Travel Tips
Easter Island Unique Entry Form
One of the remotest inhabited islands on earth, Easter Island, is a diminutive 63 square miles located over 2,000 miles off the coast of Chile, in the South Pacific. The island was “discovered” by Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen on Easter day in 1722, but it was already populated by the Rapa Nui tribe at that… Read Full Post
Traveling to South America with Minors
If you plan to travel with your underage (17 years or younger) child without their other parent, or if you plan to travel with your underage grandchild, niece or nephew without their parents, we recommend visiting the US Customs and Border Protection website (hyperlinked). This site provides information about what documentation you need in order… Read Full Post
Santiago Metropolitan Park
The Santiago Metropolitan Park, which stretches across 1,780 acres, is currently the largest metropolitan park in South America. The park has two main entrances, located at Pio Nono 450 in the Recoleta neighborhood and Pedro de Valdivia Norte in the Providencia neighborhood. The northern end of each road (Pio Nono and Pedro de Valdivia Norte)… Read Full Post
OBTAINING A VISA TO BOLIVIA
If you are a United States citizen traveling to Bolivia, you will need to secure a tourist visa prior to your departure. The Bolivian tourist visa is valid for 10 years, allowing you to enter the country for stays of up to 30 days. The application for this visa requires several documents, which must be… Read Full Post
New Brazil Electronic Visa (E-Visa)
As of January 25, 2018, Brazil has made it easier to obtain a Brazilian Tourist Visa and has also sped up the process. Currently, Brazil has a reciprocal visa system. If you are arriving from a country that requires Brazilians to have a visa to travel to your country, then you are required to obtain… Read Full Post
A tale of two hikes – Argentine Patagonia (El Chaltén)
Tale 1 – Hiking to Laguna de Los Tres Waking up to the patter of rain, one might be tempted to stay in bed. When in El Chaltén, however, light rain is not a deterrent for the trekking enthusiasts. On a recent trip there, my wife and I found ourselves waking up to this very… Read Full Post
Restaurants of the Casablanca Wine Valley
Located only about a 1.5 hour drive from Chile’s capital Santiago, the Casablanca Wine Valley is a great place to eat. Here you can find excellent Chilean dishes expertly paired with wines produced by the local Casablanca vineyards. If you have a free day while in Santiago (or even a free afternoon), it is highly… Read Full Post
New Ecuador Entry Requirements (updated)
*UPDATE* As of July 2018 the law requiring tourists to have proof of health insurance has been modified and is no longer required. Effective September 2017, the Ecuadorian government will now require all tourists to carry proof of health insurance that covers them during their stay in Ecuador. While the government has yet to issue… Read Full Post
Puerto Natales Airport starts receiving commercial flights
Previously, the journey to Torres del Paine or Puerto Natales included a flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas followed by a 3-4 hour drive. However, beginning on December 6th of this year, Puerto Natales Airport expanded their runway to allow the arrival of commercial flights. This means that you can now arrive to downtown Puerto… Read Full Post
Recommended Listening in South American Music
OK, big disclaimer: We’re not even going to be scratching the surface of the surface here. Latin America has an extraordinary history of musical output. Sometimes we just feel like we have to share some of it for those who might not be familiar. Here, in no particular order, is some great stuff from a… Read Full Post