Highlight was the hiking in Argentina and in Chile. The unbelievably good weather enhanced the whole experience. There were guanacos, condors, ostrich type birds, sheeps, horses and others spotted a puma. The people at Tierra and our guides were exceptional. We would tell everyone to head to Patagonia in both Argentina and in Chile and to stay in El Chalten, Argentina and with Tierra in Chile. The most surprising element was the luck we had with the weather and how stunning Tierra Patagonia is. The most magical moment was taking a nap in front of and at the base of Laguna Cerro Torre while hiking in Argentina.

Ruggedly hippy (especially in El Chalten), and peaks and lakes especially wonderful due to the hiking and luck with the weather. Patagonia definitely lived up to our expectations!

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We would recommend Swoop to anyone who is aiming for a detailed and customized trip to Patagonia. The telephone contact when discussing trip options and the online communication platform were effective and easy to navigate. The itinerary was detailed with all the information of the itinerary plus emergency contacts etc. was provided. Luckily, we did not need to contact Swoop's 24/7 support and the ability to connect via Whatsapp was available. However, Swoop reached out to us when we independently changed one of our flts and this caught Swoop's attention. Thanks! Swoop was also very responsive when one of our accommodations was downgraded by the hotel and Swoop was able to resolve the situation. Thanks!

Highlight of the Atacama was floating in the salt pools, Rainbow Valley, and hiking the cactus canyon. The scenery was remarkable, so many different aspects to this high desert. We stayed with Tierra Atacama and it was top notch as well. The guides, service, every aspect of Tierra is wonderful. Tried out the spa here and it was relaxing. Nice touch to have an outdoors bbq with music for dinner one night as was the full moon walk out in the desert. Tierra transported us directly to the copper mine upon departure. Perhaps a bit disappointing was that no lunch was provided upon departure as lunch was provided from Tierra Patagonia. But the driver took great care of us and ensured that we were taken care of at the Copper Mine office.

We have visited in BA prior to this trip and would recommend others to visit BA. Highlights of BA from our previous stay are the different neighbourhoods, attend a performance at Teatro Colon or at least tour the Teatro, have tea at Cafe Tortoni, visit the cemetery, take a tango lesson and attend an authentic Milonga show which runs late in the night, and of course, eat beef! Our drivers and their vehicles were on time and spotless and our stay at Casa Sur was comfortable. The hotel is in an ideal location.

The highlight was hiking in extremely good weather with an exceptional guide (Juan) that enhanced the whole experience. El Chalten is a simple outdoors hippy town and the Hosteria Senderos was comfortable and in a great location. The draw to El Chalten is that the hiking can begin out your front door. The transport from El Calafete to El Chalten was organized and we travelled via a larger transport van. The transport back to El Calafete was a bit delayed but the hotel was able to contact the co. informing us that transport was on it's way. The vehicle was a larger mini van which was extremely comfortable. El Calafete is a larger town with a fun main street. Our hotel here was very nice with a hearty breakfast and an easy walk into town. The draw here is the Perito Mereno glacier and it was amazing. The boat tour was much better than expected as was the time to walk along the platforms to see the different aspects of the glacier. Really happy that we included this on the tour. We initially thought that it would be too touristy.

The transport from El Calafete to Tierra Patagonia was in a spotless Mercedes van for the 2 of us. The driver communicated in Spanish but we understood enough on how to prepare for the crossing into Chile. The driver was organized and knew exactly how to efficiently manage the papers/passport to enter into Chile. He was pleasant and exceptional. Tierra Patagonia is stunning and the service top notch. The guides and the activities are varied. One discusses a plan with the head guide and everything is planned and executed nearly seamlessly. The manager of the Tierra Patagonia sets the tone for the rest of his team to provide caring, personalized service to the guests. The hikes were tremendous and the vistas beautiful. We focused more on the peaks as we are familiar with mountain glaciers coming from Canada. There were others on the hikes but it never felt too crowded. We also rode horses in 2 different areas and one ride in particular was rugged, windy, amazing and allowed us to ride back to Tierra. Transport to Puerto Natales by Tierra was comfortable. Tierra also provided lunch as we were departing. We cannot say enough about Tierra!

November is a good time to venture to Patagonia. It appears to be less crowded and the weather can cooperate. Pack layers, including rain gear, always expect a lot of wind, apply sunscreen even on your hands and temper expectations because one can never control the weather. If at all possible, stay with Tierra Patagonia. Check the status of the moon phases; this is important especially if one plans to view stars in the Elqui Valley or take a full moon walk in the Atacama after visiting Patagonia.

We are really happy that we chose Swoop to organize our trip to Patagonia and into other parts of Chile. We would plan with Swoop again if we venture to the Artic and back down to the Antartic. Also, I would recommend to others to rent a car in Chile as the driving is easy, safe and one can wander.