Amy

Yes, I've been looking at the waitawhile.com tour; looks great! There is something really cool about being out at night for wildlife spotting.

Amy

Hello, all of you helpful people!

Just wanted to let you know that this now looks as if it will be July 2011; both friends who were coming with me have suffered fairly major family crises and won't be able to come this year, so I'm re-planning my summer for a solo trip elsewhere and keeping this itinerary for next year.

Anybody have good suggestions for Chile/Easter Island?

Skiergirl

OH NO Amy! Can you go by yourself? Chile is great, I've been 4 times but mainly to ski. I really did not love Santiago, Valparaiso, or Vina y Mar. Personally, if you want to do SA go to Argentina. There is so much to do and it's gorgeous and cheap. Easter Island looks really cool but it's very far although not from Chile. Just my 2 cents...I think Chile is great but I also did a drive from Santiago to ski down at Termas de Chillan and it was nothing great. Argentina is awesome! If you haven't been to Buenos Aires you must go, along with Bariloche and Mendoza. I went to Iguazu but wasn't that impressed (I know, slap me silly but there was a drought) and Salta area was boring to me. If you like nature you'd probably love it up in the NW or Argentina.

Amy

Thanks, Skiergirl, I'd definitely go to Australia by myself (hey, it would be easy after, say, India solo) but my friends really, really want to go with me...just can't until next year. So, since my list of places-to-go keeps getting longer, I'm really feeling the call of South America again.

I've been to Argentina, Brazil, and Peru, but Chile has long been on the list--and Easter Island (way on out in the middle of nowhere, indeed--quite a flight, even from Santiago) is one of those places that my geeky ol' geography/history loving heart just needs to see at least once in my life. Plus, there's the Atacama: driest desert in the world. <---did I mention I'm a geography geek? I'm planning on stopping off in Iquitos, Peru for a bit o' rainforest and a visit with a friend there before going on to Chile, providing I can ever get the LAN site figured out.

Amy

Hello, again!

I'm bringing this to the top because now it looks like I really, really should be able to go on this trip in late June/July 2012!
(By the way, here's the solo Chile/Easter Island trip I did in place of this one, if anyone's really bored: http://www.fodors.com/community/sout...rip-report.cfm)

My one friend who so wanted to go has had major physical issues in the last year or so and won't be going, but my darling niece is planning to go...with one caveat: she just HAS to go to the Australian Zoo! (Hey, she's 21; she grew up with the Irwins.)

I'm guessing the best would be fly to Brisbane from Sydney, do one of the day trips, stay over for an night and then out to Alice Springs, or is there a more interesting suggestion? (I know there are overnight trains between the two, for instance.)

dottyp

Hi, Amy. I do so hope you will be able to finally carry out all your planning for your Australian trip. It is such an interesting country.
We visited Uluru last year - had 2 nights in Ayers Rock - and booked three tours with Anangu - sunrise, the Liru walk and the beautiful Mutitjulu Waterhole. I managed the sunrise but as I damaged my knee at Kata Tjuta I was not able to do the other two. However, my husband did and found them very informative and interesting.
I wrote a report about our trip to Alice Springs and Uluru but cannot find it on the forum. I suspect it was under 'dotty' which somehow got changed into 'dottyp'!

paulkellydesign1

You might want to drop by The Star Casino and dine in Black by Ezard. It just opened and is creating a buzz.


<a href="http://paulkellydesign.com.au">Paul Kelly</a>