Jumping off the yellow brick road in South America

Emotions run deep in South America

Argentina. Land of the gaucho. Wide open spaces, the finest beef and some of the world’s best wine. Could there be any more compelling reasons to jump on a LATAM flight for some South American adventure?

For Amy Wasbutzki, one of the top gun luxury travel designers at Executive Edge Travel, there was indeed courtesy of a work invitation to attend the annual Emotions Travel Community conference in Buenos Aires last month.

This showcase event is where the hottest new (and old) Latin American tour operators, hotels and destination marketers flock to pitch their offerings to travel agents from around the world, and our own Executive Edge being one extremely high up on their list for the Aussie luxury travel clients it sends their way.

“I didn’t get to spend too much time in Buenos Aires but I learnt a lot about what’s trending in South America travel at the moment and had a chance to experience an amazing estancia stay,” says Amy, who points out Equador, the Galapagos and Colombia are hot holiday destinations Australians should set their sights on. But more about the “what’s hot” later and let’s focus on why her estancia experience made Amy’s heart sing.

Welcome to Estancia Los Potreros

Estancia Los Potreros in Cordoba, Argentina, is an historic property where horses are used for work and transport, cattle roam free, and where your hosts, Kevin and Louisa Begg, welcome you for a “taste of authentic estancia life”.

“This gorgeous generations-old Estancia is easy to reach from Córdoba but away from the tourist trail,” Amy explains.

Offering a unique insight into rural culture and traditions, it’s a chance to share with the Beggs their home and lifestyle.

“I think what’s important is that it’s a homestay, not a hotel,” says owner Luisa. “You become part of the family: we eat together, we ride together and it’s a really unique experience.”

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Amy points out this particular Argentina estancia has an English twist: “When we arrived at the property we received a warm greeting and had afternoon tea: they’re quite English. Kevin is Argentinian but went to boarding school in England, and Luisa was actually from England. So you get the British flavour of 5pm afternoon teas.”

Whether your passion is horseback riding, bird-watching, exploring scenic walking trails or simply relaxing among local tradition and culture, it’s all about offering guests a once-in-a-lifetime holiday where there is every chance you will fall in love with Argentina as you eat, drink and breathe it alongside them.

Horses, polo and learning to lasoo

“Everything was so beautiful,” Amy says. “We went horse riding, the scenery was amazing and there was so much tranquillity in the countryside.”

“During the day we’d ride and learn to play polo, after we rode to the polo field which was an hour away. The horses were magnificent, and they also breed and sell cattle from the property so we had to round up the cattle. We learnt how to lasoo with the guachos. The first time I tried it I lassoed one and I also got a goal in polo, so I quit while I was ahead.”

Amy says travellers will find a range of estancias, but Estancia Los Potreros is “incredibly authentic” when compared with those that are more resort in style and service.

“This was a really genuine homestay experience, in which they basically involve you in their lives. One of the other big highlights was preparing the food and eating with the hosts each night. It’s also a digital detox to an extent – no TVs, WiFi is near impossible. There’s just enough internet in the main area, but we were eating there so you don’t really want to be rude.”

The walks and birdwatching opportunities are popular activities at Estancia Los Potreros. You can either join a guided walk with a staff member, or head out on your own. Wildflowers throughout the year are on show and you shouldn’t be surprised at crushing wild mints and herbs underfoot, releasing the most refreshing fragrances. Ranging from an hour’s wander to full day hikes incorporating swimming holes, there’s a type of walk for all walks of life.

Angus beef, pastries and magnificent Malbec!

Anyone who knows an Argentinian (in fact, just about any South American) would know the answer if you were to ask what their favourite pastime was – eating and drinking. Argentine Malbec is world-renowned and, as the Estancia Los Potreros team will tell you, is “best enjoyed with the traditional ‘asado’ – a beef-based barbeque”, often comprising many courses and often lasting many hours.

“I loved the wine tasting and really enjoyed cooking in the beautiful old kitchen. The old kitchen is really homely,” says Amy. “The cattle on the farm is all Angus, so there is a lot of asado-style barbecueing.”

Check out From Aussie Barbecues To Argentine Asado

She continues: “But there’s also loads of other goodies with cabbage, onions and meat. Then we made pasta because there’s a big Italian influence in Argentina. On the boards it’s all Spanish. We had these tuna, onion and cheese deep fried pasta parcels which were delicious. The freshness of the food, the beautiful vegies and amazing beef were memorable in what was a very country home-style cooking and dining experience. It wasn’t all super healthy, either, we made cakes and Argentinian desserts, too.”

Could the food be too fresh and organic? Maybe, Amy explains.

“Interestingly they have guides from all over the world come and volunteer to experience the estancia and we were told how one woman, when she went home to England, ended up getting sick because she basically detoxed from having such a stark change in eating good fresh food with no preservatives. Certainly what they weren’t accustomed to back home. Poisoned by natural goodness!”

So, what’s hot in South America in 2018?

From country charms at an Argentina estancia, we revert back to all the action a few days earlier in the big smoke, Buenos Aires, when a smorgasbord of travel operators met with agents like Amy to promote their goods. So what stood out for this luxury travel designer for anyone contemplating a trip to South America in the near future?

LATAM Airlines is a good starting point, she says, with an awesome experience in the air to travel from either Melbourne direct or Sydney via Auckland to Santiago. From there, LATAM connects everywhere on the domestic front.

As far as destinations go, Colombia, Equador and the Galapagos Islands were standouts.

“I’d suggest people head to the west coast and take the opportunity to experience some really diverse areas and some incredible sights,” Amy says. “Obviously countries like Chile, Peru, Argentina and Brazil will always be super popular and certainly unforgettable experiences. Overall, if I could make one point as an experienced luxury travel designer, I would say it’s important for people to spend enough time in one country to explore it properly. People often want to do two or three days here or there and move on quickly. I think it’s really worth spending enough time at one destination and exploring it properly.”

Colombia a much safer place

“Colombia is really cleaned up now and a lot safer than it was in days gone by. For the high-end accommodation you need to stick to the cities like Bogota, Cartagena and Medellin. Visitors to Colombia want to know what’s happened to the people after the mess, we all know the history, but it’s a lot to do with seeing today that they’ve moved on, recovered and it’s great to see we can celebrate with them the vibrant, colourful offerings of the country.”

Amy says one company well worth looking at is Colombia Activa, travel experts based in Bogota, who design and co-ordinate tailor-made trips in Colombia. Their offering is on-site expertise, insider access, creativity and “attention to detail”. There’s a great museum for history and art buffs, rum tasting tours, salsa experiences, historical tours, the islands, coffee regions and horseback riding.

Equador by luxury train

Equador was another country that caught Amy’s attention: “I also loved Equador, which begins the minute you fly into the capital Ecuador’s capital, Quito.”

Quito sits high in the Andean foothills and which was built on the foundations of an ancient Incan city. It’s known for its well-preserved colonial center, rich with 16th and 17th-century churches and other structures blending European, Moorish and indigenous styles.

“So from Guayaquil you can fly to the Galapagos or you can take a train experience on Tren Equador, a luxury train trip like no other,” Amy says.

“They were saying there are four areas in Equador. So you have the Amazon, the Pacific, the Andes and the Galapagos. Very different experiences in one area. There are active volcanoes, you meet the people on the train, go to markets and so on.

“Latin Trails is another one I spoke with for Equador, and they were telling me about the capital, Quito, which is where you fly into and which has the longest cable car in the world. The Amazon is three hours from Quito and you can go really deep into there and see the native tribes and wildlife. There is so much to do. So my suggestion would be to fly into Quito and do the Amazon for a few days, take the train back all the way to Guayaquil.

“Then fly from Guayaquil to San Cristobal Island, which is the Galapagos entry point, and that’s where you could do a week of cruising.”

“South America is such an exciting place for me, I also really love Chile and Peru, and certainly love designing holidays for people who want to go anywhere in South America.

For all types of inspirational travel packages to South America flying LATAM Airlines (including a stay at Estancia Los Potreros in Argentina) contact Amy direct on 03 9519 7777 or email amyw@executiveedge.com.au otherwise click through the link below to Executive Edge Travel, the leaders in luxury travel holidays.