Day 1: Bariloche to Bandurrias Island. The trip starts from the town of Bariloche.  A transfer will take us on a 3-hour trip 120Km south, along a route surrounded by lakes and mountains, situated in the heart of the Patagonian Andes. A first stop for lunch at the town of  El Bolson. Then  we will be taken to the dock of Lake Puelo, where our adventurous trip begins. A turbo-jet boat will take us across two lakes, thereby passing customs and immigration control. After having complied with the procedures, we will cross the rapids that unite the two countries of Argentina and Chile. You'll see the stunning beauty of Lake Interior, and the source of the Rio Puelo that flows into the Pacific Ocean. We arrive to the customs and immigration posts of Chile. A local guide will take us to the east side of lake Las Rocas, whose deep dark blue colour we'll be gazing at during the 25 minutes boat trip to the Island of Las Bandurrias. A warm welcome and a nice rest will be waiting for you in your exclusive cabaña on the Island. There you'll be served a special tea and a welcome dinner; the time has come to relax and enjoy life...

Timing: 3hs private transfer, 1 hs navigation international crossing lakes, 30’ walk and 20’motor boat to Bandurrias Island.

Day 2: Bandurrias Island to Puerto Varas. After a homemade breakfast, we will take the motor boat heading to the North side of the Las Rocas Lake. From there pack horses will carrie the luggage. It is a short walk to reach La Colina farm, where a private transfer will be waiting for us. It is just the beginning of the gravel road that will take us out of the Valley to the sea. After living the farm we will cross the hamlet of LLanada Grande and then we will arrive to take the Ferry that cross the Tagua Tagua Lake. After the crossing lake at the town of Rio Puelo a stop for enjoying lunch. The road take us along the estuary having a great view of all the forest around with the volcanoes and snowy mountains. A stop at the village of Cochamo will show us part of the ancient culture of the area with its wood church. Osorno, calbuco and Puntiagudo Volcanoes can be seen in a clear day in our way to Puerto Varas all along the LLanquihue Lake.

Timing: 15 min motor-boat ride, 45 min walk, 1 hrs private transfer with a van from La Colina farm to Tagua Tagua lake, 45’ ferry crossing with the van, 15’ to the restaurant and 2,30 hs to Puerto Varas.

How many days: The crossing lasts 2 days / 1night.>

Capacity: Min 2 / Max 8 Persons.

Route: From Bariloche , Argentina crossing the Andes, ending in Puerto Varas, Chile.

What´ s included: In/out private in / out transfers, full-broad accommodation & meals including 1 night at a fabulous retreat on Bandurrias Island, Pic nic lunch on day 1 and lunch at a restautrant in day 2. Pack horses, jet motorboat, local guides, huasos and tour leader, VHF radio & communication equipment.

Food and Accommodation The highlight is our private island. Island Las Bandurrias has a woodland path circumnavigating the shore, small private beaches and two charming cabañas. Guests stay in a cosy and well-equipped 2-story cottage heated by firewood; the same system heats water for showers. The bathroom offers a splendid view of a southern beech forest. The living and dining areas and great sundeck overlook the small beach next to the quay. Here you find stunning views of Lago Las Rocas and the surrounding peaks.

The cabaña offers accommodation for up to 6 people and the main house features two further guest rooms with original French country decor. It is a very cosy and warm place where we'll share meals and pre-dinner drinks with Francoise Dutheil, our island host.

Francoise’s prides flower garden which includes butterfly bushes, fuschia and camellia is adjacent to the main house.

Season: The crossing runs anytime from September to late April.

Guides: Opentravel believes that tour leaders are the key to a successful and memorable trip; we use only experienced guides with great knowledge of the area. They are all friendly, great fun and highly passionate about the Puelo Valley. Guides are trained to stay a step ahead and offer all the help and assistance to ensure the trip runs smoothly.

Local huaso (cowboy) guides or baqueanos" will always be there to help and look after you, they are a great support for the whole group and, well attuned to the regional climate, have an uncanny sense of pending weather!

Visa: A valid passport document with visa for both Argentina and Chile is required. Check the current advice for nationals of your country. For more information about visas, please go to: www.fco.gov.uk or www.travcour.com

Safety: We use qualified staff provided with safety equipment including a portable radio with available connections to radio networks; in case of emergencies we have access to direct telephone lines through this 2-way radio. Life jackets are provided for river and Lake Crossings and while sailing. We use international adventure tourism insurance but clients are obliged to have their own travel insurance that covers them for the activities on the tour such as riding.

Health and Vaccinations: No special vaccinations are required for this area of South America. Clients with special medication should bring enough for the trip. It is advisable to get your own first aid kit. No pharmacies after day 1.

Packing and Clothing: We suggest bringing a day-pack, where you will put a few personal belongings plus a lunch box and water bottle. Please have in mind that we do not accept any type of rigid cases; a good quality duffel bag with strong zips will do. We provide strong outer storage bags just to protect your own one and make things easier. Comfortable trousers, waterproof pants, fleece, jacket, hat, some warm pairs of socks, sun block, insect repellent, personal medicines, personal knife, flashlight and good trekking shoes. Using plastic bags as waterproof storage for your clothes is the cheapest way of keeping things dry in case of rain! Camera depending on your photographic stamina.

Flight Connections: Daily flights depart either from Santiago international airport to Puerto Montt (Chile) and from Buenos Aires Jorge Newbery local airport into San Carlos de Bariloche (Argentina).

Important Notes: During January, horseflies proliferate in the whole southern part of Chile and Argentina! They do not harm but are a nuisance and are attracted to dark clothing. Take this into account when selecting your clothing.

You can review with us any points that will affect your travel plans – where the trip starts, or whether it includes a Pre-Trip Option or Post-Trip Extension.

Delicatessen: The food on the trip will be a mix of a special blend of flavors and ingredients consisting of an ethnic variety but mostly Creole-Chilean cuisine. A traditional wood stove gives a special flavor to the dishes.

Depending on the season, it is possible to taste delicious rainbow trout, fontinalis, or The vegetables and fruits are superb and the variety of the region's berries is impressive.>

Vegetarian dishes are also a great delicious option but we do need to know if you prefer vegetarian options at the time of making a booking.

The drinking water is crystal clear, safe to drink and tastes delicious. The island also has a personal collection of good variety of wines.

Rates per person

BRC – PTV TEMPORADA 2010 - 2011

BOOKING CONDITIONS

Send us a money deposit to our US$ account.

For making a bank deposit please provide your bank with the following instructions:

Banco Corpbanca,

Oficina Puerto Montt,

Calle Urmeneta 541 Puerto Montt

Name: Françoise Dutheil Berard

Dollar account: Nº 36-028551-0

SWIFT: CONBCLRM

A copy of the deposit slip should be e-mailed or faxed to: (56-65) 260524

Please contact us if you have any questions or doubts, to confirm the payment process.

Reservation: Prepayment upon confirmation 20%.

Terms and conditions: We stipulate that the 80% balance must be sent at least 21 days before trip starts.

OPENTRAVEL cannot be held responsible for any extra cost in the event of cancellation or extension due to weather circumstances or safety considerations. In case of "last minute" cancellation  the payment is not refundable but may apply to another departure during the same or the next season.

Cancellation Conditions: 60 days: prepayment will be refunded. 59 - 21 days: 80 % of total will be refunded. 20 - 14 days: 50 % of total will be refunded. 13 - 0 days 0% of total will be refunded