Heather, thank you for a marvellous trip. I thought you might like feedback on the various elements of our trip.
Hotel Buenos Aires - Club Frances was very good and we thought it was much better than CasaSur Art Hotel which we stayed at last time. Club Frances is on a much quieter street so you don’t get any traffic noise or sirens etc. The bedrooms are so much more spacious while the restaurant was much better. The breakfast room plus the range of food was also much better than CasaSur.
Arakur Resort and Spa - wow. Loved this hotel - extraordinary views, great restaurant, lovely rooms and so good to have a nature reserve to walk in. The pool was also very good.
Eurotour were good.
Valparaiso- Casa Higueras - again, a brilliant hotel, stunning views, spacious and quiet rooms, good restaurant. The staff was very helpful and such a good location. It was also very safe with good security.
CTS - very ordinary. We waited at the cruise terminal for over 45 minutes for our driver. We were actually the last people in the terminal when this young man with a sign with another name finally approached us. The firm had given him a sign for a customer from the previous day. At both Valparaiso and Santiago, the hotels had to ring the company for us to find out the time that the drivers were picking us up. We always did as Craig told us and asked the driver re details for the next day. On both occasions, they couldn’t give us that information. On our last day in Santiago, they dropped us at the airport without taking us inside to help us check in.
Lastarria Boutique Hotel, Santiago - excellent location, quiet, comfortable and spacious room, very average breakfast. The staff was very helpful.
HAUGAN CRUISES - excellent. They are so well organised and gave us a detailed list of all times when we were in Ecuador. They were always on time, the guides were excellent and they always made sure we were checked in on our flights.
The Petrel - great program, very comfortable, good food and service. You do need to be very fit to do the activities. It would not be suitable for those who had any mobility issues or weren’t fit. Also, if you suffered the slightest from sea sickness, it is not a good idea to take this option for visiting the Galápagos Islands.
Plaza Grande Hotel, Quito. Loved this hotel and would go back again. The staff are exceptional and really personalise the service. We loved the ground floor cafe, Café Grande and had dinner there every evening. We loved watching all the action in the main square. The rooms are excellent and we loved the special touches such as the welcome tray of gorgeous cakes and the bottle of wine.
The Anaconda- what a wonderful experience. There were only 5 passengers including us on the 18 suite boat so we had all the third floor to ourselves. There were 2 guides on the boat so with 5 people we had quality time and attention with the guides. I would much prefer being on the Anaconda then going to one of the lodges as the boat travels up and down the river so it is not as far to get to different sites. As well, because the boat is fully air conditioned and enclosed, there is not the risk of insects or mosquitoes. They had a fantastic chef - the food was exquisite. The service and the range of activities were excellent. The canoe ride from Coca to the boat is more like 2 hours then one and it can be a bit uncomfortable especially if it is raining.
The Aerolineas Argentina’s flight from Lima to Buenos Aires was not good. We were premium economy and it would have been the worst food we have ever had on a plane. LATAM were much better.
Air New Zealand were excellent and they had a good process for when we landed at Buenos Aires so that the short time in between flights was not a problem and stress free.
Overall, an amazing trip with everything going to schedule. We had the most fantastic time. We are looking forward to going back sometime in the future. Thank you so much.
Debbie and Kevin travel quite a bit, and they have shown us their blog. We think everyone should have the chance to read their amazing experiences!!
https://debbieandkevintravels.wordpress.com/page/5/
Debbie and Kevin
