Customer Reviews

One highlight completely impossible to single out; there wasn't one day that I wouldn't do again. Wildlife - the day with Marcel in Ushuaia National Park was brilliant as he 'inducted' me into the world of birdwatching which itself greatly added to the rest of the trip; but I guess the wildlife 'highlight' has to be sighting two pumas at relatively close range over a fresh guanaco kill as we were driving out of Torres del Paine on that last morning - a wonderful sight on its own, the more special for knowing that it's so rare, and we were so lucky, to see a puma at all!

Incredible. Flawless. Personal. Our adventure was nothing less than a novel of memories. My highlight could never be just a moment, but rather a new lens of of beauty from the culture, the wilderness & the incredible people we met. The culture, deep with love and incredible care that you would not just see but feel the blessing Patagonia has to offer. The wilderness, the most dramatic scenery you can experience and the people, warm with compassion and incredible depth of care for their communities. If the face of God was reflected in the wild it would be Patagonia. It's said that true adventure starts when the plan ends and that was the truth of our trip. Of course planning such a detailed adventure you know in your head the risks you are taking but until your faced with the choices of change and the out of your hand shifts due to storms, the truth whether you love adventure or not comes to a refining moment. And though not all went to plan, all went more than perfect.

The highlight was the scenery obviously.. but the ecocamp was wonderful to. The food was fantastic and all the staff were so friendly and accommodating. We had great guides for our trek and loads of fun!

The Patagonian ice field when we first saw it after .John Garner pass Stunning scenery and surprisingly varied with the steppes, mountains ,glaciers, mountains and lakes. The animals and birds were very different from any I had seen. Many species of birds. I enjoyed the wild flowers which were flowering as it was spring. In Buenos Aires generally the people were not as friendly but the taxi drivers and reps were fine. The guides, hostel staff, porters, etc were all very friendly. Being able to drink from a mountain stream was a surprise. If I have grandchildren I will tell them that this trip was one big adventure.

Unforgettable, torres del paine the best area, riding into the park getting close to the wildlife, people friendly. Rolling over in bed in the Ship cabin in Aysen to get a face full of Kitten who had decided that it was a nice place to sleep

There were so many great highlights of the trip. I very much so appreciated the progression of hikes and thought the order in which we encountered them was perfect. I think if things had gone in any different order, it would not have been nearly as good. The very best part though was our guides. Juli and Claudio were perfection. Thank you for trusting us to them - they both did a phenomenal job! I can't recommend anyone more highly. They went out of their way so many times to ensure we had an unforgettable trip.

The highlight was walking on the Grey glacier. This is a totally different experience from hiking and takes some getting used to. Walking on a river of ice with crampons is daunting at first, but one soon starts feeling secure and can appreciate the amazing surroundings. Our guide, Anna, was fun to be with - she took great care of us and we thoroughly enjoyed her company.

Highlight was the entire w trek, including the scenery, the challenge of the hike, meeting people along the way. Within the w trek the glacier trek, french valley day hike and torres hike were the best. It was enjoyable to completely disconnect and have no internet, email, phone, text, etc. Most of the people that we met were happily doing the same and had a variety of backgrounds and stories. The paine grande refugio was our least favorite and if there is a way to skip that, that would be advised.

Overall, my trip was incredible and that was due to the (1) scenery (2) personal challenges that I conquered (3) the guides and fellow travel mates. The landscapes were gorgeous and we really lucked out with weather only having a little bit of rain in Argentina and only 1 day of rain in Chile. Both Juli and Claudio were incredible guides that really supported and encouraged us all. Yes, unfortunately the biggest surprise was that I had to pack my 28L backpack for 5 days and 4 nights. This was NEVER clear to me in any written communications. And this was OPPOSITE what was told to me during a phone call with Swoop while booking my trip.

Overall the trip was great with the highlights being the kayaking excursion and homestay on Yolande's farm and the Chiloe Island wildlife. Everyone we met was very friendly, especially Yolanda, and the guides were all excellent especially Isobel. The Patagonia (Torres del Paine) landscapes were fantastic but we didn't see as much wildlife as we would have liked.

The Chilean fjords had just about everything: humpbacks, penguins, sealions; remote location; great scenery; glaciers; boat trip; small group, no crowds. Trekking from El Chalten was somewhat hampered by the weather, with some wet walking to viewpoints with no view! But managed to see Fitzroy and Cerro Torre on the last day. National park felt over-managed: signposts, guides, large numbers of people. Enjoyed the Viedma Glacier trek but group too large and disparate (approx. 30). Retreat of glacier now means longish scramble to access: not a problem for me but there were three falls (and one submission!) among the party, and I heard that the subsequent trip herded 60 people around together, with one person requiring x-ray after a fall. Better to split into small groups of similar experience. Packed lunches in El Chalten dreadful: unimaginative and repetitive. Sailing to Cape Horn excellent, with great landscapes, wildlife, and charming and highly experienced skipper. Hadn't expected tourism to be so highly developed, but met some interesting people from all over Europe, as well as locals, and overall a great combination of varied activity with good accommodation and restaurants.

- Torres del Paine was the highlight, hiking in Fitz Roy was also amazing - More wildlife than expected, but no pumas :( - We met mostly the guides and some other hikers; all were very nice

The trip was great. Unfortunately there was a bridge broken so we were unable to complete the actual W Trek and had to do one of the hikes 2 days in a row, which was very disappointing, but that wasn't something that could be controlled. The guide offered to let us cross the river, and half of the group wanted to but the other half was against it so it would have been nice to just have the guide make the decision for us instead of leaving it up to individuals totally unfamiliar with the area. Also the mandatory upgrade to semi private cabins on the 3rd night was very disappointing and inconvenient as the bathrooms were broken and we ended up having to trek down to the main part just to use the bathroom and showers. We got to see a lot of wildlife- including a puma, foxes, and guanacos! Very cool! The accommodations are in stunning locations as well and glad I wasn't camping!

TdP was our main goal, and undoubtedly a highlight, but not the only one. We loved the wide open spaces (we do live on the Prairies!) and the spectacular, unique TdP and area mountains. We saw lots of fauna and flora, especially birds. No Pumas though. Our guide and hiking companions were great -- and most others we met and chatted to were on similar trips. We learnt from them early on and later gave them advice. No grandchildren, but paramount in our memories is wind. Several surprises, mostly good.

I enjoyed doing the trek alone and I'm happy I did not book with a tour group. I met many people along the way and always ended up with a hiking buddy. Was fortunate to have great weather and I think that seeing the towers on the first day was a highlight. I was surprised at how few of animals I saw, actually. I saw a couple of foxes and a few rabbits, but that is all.

The highlight was the cruise around Terra del Fuego on the Australis. The landscapes around El Chalten and in Torres del Paine were exceptional, the glaciers were amazing. On the trekking part of the holiday the best day was when we went to Britannico

Our trip included 7 different experiences and locations. Sometimes the travel between stops seemed too long. But how could it be otherwise? And as it turned out, we always loved the journey as much as the end. I love the Chilean people - always open and friendly, free of the arrogance, anger or malice so often seen in Americans. The weather could be discouraging if one didn't have the proper apparel, but we all did and we weren't discouraged by the wind, rain and cold. I intend to go back next year with 7 different stops. I don't have any grandchildren.

I love my guide Felipe. He was such a joy to trek with. You could see and feel the love that he has for Torres Del Paine. I enjoyed the stories he shared bringing everything to life. You know that someone loves what they do when on their off days, they come back to do some trekking on their own. I couldn't have asked for a better guide.

Every day of the trip was unbelievable. The highlight was definitely the W trek. The landscapes were beautiful and we were able to see many rare sightings of native animals such as huemul and puma. We met many like-minded hikers who were passionate and excited about experiencing Patagonia. The guides and locals were all extremely friendly and welcoming. Every time someone asks me how my trip was, my first response is "YOU HAVE TO GO!"

In three and a half weeks we packed in an incredible amount; it is almost too soon to say what the highlights were. The landscapes were awe-inspiring; the wind, literally, took your breath away. The people that bother to live, work and even travel so far away are almost always delightful. It is a physical challenge: you could experience a limited Patagonia without exerting yourself, but you would miss so much. It's the sort of travel that at times makes you wonder, "Why aren't I lying on a beach in Thailand??", but that you appreciate so much more after the event.