal with. The second long walk was going to be to base camp at Torres del Paine in Chile. My guide book written by locals said this was very steep and only recommendable for 'those who are physically very fit'. A strike by local National Park staff meant walk was unavailable much to the disappointment of the serious hikers amongst us but the alternative second walk was clearly going to be equally challenging so I gave it a miss, but easily found other things to do around Puerto Natales. I think these walks should be flagged up as the challenging hikes that they are.

Suggestions

I'm not sure how Air Europe was selected as the Group airline. Only two of us travelled out that way. I would not have travelled with them if given the choice. For some reason other group members travelled with KLM and British Airways and had better experiences inspite of slightly longer layovers. In its favour the flights were on time and kept to schedule but the airline was not up to the standards I expect of long haul flights. It was bucket shop airline standards on 12 hour flights. One very small meal two hours into the flight, and then paying for anything else including the snack items and coffee offered instead of breakfast before arrival. The seats were jammed together and what concerned me most was that no one came round to offer water (except with the meal) for the whole 12 hours.

Most Inspirational Moment

Fitzroy & Torres Del Paine hike are difficult but the views when you get to the top are amazing!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Xavier was an excellent guide - one of the best I've had. He was very knowledgable about the history of Argentina in all the areas that we visited. He was always upbeat & calm - especially during the COVID-19 outbreak he ensured that we were well informed for our travel back home. The whole trip was very well organised with no disappointments!!!

Advice for Potential Travellers

The hikes are long and difficult, Be prepared for all weather; take good gear and be prepared to use it! There are some long travel days which can't be avoided if you want to experience the best of Patagonia so bring a book or download some movies / music / podcasts in advance for the coach journeys.

Most Inspirational Moment

Three top days. 1 - The Mount Fitzroy Massif. It's s gentle walk apart from the ascent up the morraine (about 400m in 1 km which is tough). We had great weather and the views at the top make it worthwhile. The guides are supportive and encouraging. Expect to see condors and be refreshed by topping up your water bottle from glacial streams. 2 - The Perito Merino glacier. We were mesmerised by watching the glacier and saw a couple of carvings which sounded like gunshots. This is a relaxing day as you can go as far or little on the balconies to observe the glacier. Again we had fab weather which helps but isn't essential on this day. 3 - The Torres del Paine. We would say this is challenging in terms of the length of the walk and the climb at the end but oh boy is it worth it! If you are in doubt about your fitness level I wouldn't worry so long as you have staying power. Again the guides are patient and will go at your pace. We were really lucky with the weather again and the scenery at the top is amazing.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Luciano was very enthusiastic and helped to make each day as rewarding as possible. He will make arrangements for those who don't want to walk and gives you alternative options. He was always there to help with any problems and advise on good restaurants. He's a meat man and loves his steak and will help you out with ordering if needed. He speaks a little quickly so you might have to ask him to repeat himself sometimes.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We went out a couple of days earlier than the rest of the group and had 2 days in Buenos Aires. We're glad we did this so that we could adjust to the time difference, get over the travelling and see something of BA before we flew down to El Calafate. Be prepared for WIND+++. Patagonia is like no other place I've ever been for experiencing wind. Although we had good weather you should expect rain, hail, snow and sunshine all in one day so make sure you have appropriate gear. There's not a lot of down time on the holiday but if you're prepared for that it's not a problem. We didn't get the option of walking on the glacier but had a lovely boat trip instead to see 2 waterfalls fed by glaciers. If you do this trip you don't need to do the optional afternoon boat trip on the day that you visit the Perito Moreno glacier. We found that most places in Argentina and Chile take credit cards and US dollars although you should be aware of the exchange rate to ensure you're getting a good deal. We changed our US dollars to Argentinian pesos at the airport on arrival for a reasonable exchange rate. You don't need many Chilean pesos and again you can get these when you cross the border into Chile. Chile tends to be more expensive than Argentina. It's usually better value to buy 1 bottle of wine between 2 of you in Argentina than 2 large glasses! If you're eating a steak ask for a tenderloin (our fillet). It can be divided between 2 of you if one steak is too big. The only reason we've given the holiday 4 starts instead of five is because we thought the food would be of a higher standard and one of the hostels had very dirty linen. However, this was changed immediately when we complained. If it was just based on scenery we would have given five stars. Although we saw lots of guanacos, horses, sheep and cows, it's not a holiday where you're going to spot a lot of wildlife.

Suggestions

Do it! It's probably best to do some hill walking before you go so that the 2 big walking days aren't a struggle. We had a really nice bunch of people on the trip which obviously increased the enjoyment but you can keep yourselves to yourselves if you wish.

Most Inspirational Moment

So many! Both the two treks - hard work (about 13/14 miles but very do-able if taken at a steady "patagoinian plod"), steep / rough trails in places but very rewarding especially finally getting to the top for the fantastic picture postcard views. The literally endless skies driving across the plains The towering ice wall of the Perito Moreno glacier - listening to the cracks and and trying to spot the ice calving off. The pengiuns - walking so comically on land but shooting like torpedoes through the crystal clear water And the warm medialunas at almost every hotel at breakfast (yum)

Thoughts on Group Leader

Xavier was brilliant - more than lived up to great ratings from previous trips

Advice for Potential Travellers

Argentina - despite what the trip notes say, don't change lots of money at the airport on arrival - the exchange rate is very poor (58 to the US$ in Jan compared with up to 75 to the US$ if paying in hard currency). All the additional trips could be paid for in US dollars cash. There are change places in BA which offer better rates than the airport You'll need cash for meals but larger / touristy restaurants often took US$. Go on the optional trips - the full day iceberg trip from El Calafete and the half day penguin trip from Ushuaia were well worth while. And cost less than the trip notes if you don't eat meat... vegetarians (especially strict ones) will have relatively thin pickings, but no worse than other meaty countries. You won't go hungry but bring a stash of oatcakes / nuts / similar (surprisingly not too plentiful even in larger supermarkets) if needed.

Suggestions

We were INCREDIBLY lucky with the weather - it was often windy but we only had one day of rain (when we arrived in Usuhaia). January may be their summer but it's the southern equivalent of northern England / southern Canada, with similarish temperatures. Make sure to take plenty of layers to cope with any eventuality.

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting the penguins in their natural habitat during the optional excursion to Isla Martillo near Ushuaia. Only 20 people are allowed on their island at any one time, together with a local guide/warden, so you feel really privileged to be there.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Outstanding. Pepe was first class in the way he led the group and went out of his way to try and ensure everyone had the holiday they wanted. Pepe never waiverd in doing his best to ensure everyone had a great time and knew what was happening everyday.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Yes, the final 1 hour of the long walks to see the Torres del Paine and Fitzroy peaks is in my opinion a level 4, rather than the moderate level 3 rating. Both are short but sharp inclines over uneven terrain so you need to be agile in picking your way along the rocky paths. Both are well worth it if, like us, you get lucky and are afforded blue sky’s and no rain!

Suggestions

Go now!

Most Inspirational Moment

Day boat trip in the Glacier national Park

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent. He worked hard and everything ran like clockwork

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't pay in dollars. Make sure you change to local currency.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the peak of Mount Fitzroy close up in bright sunshine after a long, at times challenging, ascent on foot was the stand-out highlight. This was closely followed by relaxing on a beach by the Perito Moreno glacier and a beer in probably the most southerly bar in the world.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Xavier is warm and gregarious with a good sense of humour. His knowledge of the history, geography and nature of his country is extensive. He is passionate about his homeland and its culture and is keen to share traditions with the group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be aware that this trip entails a lot of bus travel; many early morning starts; some basic accommodation and very little “free” time. As always on this type of tour, be aware that tipping for guides and drivers is not included and will come to around $100 per head.

Suggestions

Several of the hotels used on this trip were well below the standard that I expected for the price paid. Some barely had running water; many did not have showers which functioned efficiently and one was positively dangerous. The most comfortable hotel that we stayed in was 2 miles outside the town meaning that we had to catch taxis which was inconvenient. The accommodation overall was a disappointment and would make me consider using other tour groups in future. All other aspects of the holiday were exactly as described.