Joanne
Great experience in Easter Island and Santiago
A heartfelt thank you for putting together such an excellent Chile/Easter Island trip for my husband and myself in December. While I generally book travel independently, we don’t speak Spanish and had never been to South America, so we opted for a tour, which Martha customized for us. We are glad we did. Everything went absolutely as planned, with no hassles, which speaks to the quality of the local operators used in Chile. We appreciated the ease of being picked up at the airports and at our hotels, and it made us feel secure to have gracious and knowledgable guides in a country where we do not speak the language. They had deep local knowledge to enrich our visits. Being with a guide meant quick answers to our questions, and good advice for our “free days.” The Easter Island native who provided three days of tours shared much about the culture and politics of the region. His personal stories (and sense of humor) brought the ancient sites alive for us. The island was beautiful and fascinating — we had not expected how relaxing it would be as well. Our CTS guide in Santiago was also excellent; his one-day city/winery tour covered a lot of the city. Several friends had warned me about the high crime rate in Santiago, but the area we stayed in near the Singular LaStarria was pleasant and we felt safe. On our free days, we enjoyed visiting the seafood market, Plaza de Armas, the Pre-Columbian museum, the Fine Arts Museum, and Bellavista, all of which were walking distance for us. The hotel’s breakfast buffet was amazing; pastries, cheeses, fruits, smoked fish and meats, plus custom-made egg orders brought to your table. In short, SA Vacations put together a great tour.