Arriving in Ushuaia without delay allows for a play day before cruising. Mary Ann and Lynn booked a day of adventure at the National Park, while Linda, Brian, Erin, and I planned for a hike up the most gorgeous Martial Glacier. Gaston, our guide from Ushuaia Birdwatching, picked us up at our hotel, where he was promptly informed by Linda that if we did not see an Andean condor today, they would all see a grown woman cry. That grown woman being me, I was quite prepared to make good on that promise. (We also requested to see the elusive and secretive endemic ground dwelling white-bellied seed-snipe. We are a tough crowd.) The hike was spectacular and while there was no sign of the coveted seed-snipe, more importantly, there was no crying. In fact, after a very accommodating condor soared overhead and we all posed for pictures with our arms out making condor poses, I had already declared this to be the Greatest Vacation Ever. Which, it was pointed out to me, was a bold statement considering we were still on 'pre-cation'.
Later in the day, we hit downtown Ushuaia which, like many a city, consists mainly of two types of establishments: places to buy things and places to eat. We did a little of each, and along the way ran into our final companion, Anne. Anne had arrived safely that morning, but without a very important component of long-term travel to destinations that lack stores: her luggage. Remember that part about the boat leaving with or without you? It applies to luggage as well, unsympathetic to the fact that you've just spent the past few weeks assembling the perfect array of clothes and gear for your trip. With some hope of it still arriving, we decided it was too soon to reassemble her needs at the local Pata-gucci, and met up with Mary Ann and Lynn for our first dinner with the whole gang. It was likely at this time that we discovered our new favorite cerveza: the local Beagle Negra, brewed here in Ushuaia, along the Beagle Strait, where our boat would pick us up tomorrow. Beer once again proves to be the temporary solution to all of life's problems.
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