Moments of a Lifetime in Nature

South America

Spectacular nature is what defines any adventure to South America, but it's often the small, surprising moments that stand out in your memories. That divine, unexpected taste experience, that chance encounter, or that moment when you leave your comfort zone and get up close and personal with nature itself. Here are our favorite highlights!

Moments of a Lifetime in Nature

South America

Spectacular nature is what defines any adventure to South America, but it's often the small, surprising moments that stand out in your memories. That divine, unexpected taste experience, that chance encounter, or that moment when you leave your comfort zone and get up close and personal with nature itself. Here are our favorite highlights!

Cacao Bean Tasting, Ecuador

Have you heard of To'ak? This fine brand makes its chocolate from the rare Ecuadorian "Nacional" cacao variety, which can trace its genetic lineage back 5,300 years – to the earliest known cacao trees domesticated by humans. At the beginning of the 21st century this specific variety of cacao was thought to be extinct due to a tree disease. It wasn't until cacao farmer Servio Pachard Vera (pictured) discovered some of the last survivors on his farm, and had their ancient heritage verified by an expensive DNA analysis. Given its history and rarity, today To'ak is widely held as the most expensive chocolate in the world: a 50-gram bar (1.7oz) costs $350 USD. Pachard, who is considered a pioneer of organic farming in Ecuador, is happy to take his time to show select visitors his farm – in this case as part of a cruise with Kontiki Expeditions. The tour of the lush green farm includes a "cacao bean tasting," where you suck the jelly-like white coating directly off the beans and are surprised to discover what complex flavors are hidden inside. If you have the time, you can make your own delicious chocolate from roasted cocoa beans and eat it as a chocolate fondue with fresh fruit. Sensational!

Trade Contacts: Email The Farm at serviodecalceta@yahoo.es, or Alexandra Morales, Vice President of Global Sales, Kontiki Expeditions.

Bathing in the Amazon, Peru

First, let's get reality out of the way. Yes, the world's largest snake – the Great Anaconda – calls the deep black waters of the Amazon home, as do sharp-toothed piranhas. But put Hollywood (and your fears) aside for a moment and listen to the knowledgable guides of Aqua Expeditions. This place is safe, and even the inhabitants of the small river villages bathe here. Admittedly, to a laymen the Amazon river looks the same in one place as it does the other, so you can't help but ask yourself, "How are there not anacondas here?" Remember though – the guides grew up here and you are in their world. So off we go into the black, surprisingly warm water. You can't see anything in it, so you just have to hope that what has just poked at you is a cute pink river dolphin. Everyone uses the splash time as they wish. The team even brings along some water toys, and plenty of photos are taken to document the swimmers "defying death." If that's not enough of an adrenaline rush for you, just wait until the guides spot an actual anaconda on one of the excursions and put it around your shoulders! Bye-bye, comfort zone and hello new lifetime memories! The kids (and grandkids) are going to get sick hearing this one over and over again.

Trade Contacts: Sayo Rivera, Regional Sales Manager, Central & South Europe or Milly Alva, Global Director of Sales, with Aqua Expeditions

Wellness der Extraklasse auf See

ANZEIGE – Lassen Sie Ihre Kunden Otium entdecken, das einzigartige Wellness-Programm von Silversea. Es zelebriert das mediterrane Erbe von Silversea und wurde von den Bädern des antiken Roms inspiriert: Orte der Freizeit, die sich perfekt zum Entspannen, zum Austauschen, zum Baden, zum Essen, zum Trinken – kurzum einfach zum Genuss von allem, was das Leben zu bieten hat, eignen. Gäste profitieren von einem ganzheitlichen Verwöhn-Programm, von exquisiten Massagen im luxuriösen Otium-Spa bis hin zu verwöhnenden Erlebnissen in ihrer Suite. Jetzt auch an Bord der Silver Nova.

Kontakt für Reisebüros: Alexander Boysen, Sales Director D-A-CH

Product Tip for South America: Explora Lodges Charter Flight

Explora Lodges have invited eight travel agents from around the world to celebrate their 30th anniversary. Dirk Gowin, Co-founder and Managing Director of Select Luxury Travel, is among the lucky few and has his own reasons to celebrate. "I've been a luxury travel expert for 30 years, and it was exactly 30 years ago I was in Patagonia for the first time."

They say experience is the best teacher, and Gowin has been a dedicated student. "Traveling in Chilean Patagonia often takes a long time and is exhausting. The few roads there are are mostly unpaved, so you have to drive slow." But not anymore. Says Gowin, "Now there's a new private Explora charter flight that runs from the Fjord of the Last Hope over the largest glacier area in the southern hemisphere to the lesser-known Patagonia National Parks. Explora has had a new lodge there for two years. And this flight is a real experience: on sight, over the calving glaciers, pretty bumpy – all of it makes for unique, fantastic views and goosebumps!"

Until April 20th, 2024 the Berlin-based luxury tour operator offers exclusive Explora flights between the airports Balmaceda and Cochrane (Patagonia National Park), and Puerto Natales (Torres del Paine) and Cochrane. Select Luxury Travel's clients can also combine the two Chilean national parks with Los Glaciares National Park on the Argentine side, as well as with a visit to Tierra del Fuego and with an expedition cruise. You can get more details from this Patagonia superfan, Dirk Gowin!

Fly Fishing, Chile

Casting a line while fly fishing almost has something meditative about it. This is even more true when you do it far, far away from the hustle and bustle. Enter Rio Palena Lodge. Eleven Experience's accommodation in Patagonia is the epitome of seclusion – and a dream for all passionate anglers. Tucked away in a remote valley in the Aysén region – one of Chile's most sparsely populated areas – it offers breathtaking natural experiences at your fingertips. And fish. Big fish. The brown and rainbow trout that are biting here measure up to 60 centimeters (23.6in.) in length! Guides who know the area and love fishing care for their guests and help them choose their fishing fancy: standing in the water with waders, bobbing along on a raft, casting a line from a speedboat, or even fly fishing. The guides know the waters around the lodge like the back of their hands. Guests can even take a helicopter (and their fishing rod) to the most remote places in Patagonia. So much the better to have a firewood-powered sauna, a jacuzzi, and a hearty Chilean asado waiting for you after a successful catch. Rio Palena Lodge can host up to eight people.

Trade Contact: The Reservations Team at Eleven Experiences.

Sea Lion Date, Galapagos

If you already have a smile on your face at the cute waddling gait of penguins, you should definitely schedule your visit to the Galapagos Islands in spring. That's when the world-famous blue-footed boobies are really showing off their "guard soldier walk," flaunting their waddling feet to court the females. The bluer they are, the more enraptured the ladies get. At this time of year, the penguins also nest in the crevices of the lava fields on Fernandina Island and are fine posing for a photograph (from a safe distance). With a bit of luck, you can even see giant tortoises hatching at this time of year, poking their beaks out from their tennis ball-sized eggs. But the most intense animal encounters in the Galapagos take place in water. As soon as a swimmer or snorkeler jumps in they're eyed by curious, playful sea lions, who like to get up close and personal to see what funny two-legged fish this creature is. It's like playing with underwater puppies. The luxurious Pikaia Lodge on Santa Cruz, a member of Relais & Châteaux, also offers diving and snorkeling excursions. It even has its very own private sanctuary for giant tortoises.

Trade Contact: Milene Gelinek, Sales Agent at Pikaia Lodge.

Let's Ask the Industry: How desirable are nature experiences in South America?

"The demand for nature experiences is constantly increasing. We have long since surpassed pre-pandemic levels, and new exciting tours and experiences are being added all the time. Animal observations and special natural phenomena, such as the full moon rainbow of Iguazu or the sighting of bioluminescent plankton in Central America, interest clients the most. This applies to the observation of rare animals such as the Brazilian maned wolf in the Cerrado or the cougar in Patagonia as well. Also very popular are visits to the huge telescopes in the Atacama Desert, and sightings of whale calves on Argentina's Atlantic coast at the time of their birth. Other interests include projects for the reintroduction of nearly-extinct species, like for example the jaguar in the Esteros del Ibera or in the Pantanal. It's the special experiences that fascinate our clients – and not what can be found on Google. We want to fulfill clients' wishes as much as possible, but we are very honest from the get-go to manage their expectations. We give clear information about what we can make possible and what clients can expect on site. And we try to encourage clients with recommendations from our deep treasure trove of experience to try things that are also completely new to them, and to get involved with the destination."

Andreas Beutl, CEO Argentum Reisen

In a Nutshell

When Mother Nature created South America she wanted to show off – that much is certain. You just can't get enough of destinations like these, and that's a good thing because there are so many reasons to book a trip. Suppliers in the destination are definitely in tune with what nature-driven guests want. Even luxury lodges know that the focus here is not on the accommodation but on nature, and do everything they can to blur the boundaries between the indoors and outdoors. So much the better that the range of experiences is so broad. That makes for a perfect sales terrain for travel advisors – the options are so diverse and the insider tips so well hidden that their expertise in booking is probably rarely undercut by "I'll book that quickly myself on the internet." That landscape makes South America and your travel sales a real dream team.

Author: Iris M. Köpke