The national reserve of Paracas, 335 thousand hectares dedicated to the protection and preservation of endangered species, is located only 3 hours from Lima. There, visitors can see various ecosystems, the archaeological remains of culture Paracas, the place where arrived José de San Martín and the great diversity of local fauna. From the protected areas in Peru, Paracas is the only one that has a marine ecosystem. From  Paracas, a yatch tour can take you to the Ballestas Islands. In this sector live thousands of sea lions, which make pirouettes and play with visitors. An infinite number of birds can be seen also in the Islands. There are species such as flamenco, Penguin, the Andean Condor, the tendril, etc. Also it is possible to see an enormous and enigmatic figure-shaped candlestick, carved on the side of a hill of sand. Paracas is also the site Museum Julio C. Tello, this site maintains representative samples of Paracas Culture, as robes, culture Mummies and ceramics. The Paracas National Reserve is considered one of the most rare and rich world ecosystems. It was declared natural patrimony of the humanity by Unesco. A well-deserved recognition.

 - A trout filet sandwich with greens, cream cheese, drops of lemmon juice made ONLY with homemade bread

- brie cheese with red grapes

- a young Patagonian Pinot Noir….

- in good company…

That´s it

Claudio Oliveira

www.tenriverstenlakes.com

info@tenriverstenlakes.com

Patagonia is not one place; it´s a fantastic collection of different geographies, where to experience unforgettable vacations.

The first thing you should consider is that there are three basic regions for tourism.

1 – Northern Patagonia, nice weather , specially in summer ( dry and endelss days), a perfect destination for outdoors ( trekking, kayaking, fly fishing! , golf in championship courses, good infrastructure and services) : main cities and villages: Bariloche, San Martin de los Andes and Villa La Angostura

2 – Southern Patagonia: “the End od the world”: ideal in summer due to more friendly weather conditions. Spectacular!: The Glacier Perito Moreno close to the City of El Calafate. Worth visiting: Ushuaia City, El Calafate and extensive ranches in the provinces of Tierra del Fuego and Santa Cruz ( Estancia Despedida: a Mecca for fly fishing )

Our best hotels in Patagonia: Finisterris Lodge Relax ( Ushuaia ), Esplendor and La Cantera ( Calafate ) , Despedida Lodge & Estancia

3 – The Atlantic Coast: Peninsula de Valdes

Declared as  a World Heritage site by the UNESCO in 1999, Peninsula Valdés receives the southern right whale year after year between may and december ( check detailed season in internet ). Las Restingas Hotel is your best alternative where to stay

Claudio Oliveira

www.tenriverstenlakes.com
info@tenriverstenlakes.com

(08 October 2009)

Estancia Despedida is an exclusive Lodge & Estancias located in Tierra del Fuego, Patagonia Argentina, at 50 minutes from the City of Rio Grande (daily flights from Buenos Aires). The property, framed by the rivers Grande and Menendez is in the heart of the fly fishing paradise of Patagonia with captures up to 30 pounds , and with averages of 15 pounds each

Despedida  is also an ideal destination  to enjoy the most authentic lifestyle  of a patagonian ranch, where to experience 4×4 expeditions, horseback riding , trekking or simply relax , tasting the best argentine wines and excellent regional food

ACCOMMODATIONS:

- 3 rooms with private bathrooms

- WIFI in the lodge

- Living room with a big fireplace

- Patagonian library and inside games

SERVICES

The gastronomy at DESPEDIDA represents  the authentic dishes and lifestyle of Patagonia: the guests will be able to enjoy  home made breads , organic jams and vegetables , roasted lambs  and the best wines of Argentina

DESPEDIDA OFFERS:

-      Professional Guides for all outdoors activities

-      Transfers in / out

Taylor made programs according to the preferences 

info@tenriverstenlakes.com

 Summer is about to start in the southern hemisphere and Patagonia is the ideal destination to reconnect yourself with nature , practice outdoors sports and experience memorable adventures.

Here my suggestions:

Book at least  2 nights in Buenos Aires City,   as your first  stop in Argentina. Enjoy it´s night life, a tango show and  walk around the most attractive districts: Recoleta, Palermo and San Telmo.

Do shopping  in Buenos Aires!!: excellent products at unbelievable prices!

Connecting flights to Patagonia departs from Buenos Aires “Aeroparque” ( the domestic flights airport), and all flights take around two / three hours to your Patagonian  destinations.

The Best of the best in Patagonia:
San Martin de los Andes Village:  a fly fishing paradise – excellent Jack Nicklaus Golf Course – Ideal for outdoors.  Ideal:3 / 5  nights stay.

Bariloche City: the biggest city of Patagonia, with an amazing nature in the surroundings: stay between 3 or 4 nights here

Calafate and The Glaciers: in the southernmost region of Patagonia. Unforgettable trekking at  the Perito Moreno Glacier. Excellent Hotels.Stay 2 or 3 nights

Other  places worth including in your tour : Villa La Angostura ( between San Martin de los Andes and Bariloche) – Peninsula de Valdes ( a paradise of southern right whales ), and Ushuaia ( look at the bottom of the map to find it!)

Perfect Connections:

1 – San Martin de los Andes – Villa La Angostura – Bariloche

2 – Ushuaia – Calafate – Bariloche

3 – Peninsula de Valdes – Calafate – Bariloche

Suggested food: roasted lamb – trout – smoked wild meat ( deer and wild pig ) – and chocolate cakes. Always Argentine wines: The Patagonian Pinot Noirs and Merlots are super..and the top varietal : the Malbec of Mendoza ( always ask for a Gran Reserve wine )

Friendly people,  no stress, good food,  dry and sunny weather all summer..endless days..no highways or traffic congestion,  no contamination. What else could be expected?

Claudio Oliveira

Ten Rivers & Ten Lakes

Estoy en una de esas escapadas de trabajo que surjen como impostergables y necesarias, recorriendo algunos de los establecimientos de nuestra Cadena, en el espectacular  circuito de Patagonia Norte: Bariloche, San Martín de los Andes y Villa La Angostura.

Primera parada : Hotel La Cascada Bariloche. Arribo:  1 de la madrugada, con apenas unas horas para dormir y luego, recorrer el hotel y armarme algunas impresiones importantes para el desarrollo de nuestras propuestas comerciales. Y me encontré con lo que esperaba….gratamente. Un hotel con señorío y mucha historia, que ha ido recuperando su estilo y que cada vez más lo veremos en forma para estar entre lo más selecto de Bariloche.

Las cosas más importantes:….tiene alma, una arquitectura de ésas que cada vez se encuentran menos y una localización espectacular: km 6 del Circuito Chico, a minutos del Catedral ,  del Centro y de los principales puntos de interés turístico.

Desde cualquier habitación, las vistas son increíbles…ayer el Nahuel Huapi estaba embravecido y era un placer observar desde el silencio de la súper espaciosa suite Gris, la bravura del viento y de las aguas .

Y esta posibilidad de tener en un hotel boutique los servicios de un gran hotel:  Excelente Gastronomía, Spa, multiples livings, piscina cubierta.. y hasta una escuela de buceo a los pies de sus costas!

Para tener en cuenta

Claudio Oliveira

www.tenriverstenlakes.com

2 – This  Second Generation of Boutique Hotels is characterized by:

- Larger properties (over 20 rooms)

- The incorporation of more infrastructure and services, typical of the conventional 5 stars hotels , such as meeting rooms, corporate services ,spas, and gourmet cuisine among others.

3 – With this new format, the newcomers in the industry will invest with the clear  intent of  attracting  even more customers of conventional 5-stars hotels, by offering similar services but in a context of greater
personalization, privacy and more value added (art, design and aesthetics)

4 – In this context, the big hotel chains are reacting  to retain their customers through the development of new hotel lines  with a “boutique look and feel”.

5 – In summary, two new forces are perceived in the market: a force that pushes up the boutique concept by incorporating in the projects some infrastructure of conventional luxury hotels and a “pushing down” force, coming from the big players, developing new boutique hotel lines

And in the middle of the battle, we find the first generation boutique hoteliers who will have to do their best to avoid customers leaks into these new second generation hotels.
6 – With this new generation hotel, we will see:

- A new architecture , a generation of  professionals who will have to understand the  key elements that are truly appreciated by the customers of a boutique hotel .Those which create competitive advantages for the property

-    The need of new communicational  efforts to achieve  brand positioning and reach of the final customer

-   a complete reconfiguration of the commercial channels as a consequence of the new traveler behavior to choose and book a hotel

7 – We will increasingly witness the consolidation of the concept of
Hospitality based on welfare, lifestyle and experiences

8  – And finally, the challenges  for the coming years will be

-         Adding  infrastructure and services without loosing the charm and the true essence of the boutique hotels

-         Maintaining and increasing  profitability, even in a context  of more competition

-         Keeping the hotel “visible” in the commercial channels such as Internet, online booking systems and for the travel agents and tour operators

Claudio Oliveira

CEO

Ten Rivers & Ten Lakes