From exploring Chile’s arid deserts and Argentina’s incredible wine regions, to colourful adventures in Brazil, find out the best places to travel to in my South America travel blogs and travel guides.
Happy exploring!
Santiago is a sophisticated city with plenty of great accommodation options – no matter what your budget. But, if you’re looking for something special, then you’ve come to the right city! There are several luxury hotels in Santiago, with incredible views, impressive amenities and service you’ll never forget.
It was just after 9am, and all I could think about was wine. It may sound like I’m bordering on alcoholism but no, I was in Mendoza, Argentina – an area known specifically for its production of Malbec. Today, I’d be learning about wine, exploring a few vineyards and hopefully tasting a whole load too.
In the safe hands of Kahuak (one of Mendoza’s top tourism agencies) and with bubbly tour guide Anna Laura leading the way, we headed out of the city to the Uco Valley. The tour would take us towards the snow-capped Andes to visit three of the Uco Valley’s top wineries – Salentein, Domaine Bousquet and Andeluna.
The valley lies around 150km south of Mendoza. It’s a lush region
It was an emotional day. I was coming to the end of my adventures in Chile. Just one night remained… and here I was checking into Su Merced – a boutique hotel in the centre of Santiago.
I stumbled across the hotel during an intense hotel research session. It had great reviews. Sitting just outside the top 10 of ALL the hotels in Santiago on Trip Advisor, it seemed to have won people over. Guests were returning time and time again and I just had to find out why.
Located in Lastarria, moments from The Singular (a wonderful hotel I stayed in just a week or so before), the area is perfect for a few days exploring the city. In amongst the grand historic buildings, cool cafes, and lush parks, it’s a great spot, and architecturally – the hotel had been an exciting project.
After escaping the traffic of downtown Mendoza, we found ourselves in the picturesque countryside, passing several upmarket hotels, wineries and mansions along the way. My main reason for wanting to visit the region was for the Malbec, but on top of the incredible wine, it turned out to be a great spot for a bit of R&R. Villa Mansa is at the end of a long, narrow drive, which opens out onto several rows of beautiful grapevines and antique wine making equipment.
As I was handed a large blue hard hat, I knew straight away it wouldn’t fit. “I have a weirdly small head,” I said. They handed me another, and again it wobbled around. “Hmmmm…” I blushed. “Do you have any for children?”
Helmet on and mild humiliation almost over, I fixed the GoPro to my head, clambered into my harness, and waddled over to the first high line. I was about to go ziplining in one of the most beautiful places on the planet.
