susan300

First I 'd like to thank everyone on this forum for helping me plan my trip. Just got back from two weeks in Argentina and cannot emphasis enough how wonderful this country is.
March turned out to be the perfect time to go. Temperatures in the low to mid 80's ..beautiful weather except for one day and on that day we were traveling in a bus.

We started out our adventure in BA for three days staying at the Art Hotel- not the Art Suites. The Art Hotel located just blocks from the Recoleta cemetery, was perfect in every way. Rooms are small, but beautifully designed, pleasant and the hotel itself is an art gallery in the lobby. A complete buffet breakfast was included in our price of 65 US dollars a night. The staff couldn't have been nicer helping us with reservations- we went to a tango show. Those first couple of days were getting acquainted with the city which was overwhelming at first, but gradually we began to feel comfortable. We ended up taking radio taxis and the subway as well, exploring all the areas of the city - San Telmo, La Boca, Palermo, Microcenter, Puerto Madero, etc. Free guided tours are given by the government and we went on one which centered on a beautiful park in the San Telmo area.

After three nights we flew to Salta in the Northwest, near the Bolivian border, and spent the day in this colonial city. Our hotel, the Portal de Salta was a good choice for the one night. The next day we took a bus to Tilcara (over three hours)in the North and stayed at the Posada de Luz. This inn is fantastic and the owner Luz couldn't have been more wonderful. The rooms are airy bright and faced the mountains which are spectacular. We wanted to hook up with a tour that could give us the history of the Indian people in that area, the land and the geography. Luz tried calling someone she knew who could speak English. When she couldn't get them on the telephone she got in her car and drove to their house and brought them back to the inn. We met Victor and Manuel who laid out two days of touring for us. Manuel speaks perfect english. The company is active argentina and you can contact victor there. The web address is
[email protected].
We went through the small towns of Humahuaca (sp?) and Iruya learning about the people. Everywhere we went people couldn't have been nicer to us. The next day we went to Pumarmarca to see the 7 painted hills - sitting on the roof of their jeep they drove us around the back to see this fantastic landscape. Then onto Salinas to see the salt flats where we drove out on the salt and had a picnic lunch. The experience is unforgettable. We didn't want to leave this beautiful area... it was very magical and even mystical so it seemed to us. But we left and went back to Salta for another night so we could fly back to BA and connect to a flight to Iguassu Falls.
After all the talk about this site it truly is spectacular to see. But I do believe one night is enough - at least for us. We stayed two nights at the Hotel Orqueizadas..which I do NOT recommend. Rooms very dark with a loud and dysfunctional air conditioning system.I don't know if we had stayed in another place if we would have enjoyed our stay more, but if you're not planning on going to the Brazilian side, one night..arriving in afternoon and leaving late the next day is plenty. The last four days were spent back at the Art Hotel in BA going to the craft fairs at the Recoleta on the weekend and the San Telmo fair. We also took the Buquebus to Colonia and the train to the Tigre Delta where we took a boat ride. We enjoyed that very much. I know I left out a lot but just wanted to share this with people who are planning a trip. We really fell in love with this country, the people and the land. I can't recommend going to the Northwest enough. It is a place that tourists rarely go to, but there is much to see and learn. Our plane reservations and some of our hotels were made through Veronica at Argentinago.com. We went over to their offices to get our vouchers and tickets. They couldn't have been nicer through the whole planning stages. Veronica was very responsive to our every need and emailed me back immediately whenever I had questions. I recommend them highly. Very professional and caring.

kathleen

Hi Susan,
A couple of questions--Concerning your day trip to Colonia, did you get advance reservations for the Buquebus through your hotel? Did you do this the morning before you wanted to go, or a few days before? How did you get to the Buquebus from your hotel? Is it a walkable distance from the hotel? We'll be in BA in May and want to spend the better part of a day in Colonia, so I'm trying be semi-prepared. Thanks, Kathy

Maggi

Susan, I had not previously considered going to Argentina, but after reading your report you have piqued my interest. Thanks for writing!
Maggi

milla

tickets for the buquebus service can be easily bought in their office on Cordoba 879. but if you dont want to do it personally you can buy them on the phone callling 4316 6500 directly from the hotel. Recommendation: do it some time before the date.
good luck

kathleen

Milla,
I need a bit more clarification please. By "sometime before the date" do you mean one day, two days, a week? If we're staying at the Argenta Tower, is it a walkable distance? I know many people taking taxis to get places, but I prefer to walk if it's a reasonably safe and medium distance. I just have no idea where the dock for this boat is, in relation to our hotel. Thanks. Kathy

susan300

Regarding the buquebus, we got them that day at the departure port. However, I am sure during the high season it can't hurt to book in advance if you want. We actually took the subway down to that area and walked to the buquebus departure.

milla

kathy
if you are at the Argenta it is very little what you have to walk, really a walkable distance. In fact if you take Esmeralda o Suipacha, which are the cross streets of your hotel, Argenta you will have to walk 4/5 blocks. The lst ave you see is Santa Fe and if you walk 4 blocks more you will find the 2nd ave That is Cordoba Avenue. On Cordoba 879 you will find Buquebus office and that will be the nearest . Cordoba runs parallel to the Argenta Tower St, the area is safe and there are many people, many shops, and full of cars and buses too. Yes, you are right it is better to walk the city rather than to take a taxi.
i hope it is clearer now.
good luck
It is possible to buy tickets for the same day, packages are a bit more difficult. So my recommendation is to go
2/3 days before or to check on the phone
about availability.