Featured Country: Chile From Augusto Pinochet's 1973 rise to power, to his 1990 overthrow to current government, Chile has developed into one of the most modern South American countries. Located in southern South America, Chile is bordered by the South Pacific Ocean, Argentina, Bolivia and Peru. Just shy of about twice the size of Montana, Chile is tall and skinny, the longest country in the world at over 4,300 km (2,700 mi). With over 15 million people it's a bit more populated, from northernmost Arica to Punta Arenas near the southern tip of the country and the continent. Easter Island (Isla de Pascua) and Isla Sala y Gomez are also claimed by Chile, as are the Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, and the Drake Passage. There's plenty of variety in landscape, from the Pacific coast to the highest point of the famed Cerro Aconcagua (6,962 m, or 22,841 ft). There are low mountains on the coast, fertile valleys in the middle, and the Andes Mountains line the east. The weather's mainly temperate, more arid in the northern Atacama Desert (one of world's driest regions); it's Mediterranean in the central region, and cool and damp in the south. Don't forget that being a Southern Hemisphere country, winter is June-September, and summer is December-March. If it's not cold enough for you, you can always nip across the Southern Ocean to Antarctica. You'll want to brush up on your Spanish since it's the official language. If you're flying in to Chile you'll most likely land in Santiago (capital and largest city), but at last count there were 370 airports in Chile, but only 62 had paved runways. If you happen to be sailing in or want to grab a ship or boat somewheres, ports and harbors include Antofagasta, Arica, Chanaral, Coquimbo, Iquique, Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas, San Antonio, San Vicente, Talcahuano, and Valparaiso. Dosh-wise, the official currency is the Chilean Peso (CLP/Ch$), and there are 100 centavos to a peso. Current exchange rates (approx.): US$1=Ch$667 AU$1=Ch$348 CA$1=Ch$421 GB£1=Ch$949 EU€1=Ch$585 Well, those are a few nuts and bolts. Keep reading for more info on Chile, as well as other travelers' experiences there. What's in this issue? Airfare Deals Featured Content Featured Message Board Thread What Our Insiders Say Links & Resources Tell a Friend and/or What Do You Want? AIRFARE DEALS Brought to you by the BootsnAll TripPlanner Plan and book your round-the-world or multi-continental trip! By the way, we're not talking about air-hotel-and-car-rental stuff, but multi-destination air tickets, so packaged to help get you a better deal. Perhaps you don't like trains or buses; perhaps your schedule is tight; in any case, use BootsnAll's TripPlanner to build your itinerary, not only for getting to South America, but for flying from country to country. Here are some examples we found: $2339 US Los Angeles - Santiago - Buenos Aires - Sao Paulo - Lima - Iquitos - Lima - Quito - Los Angeles $3295 US Miami - Sao Paulo - Rio de Janeiro - Buenos Aires - Santiago - Easter Island - Santiago - Lima - Quito - San Jose - Belize - Miami $4195 US New York – Rome - Athens – Cairo – Bombay – Overland – Varanasi – Kathmandu – Bangkok – Angkor Wat – Saigon – Auckland – Tahiti – Easter Island – Lima – Cusco – Miami – New York Now, log on to the TripPlanner and put together an itinerary of the places you want to see! More Specials & Deals The only thing better than flying to South America, is getting a bloody good deal on the ticket. We work with other companies to bring you low, hard-to-beat round-trip fares, to help you fly not only to South America, but to wherever you want to go: BootsnAll Farebeater Hotwire Cheap Ticket Links Back to top FEATURED CONTENT More and more travelers have been heading to Latin America, and BootsnAll writers are never ones to miss out. Here are a few pieces from some of them: #5: Rapa Nui, Easter Island, Chile - Tan Wee-Cheng's South America travelogue takes him to where the people are laid-back and cut-off, but as generous as they are beautiful. Eventually he returns to Santiago... #6: Chile - Moneda Palace & Thoughts about Pinochet - And when he does, Wee-Cheng has a few observations about the city, Pinochet government and the country in the 12 years after his deposal. Midwinter in Southernmost Argentina and Chile - Nicky McLean gets in on the debate over who has the southernmost train station in the world. If you would like to submit an article on your travel experiences, check out our Writer's Guidelines, then send it along. Back to top FEATURED MESSAGE BOARD THREAD Goin' to Chile! Help, Please! On the Central & South America Discussions board, Marie is seeking help and advice for planning her trip. What tips can you give her? Also check this post to find out what advice other travelers and BootsnAll members give. Log in or register your handle, then jump into the discussion and throw down your two centavos on Goin' to Chile! Help, Please! Be sure to check out the other discussions on our boards as well: http://boards.BootsnAll.com/ Back to top   WHAT OUR INSIDERS SAY BootsnAll Insiders are a great source of information, and they can tell you what the guidebooks can't. We asked some of our Insiders for their take on Chile, and here's what they had to say: Allan Taylor Chile's Top 5 "Must-See" Places San Pedro de Atacama: a fantastic oasis in the desert. Santiago: a great capital city! Popular with travelers is "Hotel Paris" which provides ready access to the CBD. Puerto Varas: tourist center of the Lake District. Hospedaje "Colores del Sur", near the Plaza is the "in place" to stay. San Rafael Glacier: Try the 2-night/3-day cruise from Puerto Chacabuco. Torres del Paine National Park: Initially, do the 1-day mini-bus tour from Puerto Natales. Quick Travel The longest country in the world (some 4000 km) requires a special approach for effortless travel between major attractions. Try flying, using a Chile Air Pass, or maybe for free, by including flights within your "One World", round-the-world air ticket, which incorporates 10 major airlines, including Qantas, AA, Lan Chile etc. My last Chile trip I flew for free from Arica to Santiago, and Puerto Montt to Punta Arenas return. Previously, I flew from Calama to Punta Arenas in one day at an appreciable discount. Hassle your travel agent to get these wonderful bargains! Philip Blazdell Accommodation – Bedding Down In Chile it is rarely necessary to prebook accommodation – apart from very big towns like Santiago – there will always be a crowd of touts at every bus station looking to rent out rooms for the night. In 8 weeks of travelling in Chile I never booked a room, and stayed in some wonderful places. Of course, you need to be a bit selective of who you wander off with, but that becomes second nature... Food Bread: Want to break the bank in Chile? Then head out to the nearest store for a loaf of bread. On my last trip there one loaf of bread equalled three big bottles of beer (guess what I bought?). Rolls, however, are very cheap. A kilo of hard flat rolls, which the local seem to like, costs about a dollar. Coffee: Those of you who expect that Chile – being close to Brasil – has good coffee are likely to be disappointed, as Chile produces some of the most undrinkable sludge in the world. Coffee is more or less always the instant variety, and not really worth bothering about. Empañadas: Eating in Chile is always a pleasure. From the divine seafood in Santiago's central market to small snacks served from the side of the road, you are in for some damn fine food. The cheapest way to fill up a hungry stomache is with a bag of empañadas – small sweet or savoury pastries which are sold from street corners, bakers or corner shops. Cheap, hot and very filling. Half a dozen make a huge meal. Great for long-distance bus trips as well Hot Dogs: Chile seems to have a fascination with hot dogs. The best ones I found were at Santiago bus station, where for about 50 cents you could get a couple of massive hot dogs smothered with all manner of weird and wonderful things – great before a long-distance bus trip. Islands: Chiloe The isle of Chiloe is a little-visited part of Chile which is rich in folklore and weird tales. The islands, which can be visited by a combination of bus and boat, are some of the poorest areas in South America. They are also some of the most atmospheric. Spending a couple of days pottering around the small crumbling towns might just be the highlight of your trip. Pucon Climbing the volcano: Many people visit the wonderful city of Pucon with a view to climbing the volcano. Experience has taught me that if you arrive and the weather is good you should immediately book a trip to climb the bugger – as you can guarantee that it will be bad weather for the following week. Booking a trip is easy as every other store is a tourist agency. Food: Despite having some of the best bottle shops in Chile, eating out in Pucon is a major disappointment. I spent all my time wandering up and down the main high street looking for somewhere that wasn't overpriced and open. The best bet is the 24-hour supermarket at the end of the street, where decent rolls and fillings can be found at a reasonable price. Puerto Montt Hospedaje Betty: Whilst waiting for the Navimag boat down the coast I stayed in the excellent Hospedaje Betty. This will be a bit more expensive than normal pensions, but it was clean, had a great breakfast and lovely views. The place is easy to find – it's high on the hill above the little market at the end of town. Shopping: Close to the Navimag office and the port is a wonderful little craft market which specialises in chunky wool sweaters and lapis lazuli. The wool sweaters, which cost about US$10, are essential for the boat trip and are both warm and practical. The shops also sell ponchos, which look brilliant at the time but tend to make the wearer a bit of a social outcast if worn in public. Remember guys, only Clint Eastwood looks cool in a poncho. Santiago: Legs & Coffee I am reliably informed (of course I would never go to this kind of place myself) that there is a chain of decent coffee shops in Santiago called "Legs and Coffee". Not only do they serve perhaps the only drinkable coffee in the country but it's served by lovely-limbed girls in short skirts – hence the name... Back to top LINKS & RESOURCES Use the following sites to learn more about Chile, what it offers to travelers, and how to plan your trip. Chile - Introduction The folks at Geographia give a pretty comprehensive overview of the country and its regions. Santiago Hotels Your trip will most likely have you spending time in Santiago, the capital and main city. The above link can help you learn about and arrange hotel accommodation before you get there. Easter Island Foundation and Pacific Institute Get some nuts-and-bolts info on visiting and getting around the island. Easter Island Home Page Learn about the island itself: culture, history, people, music and, of course, the mysterious moai stone faces. Araucanνa Region Tourist Guide The northern portion of Chile's Lake District needs to be on your "stay a while" list. Here's why. Back to top WRITE AN ARTICLE If you have a story of your own that you would like to submit on Chile, have a look at BootsnAll's Writer's Guidelines: http://writers.BootsnAll.com And then send it along. We're always looking for new content and new perspectives, and we hope to get yours soon. TELL A FRIEND If you feel that BootsnAll.com is a valuable resource, or that others might think so, please tell your friends about us. As many of you know, we respond personally to every email we receive in an ongoing effort to build a true traveller's community. Many have responded positively. If you have comments both positive and constructive, we would love to hear them. Tell us what we have done well and how we can improve. We would appreciate it greatly. Back to top