• > How Strenuous are these Trips?
• > Group Participants and Tour Leader
• > Private Tours and Custom Dates
• > Local Transportation
• > Accommodations
• > Meals
• > Climate
• > Travel Documents
• > Flights
• > Airline Tickets
• > Money
• > Health
• > Luggage & Clothing
• > Resources
• > Communication

How Strenuous are these Trips?

Group adventures (with our Dutch groups) tend to be longer programs and are often more challenging than our private journeys in several ways. Participants, of all ages, take hearty hikes and will rent bikes to explore. The Dutch have spent their entire lives on bikes so even older travelers are good endurance. Be sure to ask the guide the nature of any hike and opt out if you feel it will be too much.  (This is also a great argument to lobby for bike paths in the States!). The infrastructures in many of the countries we visit can be very undeveloped compared to the States. Long road trips on bumpy roads can be uncomfortable for some travelers. On several of these trips, we spend a day or two in remote areas that may require a willingness to “rough it”. Roosters will crow, lights may dim, and a cold shower may be expected on these days. On some of our group adventures, we stay for a night or two in indigenous lodgings which can be basic or very primitive. Some have no formal bath facilities. Be sure to check the weather conditions for the dates you are considering at worldweather.org, and pack appropriate shoes and clothing for these trips. At most hotels there is no porter service and you must be able to carry your own luggage.

This trip is quite active. The level of activity may be challenging for some. There are glacier hikes, and some of the heartiest participants may wish to rapel. Ask your guide about the level of activity on each hike. You are free to forego activities which seem too strenuous.

Our semi-private and private trips are less challenging. While these trips are also quite active, there are fewer physical challenges. Also some hotels and modes of transport are upgraded for the private/semi-private trips, and there is a little more one-on-one assistance from the guide.

Group Participants and Tour Leader

Private Tours and Custom Dates

This trip may be organized for private groups of 10 or more. Discounts will apply to larger groups.

Local Transportation

We will travel the longest distances by airplane. We also use chartered buses so that we can stop where necessary along the way. The quality of the buses is comparable to that of American or European buses. Within cities, we will typically rely on local forms of transport, cabs, buses, or we will walk to nearby sites. Use the following link to view slides of the transportation we use: http://www.djoserusa.com/transportation

Accommodations

During this tour we will spend the nights in middle class hotels in rooms with a private shower and toilet. In Chalten and Calafate we will stay in small simple hostels where you share sanitary facilities with other guests. During our stay in National Park Torres del Paine you will sleep in a “refugio,” a mountain hut with bunk beds in a dormitory-style space.
Use the following link to view some of our lodgings: http://www.djoserusa.com/hotels

If you are traveling alone you will be matched with a roommate of the same sex. We cannot accomodate requests for single rooms on this trip. If we are unable to match you with a roommate, there will be no penalty charge.

Meals

Meals are not included in the cost of the trip, so you can determine for yourself where and when you want to eat. The tour guides can often give you tips for a good restaurant or a nice café. In Argentina, meat is the most important aspect of the meal. There are however also many vegetarian restaurants. The menus look just like European menus, but you will also see many local dishes on them. Casuelo de Cabrito is a goat meat ragout; empanadas are small Indian pies with corn, eggs and cheese. Breakfast consists of toast and small croissants. A popular drink at breakfast (indeed, throughout the day), is yerba mate, a green tea-like concoction that is sipped piping hot through a metal straw with mesh on one end to keep out the yerba. For lunch there are many options, from sandwiches and salads to warm meals. Dinner is the main meal of the day, but is not usually served until after 9pm. 

Climate

Argentinean landscapes display large contrasts, from the high Andes peaks, which reach an altitude of almost 22,965 feet, to the desolate desert-like planes of Patagonia. In the summer the temperatures on these pampas are pleasant, and naturally they decrease the further you travel to the south. Also the high altitude at which we sometimes travel generally causes lower temperatures. Along the Chilean coast the landscape resembles the fjord coast of Norway. In the southern parts it often rains throughout the year. In these countries, which are both in the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons are the opposite of our seasons. Our winter months are therefore the best period to travel in this region.

Travel Documents

ARGENTINA - *Passport required. Visa not required for business/tourist stay of up to 90 days. For information concerning longer stays, employment, or other types of visas contact the Consular Section of the Argentine Embassy, 1811 Q St., NW, Washington, DC 20009 (202/238-6460) or the nearest Consulate: CA (213/954-9155), FL (305/373-1889), GA (404/880-0805, IL (312/819-2610), NY (212/603-0400) or TX (713/871-8935). Internet: www.embassyofargentina-usa.org

CHILE - *Passport required. Visa not required for stay of up to 90 days. Entry fee of $100 (U.S.) charged at airport. Exit Requirement: Dependent children under age 18 (including the children of divorced parents) arriving traveling alone, with one parent, or in someone else’s custody, must present a notarized document certifying that both parents agree to their travel before the child will be allowed to exit Chile. This document must be notarized before a Chilean consular officer in the United States. For further information, consult the Embassy of Chile, 1732 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20036 (202/785-1746 extensions. 104 or 110) or nearest Consulate General: CA (310/785-0113 and 415/982-7662), FL (305/373-8623), IL (312/654-8780), PA (215/829-9520), NY (212/355-0612), TX (713/621-5853) or PR (787/725-6365). Internet: www.chile-usa.org

In the event you would like to use a passport expediting service, we recommend “It’s Easy”. Djoser customers receive a 10% discount. Just identify DJOSER on your It’s Easy Forms as you referral source and they will take 10% off of the service portions of the passport and visa fees. (There is no discount over the government portions of the fees). For download forms and requirements you can visit their website: www.itseasypassport.com. For a higher fee they can process your passport in a few days.

It’s Easy  (Passport & Visa Expeditors)
Satellite Airline Terminal
125 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Phone - (212) 286-8500,
Fax (212)-490-3224
Website   www.itseasypassport.com
E-mail      mail@itseasypassport.com

Flights

We book our flights with top airlines. Most airlines will honor earned mileage. You will need to submit your mileage credit yourself upon receipt of your flight information. For airlines that allow advance seating reservations, we typically request aisle and adjoining seats unless otherwise instructed on your registration form. It is vital that you arrive at the airport early, according to the airline (often 3 hours prior to flight time). We do provide airport transfers (airport pick-up and drop off) in our destination country for those who book the Land/Air package. Flight times are subject to change. It is recommended that you book your domestic Add-on (connecting) flights through Djoser in association with the international flight. To avoid penalties for flight changes do not book your own domestic add-on (connecting flight) without first receiving a printed copy of your flight record from Djoser confirming your actual departure and return flight times.

 

Example of Continental flight:

Usual times – subject to change

Airline Tickets

You will receive your tickets or E-tickets 10-12 days prior to your departure date.
In case the airline uses E-tickets you will receive two documents:
•    A document that shows the E-ticket number & flight itinerary (sent by email & mail).
•    A receipt of the E-ticket (sent by mail).
The first document listed is needed to check in at the automated kiosks. If you check in at the
E-ticket desk you don’t need any of the provided documents, you can simply show your passport and you’re good to go. Both the automated kiosk and the e-ticket desk insure a much faster check in than at the regular check in desks. It is important to hold on to your e-ticket receipt, as you might need it to claim your mileage credits (if the airline awards mileage for this particular flight).

Money

Please check www.currencyexchange.com for current exchange rates. Currencies and their values are as follows:
In exchange for one dollar you will receive 2.97 Argentinean pesos (as of December 1, 2005).
For one dollar you will receive 519 Chilean pesos.
ATM machines: in the big cities there are many Automatic Teller Machines.
Cash: dollars.
Credit cards: widely accepted.
Travelers’ checks: in dollars, but in the small cities these are not easy to cash in.
As an estimated sum for expenses that are not included in the travel sum, like meals, entrance fees, optional excursions and personal expenses, the minimum amount is set at $275 per person per week. 

At the time of printing, the following internal taxes will be applicable:
International flight: 18 US dollars (can be paid in pesos as well) 
Domestic flights: Total approximately 60 pesos

Tipping
At the beginning of your trip, your tour leader will collect a “tip pot” of approximately $2 per land day, per person. So that you will not be burdened with tipping those who assist you along the way, this sum will dispersed by the tour leader as tips for the driver, local guides and hotel staff. The tip pot does not include the tip for the tour leader. A typical guideline for an American tip would be $2-$3 per day but the amount is at your discretion and should be based on his/her efforts and your satisfaction level. Dutch tipping habits are different than North American guidelines. You may feel more comfortable tipping your guide privately to avoid the great cultural tipping debate. However, it’s up to you! We take pride in our Djoser guides who do their utmost to make your experience great. We do ask that you bear in mind their extra challenge of a dual language group.

Health

See your doctor at least 4–6 weeks before your trip to allow time for immunizations to take effect.
•    Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG).
•    Rabies, if you might be exposed to wild or domestic animals through your recreation.
•    Typhoid, particularly if you are visiting developing countries in this region.
•    Yellow fever vaccination is recommended only if you are traveling outside urban areas in Argentina.
•    As needed, booster doses for tetanus-diphtheria and measles. Hepatitis B vaccine is now recommended for all infants and for children ages 11–12 years who did not complete the series as infants.

Luggage & Clothing

Considering the limited amount of luggage space in the buses and on the many domestic flights we would like to ask you to please bring a soft duffel bag or backpack and to please limit your luggage to about 32 pounds. A daypack is indispensable for the mountain hikes. Don’t bring your entire wardrobe, but it is advisable to pack enough clothing for the varied weather circumstances. Light cotton clothing is good for the lower regions, like Buenos Aires and Puerto Madryn, but in general you will definitely need warm clothing. Even in the summer period from October until March it is cool in some places in Argentina and Chile, especially in Patagonia because of the strong winds. In these months the temperature in the mountainous areas in the evenings will usually drop to around freezing. It is therefore highly recommended that you bring well-insulated clothing and a warm winter coat.

Even when the sun shines during the day a warm sweater is sometimes needed. It is useful to bring clothing that you can wear in layers. Closed, solid walking shoes with good traction will be useful for the many hikes that are possible during the tour. Tennis shoes are not good hiking shoes as they tend to have slippery soles. Furthermore, we recommend that you bring two to four towels, because these will not be provided in the simple hotels. It is also very handy to bring a flashlight, as electrical blackouts are not uncommon. For photography fans a polarization filter can be useful because of the high ultra violet radiation and the light reflection on the snow covered mountaintops and glaciers.

Resources

It is extremely useful to pick up a good travel guidebook. We highly recommend Lonely Planet. You will find a wealth of practical information regarding money issues, maps, local customs, history, activities, and much more. There are always great travel journals, historical and political books at your local bookstore as well. The internet is also invaluable for researching and finding great photos. Be sure to check out this trip’s Slide Show (see link above) to get a good feeling for the trip, lodgings and modes of travel.

Communication

Calling: is possible everywhere.
Internet cafes: present in most places.
Mobile phones: there is coverage. Ask your provider for information before your departure.