NEW Escorted Journeys W We’ve been nominated as Australia’s Best Travel Agency in the 2017 National Travel Industry Awards Journeys to savour (single location) PATAGONIA, CHILE, ARGENTINA LAKES, VOLCANOES, ANDES ∙ UNTOUCHED WILDERNESS ∙ REMOTE VILLAGES AND VALLEYS 2017/18 FORWARDTRAVEL.COM.AU 1 WELCOME TO PATAGONIA ...too big for just one country Patagonia... just saying the word sounds exciting, conjuring up ideas of a far flung place of mystery and romance, luring you to new lands and new experiences that you haven’t yet imagined. Well that is how it was for us, and now that we know it well, we want to share it with you. Patagonia is too big, and bold to be held back by a political border, so instead it straddles the Southern Andes of Chile and Argentina. It’s a land of perfect volcanoes, serene lakes, glorious glaciers and breathtaking fjords. It really is jaw droppingly good! The north is home to forests, lakes and volcanoes, and the south gives you rugged wilderness including Torres del Paine, perhaps South America’s greatest National Park, and the breathtaking performance that is Perito Moreno glacier. The corridor linking north and south is the ‘Carretera Austral’, the legendary road acting as the spine of Patagonia. For travellers with a passion for exploring this is for you; no tourists, no crowds, no bitumen and no postcards. A place to simply be. Be surrounded by beauty, by places without names and, be ready to create memories you can’t photograph. If you like the outdoors, picturesque villages, and inspirational landscapes then you need to put Patagonia on your menu. With our passion,experience and meticulous planning, we are committed to creating your pefect journey that will give you memories to cherish forever. This brochure is simply a short menu of the travel banquet that is Patagonia. There’s plenty more to add and we’ll tell you about them when we chat. We hope you enjoy the read and look Forward to talking to you soon. Rose and David, Los Glaciares National Park, one of the most exquisite corners of the globe, is near El Chalten, in Argentine Forward Travel Directors Patagonia. Its magnificent natural beauty has earned it "World Heritage" status. Lakes, forests and glaciers abound and the soaring peaks of Mt. Fitz Roy provide a grand backdrop. Rose took this photo along its most popular one day hike, Laguna de los Tres, an 8hr moderate walk through stunning scenery. 2 1300 738 168 FORWARDTRAVEL.COM.AU 3 Cartagena eellin ogot Galapagos Islands C uito anaus E Cuenca Peru Brazil Lima achu alaor Picchu Bolivia La Pa Arequia Pantanal Uuni alt lats an Pero io e aneiro e Atacama Iguau alls PATAGONIA SOME OF OUR Santiago FAVOURITE PLACES Buenos Aires ...TO ADD TO YOUR INGREDIENT LIST CHILE ARGENTINA ANDES CROSSING LAKES & VOLCANOES Pucon You can criss-cross The Andes by Nov-Mar reaches 25 road or water in several placea. The peaks around 15 °C while Apr-Oct °C. Rain can come all journey is pictureque and pristine, year, with Apr-Sep getting the most. through forests, across lakes and You’lll need warm and waterproof vising villages along the way. See clothes, and swimmers for cooling Pages 12-13 for crossing options. off in summer and warming up in hot Puerto Varas Bariloche springs in winter. Chiloé Esquel Puerto Madryn Futaleufu WELCOME TO FORWARD TRAVEL Travel Better - Travel Further - Travel Forward Coyhaique CARRETERA AUSTRAL WE CREATED FORWARD TRAVEL WITH A SIMPLE GOAL, NORTHERN PATAGONIA TO HELP TRAVELLERS TRAVEL BETTER. Balmaceda We are dedicated to giving all our travellers the best possible TRAVEL FORWARD IS OUR ULTIMATE GOAL. We’ve had so many experience and a journey to Chile will certainly be one of them. travellers praise us for informed, rewarding, and stress free If you think travel is part of life and not a break from it, you travel, that we hope they continue to travel FORWARD. It’s mostly gravel, has winding are a Forward Traveller. Travel deserves proper planning and Nov–Mar are the warmest months roads and unpredictable weather. careful preparation and that is exactly what you can expect from We do this by taking the time to get to know you, and by Patagoniareaching up to mid 20’s, and the It’s also enormously rewarding focussing on destinations and travel styles we know well. We best for bus and ferry connections and possibly the most beautiful the experienced team at Forward Travel. on the Carretera Austral. Jul-Aug is Villa O’Higgins road you will ever travel along. See work with you every step of the way to make your dream a the coolest, with max temperature Pages 18-19 to get started. If your hope is to truly experience a destination not just pass reality. We have travelled as excited passengers, tour leaders and in the single digits, but it has lots of El Chalten through it, then you are a Forward Traveller. If your priority is sunshine and options to ski. researchers, gaining great perspective to benefit our travellers. to have it planned well so you can focus on enjoying where you El Calafate are, then you are definitely one of us. This means we can offer informed and independent advice based upon your specific interests, time frame and budget. We have been travelling the globe for more than half our TORRES DEL PAINE lives and helping curious travellers for almost as long. We’ve We carefully choose everything - destinations, hotels, and travel Torres del Paine journeyed far and wide enjoying the road less travelled partners so you are sure you will be well looked after. Puerto Natales in preference to the busy highway. We use our first hand knowledge to create the perfect journey, tailor made specifically Your journey starts from the moment of your first phone call toouth SOUTHERN PATAGONIA and especially for you. us or when you click the send button on an email. Gaze in awe at the soaring peaks and amazing formations and give YOU’LL START YOUR JOURNEY WITH US AS A TRAVELLER. great thanks that you are seeing WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING YOU HOME AS A FRIEND. Georgia TRAVEL BETTER IS ABOUT GIVING YOU A FANTASTIC EXPERIENCE. Punta Arenas them with your own eyes. See Pages 22-27 to be inspired. We’ll put the effort and energy into planning and organising your trip so you can fully focus on enjoying where you are, without We’re looking FORWARD to helping you start your journey. having to take time out to plan the next step. Proper planning Southern Patagonia is really HOT but Ushuaia gives you a BETTER Holiday. its temperatures are pretty cool. You might get mid 20’s in summer, but in Isla Navarino Rose and David, winter double digits are not common. TRAVEL FURTHER IS ABOUT GOING BEYOND THE TOURIST TRAIL. Directors, Forward Travel The breeze becomes wind and speaks Cape Horn We’ll find places and activities to match your interests, taking with a strong ‘Antarctic accent’. you FURTHER, giving you better ‘dinner party’ stories. 4 1300 738 168 FORWARDTRAVEL.COM.AU 5 A GETTING TO PATAGONIA SIMPLY TURN RIGHT FROM SANTIAGO OR BUENOS AIRES LATAM AND QANTAS FLY FROM SYDNEY (AND MELBOURNE IN LATE 2017) TO SANTIAGO WITH CONNECTIONS AVAILABLE FROM ALL AUSTRALIAN STATES, AND ONTO OVER 115 CITIES IN SOUTH AMERICA, INCLUDING 16 WITHIN CHILE. THE FORWARD MENU We think planning travel is just like cooking. We choose the best ingredients then creatively find ways to showcase their highlights and cook it fresh for each diner. We’ll talk to you to find out how hungry you are and what flavours you like, so we can then create the perfect recipe tailored to your ‘travel buds’. In keeping with our cooking theme here is our menu, with the symbols below to help LATAM flies from Sydney to Santiago daily, follow the recipes. ‘Icing on the cake’, and ‘Side dishes’ will help you add your own Forward Flavour to each itinerary. with a short stop in Auckland, and from We hope you like our way of thinking. October 2017 they willl fly direct from Melbourne to Santiago 3 times a INTRODUCING SOME OF OUR FAVOURITE HOTELS 8 week. QANTAS flies non-stop from TRAVELLING FORWARD Sydney to Santiago 4 times a week All our journeys are customised for each person, so our style and QANTAS and LATAM are both GRAND PATAGONIA 9 of travel is really your style. We’ll discuss how you like to One World partners. This means you travel, the type of hotels and touring you prefer as well as how can purchase a ticket with one airline ESCORTED JOURNEY - ULIMATE PATAGONIA 10-11 enegertic you want to be. We’ll then make suggestions to suit and fly on the other if available. Don’t your preferences. ESCORTED JOURNEY - THE W TREK WITH GREAT WALKS 12-13 worry though – we will explain it all when We don’t pigeon hole you by star ratings, instead we discuss planning your trip. your preferences and match properties to suit. The hotels used here are mainly good quality 3.5-4 star, well located with local ESCORTED JOURNEY - WONDERS OF CHILE 14-15 LATAM was formed in 2012 when LAN and style. We have fantastic indulgent places to mix it up when TAM merged, combining their networks which suitable. PATHS THROUGH PATAGONIA 16-17 now covers over 115 cities in South America. in 2016 they will complete their merge by rebranding PATAGONIA GATEWAYS 17-19 both airlines to LATAM, so you will start to see the FORWARD PRICING LATAM livery rolled out across South America.