The shuttle to the airport was scheduled for 6am. We were packed and ready to go. We were soon checked in and at the gate. Everything was going smoothly when the flight to Ushuaia was delayed. We could only wait until the flight was called. After landing in Ushuaia, we were picked up by a shuttle driver and taken to the hotel. He would come back later, (allowing us to get checked in and get a bite to eat), for the city tour that was scheduled for the afternoon. The city tour was interesting. Our guide showed us parts of the town not ordinarily seen or understood by tourists. We were shown houses built on platforms, so if the house needed to be moved to another property it could easily be done. Houses are also built with unusual materials. Our guide explained, that in the 1990's, Argentina made a push for people to relocate to Ushuaia, giving them tax breaks. Housing has become scarce and some houses are built on public property. We were also taken to vantage points and shown panoramic views of the city. After the tour, we were let off on the main street, Ave San Martin. We sampled some Patagonia beer before having dinner at La Cantina Fueguina de Freddy, where we had king crab. In the window is a large tank of fresh king crab. You choose the crab for your dinner, and it is then prepared and presented to you. I could not pass that up.
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
1 day ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.