Patagonia self-drive vacaton

Planet

In order to ensure we protect the environment and minimise our ecological footprint we have a recycling system in our UK office and use recycled ink cartridges. We also minimise our waste by limiting the number of vacation brochures we print. Instead, we refer customers to our online resources and send most of our vacation information via email.

We always recommend overland travel using local transportation as opposed to short domestic flights where possible, however due to the vast distances covered during this trip flying is unavoidable. To put it into perspective the journey from Santiago to Punta Arenas is over 3,000km. The rest of the trip involves traveling by hire car as opposed to flying.

Many of the accommodation options for this itinerary are locating in or near a national park, with a focus on sustainability. One example of this is the Las Torres hotel, in Torres del Paine, which has its own vegetable garden to cut down on imported produce. In all of our trips we include national park entrance fees in all of our vacations. This money goes directly towards protecting and sustaining the relevant parks for future generations.

One of the hotels we work closely with in Santiago is the Hotel Carmenere, which is the first eco hotel in the city. It uses solar panels, which not only power the hotel but also supply energy for the national grid. Their 'food to fork' programme ensures the ingredients used in their kitchen are sourced sustainable from local farms. They also have a herb and vegetable garden, which guests can visit and learn more about.

Other hotels worth noting are:
. The IF Patagonia in Puerto Natales, which use solar power and make use of natural light to save further on energy.
.The Cabanas del Paine, which is located in the national park and strives to have as minimal impact on the surrounding countryside as possible.

We provide guests with pre-departure information about how to respect this delicate environment. A hire car gives our customers the flexibility to travel when and where they want, but it's important to note that we don't condone driving off road or ignoring restricted access signs.

People

In order to ensure we have a positive impact on local economies and provide socially responsible vacations we only use local suppliers, which helps keep the money generated through tourism within local communities through employment of local guides and drivers.

We, where possible, use hotels with interesting historical significance, such as the Aubrey Hotel in Santiago, which is an old 1920's manor house built by a well-known architect of the time. The hotel's decor reflects the era and aims to tell the history of this area of the city.

We always recommend locally-owned restaurants and hotels where possible, aiming to support local communities and give tourists the opportunity to ‘travel like a local’. We also provide customers with a list of recommended restaurants tailor-made to their destination and dietary requirements but with a focus on family-run restaurants. On this trip we particularly recommend El Cormoran de las Rocas in Puerto Natales, which serves fantastic fresh seafood, straight from the town's harbour that morning.

We can offer a range of cultural activities for those who are interested, which are aimed at supporting local economies and preserving local cultures. An example of this is a trip to family-owned gaucho ranches in Argentina.

We are a member of Sustainable Travel International, a leading not-for-profit organisation dedicated to promoting awareness, appreciation and respect for local people and the environment through education and outreach programmes.