The Aysen region is one of the great undiscovered destinations of Chilean Patagonia.
Here you will find the world renowned white-water of the Futaleufu river, the marble caves on Lake General Carrera, the San Rafael Glacier, the Quelat Hanging Glacier and stunning scenery.
This part of the country is the least densely populated, so if you want to get away from the crowds this is the place to come.
Access has always been difficult to the region – the principal airport Balmaceda and it was only opened up less than 30 years ago, with the construction of the Austral Road from north to south.
Bariloche is the jewel in Argentina’s Lake District Crown.
Beautiful mountains, forests and lakes make this area perfect for anyone who likes the outdoors.
You can kayak, bike and hike around the stunning scenery of Nahuel Huapi National park.
Or perhaps hike to amazing viewpoints with panoramas over a geographically stunning area of great beauty.
Bariloche also offers the Cruce Andino Lake Crossing into Chile. The best time to visit the area is October-April.
The central coast is a rugged coastline very reminiscent of California – here you will find a string of small fishing coves, holiday towns and cities.
The ramshackle city of Valparaiso, with its colourful houses perched on the hills overlooking the bay, is a cultural icon, with its Museum home of Pablo Neruda, the Chilean Nobel prize-winning poet.
The coastal town of Zapallar is a great place to get away from it all and recharge the batteries.
The Humboldt current means cold water temperatures and currents that are not conducive to sea swimming, but does provide some of the best seafood in the world.
There are plenty of seabirds, including pelicans, and seals as well as sea lions.
The Paraguayan Chaco is a semi-arid, sparsely populated area in Northern Paraguay, and is a rich ecosystem.
The local fauna includes jaguar, ocelot, tapir and giant armadillo and many more species of animals and birds.
Apart from the indigenous peoples, this area has various Mennonite settlements.
Among them is Filadelfia, founded in the early 20th Century and whose inhabitants still live their lives according to their beliefs, and are run by large cooperatives.
Chaco make for a fascinating visit.
The Chapada Diamantina is a National Park in the interior of the state of Bahia in North Eastern Brazil.
It covers an area larger than that of the Netherlands and is a series of flat-topped mountains interlinked by forested valleys, rivers, waterfalls and swimming holes.
The park can be explored on day trips from Lençois or on several day trekking itineraries.
The rainy season is December to March and a great time to see the waterfalls.
If you want to beat the crowds then go in April / May or August to October.
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C. Cooper, UK. Chile and Bolivia, April 2025 We had a truly amazing experience. Chile and Bolivia are stunning. Our guides were professional, knowledgeable and friendly. All of the guides said we had a very well planned itinerary that gave us the best chance of acclimatising to the altitude properly (the hike in Atacama and the trek to the Hot Springs before departing for Bolivia). Our driver in Bolivia was fantastic. He was professional and very competent. Despite the condition of the roads and the amount of time we spent travelling we always felt completely safe. The hotels in Bolivia were basic but charming. Some of the facilities were a bit more rustic than we had expected (no heating and/ or no hot water in the mornings) but we managed. Food was simple but good. Overall, it was a very special trip and has given us a lot of amazing memories. If someone asks what the best part was, I couldn’t decide because there were so many best bits….Moon Valley, the flooded Solar de Uyuni, The Milky Way, Sunsets & Sunrises, the Flamingos at Laguna Colorado. It was exhausting and unforgettable - just how we like it :-) I will eventually get to reviewing my photos and will send you some. Many thanks for your help in organising everything.
C. Cooper » Bolivia Uyuni Salt Flats 4WD Tour
W. Kyle, USA. 4-day Inca Trail trek, Cusco and Sacred Valley, April 2025 Food was awesome, at our Cusco hotel and on the Inca trail. There were so many highlights: the way our guide explained in great detail about all the birds, plants (especially all the different orchids), in addition to his knowledge on all the ancient historical sites was quite amazing. It made the trail more like an adventure, instead of a hike. All of the people at the hotel in Cusco were very helpful, especially Kevin, who brought oxygen to my room Saturday morning when I was still having issues adjusting to the high altitude in Cusco. The other tour guides, Eddie on the walking tour of Cusco, and Mateo, who did the Sacred Valley tour were good. Andean Trails was recommended by Responsible Travel, my first contact for this adventure.
W. Kyle » 4-Day Inca Trail Hike To Machu Picchu, Peru
