TOUR TO CHILE & ARGENTINA

Transcription

1 TOUR TO CHILE & ARGENTINA 7 TH - 27 TH JANUARY 2019 By visiting these two South American countries, you will have very different experiences of the agricultural riches. Chile stretches over 2,700 miles along the south western coast with the Pacific Ocean on the west and the Andes on the east and it never exceeds 150 miles wide. In the north there is the Atacama Desert, one of the most inhospitable places in the world whilst the most southern point is the Torres del Paine considered to be the finest nature destinations in all of South America. Time does not allow visits to these two extreme regions but in between there are vineyards, fruit growing areas, arable crops and livestock. One of the tour highlights will be the crossing of the Andes from Puerto Varas to Bariloche by ferry on the lakes and by coach on mountain roads spectacular! Argentina is the world s eighth largest country, the main areas being Patagonia stretching down to Tierra del Fuego in the south (next stop Antarctica), the vast Pampas in the centre and the Gran Chaco in the northwest which shares its borders with Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia. The farming content in Argentina will be to vast cattle ranches, large arable farms, the famous Liniers Cattle Market in the centre of Buenos Aires and a stay on an estancia. Interspersed with the farms will be sightseeing in the capital cities of Santiago and Buenos Aires and finally, not be missed is a tango show with dinner! We do hope you will join us for a fascinating tour itinerary, fully escorted and travelling with like-minded country people.

2 Chile & Argentina Country Information Chile Chile occupies a ribbon of land that extends down the Pacific coast of South America. The country s small economy is relatively stable and its economic growth is driven by agriculture, forestry, fisheries and factories. Copper is the most dominant export, but demand of Chilean fruit, wine and fish is also very strong. The population is 15,823,957 the majority being Spanish people, of which more than 40% live in or near to the capital city, Santiago. The regions north and south of Santiago are known as the heartland of Chilean agriculture where orchard and berry fruit, grapes for wine are grown predominantly, but also wheat, maize and potatoes are grown. Argentina Argentina is the second largest country in South America and the eight largest in the world with a wealth of natural resources and a population of 37,812,817. The country can be divided into four major regions: the rugged Andes along the western border. The sub- Andean region where sugarcane, citrus fruits and grapes are grown. The Chaco plain with subtropical rainforests and cotton farms. The Central Pampas - used mostly for raising large flocks of sheep and cattle herds as well as producing wheat, corn and soybean. Argentina is also the worlds third largest producer of organic products including cereals, fruits, vegetables, aromatic herbs, sugar, juices and wines. The Weather Both Chile and Argentina see a wide variety of climates; desert but mild in the north, Mediterranean in the centre, oceanic in the south and cold in the Andes. Overall, during January you should expect temperatures between C Time Chile and Argentina are both GMT - 3 hours Web reference:

3 TOUR ITINERARY Day 1 Monday 7 th January Assemble at London Heathrow for overnight flight to Santiago, Chile. (Meals in flight) Day 2 Tuesday 8 th January (--D) Mid-morning arrival at the international airport of Chile's capital city, Santiago. Meet your guide and transfer to the hotel in the district of Providencia. Check in for a stay of 3 nights with time to relax and have lunch (own arrangement). A Welcome Cocktail and an introduction to Chile s national drink, the Pisco Sour. Dinner and overnight in your hotel. Day 3 Wednesday 9 th January After breakfast, enjoy a walking tour of the city centre with visits to the Franciscan cloister (the oldest colonial building in the city), the Museum of Pre-Colombian Art and the Plaza de Armas, the main square. Lunch will be near to the hotel to allow any late sleepers to join. Continue to visit the newer residential areas of the city with a stop at a centre for artisans and some time to browse. Return to the hotel for overnight. Dinner own arrangement. Day 4 Thursday 10 th January (BL ) Breakfast in the hotel. Drive through the Curacaví and Casablanca Valleys to Chile's main seaport on the Pacific Ocean and its legislative capital, Valparaiso. On the way, visit a dairy producer and a vegetable grower for the local market. Seafood lunch at a coastal restaurant overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Short tour of the port area before returning to Santiago. Dinner own arrangements. Day 5 Friday 11 th January Breakfast and depart to the south of the city to the prime fruit producing area. Visit an export fruit grower: table grapes, wine grapes and stone fruit, followed by lunch and a visit to the Undurraga vineyard for a tour and wine tasting. Dinner in the Giratorio (revolving restaurant) with night-time views of the city. Day 6 Saturday 12 th January (B-D) A leisurely morning with breakfast and free time before transferring to the airport for the one-hour flight to Temuco, the granary of Chile and the centre of the Mapuche Indians. Lunch own arrangement. Check in to your hotel on the shore of the nearby Villarrica Lake for 3 nights. Dinner and overnight. Day 7 Sunday 13 th January After breakfast, transfer to the resort centre of Pucon at the foot of the Villarrica volcano to wander the busy summer scene and browse the eclectic crafts. After lunch in the town, head into the mountains to a lovely hot springs for either a relaxing soak in the thermal waters or a stroll through the native forest. Return to the hotel. Dinner own arrangement. Day 8 Monday 14 th January Breakfast in the hotel. Travel to the city of Temuco for a visit to SOFO, the local farmers association, with a presentation about the area and the opportunity to discuss their specific problems. Afterwards, visit a local market to see the local produce where among the fruit and vegetables there are also butcher shops and natives from the countryside selling crafts. Continue to visit a breeder of llamas and alpacas to learn about the South American camelids followed by a visit to a larger commercial farmer who is transitioning part of the arable farm into fruit and nut production. Lunch on route. Return to the relaxing hotel on the lake. Dinner own arrangement.

4 Day 9 Tuesday 15 th January Breakfast and depart south to Puerto Varas, a lakeside resort town on the shore of Lake LLanquihue, the largest in Chile. On the way, visit a dairy and beef farm belonging to a family descended from German colonists who arrived in the 19 th Century. Lunch on arrival with the family followed by a tour of the farm. Continue to your hotel for a 2 night stay. Dinner own arrangement. Day 10 Wednesday 16 th January Breakfast in the hotel. An easy morning excursion to Puerto Montt on the Reloncavi Sound to take a look at the local catch and enjoy a Chilean curanto lunch, the local shellfish bake. Return to Puerto Varas for free time to explore this attractive town and relax. Dinner own arrangement. Day 11 Thursday 17 th January Breakfast and say goodbye to the Chilean guide before an early departure on one of the greatest trips of South America, through the Andean Lakes to San Carlos de Bariloche in Argentina. A one-hour coach ride followed by a two hour boat ride to Peulla in the heart of the mountains where we lunch, before checking out of Chile and continuing over the pass into Argentina. This afternoon, meet with your Argentinian guide and continue to Bariloche, the commercial and touristic centre of northern Argentine Patagonia. Check into Lake View hotel for 3 nights. Dinner own arrangement. Day 12 Friday 18 th January Breakfast then depart for a visit to Bariloche INTA (National Agricultural Research Institute) to learn about sheep and goat breeding trials. Continue for lunch in La Fragua at Estancia San Ramon, one of the oldest working ranches in the area with 25,000 ha in the Andes foothills. The farm operates cattle and sheep. Enjoy lunch in a converted rural school at the foot of one of the largest condor nesting rocks in the area. Return to the hotel. Dinner own arrangement. Day 13 Saturday 19 th January (B--) Enjoy breakfast followed by a visit to Circuito Chico where we will see Huemul Island and take a chair lift to the top of Campanario Hill (1,050 metres above sea level) for fantastic views of Nahuel Huapi lakes, Trebol Lagoon, San Pedro, Victoria Island and more. Continue driving through the San Pedro and Llao Llao peninsulas to a panoramic lookout where we will admire Moreno lake and Llao Llao before crossing the bridge over Moreno lake and returning to Bariloche. Visit a chocolate factory on the way. Lunch and dinner own arrangement. Day 14 Sunday 20 th January After breakfast, transfer to Bariloche Airport for your flight to Buenos Aires. Board coach and travel through the countryside to Tandil where we will see a range of farming operations. Enjoy lunch then visit a dairy farm to meet with a specialist breeder focused on stock management and genetics. Continue to your hotel and check in for a 2 night stay. Dinner in a restaurant. Day 15 Monday 21 st January Breakfast in the hotel. This morning, visit a 500 ha farm with 200 ha of crops and the rest for pasture supporting a 230 head cow operation. The farm is managed by two agronomists from Tandil planning to turn the farm into a beef operation based on pastures, rye grass and natural grasses. Continue to a bull stud for lunch, followed by a visit to a Angus and Hereford farm operation. They have won several prizes at the famous Palermo show. This afternoon, visit Arana feed lot. Feed lots in this area are a way of haul the corn walking. The cost of marketing corn is very high so they feed it to steer and heifers to turn into beef, reducing marketing costs. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

5 Day 16 Tuesday 22 nd January Breakfast then depart to a 1500 ha farm with a 1200 head of Angus, Shorthorn and Black Baldy cows fattening on grass. The farm is also a Ram stud with 9 different breeds. Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant. Continue to Lobos on the Salado River basin, a fertile agricultural area best known for producing dairy related products. This evening, check in for a 2 night stay at one of the Estancias (farm) in this area. Dinner at the farm. Day 17 Wednesday 23 rd January After breakfast, visit a mixed farm with a full cycle cattle operation and growing corn and soybean crops. Learn about the soil, grazing, pasture, silage and no-tillage crop rotation systems. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure at the Estancia with one of the many activities including riding, walking, fishing or relax by the pool. Lunch and dinner at the farm. Day 18 Thursday 24 th January Breakfast at the Estancia then depart to Buenos Aires for a visit to a ranch of 1900 ha. The owner of the farm has been rearing Brangus cattle since 1981 and is a former president of the Argentine Brangus Association. The bull calves selected for reproduction will be raised on the farm and sold at auction. The remaining go to market or are fattened in the La Pampa province. They also grow corn, sorghum, Hungarian millet and soy bean. Lunch on the way to Buenos Aires. Check in to your hotel for a 2 night stay. Dinner own arrangement. Day 19 Friday 25 th January (B-D) After breakfast, visit the old Liniers Cattle Market situated in the city boundaries. Upwards of 8,000/12,000 head of cattle pass through the market on a busy day. City sightseeing tour with special guide passing Plaza de la Republica, Colon Opera House, the historic Plaza de Mayo square with the government house and the cathedral. Continue to La Boca, home of the tango, and San Telmo, one of the most historic areas with a number of colonial houses. Lunch own arrangement. Final tour dinner in a local restaurant with a special spectacular tango show. Day 20 Saturday 26 th January (B Meals in flight) Breakfast and free time before transferring to the airport for overnight flight back to the UK Day 21 Sunday 27 th January Morning arrival back into London Heathrow. End of Tour Arrangements. (Meal basis: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner)

6 Tour Cost: Based on a minimum 15 of travellers per person (sharing a twin/double room) PLUS Airport taxes (subject to change at time of ticket issue) Single Supplement Tour Includes: International & Domestic flights - economy class Good class hotels (18 nights) Meals as indicated B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner. Private Coach Transportation English speaking guides Technical & touristic visits as stated, subject to local conditions at the time of travel (weather, crops etc) Fully escorted by Field Farm Tours manager - Angus Cottey Tour Excludes: Travel to/from airport Airport taxes Upgrade flights. Meals other than stated Travel Insurance - you need to be insured to travel with Field Farm Tours Ltd. Gratuities to local guides and drivers Drinks / Personal items Other Info: A visa is not required for travel to Chile and Argentina. No compulsory health requirements, but consult your doctor or health centre for professional advice Passport needs to be valid for the duration of your stay. To secure a place on this tour, please complete a booking form enclosed and return with your deposit of per person. Notes: The itinerary is subject to change without notice (local conditions, availability of visits at the time of travel, etc) and to terms and conditions as per the Company s booking conditions. The air holiday package in this brochure is ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is ATOL Please see our booking conditions for more information.

7 OTHER FORTHCOMING TOURS SHETLAND - OCTOBER 2018 CHINA - OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 CUBA - NOVEMBER 2018 EUROTIER - NOVEMBER 2018 WINTER GATHERING - DECEMBER 2018 ECUADOR - JANUARY 2019 TANZANIA - JANUARY 2019 NEW ZEALAND - JAN/FEB 2019 FIELD FARM TOURS LTD FIELD HOUSE, 3 STEPHENSON COURT, STEPHENSON WAY, NEWARK, NOTTS, NG24 2TQ Tel no: Fax no: info@fieldfarmtours.co.uk The air holiday package in this brochure is ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is ATOL Please see our booking conditions for more information.