Chile & Argentina Discovery

All Intrepid group trips are accompanied by one of our group leaders. The aim of the group leader is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. Intrepid endeavours to provide the services of an experienced leader however, due to the seasonality of travel, rare situations may arise where your leader is new to a particular region or training other group leaders. Your leader will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. At Intrepid we aim to support local guides who have specialised knowledge of the regions we visit. If you were interested in delving deeper into the local culture at a specific site or location then your leader can recommend a local guide service in most of the main destinations of your trip.

Some easy physical activities included in your trip. No physical preparation is required to make the most of the journey. On April 22nd Volcan Calbuco (located in the south of Chile) erupted. The ash plumb emitted by the volcano affected the following areas visited during Intrepid trips: Pucon (Chile), San Martin de los Andes (Argentina) and Bariloche (Argentina). Fortunately there are no reports of casualties however the day to day life in these destinations was disrupted by the falling ash. The situation on the ground has improved since. The volcano has become less active (the alert level has changed from red to yellow), airports and roads are re-opened and optional activities are running once again. Based on this, all future Intrepid trips to the region will continue to run as normal. Should the volcano become active once more, or ash fallings impede accessing these destinations (Pucon, San Martin de los Andes and/or Bariloche) or prevent optional activities on the ground from running normally, we will proceed to operate the following alternative itinerary instead: Day 1 – Santiago Day 2 – Valparaiso Day 3 – Mendoza Day 4 – Mendoza – Overnight bus to Cordoba Days 5 to 6 – Cordoba Day 7 to 9 – Mina Clavero (South of Cordoba) Day 10 – Overnight bus to Buenos Aires Days 11 to 13 – Buenos Aires (as normal itinerary) While this itinerary is vastly different the original one, we believe it is a very enjoyable itinerary in its own rights! Given the unpredictable nature of volcanic activity, we may decide to run the alternative itinerary at short notice. We endeavour to inform travellers as soon as possible should that be the case.,

Many national governments provide a regularly updated advice service on safety issues involved with international travel. We recommend that you check your government's advice for their latest travel information before departure and ensure that your travel insurance covers you for all areas your itinerary covers. Please refer to our website's safety page for links to major travel advisories and updates on safety issues affecting our trip. We strongly recommend the use of a neck wallet or money belt while travelling, for the safe-keeping of your passport, air tickets, cash and other valuable items. Leave your valuable jewellery at home - you won't need it while travelling. Many of our hotels have safety deposit boxes, which is the most secure way of storing your valuables. A lock is recommended for securing your luggage. Your leader will accompany you on all included activities, however during your trip you'll have some free time to pursue your own interests, relax and take it easy or explore at your leisure. While your leader will assist you with the available options in a given location, please note that any optional activities you undertake are not part of your Intrepid itinerary, and Intrepid makes no representations about the safety of the activity or the standard of the operators running them. Please use your own good judgement when selecting an activity in your free time. Please also note that your Leader has the authority to amend or cancel any part of the trip itinerary if it's deemed necessary due to safety concerns. For more details on the type of conditions and safety standards you can expect on your trip, please refer to Intrepid's operational safety policy on our website. We recommend that you take a moment to read through this information before travelling, and would appreciate any feedback on how well it's being implemented in the field: PETTY THEFT AND PERSONAL SAFETY: While travelling there is always the risk of pick-pocketing and petty theft, particularly in the more touristy cities. We recommend that you exercise caution when walking alone at night and encourage you to walk together and only on main, well-lit thoroughfares. Be particularly vigilant on public transport. Simple measures like carrying your day pack on your front, not hanging your bag over the back of your chair or on the floor and wearing a money belt will reduce any chance that your valuables should go missing. MONEY WITHDRAWAL: In order to avoid fraud, it is advisable that you withdraw money from ATMs located inside banks or guarded shops during business hours only. TRAFFIC AND DRIVING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD: Depending on where you come from please note that drivers in this part of the world may drive on the opposite side of the road from what you are used to. Look both ways before crossing any road. Traffic can be a little more chaotic than you might be used to at home. Be aware! SEAT BELTS: Please be aware that local laws governing transportation safety may differ from those in your home country and not all the transport which we use is able to provide seat belts. LIFE JACKETS: While life jackets are generally available on water craft, there may be occasions where they are not provided and child size life jackets are not always readily available. If travelling with children and this safety issue concerns you we will be able to advise alternative methods of transport (where available) for you to travel to the next destination. You can choose to travel independently for this leg of the journey. This would be at your own expense. FIRE PRECAUTIONS: Please be aware that local laws governing tourism facilities in this region differ from those in your home country and not all the accommodation which we use has a fire exit, fire extinguishers or smoke alarms. www.intrepidtravel.com/safety

No age restrictions

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