Vaya Adventures Uncovers Distinctive Lodgings In Five Countries Reveling Secrets of South America

 What often makes a trip really special is finding something great that everyone else somehow missed. The hard part is actually finding those gems and recognizing them when you see them.

Vaya Adventures (http://www.vayaadventures.com/), the expert in designing bespoke vacations in South America, makes it their job to uncover the unknown and extraordinary. Founder Jim Lutz shares his short list of distinctive lodgings in five South America and why these relatively undiscovered gems deserve a visit.

Lutz and his seasoned staff draw from years of research and personal travel to arrange discerningly curated experiences for guests that fit their interests and schedules.

“Our preferred list of lesser known boutique hotels, haciendas and eco-lodges embrace tradition, sustainability, location and wildlife,” Lutz said. “Each is unique and compelling, off the mainstream radar, and offers a window onto the history and culture of the region.”

Vaya Adventures’ short list of unknown gems includes:

Chile – Hotel Refugia Chiloe on Chiloe’s archipelago in Chilean Patagonia is an avant-garde, 12-room luxury hotel created of local materials to blend with an off-the-beaten-track landscape dotted about with houses built on stilts. While few people know about this region or include it in their trip to Chile, colonial-era wooden churches in Achao, Chonchi and Quinchao are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Laced with rivers, lakes, lagoons and canals, the green hills here offer peace and tranquility. This hotel has raised the bar on accommodations in this region where fresh seafood abounds. A traditional dish is curanto, a stew of shellfish, fish, potato and meat, cooked in a hole in the ground covered with the leaves of the Chilean rhubarb. The region can easily be combined with Santiago, Patagonia and other better known areas of Chile.  For more details please see http://www.refugia.cl/.
Sample Trip: http://www.vayaadventures.com/itineraries/chilean-lake-district-patagonia/

Peru – Titilaka Lodge, a stunning modern design embellished with folk art, sits on a private peninsula on mythic Lake Titicaca in the high Andes, with four acres of grounds and two private beaches enjoyed from 18 lake-view accommodations, wrap-around terraces and a private jetty. The lodge offers outstanding packages that include meals and excursions to local cultural and historical sites, such as Taquile Island and nearby towns and villages.  There is also the unique option of sailing on Lake Titicaca. A visit here can be paired with visits to Cusco and Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley.
For more details please see: http://titilaka.com/. Photos, description and sample trip:
http://www.vayaadventures.com/accommodations/peru/titilaka-lodge/ and
http://www.vayaadventures.com/itineraries/machu-picchu-lake-titicaca/

Ecuador - Hacienda Zuleta is a restored 17th century country estate on 4,000 acres in an Andean valley two hours from Quito. It is owned by the family of two former Ecuadorian presidents. This working hacienda with 14 guest rooms features a dairy and cheese factory, a trout farm, a flock of sheep, an embroidery shop creating exceptionally high quality textiles, and a stable of Zuleteño horses available for guests to ride while gazing at mountains and volcanoes.  Active in conservation and preservation, the hacienda surrounded by native forest has its own Andean condor recovery project. Nearby are several pre-Colombian burial mounds that are often studied by visiting archeologists. As guests dine at night on organic cuisine (much of it from the hacienda itself), the staff places hot water bottles swathed in embroidered cases in guestroom beds while lighting the in-room fireplaces.  See: http://zuleta.com/. Photos and trips:
http://www.vayaadventures.com/accommodations/ecuador/hacienda-zuleta/ and
http://www.vayaadventures.com/itineraries/highlands-haciendas/ and
http://www.vayaadventures.com/itineraries/cotopaxi-cuenca/

Brazil - Cristalino Jungle Lodge sits within a private rainforest reserve and ecological sanctuary in the southern Brazilian Amazon. This is one of the very few places in the entire Amazon that successfully manages to combine first class design and comfort with a first rate ecotourism and wildlife experience.  Here in the state of Mato Grosso, the River Cristalino provides the only access (by boat) to the lodge, which offers tastefully designed bungalows built of wood, with cool ceramic tile flooring. One highlight is a 50-meter observation tower that rises over the forest canopy, ideal for viewing some of the vast number of bird and animal species that call this area home.  A large number of endemic species such as the white-cheeked spider monkey, red-nosed saki, cryptic forest falcon, crimson-bellied conure and black-girdled barbet can be found only in this area of the Amazon. See: http://cristalinolodge.com.br/en. More info:
http://www.vayaadventures.com/accommodations/brazil/cristalino-jungle-lodge/ and
http://www.vayaadventures.com/itineraries/rio-brazilian-wildlife-highlights-amazon-pantanal/

Argentina - Estancia Cristina, established 100 years ago and among the oldest pioneer ranches in Patagonia, offers accommodations for 20 guests in five first class cabins on a lake adjoining Los Glaciares National Park. The lodge is accessed after a two-hour boat ride from El Calafate. From here guests may explore the 35-mile-long Upsala Glacier, the largest glacier in South America, winding off of the Southern Patagonia Ice Cap. The level of civility and refinement given the location is extraordinary.  The wilderness here is so expansive it defies the imagination. See:http://www.estanciacristina.com/. Photos and sample trips:
http://www.vayaadventures.com/accommodations/argentina/estancia-cristina/ and
http://www.vayaadventures.com/itineraries/highlights-of-chilean-argentine-patagonia/;
http://www.vayaadventures.com/itineraries/buenos-aires-iguazu-patagonia-and-lake-district/;
http://www.vayaadventures.com/itineraries/buenos-aires-peninsula-valdez-southern-patagonia/;
http://www.vayaadventures.com/itineraries/buenos-aires-tierra-del-fuego-argentine-patagonia/

For more information, trip planning, availability and reservations please visit:http://www.vayaadventures.com or call 800-342-1796.

About Vaya Adventures
Harvard graduate Jim Lutz founded Vaya Adventures in 2004 to reflect his passion for South America and to share it with others. This private custom-travel company leaves no stone unturned when it comes to understanding the history and culture of the regions his guests visit, thanks to his research and to his expansive network of contacts in each destination, including the finest professional guides. Vaya Adventures emphasizes accommodations, restaurants, and neighborhoods that reflect the best of the local culture, studiously avoiding the generic, the touristy, and the corporate.  Through low-impact tourism and a sustainable supply chain, Vaya Adventures strives to create a strong positive incentive for the preservation of both historic and natural environments in South America. And Vaya is so confident of their value, they guarantee it: If clients source a trip of the same quality in level of services and accommodations at a better price, Vaya Adventures will be happy to refund the difference.

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How To Reap The Rewards Of Traveling During Costa Rica’s “Veranito”

 
Wildlife is abundant –and so are the savings -- when travelers reap the rewards of Costa Rica’s “Little Summer” in July.
 
Because of a little-known weather phenomenon that in-the-know wildlife lovers keep to themselves, July is one of the best times to visit Costa Rica.  The secret lies in the early rains of May and June, which cause an abundance of flowering trees and fruits that attract the most abundant wildlife of the year. This coincides with a break in the rainy season called “veranito” (“little summer”) that offers ideal wildlife-viewing conditions. 
 
Wild Planet Adventures’ Ultimate Wildlife Eco Tour offers the most value in Costa Rica, as much as twice the value per day of most other competitive tour operators. Prices begin at $343 per person, per day, for a 9-day, 10-day or 14-day wildlife eco-tour including all meals (rare in any itinerary) and no low-value “free days.” (This means travelers don’t have to shell out more bucks for activities on those days because all activities are included.) 
 
With so much included some might think this tour was designed with lots of high volume/low cost filler. In fact the opposite is true. This award-winning wildlife eco-tour is packed with unique and exclusive wildlife activities and remote destinations starting with wildlife viewing in an astounding eight national parks and wildlife reserves.
 
Highlights on both coasts include Cahuita, Arenal, Monteverde, Carara, Manuel Antonio and Corcovado National Parks. The diverse wildlife activities are suitable for travelers of all ages and skill levels and include whitewater rafting, canopy tours, beaches on both coasts, volcanoes, hot springs, sea-kayaking with dolphins, snorkeling at night in the bioluminescence, a scarlet macaw migration and much more.
 
Tourist dollars on this itinerary also support wildlife conservation, with visits to the world-famous Sloth Sanctuary where Wild Planet’s guest can meet over 100 unbelievably cute rescued sloths, and Proyecto Asis, a hands-on wildlife rescue center where travelers can interact with wildlife. Wild Planet includes high-end naturalist and biologist guides, and interactions with animals, wildlife experts and scientific researchers.  Mid/upscale lodging includes one-of-a-kind rainforest and jungle lodges.
 
Smart savings, coupled with Wild Planet’s unique itinerary and exclusive access, provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the wildlife of Costa Rica with true wildlife experts who have 23 years of experience in Costa Rica. Wild Planet offers four departures in July to take advantage of this extraordinary wildlife viewing season.
 
For a detailed itinerary, compelling wildlife photo and video galleries and booking information, visit http://www.wildplanetadventures.com/ or contacttrips@wildplanetadventures.com.
 
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 About Wild Planet Adventures
The editors of National Geographic Travelerannounced in April 2014 that the wildlife specialty tour operator Wild Planet Adventures received its fifth “World’s Best 50 Trips” award from National Geographic Traveler. 
 
The expert wildlife guides of Wild Planet Adventures go the extra mile to explore remote wildlife habitat and study wildlife patterns in destinations not often accessible to the general public. Thanks to the company’s comprehensive itineraries that balance diverse and complex ecosystems and habitats, guests enjoy wildlife and game viewing that is carefully aligned with animals’ seasonal, daily and nocturnal migrations.
 
Following a philosophy that interacting with nature has the power to transform lives, tours are conducted in Africa, Baja, Belize, Borneo, Brazil, Costa Rica, Galapagos, India, Laos, Nepal, Panama, Peru, Thailand and Zambia. Wild Planet Adventures is recognized by top publications in the travel industry for its itineraries that combine intimate encounters with wildlife and local culture.
 
For a more information and a complimentary 2014 catalog call toll-free 1.800.990.4376, or e-mail: trips@wildplanetadventures.com. To review current trips, schedules and itineraries log onto: http://www.wildplanetadventures.com/.