Indelible & Fabulous Fun
The best tour is when the guide becomes such a relaxed part of your experience that you forget that you're actually on a tour and just traveling with a friend who is taking you out. I don't usually go for organized tours as I enjoy researching and curating my entire experience, but Pride Tours are intimate and completely customizable.
The moment Freddy welcomed us at the airport there was an immediate feeling of comfort and fun. Instead of a completely scheduled itinerary, we opted for a few different tours sprinkled throughout our stay. Besides our pickup to take us to the charming boutique hotel in Bellavista called The Aubrey, our first day tour was the Cajón del Maipo. As any traveler knows, part of the fun of any excursion is the journey itself. After the scenic ride through the incredible landscape and a dip in the thermal springs (with a little flurry of snowflakes), he had arranged a lovely lunch at a roadside stop called La Magia Del Km71. This was actually a highlight of the day's venture as the warm welcome from the owner and her family was beautiful and the isolation of it quite stunning. This was followed by a quick stop for chocolate at the Hobbit-like fairy tale cottage La Casa Chocolate.
A couple days later, being an architecture enthusiast, we'd arranged a tour to visit the Templo Bahá'í de Sudamérica with it's eco/modern temple overlooking Santiago. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at a popular local bakery, drove through some of the iconic neighborhoods, and then dined at an incredible Seafood restaurant, Pulmay at Borde Rio, where the owner came over to share drinks and stories. The evening wasn't quite over, so we stopped for drinks at El Toro Restorán with it's bevy of handsome waiters.
When it was time to head West to the sea, we made the trip a day of wine tasting through Casablanca en route to Valparaiso. From an intimate tour at the artisanal Bodegas RE, to the luxe tasting and dining experience at Casas Del Bosque, the day was full of fun and laughter. Our two different accommodations in Valpo were amazing. First a modern AirBnB in the hills with it's own pool and expansive view, then the incredible Malbec Suite at the eccentric WineBox, our days there were relaxing and full of great food. On our last day, instead of simply heading to the airport, Freddy took us on a street art tour through the seaside town with funicular rides and gallery visits, a memorable way to bid farewell to Chile.
I'm incredibly happy that we found Pride Tours, and not only do I encourage travelers to enlist their expertise, but the memories and friendship made became a central beauty of our trip. read more