Thin body, long legs and blessed with a versatile beauty that can take on any styling from ice queen, verdant fairy to a woman on fire, Chile is the supermodel that every photographer wants to capture. Lying on the edge of South America and looking out of the window to the vast Pacific Ocean, she is stunning from every angle – from snowy glaciers, ancient forests to bubbling volcanoes and parched deserts, she morphs into different characters effortlessly like a chameleon. And then, when you think you are finally done capturing all her beauty, out springs a surprise when she reveals the mythical Easter Islands to your lenses, adding on to her layered character with an unattainable air of mystique. Beguiling, tempting and incredibly charming, Chile is undoubtedly the supermodel of South America, and the world. Head to the catwalk show with a customised Chile tour package from Chan Brothers Travel Private Tours and see this stunning beauty in action.
Where the wild things are
Patagonia, seated on South America’s southernmost frontier and shared between Argentina and Chile, is an enormous region of wild nature and impressive wilderness, and it hosts possibly one of South America’s finest national parks on the Chilean side – Torres del Paine National Park. Azure lakes, emerald forests, meandering trails and roaring rivers dominate the vast landscape while rare wildlife such as guanacos, ostrich-like rheas and Andean condors roam its open grounds and sky freely, seemingly oblivious to any human presence. The crowning highlights of the park are, undoubtedly its namesake (Towers of Paine), the three granite towers that rise over 2,000 metres majestically above the Patagonian steppe, and the horn-shaped peaks of Cuernos del Paine radiating like giant crystals in the bright blue sky.
It’s desert time
Atacama Desert is the highest and driest desert in the world and filled with stunning sights and sites that will leave you speechless the entire time you are there. Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon) offers an unforgettable sunset experience when the beautiful scene of distant volcanoes, salt-crusted grounds and deep valleys are infused with the lunar colours of purple, pink and gold during the golden time of the day. Adrenaline junkies can try hurtling down 100-metre-high sand dunes amid the spectacular setting of Death Valley (so named because no plants can survive in its sterile climate) and zigzag through the rust-coloured desert.
Easter Island
For intrepid adventurers, the 2,200-mile journey from the west of Chile needed to land oneself in the Easter Island is worth it in every sense of the word. The island is the home to the Moai statues and around 20,000 archaeological discoveries are scattered amid its grounds. Mystical and almost without logic in its origins, the Moai statues endow the island with an infectiously magnetic pull despite being one of the most isolated places on Earth. And for a true-blue experience, slow down your pace with a stay at Hangaroa Eco Village & Spa, where you will be treated to a pamper of rejuvenation and renewal while you take in all the essence, history and culture of this remote island, at your own pace and in your own time.