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South American Excursions


Stumblefoot
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Would love to read folks' favorite excursions they've enjoyed in any of the following South American ports:

  • Santiago, Chile
  • Puerto Montt, Chile
  • Puerto Chacabuco, Chile
  • Laguna San Rafael, Chile
  • Punta Arenas, Chile
  • Ushuaia, Argentina
  • Stanley, Falkland Islands
  • Montevideo, Uruguay
  • Punta del Este, Uruguay
  • Buenos Aires, Argentina

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We arrived in Stanley on the exhibition ship Sea Adventurer. I don't think there were any shore excursions offered or available. We walked up the dock, looked around, and saw an older man with an SUV. I went up to him, said we would sure like a tour of the island, and what would he charge. He asked for $20. We got in and he gave us a wonderful hour long tour with narration. Even talked a little about the war, which he had experienced. Once back in town we walked to the museum, past the governor's house, which was attacked in the war, visited the local church, and sat down at a tavern that looked to be a popular place. It was. All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable time in the Falklands. We still occasionally think about it. LittleRedJohn

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We walked up the dock, looked around, and saw an older man with an SUV. I went up to him, said we would sure like a tour of the island, and what would he charge. He asked for $20.
Thanks for sharing LittleRedJohn. Your story is one of the most amazing I've ever read.

 

 

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In Stanley, we went to see the penguins in a 4 x 4 and had a driver who shared his experiences during the war. Very moving. In Punta Arenas, we took the SS flight to Torres del Paine. Although it was very expensive, this was the highlight of our trip! In Montevideo, I did the wine tour and he did the bike tour. Both were enjoyable. We enjoy just walking around Punta del Este. The beach is lovely, and the homes quite interesting.

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We're disembarking in Santiago this November. We are arranging a private tour for our group. We'll meet at the pier, have a tour of Valparaiso, then head to Casablanca for wine tasting and lunch all afternoon. At the end we'll get dropped off at the airport hotel for our flight to Easter Island the next morning.

 

I can't vouch for the tour operator yet but would be happy to share their information if you are interested.

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Santiago: There is one of the most fabulous museums we have ever, ever visited. It is exquisitely designed, just off the main plaza downtown. It was designed by The J Paul Getty Foundation people. There are treasures from the Pre Columbian period which have been brilliantly curated, and displayed. It is small, on two floors, beautifully lit with especially helpful labeling. We were truly blown away. I'll try to find out more specifics and will post what I find on the web and in my notes on our two visits.

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Emtbsam - Thx for the penguins, national park, wine/bike recos. Was TDP a day or overnight trip? If day, how long did you have in the park?

 

JP - We embark Santiago and plan to spend a few days there prior. Would love to see who you selected for your tour.

 

CruisinPashmina - Sounds perfect! I know we would love to see this museum. Look forward to receiving your specifics.

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Stumblefoot (I like all the nicknames that Wes has made up.for you on the other thread, BTW), we used a company called private tours Chile. Website is simply http://privatetours.cl.

 

They have been responsive to email and have designed a custom tour for our group of 6. It looks like it will be a lot of fun if they deliver as promised.

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

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Emtbsam - Thx for the penguins, national park, wine/bike recos. Was TDP a day or overnight trip? If day, how long did you have in the park?

 

TPD was a very long one day excursion with about 6 hours in the park. There was also an overnight excursion that went by bus (a very long drive). The advantage of the overnight is that if the weather is bad, it might improve the next day. We were lucky.

 

Sorry for the bold ... I am not yelling!

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We did not do the Glacier excursion at Laguna San Raphael this year on the Spirit which I have regretted since everyone who did thought it was fabulous. I think it's the only thing you can do. BTW, if you're interested, I have the "Travel Journal" from the Spirit Grand Voyage & it has all the excursions that were offered in the smaller ports but not the bigger ones. We didn't do a ship's excursion in Stanley but instead queue'd up with the zillion pax from the Celebrity something that was also there, for a shuttle bus to the beach with all the penguins. It was fun but if you've seen them before, not all that special. The weather was FABULOUS - about 70 & not a cloud in the sky! Whew. If there is anything in particular you are interested in, give me your e-mail & I can scan the pages & send to you. We'll be doing the Muse SA GV in Jan so we will most definitely do the Laguna excursion this time. Will really look forward to your posts from the Muse. The restaurant thing really has me spooked but I'm hoping the powers that be will have the message by then that it's not very conductive to impromptu get togethers.

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JP and Emtbsam - Thanks for the additional context. And, yes JP, that ol' colonel is quite creative. Looks like he and Ida and are off to a great start.

 

Nowornever - I will be sure to check into the Glacier excursion as I remember how much we enjoyed our time doing something similar in Alaska. Sounds like a lot of fun.

 

And, I'll be sure to let folks know our thoughts about the dining experience on the Muse. Personally, I'm excited and think it'll all work out just fine.

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