Guide Pablo picks us up at Hotel Reino del Plata and drives us to the EZE Aeropuerto to catch our domestic airplane, and we fly 1800 miles south to the "end of the world" (El Fin del Mundo) in Ushuaia. There is a weight limit on domestic airplanes of 33 lbs. (15 kilos) per bag which we just sneak under and luckily avoid paying a surcharge. In the late 1800's Ushuaia was settled as a penal colony for Argentina's worst criminals. It was in operation up until 1947, when President Juan Peron closed the prison for good. We are picked up at the airport by our guide, Atu, and we meet our 6th tour member, Geraldine. Atu drives our completed friendly group of six to the Hosteria Linares, which is a lovely small hotel in the middle of town. Atu suggests we could climb to the Martial Glaciar just outside of town, and so, after a quick unpack, we spend the afternoon doing just that. It's a lot of work, (a mountain climber would love this challenge) and the three of us achieve different levels of success. Kathy peters out first, and waits for the others while sitting on a large, flat, cold rock. I decide to call it quits next, but Bert, our fit friend, keeps climbing. She stops just short of the glacier and could have made it all the way (she says), except for the fact that it was already getting late. But wherever we find ourselves, we marvel at the breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains and the city and the Beagle Channel below. On the way down we stop for a well deserved snack at the Casa de Te (teahouse) at the base of the chairlift that serves the mountain for skiing in the winter. Today there are many sport equipment shops and clothing shops lining the main street of Ushuaia for trekkers and other outdoor enthusiasts. At the docks, cruise ships come and go carrying those tourists who are going even further on to Antarctica. Perhaps on our next trip we can go there too, to see the Emperor penguins and whales amidst the ice floes and pack ice. But for now, we eat dinner in Ushuaia at El Turco Pizzeria, thoroughly enjoying the food, the ambience and the realization that we are here!
Kelly and Rhenee were excellent to work with on planning our trip. The logistics all worked smoothly and everyone was friendly and on time. Our accommodations were very good, particularly the incredible Patagonia Camp in Torres del Paine! Our guides on every excursion were outstanding and made the hikes memorable! Overall we had a wonderful trip with incredible memories!
Scott Gibson
1 day ago
Adventure Life is definitely a first-class safari tour company, and our representative was Franny Friesz. First of all, she responded immediately after we contacted Adventure Life. We told Franny that we had never been on a safari, and she was more than eager to offer a mountain of information about the trip. She informed us fully about all the ups, downs, and all arounds! She even prepared a number of packages for us to review -- even after we made changes to the areas we wanted to explore. Friendly, helpful, professional, and extremely knowledgeable -- these words describe Franny, and what a wonderful trip she prepared! We couldn't have asked for better service than Franny of Adventure Life. We HIGHLY recommend her and her outstanding company! Bon Voyage!
Prima Burke
2 days ago
The staff at Adventure Life made planning my family's trip to the Galapagos Islands as easy as possible. They listened to what we were hoping to experience and made thoughtful suggestions about how to accomplish our vacation goals while meeting the needs of travelers ages 17-76! They patiently answered questions and follow up questions in the months leading up to the trip. They helped us trouble shoot and customize the trip in every way possible. The logistics involved in traveling from Boston to the Galapagos are innumerable. The Adventure Life staff helped us arrange every detail and the team they assembled in the Galapagos was tremendous. I have never done a trip this big before and after working with Adventure Life this time--would not hesitate one second in working with them again.
Jennifer Howard Schroeder
3 days ago
Kevin got right on our request and had us booked within the week