Describe the aspects of your itinerary that you thought worked really well. We were self-guided, so cannot speak to the add-on itinerary that Chimu suggested.

Were you satisfied with the efforts taken to minimize environmental impacts during your trip?

“Before and after our Antarctica expedition we visited the towns of Ushuaia (where the boat leaves from), El Calafate and El Chalten in Patagonia, and Buenos Aires. Absolutely loved exploring all of them, although we took a private guided tour in BA. In Patagonia we rented a car and took ourselves to the locations of interest - all very doable and safe. Loved every bit of our time in this region! Back to Ushuaia, we spent 3 or 4 days there - a lovely little city to explore and enjoy, whether it be their prisoner & natinal park history, or just coffeeing and dining.”

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Posted 1 day ago

Describe the aspects of your itinerary that you thought worked really well. Doug White (Chimu Queensland) was able to seamlessly organise a tremendous itinerary to include all our must-see requests. This included a 5-day catamaran cruise, two international flights, 2 domestic flights, 16 internal flights, 2 trains and 2 buses, 13 different accommodations, private transfers, amazing private guides, tours and experiences. Accommodation choices were outstanding, with luxurious rooms, fantastic locations close to artesian and local markets, shops, restaurants, parks, galleries and museums.

Describe the aspects of your itinerary that you thought needs improving In hindsight we probably should have realised that a travel day is not the same as a rest day and allowed a few more rest days between activities.

Were you satisfied with the efforts taken to minimize environmental impacts during your trip?

“We embarked on a 35 day bucket list trip to experience five different South Amerian countries and unique destinations including Iguasu Falls, Easter Island, Galapagos, Peru Amazon, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and Lake Titicaca. As well as these amazing destinations we included Chimu tours and experiences in Santiago, Valparaiso, Casablanca Valley, Lima, Puno, Quito, Cusco, and Ollantaytambo. We thoroughly enjoyed all of our destinations, tours and experiences and were grateful for the passionate, knowledgeable and accomodating guides who made our trip extra special. Some of our special moments included: snorkeling with hammerheads, manta rays and seals in the Galapagos with Guide Sebastian; hiking historical Macchu Picchu with Guide Lisbeth; immersing ourselves in a Quito Six Senses tour with Guide Gina; allowing Guide Paul to challenge us to an amazing Refugio Amazonas adventure; and enjoying Lima with a Taste of Tradition and History with Guide Angelica. South America is a continent rich in unique and beautiful landscapes, biodiversity, food, wine and culture. Whether you prefer a fantastic adventure or a leisurely paced immersion in history and culture, we would recommend South America as the destination of choice.”

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Posted 3 days ago

Describe the aspects of your itinerary that you thought worked really well. The boat trips were great but I love being on the water

Describe the aspects of your itinerary that you thought needs improving I think the hole trip was well organised and ran. Like clockwork

Were you satisfied with the efforts taken to minimize environmental impacts during your trip?

“I had a great time on the Amazon River so much to see and do The crewof La Perla were great The only but minor complaint was that meals were not very hot.The meals were Avery high standard and the pastry chef was brilliant”

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Posted 1 week ago

Describe the aspects of your itinerary that you thought worked really well. Transfers, private tours, accommodation.

Describe the aspects of your itinerary that you thought needs improving Maybe 1 or 2 more free days as it is a full on itinerary. It would be good to know beforehand that certain tours you need cash. When you have different guides we get the same history from them all. A bit repetitive.

“Interesting history and culture. Memorable scenery.,”

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Posted 1 month ago

Describe the aspects of your itinerary that you thought worked really well. Galapagos islands boat tour was excellent, Amazon jungle was also good but being given a suggested packing list prior to departure would have made it better (ie:flashlight, waterproof shoes, etc), Atacama desert Tatio Geysers was great but so cold were underprepared. Someone needed to brief us on how to dress prior to departure on excursion.

Describe the aspects of your itinerary that you thought needs improving Time management was often poor and emphasis on going to places to be sold stuff instead of seeing the sites more thoroughly. Missed out on seeing the markets at Pisac,Peru completely because too much time spent at the silver store. Feel very short changed on that. Also the tours in Chile as a whole were not of a good standard. For example, Not enough time at the valley of the moon in Atacama to walk around. Raced around in bus to see other areas that were not as interesting. There is a lot of competition there in the tour market and I think the company that you used in the Atacama desert was cutting corners. Also not necessary to feed us boxed lunches on half day tours. Not enough complementary safe water to drink at Casa Andina on arrival to altitude in Peru where drinking fluids is important. Stopping for snacks on tour from Mara salis and only being able to buy rubbish like chips and chocolate (cash only) which was meant to be our lunch. We could have stopped at Ollanta and bought a sandwich instead or been told to bring a boxed lunch from the hotel the night before. I was already sick in the stomach and having to eat junk only made my stomach feel worse.

Were you satisfied with the efforts taken to minimize environmental impacts during your trip?

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Posted 1 month ago

Describe the aspects of your itinerary that you thought worked really well. Our guides were fantastic! Punctual, good English and knowledgeable. Hotels were located in safe but interesting neighbourhoods with good access to explore. Our overall itinerary was fantastic in that we saw a huge range of natural and man made tourist sites, and enjoyed a wide range of experiences.

Describe the aspects of your itinerary that you thought needs improving Possibly an extra half day ‘free’ every few days to help with fatigue when covering so much territory and so many flights. I would prefer a hotel not in Copacabana in Rio (maybe Ipanamena?) as we found Copa overly touristy noisy and busy.

Were you satisfied with the efforts taken to minimize environmental impacts during your trip?

“South America offers a hugely diverse range of experiences, sights, food, people and cultures. There is something for everyone no matter your age or interests. Highly recommend!”

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Posted 1 month ago

Describe the aspects of your itinerary that you thought worked really well. We were met with competent guides and staff from Chimu .

Describe the aspects of your itinerary that you thought needs improving The itinerary had us at a hotel airport for over 24 hours which was a waste of time we changed this but it was at our expense this should have been discussed with us about spending this long waiting even through we could get to the CBD in an hour

Were you satisfied with the efforts taken to minimize environmental impacts during your trip?

“Our adventure did not disappoint from Machu Picchu to the Amazon. South America is an experience that should be on everyone’s bucket list.”

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Posted 1 month ago

Describe the aspects of your itinerary that you thought worked really well. The Antarctic expedition was great. The Chimu Representatives in Buenos Aires were great as were the drivers they had organized for me were on time efficient and trustworthy.

Describe the aspects of your itinerary that you thought needs improving The organization of my flights was not good. I requested to be on the same flights as Frazer Leal (who was booked on a direct flight to Santiago) as I was on my own and it was my first overseas trip. But I was booked on a flight the day after Frazer which I was told was a direct flight to Santiago, but it was not as my flight stopped over in Aukland NZ. When I querried this with Doug White he didn't seem to be aware of this.

Were you satisfied with the efforts taken to minimize environmental impacts during your trip?

“Antarctica was amazing, enjoyed it very much. All very surreal.”

1 Helpful Report

Posted 1 month ago

South America Reviews