VinaVik with our host Gonzague de Lambert

Posted by on Mar 20, 2012 in Chile, Luxury travel, Patagonia, Trekking Activities | 0 comments

VIK Vineyards

Posted by on Mar 19, 2012 in Chile, Luxury travel, Patagonia, Trekking Activities | 0 comments

Dining room Singular Patagonia

Posted by on Mar 19, 2012 in Chile, Family Travel, Honeymoon, Luxury travel, Patagonia, Trekking Activities | 0 comments

Sunrise at Singular Patagonia

Posted by on Mar 19, 2012 in Chile, Family Travel, Honeymoon, Luxury travel, Patagonia, Trekking Activities | 0 comments

Explora Patagonia

Posted by on Mar 19, 2012 in Destination weddings, Family Travel, Honeymoon, Luxury travel, Patagonia, Trekking Activities, Virtuoso | 0 comments

I tried my panorama lense.

Posted by on Mar 19, 2012 in Chile, Destination weddings, Family Travel, Honeymoon, Luxury travel, Patagonia, Trekking Activities | 0 comments

Room at Explora Patagonia

Posted by on Mar 19, 2012 in Chile, Destination weddings, Honeymoon, Luxury travel, Patagonia, Trekking Activities | 0 comments

View from Explora Patagonia. Hard to beat

Posted by on Mar 19, 2012 in Chile, Family Travel, Honeymoon, Luxury travel, Patagonia, Trekking Activities, Virtuoso | 0 comments

The Towers. Torres del Paine park

Posted by on Mar 19, 2012 in Chile, Family Travel, Honeymoon, Luxury travel, Patagonia, Trekking Activities | 0 comments

Explora Patagonia lobby

Posted by on Mar 19, 2012 in Chile, Destination weddings, Family Travel, Honeymoon, Luxury travel, Patagonia, Trekking Activities, Virtuoso | 0 comments

Singular Patagonia

Posted by on Mar 19, 2012 in Chile, Destination weddings, Family Travel, Honeymoon, Luxury travel, Patagonia | 0 comments

Hallway Singular Patagonia daytime

Posted by on Mar 19, 2012 in Chile, Luxury travel, Patagonia, Trekking Activities | 2 comments

Top Hotels in Southern Chile

 

 
Singular Puerto Bories  Patagonia 
We stayed at the brand new Singular property near Puerto Natales in southern Patagonia
It was a sheep processing plant built between 1906 and 1914, and closed during WW11 . It is family owned and operated. The architect kept the factory fittings in the main building and added contemporary rooms onto one wing. 60 rooms and suites are in the hotel.  Rooms are large and very spacious in feel. Windows are floor to ceiling Bathrooms are well lit and spacious. The decor follows the industrial chic direction of the factory. Walls are  metallic, ceilings were cement color. Predominant colors were earth tones with  grey and black. contemporary feel. Uncluttered and pleasant. Meals and We found the restaurant delightful. 
 
One goes to Patagonia to hike, kayak, fish, horseback ride, mountain climb, rock climb. I have never in my life seen such glorious scenery.. Two major parks, the Andes mountain chain, lake and glaciers are your focus  One plus for Singular is they cover all of the area including Torres del Paine National Park. They also offer speedboating to see the Seranno and Balmaceda Glaciers, Patagonia Fiords and Lago Azul     The negative is that it takes 2 hours to drive to the park, so your day starts early.  Singular offers three activity levels for guests and about 30 offerings of trekking, biking, horseback riding, fishing and boating, kayaking. All guided by an expert staff.  They can be half day or whole day activities. One major note: in the summer one will be contending with gale force winds on you hikes. Be prepared with wind resistant clothing. 
 
Explora Patagonia 
It is all about the view at Explora. You are situated right in front of the Devil’s Horns in the 
Torres del Paine National Park.  Explora is situated in the middle of the park. The view is beyond breathtaking.  They also offer three levels of activities and about 35 choices of things to do. So activites can more flexible, which can be very good because the weather is often highly unpredictable .They have a strict 4 night minimum,  Singular does not have that restriction. The hotel seems more like a lodge. Rooms are smaller and more simple, as well as small bathrooms. But it is all about the view and convenience of being right in the park.  Explora also offers meals, transfers and activities. 

Posted by on Mar 19, 2012 in Chile, Destination weddings, Family Travel, Honeymoon, Luxury travel, Patagonia, Trekking Activities, Virtuoso | 0 comments

W hotel Santiago. Awesome!!

Posted by on Mar 18, 2012 in Chile, Luxury travel, Patagonia | 0 comments

Patagonia glacier

Posted by on Mar 17, 2012 in Chile, Family Travel, Honeymoon, Luxury travel, Patagonia | 1 comment

Glacier drops

Posted by on Mar 17, 2012 in Chile, Family Travel, Honeymoon, Luxury travel, Patagonia | 0 comments

Glaciers, glaciers, glaciers!

I saw my first group of Glaciers today, what a thrill. The color of that ice is really gorgeous. The blue come from the minerals in the water. It is not photoshopped. We took speedboats to see Fiords in the region near Torres del Paine National Park. The color of the water changes from silver to turquoise to an amazing deep blue. The color depends on the amount of silt that washes down with the glacier runoff. This part of the world is simply breathtaking, photographs simply cannot do it justice.

Posted by on Mar 17, 2012 in Chile, Patagonia, Trekking Activities | 0 comments

More glaciers!

Posted by on Mar 17, 2012 in Chile, Luxury travel, Patagonia, Trekking Activities | 1 comment

My first up close and personal glacier!!!

Posted by on Mar 17, 2012 in Chile, Family Travel, Honeymoon, Luxury travel, Patagonia, Trekking Activities | 0 comments

Winds were 50 Miles an hour he-yulp

Posted by on Mar 16, 2012 in Chile, Family Travel, Honeymoon, Luxury travel, Patagonia, Trekking Activities | 0 comments

Patagonia

Posted by on Mar 16, 2012 in Chile, Family Travel, Honeymoon, Luxury travel, Patagonia | 0 comments

View hiking Torres del Paine national park

Posted by on Mar 16, 2012 in Chile, Family Travel, Honeymoon, Luxury travel, Patagonia, Trekking Activities | 0 comments

View from Explora Patagonia

Posted by on Mar 16, 2012 in Chile, Family Travel, Honeymoon, Luxury travel, Patagonia, Trekking Activities, Virtuoso | 0 comments

The bottom of the world

The bottom of the world
Remote, majestic, untouched, wind blown pampas, big sky, spectacular, unspoiled, pictures can’t capture the majic – all these words came to mind as I traveled to Punta Natalas. We are staying at the brand new Singular hotel at the bottom of the world. Activities include trekking on glaciers, hiking to the Torres del Paine National park, fishing, speed boating through the fiords, biking, horseback riding, and or bird watching in some of the most spectacular scenery I have ever experienced!

Posted by on Mar 16, 2012 in Chile, Family Travel, Honeymoon, Luxury travel, Patagonia, Trekking Activities | 0 comments

At the bottom of the world

Posted by on Mar 15, 2012 in Chile, Destination weddings, Honeymoon, Luxury travel, Patagonia, Trekking Activities | 0 comments

Packing and planning for Chile: Patagonia and Santiago

I will be trekking in this area!
I am starting to pack for my first trip to Chile. I am really looking forward to it! The itinerary calls for lots of hiking activities and I can’t wait. I am so interested in the Torres del Paine National Park and we will be able to view up close and personal the Paine Massif. We fly into Santiago and then immediately fly to Puntas Arenas in Southern Chile. We will be staying at the Singular Patagonia. http://thesingular.com/puertobories-en
It is an old cold storage plant remade into a first class hotel. They offer 19 activty experiences from hiking to biking, horseback riding, sailing, birdwatching. Levels are easy to expert. I am deciding between trekking to the base of Torres del Paine, glacier trekking the Mirador Glacier grey, sailing around the Patagonia Fjords: Serrano and Balmaceda Glaciers, Lago Azul or a visit to Shotel Aike wetlands. We only have two full days to get in activities and each one take a whole day, so I have to choose wisely! My paperwork says I will only need my passport, hiking boots, camera and a light backpack.
Less is more. Ha ha….

Posted by on Mar 4, 2012 in Chile, Luxury travel, Patagonia, Trekking Activities | 0 comments

More on the magnificent Balinese hotels …

In spite of the ever growing traffic, and development, Bali still has that indefinable magic. The Balinese are still so happy to see us, the hotels are still amazing, the temples are still thriving, great restaurants are growing in number. Craftsmanship is incredible. Bali is one of the best places in the world to shop. For five star hotels, Amandari, Amankila, Amanusa, Four Seasons Sayan, Jimbaran and Bulgari are going strong. The most pleasant surprise was the Bulgari Uluwatu. Very glamorous really beautiful hotel. The bathtub was bigger than most hotel’s plunge pools. In the more moderate range was the Chedi Club- delightful, Uma- with a more health oriented clientel in Ubud, and the Legian Club in Seminyak. In a differnet category, the Tugu- chock full of antiques and more traditional, in Canguu.
I hated to leave.

Posted by on Jun 4, 2010 in Bali, Destination weddings, Family Travel, Honeymoon, Patagonia, Trekking Activities, Virtuoso | 2 comments

Tiger photos!

I‘m home and processing this amazing trip to India.  Over the next week, I will upload photos and videos from one of the world’s most exciting destinations!

Posted by on Feb 12, 2010 in Family Travel, Honeymoon, India, Patagonia, Tiger Tracking | 0 comments