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For the nature and wildlife lover, Patagonia is the place to come in South America; whether you are a hard-core adventurer or a traveler more interested in light hiking, fishing or horseback riding. Ice Age valleys and moraines, jagged mountain ridges, fjords and glaciers, native forests and an abundance of waterfalls make the human visitor aware, at every moment, of the nature around them. In the town of Puerto Natales, Remota Hotel was built on the concept of blending nature with human civilization.
The property was created with the idea of mixing the architectural design with the natural surroundings, designed by legendary architect German del Sol who won the National Prize for his work on Remota. The buildings are integrated in harmony with the Patagonian landscape, at times blurring the lines between where nature ends and Remota begins. Using construction techniques such as earth-and-grass covered rooftops, sustainable local materials and energy-saving implementations was key for Del Sol. And these are no mere “nod to green concerns” gestures. The entire hotel utilizes a system that recycles the indoor air two to three times a day, using no energy whatsoever.
It’s a place where visitors can feel at one with Patagonia, and be in the present moment. Del Sol believed that beauty was in the imperfections, and embraced those aspects of his natural materials to create a place that offers an experience to guests, not just a hotel stay. “The loneliness of the vast landscape is perhaps what seduces the wanderer’s soul,” says del Sol. “Everyone can make a discovery if one sees the same old things with new eyes. Maybe, because we only get to know that which puts up some resistance, the place where it is hard to get to is that which we believe, somehow, that we deserve. Thus, perhaps, the myth of Patagonia is the myth of a remote place, where we feel that the journey has been accomplished, and we are delicately returned to what is ours.” Patagonia Sights and Excursions Hotel Remota tour guides are among the best in Chile, specially trained in the hotel’s own guide school. Remota is the only operation that offers certified fly fishing experience, as well as navigations, hiking, horseback riding, bicycle tours and bird watching, with world well-known specialists.
Every evening the guides gather in the bar of the hotel, where they can plan with guests their excursions for the next day out of more than 30 possibilities in Torres del Paine National Park, as well as beyond mountains, glaciers, lakes, rivers and forests, cattle farms and caves of ancestral native cultures. Tours can be done by vehicle (4x4), horseback, bicycle, or walking, sailing the fjords; it all depends on the guests preference and the area they would like to visit. Details about Hotel Remota The guest rooms are an invitation to rest body and soul, the relaxing aroma of the lenga wood together with the light radiating from the heat reflecting windows and the magnificent views to the fjord of Last Hope are the perfect setting for perfect comfort. Remota offers 72 wonderfully appointed, spacious rooms. The common areas are divided into multi levels, with several comfortable and stylish living rooms built around large fireplaces, leading eventually up to the restaurant and bar. The amazing food is part of the Remota experience, with skilled chefs creating a variety of inventive dishes from the fresh seafood of Patagonia and local ingredients.
A separate building houses a relaxing indoor heated pool, open-air Jacuzzi and men’s and women’s locker rooms with saunas. Every stay at Hotel Remota is a program that includes: • Accommodations • Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, with soft and alcoholic drinks or house wine. • 8 Daily Excursions offered according to the day’s program, with a bilingual guide. (English-Spanish) • Excursion hours are pre-established. Consult reception. • Use of the sauna, open-air Jacuzzi, and heated indoor pool. • Complementary transfers. Premium wines, massage services, outdoor equipment, personal goods, gift shop items, fly-fishing gear and tips are not included.
About Chile and Patagonia: http://chile.travel/en/where-to-go/patagonia-2/
Hotel Remota website: http://www.remotahotel.com
Contact information: Ruta 9 Norte, km 1.5 Puerto Natales, Chile This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 56 | 2 | 23871500
All-inclusive programs at Hotel Remota start at $1,950 per person for 3 nights.
San Andres and Providencia are two beautiful islands and although they are closer to Nicaragua, they’re a part of the Colombian territory… In December I had a holiday in paradise. My final destination was Providencia, a small, isolated island away from the bussle of the daily city life. Spending a few days there was all I needed after a year of hard work.
As there are not direct flights to Providencia a great and inexpensive option is to reach the island by sea with the Splendor Catamaran with the company called Conocemos Navegando. The catamaran itself is spacious and comfortable, with great chairs, air conditioning and TV for everyone to enjoy. The company runs trips every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6 am from Tonino dock in San Andres.
Making the reservations through their website (http://www.
As we arrived at the port on the day of the trip, the sun was rising over the bay as we checked in and the staff and capitan were, with the lack of a better word, legends. They made sure that everyone on board was prepared for a bit of a bumpy ride by handing out juice and anti-nausea tablets. Throughout the journey they were always fun and attentive.
We made it to the island a couple of hours late, the swell was a bit rough but the catamaran mangaged the sea with ease. We were happy to be in Providencia and ready to have a few days of relaxing in the sun.
A trip From San Andres To Provicencia Island on the Splendor Catamaran
San Andres and Providencia are two beautiful islands and although they are closer to Nicaragua, they’re a part of the Colombian territory… In December I had a holiday in paradise. My final destination was Providencia, a small, isolated island away from the bussle of the daily city life. Spending a few days there was all I needed after a year of hard work.
As there are not direct flights to Providencia a great and inexpensive option is to reach the island by sea with the Splendor Catamaran with the company called Conocemos Navegando. The catamaran itself is spacious and comfortable, with great chairs, air conditioning and TV for everyone to enjoy. The company runs trips every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6 am from Tonino dock in San Andres.
Making the reservations through their website (http://www.catamaransanandresyprovidencia.com/en) was really easy and their customer service was fantastic. They can help with bookings in either English or Spanish.
As we arrived at the port on the day of the trip, the sun was rising over the bay as we checked in and the staff and capitan were, with the lack of a better word, legends. They made sure that everyone on board was prepared for a bit of a bumpy ride by handing out juice and anti-nausea tablets. Throughout the journey they were always fun and attentive.
We made it to the island a couple of hours late, the swell was a bit rough but the catamaran mangaged the sea with ease. We were happy to be in Providencia and ready to have a few days of relaxing in the sun.
For the nature and wildlife lover, Patagonia is the place to come in South America; whether you are a hard-core adventurer or a traveler more interested in light hiking, fishing or horseback riding. Ice Age valleys and moraines, jagged mountain ridges, fjords and glaciers, native forests and an abundance of waterfalls make the human visitor aware, at every moment, of the nature around them.
In the town of Puerto Natales, Remota Hotel was built on the concept of blending nature with human civilization. The property was created with the idea of mixing the architectural design with the natural surroundings, designed by legendary architect German del Sol who won the National Prize for his work on Remota.
The buildings are integrated in harmony with the Patagonian landscape, at times blurring the lines between where nature ends and Remota begins. Using construction techniques such as earth-and-grass covered rooftops, sustainable local materials and energy-saving implementations was key for Del Sol. And these are no mere “nod to green concerns” gestures. The entire hotel utilizes a system that recycles the indoor air two to three times a day, using no energy whatsoever.
It’s a place where visitors can feel at one with Patagonia, and be in the present moment. Del Sol believed that beauty was in the imperfections, and embraced those aspects of his natural materials to create a place that offers an experience to guests, not just a hotel stay.
“The loneliness of the vast landscape is perhaps what seduces the wanderer’s soul,” says del Sol. “Everyone can make a discovery if one sees the same old things with new eyes. Maybe, because we only get to know that which puts up some resistance, the place where it is hard to get to is that which we believe, somehow, that we deserve. Thus, perhaps, the myth of Patagonia is the myth of a remote place, where we feel that the journey has been accomplished, and we are delicately returned to what is ours.”
Patagonia Sights and Excursions Hotel Remota tour guides are among the best in Chile, specially trained in the hotel’s own guide school. Remota is the only operation that offers certified fly fishing experience, as well as navigations, hiking, horseback riding, bicycle tours and bird watching, with world well-known specialists. Every evening the guides gather in the bar of the hotel, where they can plan with guests their excursions for the next day out of more than 30 possibilities in Torres del Paine National Park, as well as beyond mountains, glaciers, lakes, rivers and forests, cattle farms and caves of ancestral native cultures. Tours can be done by vehicle (4x4), horseback, bicycle, or walking, sailing the fjords; it all depends on the guests preference and the area they would like to visit.
Details about Hotel Remota The guest rooms are an invitation to rest body and soul, the relaxing aroma of the lenga wood together with the light radiating from the heat reflecting windows and the magnificent views to the fjord of Last Hope are the perfect setting for perfect comfort. Remota offers 72 wonderfully appointed, spacious rooms. The common areas are divided into multi levels, with several comfortable and stylish living rooms built around large fireplaces, leading eventually up to the restaurant and bar. The amazing food is part of the Remota experience, with skilled chefs creating a variety of inventive dishes from the fresh seafood of Patagonia and local ingredients. A separate building houses a relaxing indoor heated pool, open-air Jacuzzi and men’s and women’s locker rooms with saunas.
Every stay at Hotel Remota is a program that includes:
• Accommodations
• Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, with soft and alcoholic drinks or house wine.
• 8 Daily Excursions offered according to the day’s program, with a bilingual guide. (English-Spanish)
• Excursion hours are pre-established. Consult reception.
• Use of the sauna, open-air Jacuzzi, and heated indoor pool.
• Complementary transfers.
Premium wines, massage services, outdoor equipment, personal goods, gift shop items, fly-fishing gear and tips are not included.
About Chile and Patagonia: http://chile.travel/en/where-to-go/patagonia-2/
Hotel Remota website: http://www.remotahotel.com
Contact information: Ruta 9 Norte, km 1.5 Puerto Natales, Chile This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 56 | 2 | 23871500
All-inclusive programs at Hotel Remota start at $1,950 per person for 3 nights.
One of the most remote places you can visit on Earth is also one of the most mysterious: Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui in the native language. Dubbed Easter Island when the first Europeans landed here on Easter Day 1722, the island is the most isolated inhabited place on earth – farther from the next piece of land than any other settled place on our planet.
Nearly six hours by air from mainland Chile, Rapa Nui holds some of the greatest mysteries known to humankind. It is most famous, of course, for the legendary statues that seem to stand guard around its coastline. Many people who could never begin to pick out the island on a map would recognize a photograph of one of these statues, called Moai, instantly.
More than 600 Moai sculptures are found around the small island, ranging in size from a meter to more than eight meters in height. But exactly how the statues got there, and their significance, remain largely unknown and controversial; as does the reason so many were toppled, and why the thriving, sophisticated civilization here went into a sudden decline and disappeared in the late 18th century. After decades of research and archaeology, scientific investigation and oral history handed down for generations, the answers given are often at odds — even among the Rapa Nui people themselves.
It is an enchanting place to visit, the legends and mystery simply adding to the allure. Visiting the many archeological spots that make up the UNESCO World Heritage Site with a knowledgeable tour guide — a must in order to understand in any depth what you are seeing — can take weeks. But in a matter of days, one can see the major sites of importance. The protected Parque Nacional Rapa Nui makes up forty percent of the island’s surface.
The top place to stay on the island is Hangaroa Eco Village and Spa, less than a kilometer the airport and the only town on the island, Hanga Roa. The entire resort is carefully built and designed using natural materials and local handicrafts as much as possible. The common areas, restaurants, meeting rooms, spas, and buildings with the guest rooms are all placed around the property within easy walking distance, but with plenty of green space and privacy in between. Views are spectacular, right at the water's edge with the wild surf beating at black rocks mere yards away.
75 rooms and suites are carefully decorated in island style, with privacy and comfort combined with luxurious amenities. The Kainga rooms feature "columns" of polished Cypress trunks, pebbled floors, a native-crafted clay tub and separate rainfall shower. The built-in desk and sofa bed offer usability and comfort, and the private terraces with ocean views are the crowning touch. On my first morning here, I looked out my terrace doors to see a dozen of the island's wild horses yards away, just beyond the property fence. That combined with the stunning sunrise coming up over the cliffs and Hanga Roa town, amidst the morning fog, was a spectacular greeting.
Six Ma'unga suites also offer large, open living areas with built-in seating and an additional guest bathroom. All of the rooms have curved ceilings and walls, which is one of the things I found most pleasing. Everything about Hangaroa Ecovillage feels organic, without a hard edge to the place. It's like an immersion into the Rapa Nui lifestyle.
Internet connection is available in all rooms, and each has a stocked minibar - snacks are complimentary, and replenished.
The beautifully landscaped grounds include a lovely pool, the main lobby and gathering areas, exercise room and three meeting and event rooms. There is also a spa, Manavai, which provides unique treatments using locally-crafted ingredients. Separate private treatment rooms offer the ultimate in relaxation and rejuvenation.
A highlight of a stay here is definitely the dining experience. The hotel excels with its seafood dishes, which are beyond outstanding. The main restaurant, Poerava, serves breakfast and lunch in a gorgeous setting overlooking the ocean. For evening cocktails and dining, Kaloa invites guests for a complimentary sunset cocktail. There is a small separate bar, along with several levels of private dining tables. The decor is minimalist and chic, and reminiscent of dining in a top continental restaurant. Both the service and food are top-notch in both dining rooms, as is the selection of Chilean wines offered to accompany the inventive, fresh dishes.
Hanga Roa town is only a short walk away (taxis can also be easily had). The town is small,home to about five thousand residents, but interesting to stroll around. There are a number of nice little shops, restaurants and bars, particularly along the main street and the beach side. An artisan market and two museums are highly worthwhile. Don’t forget to stop by the post office for a must-have Easter Island memento: for a suggested tip, the postmaster will stamp your passport with the official Easter Island stamp.
One of the best things about staying at Hangaroa Eco Village is the fact that they can set up all your excursions for you. They work with the first (and best) tour operator on the island, Mahinatur Services, which has been in business since 1967. You can set up your excursions direct from the hotel and your tour guide will be there to meet you (and usually other resort guests) each morning or afternoon. Every excursion we went on was top-notch, with excellent and knowledgeable English-speaking guides. This helped to make our Easter Island visit one of the top travel experiences I have ever had - and certainly one of the most unique in the world.
DETAILS
Hangaroa Eco Village and Spa
AV. PONT S / N, Hangaroa,
Easter Island, Chile
+56 (2) 2957 0300
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
http://www.hangaroa.cl
Getting There:
LAN Airlines operates daily flights from Santiago to Easter Island (except Tuesday), with twice-weekly flights that continue on to Tahiti. They are also generally the best bet for flying into Chile from North America, Central America and South America.
Easter Island Information:
The official Chile Tourism websiteoffers a wealth of information about visiting the country and Easter Island.
Easter Island Tourism also has their own website about the island.
Images by Keith Hajovsky