SOUTH AMERICA
SPRING TOUR & CRUISE

Tour Departs: 1 September 2012   •    Tour Length: 26 Days

This is a spectacular tour in every respect and the itinerary has been proven over so many years. A number of our regular travellers have rated this as “the best”. South America is a fascinating continent to visit – awe-inspiring scenery, different cultures and an absorbing history. The itinerary is leisurely and comfortable, with first class accommodation.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:
• Rio de Janeiro –Copocabana Beach, Corcovado and the Statue of “Christ Redeemer”, “Sugar Loaf”, Carnival Show
• Iguassu Falls – surely the most beautiful in the world in a magical setting
• Buenos Aires – the “Paris” of South America
• Mendoza – our launch point for the wonderful day’s coach journey across the Andes
• Santiago – in the shadow of the Andes
• The Southern Lakes Region crossing from Chile to Argentina by coach
• Bariloche – in a magnificent setting of lakes and mountains.

HIGHLIGHT: 5 NIGHT “SKORPIOS” CRUISE
There is no cruise quite like it in South America, in fact, maybe not anywhere else in the world. The cruise is through southern Chile’s inland territorial waters and fjords. The magnificent Andes Mountains will be the backdrop for a cruise that takes us by fishing villages and hamlets and up peaceful and scenic fjords and lagoons. A visit to the healing waters of a secluded thermal area will revive the spirits, but the highlight will most certainly be the day spent at San Rafael Glacier where we are confronted by the sight of icebergs and pieces of the glacier wall crashing into the ocean right in front of us. Our ship is the “Skorpios II”, and offers all the comforts you expect and need on a cruise such as this. Up to 150 passengers are accommodated on 2 decks in outside cabins which all have private bathrooms. The superbly prepared meals are always an attraction and amazingly there is an open bar. This is a very special cruise – there is no other quite like it.

TOUR COSTS:
Per Person Share Twin Room / Cabin                                    NZ$16,995.00                         AUD$14,350.00
Supplement for Single Room / Cabin (if required)                    NZ$  4,150.00                         AUD$  3,350.00

COSTS INCLUDE:
• Economy Class air travel from Auckland or Sydney
• All Airport, Government & Security Taxes (as at 01 October 2011)
• First Class hotel accommodation
• Outside cabin on the 5 night cruise
• Meals as indicated in the itinerary B = Full Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner
• First Class air-conditioned coach transportation for all touring
• Sightseeing and entrance fees as indicated in the itinerary
• Services of a tour director and local guides for touring and sightseeing
• Baggage handling of one suitcase per person
• Tips to local guides, coach drivers and cruise staff
• Fully escorted

COSTS EXCLUDE:
• Any meals and sightseeing tours not specifically mentioned in the itinerary
• Travel insurance (advice and assistance supplied), visa fees (if required)
• Items of a personal nature such as room service, laundry, drinks, telephone charges etc

Important – Cancellation Conditions: Due to the cruise content of this tour, we must vary our standard payment and cancellation conditions. These will be detailed in our written confirmation of your booking. Travel insurance will also be offered at this time. 

 DAY-TO-DAY TOUR ITINERARY

Saturday 01 September
Home – Santiago - Rio de Janeiro
Today we fly to Rio de Janeiro via Santiago, crossing the International Dateline en route. arriving early evening of the same day. We are met and transferred to our Copacabana Beach hotel for a 4 night stay.

Sunday 2 September
Rio de Janeiro (B/D)
This morning, our tour takes us by cogwheel train to the top of Mount Corcovado and one of Rio’s most famous landmarks, the 125 foot high statue of “Christ the Redeemer”, for spectacular views of the city, followed by a visit to the Tijuca Forest. The afternoon is at leisure, a chance to rest up and relax before we enjoy dinner together this evening.

Monday 3 September
Rio de Janeiro (B/D)
This morning our tour includes the spectacular ride on the aerial cable-car to the summit of the famous “Sugarloaf” for even more spectacular views of the bay. Thereafter, we see the historical centre of Rio including the Royal Palace, National Historical Museum, Candelaria Church and the monastery of Sao Bento. Afternoon at leisure.  This evening, we dine at a typical Brazilian seafood restaurant. After dinner, we enjoy an exciting show at the Plataforma 1 Nightclub where we see an amazing array of costumes and items from the previous “Carnival”.
 
Tuesday 4 September
Rio de Janeiro (B/L)
This morning, we leave the hotel for a full day tour to Petropolis including lunch. This part of the State includes cities located amid the mountains of Serra dos Orgaos, Petroplis, Teresopolis and Nova Friburgo being their finest examples. Petropolis and Nova Friburgo were colonized by Swiss and German immigrants and display the physical and cultural traits of those European regions. Petropolis originated and developed as the imperial city, since it was the favourite of monarch Pedro II, who spent the summers there in order to avoid the heat of Rio de Janeiro. The German immigrants initially settled in the town in order to serve the imperial family and they left strong influences in the habits, in the local food and in the architecture.

Wednesday 5 September
Rio de Janeiro – Iguassu Falls (B/D)
Sadly, it is time to say farewell to Rio as we return to the airport and join our afternoon flight to Iguassu (Brazil). On arrival, we are met and transferred to our delightful hotel, inside the Brazilian national park right at the Falls, for a 2 night stay.
The Iguassu River splits into 275 amazing waterfalls, one of the most majestic spectacles in the world. The virgin jungle of the national park surrounds the deep “Garganta del Diablo” (Devils Throat), a confluence of rapids falling straight down. Spray rises over 30 metres from the bottom (hidden by the mist) and countless rainbows are threaded under the sun. Butterflies and tropical birds fly over the falls. The Jesuit ruins at San Ignacio, Loreto, Santa Anna and Encarnacion account for the historical phenomenon of the ruins which have been called the “Jesuit Empire”.

Thursday 6 September
Iguassu (B/L)
This morning, we enjoy a tour of the Brazilian side of the Falls followed by the “Macuco” safari. We travel the “Macuco Trail” in a rustic open wagon which allows an unhindered view of the jungle in all its splendour. We walk down the Iguassu Canyon trail visiting the Macuco Falls and penetrating the Brazilian jungle on foot for a more intimate contact with nature. Then, we “shoot the rapids” in a spectacular boat ride up Iguassu Canyon for a different view of the Falls. This is followed by a lunch at The Porto Canoas Restaurant before we return to the hotel. The remainder of the day is free to relax and enjoy the magnificent setting at the Falls.

Friday 7 September
Iguassu – Buenos Aires (B/D)
Late this morning, we join our coach and cross the giant “Devil’s Cataract” and the border into Argentina. We arrive at Iguassu Airport in time to join our afternoon flight to Buenos Aires where we are met on arrival and transferred to our downtown hotel for a 3 night stay.

Saturday 8 September
Buenos Aires (B/D)
The heart of the city now, as in the colonial days, is the Plaza de Mayo with the historic Cabildo, the Town Hall where the movement for independence from Spain was first planned; the pink “Casa Rosada” (Presidential Palace); the Municipalidad (City Hall); and the Cathedral where San Martin, the father of Argentina’s struggle for independence, is buried.
This morning’s sightseeing tour of South America’s largest metropolis will show us many of the highlights of Buenos Aires. We see Government House, the Casa Rosada, the Cathedral at the site of the first church built in Buenos Aires, Columbus Square, Boca Square, plus many more places of interest in this, the “Paris of the Americas”. Afternoon at leisure. Tonight is Saturday night so let’s go on the town. This evening, we are transferred to a typical Argentine steakhouse for dinner, followed by a Tango performance at one of the better nightclubs in Buenos Aires. The first drink is on the house!The Tango started at the end of the last century from a mixture of various rhythms which were danced in the poorer areas. At the beginning, it was danced by pairs of men to the music of the flute, the violin and the guitar.

Sunday 9 September
Buenos Aires (B/L)
Today, we travel to the outskirts of Buenos Aires for our “Gaucho” excursion. It allows us the opportunity to admire the traditional dances and enjoy the songs and the food of the Argentinian Gaucho (cowboy). The venue is a beautiful country residence at an old ranch located on the fringe of the city.

Monday 10 September
Buenos Aires – Mendoza (B/D)
We have the morning free in Buenos Aires before transferring to the City Airport to join the late afternoon flight to Mendoza. On arrival in Mendoza, we are met and transferred to our hotel for a 2 night stay.

Tuesday 11 September
Mendoza (B/L)
This morning, we join our coach for a sightseeing tour which takes us through the older part of the city and the centre of economic activity. After a short orientation tour of the area, we head towards the outskirts of town and the vineyard region. Mendoza is Argentina’s greatest wine producing region and we will be able to taste some of the regions best wines. We have the opportunity to learn about the specialised process in the making of these wines before we return to our hotel with the remainder of the day at leisure.

Wednesday 12 September
Mendoza – Santiago (B/D)
Today is a spectacular day. We join our coach for the journey across the Andes from Argentina into Chile. We pass by South America’s highest mountain, Aconcagua, often called “the roof of the Americas” at 6962 metres in height. In 1985, the discovery of an Inca “mummy” at 5300 metres confirmed that the high peaks were a sacred funerary site in pre-Columbus times. After crossing the border, we descend into Chile and arrive at our Santiago hotel for a 2 night stay.

Thursday 13 September
Santiago (B)
This morning, we enjoy a sightseeing tour of the city, beginning at the Civic Centre, the focal point of which is the neoclassical La Moneda Palace. We continue through the narrow streets of the downtown area to the Pre-Columbian Museum displaying remnants of ancient cultures. We proceed to the Plaza de Armas, a picturesque square and the 18th century Cathedral Metropolitana. Nearby, housed in an exquisite 19th century wrought-iron building are the Central Markets where a colourful conglomeration of seafoods, fruits, vegetables and flowers are on sale. We stroll along Parque Forestal, past the Fine Arts Museum to Santa Lucia Hill where the city was founded in 1541 and which is now a sanctuary of gardens and fountains.

Friday 14 September
Santiago – Puerto Montt (B/L/D)
An early start this morning as we are transferred to Santiago Airport in time to join our flight to the southern city of Puerto Montt. On arrival, we are met and transferred by coach to the port where we join our ship “Skorpios II” for the 5 night cruise. We set sail late this morning through the Llanquihue Archipelago, within sight of the old Spanish fortress of Cabulco, towards the Gulf of Ancud, the legendary Chloe archipelago and across the Gulf of Corcovado.

Saturday 15 September
Cruising (B/L/D)
Today you will navigate through the Moraleda and Ferronave channels and arrive to Puerto Aguirre, a remote fishing village, where we stop for a couple of hours before we continue sailing through the Channels. This evening we anchor in Punta Leopardos, 20 miles from San Rafael Glacier.

Sunday 16 September
Cruising – San Rafael Glacier (B/L/D)
Overnight you will cut through San Rafael Bay and Témpanos Channel to anchor two kilometers from the glacier. You will be able to enjoy excursions aboard motorboats around the multicolored glaciers, weather permitting. In the afternoon, the vessel moves closer to the glacier.  Departure from the Glacier to the Quitralco Fjord will be in the evening.

Monday 17 September
Cruising (B/L/D)
We arrive in Quitralco Fjord where we can relax in special indoor and outdoor thermal baths of volcanic origin, take excursions in motor launches through this pristine natural paradise, take a walk through the surrounding forests and enjoy its varied flora. We experience a Chilean style “Asado” barbeque, and this evening we set sail for Chiloe through the channels of Moraleda and Perez Norte.

Tuesday 18 September
Cruising (B/L/D)
Corcovado Gulf crossing.  In this area, if the conditions allow, there is a possibility of watching humpback whales and blue whales.  Continue to sail through the oriental coast of the Chiloe island, Yal channel, Castro stream, arriving to this beautiful city this afternoon. We set sail again this evening towards Puerto Montt through Lemuy, Dalcahue and Quicavi channels.  Farewell party, Captain’s dinner, dance.

Wednesday 19 September
Puerto Montt – Puella (B/L)
Sadly our cruise ends this morning but more highlights await us. We join our coach and transfer to Petrohue to begin our Lakes Crossing. We take the road to Ensenada which borders Llanquihue Lake. We board the catamaran for the crossing of Todos los Santos Lake and disembark at Puella, a small village in the Andes , where we stay overnight.

Thursday 20 September
Puella – Bariloche (B/D)
The Lakes Crossing continues on land to Puerto Frias where we board a boat for the crossing of Frias Lake towards Puerto Alegre. The journey continues on a modern catamaran sailing through the Blest Sound to Puerto Panuelo before we finally arrive in the Argentine resort city of Bariloche where we stay for 3 nights.

Friday 21 September
Bariloche (B)
Our morning half day tour will explain the life and growth of the centre of Bariloche, the Cathedral and historic neighbourhoods and a visit to the Patagonia Museum located in the civil centre where you have the evolution of Bariloche and its culture. At the end of the tour, stop at Familia Weiss for what they call Tarde de Picadas (Afternoon Snacks). This afternoon is at leisure

Saturday 22 September
Bariloche (B/D)
This morning, we drive along Bustillo Ave bordering Nahuel Huapi Lake towards Playa Bonita. Continue to Campanario Hill, where a cable car will take you to the summit. Enjoy a complete overview of the area then drive towards the San Pedro and Llao Llao peninsulars. Visit San Eduardo Chapel and admire the Bridge that connects Nahuel Huapi Lake and Moreno Lake and proceed to Bahia Lopez. The remainder of the day is at leisure.

Sunday 23 September
Bariloche – Buenos Aires (B/D)
The morning is at leisure in Bariloche before our afternoon departure for the airport and our flight back to Buenos Aires. On arrival, we are met and transferred to our hotel for the final night of our stay in South America.

Monday 24 September
Buenos Aires - Home (B)
Today is our final day in South America. Late this morning, we checkout of our hotel and take a drive to the Tigre district, a charming resort where a great number of summer residences, yacht clubs and rowing clubs attract the weekend activity of many ”portenos”. We enjoy a boat trip along the many channels and canals before traveling to the airport where late this afternoon we join our flight to Santiago connecting through to Auckland and Sydney.

Wednesday 26 September
Home
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