Sunvil Traveller this week launches its new 2011 Latin America brochure designed for independent and adventurous travellers as well as honeymooners seeking unique and flexible travel experiences. Eleven countries (many of which can be easily combined in one trip), popular as well as unusual travel opportunities and responsibly-managed, comfortable accommodation options – from character, beach-side boutique hotels to remote jungle lodges – are described in detail with sample itineraries.
New components for 2011 include (with further details and additional components below):
- In Peru, the Camino del Apu Ausangate trek in the Andes and the northerly beach destination of Mancora.
- In the Galapagos, the newly-opened Iguana Crossing Hotel and a number of elegant cruise vessels.
- Costa Rica’s Tortuguero National Park welcomes the twelve-room boutique Manatus Lodge.
- In Chile, the Alerce National Park, covered in ancient forest; self-drive opportunities and the bohemian capital of Valparaiso are introduced.
- Due to open in September 2011 is the fabulously-designed, contemporary Mashpi Lodge in the Mindo Cloud Forest, two hours from Quito, Ecuador.
Comments Lloyd Boutcher, Director, Sunvil Traveller: “We remain fully-focused on eleven Latin American countries this year, offering expanded information on some regions, an increased number of challenging adventures and a wide choice of high-standard accommodation. Nearly 30% of the trips we create combine two or more countries; our Country Combinations pages contain clearly mapped-out suggested routes and recommended transfer methods to get the most out of a trip to Latin America – such trips can be designed to be fairly lengthy and are consequently popular with the career-break market. As the pioneer of self-drive travel in Latin America, beginning with Costa Rica in 1995, following with Ecuador and Panama, we have become experts in this field and are pleased to offer new self-drive suggestions in Chile for travellers looking for flexibility and a real sense of freedom.
Sunvil Traveller is proud to actively support the LATA Foundation, which helps to fund community and environmental projects throughout Latin America. Its initiatives include support for the development of a natural cosmetics cottage industry in Guatemala, a free dental clinic in Argentina and waste management projects in Brazil. The LATA Foundation has also recently set up a turtle adoption project in Venezuela.”
Here is a comprehensive list of what’s new for 2011:
- The Maroma Resort & Spa, Riviera Maya, Mexico, is owned by the Orient Express group. This award-winning luxury property has a beachfront location surrounded by jungle, and is ideal for honeymooners, or those looking for a degree of activity such as diving, kayaking or golf, all of which can be booked locally.
- The twelve-room Manatus Lodge, Costa Rica, is the most luxurious lodge in the Tortuguero National Park and offers 180°C panoramic views of the park’s canal waterways and jungle.
- Three new vessels have been added to the Galapagos programme – The Mary Anne, a twelve cabin romantic sailing ship, Nina, one of a series of newly designed luxury catamarans, and Odyssey 1, a luxury yacht for small groups, with a Jacuzzi and sun loungers. Also in the Galapagos is the newly-opened Iguana Crossing Hotel, built with native materials by craftsmen and owned by local residents. Commonly sighted from the hotel are hundreds of iguanas crossing the nearby wetlands!
- In Panama, the Gamboa Rainforest Resort in Panama City Province is well-located for Panama Canal excursions and for family stays. On the Pacific side is the beautiful and remote Azuero Peninsula with strong folkloric traditions. The six-room Casa de Campo offers wonderfully personalised service and a combination of antique furniture and contemporary design, whilst the colonial-style Villa Marina is friendly and cosy and features a fresh water swimming pool. In the pristine Chiriqui Province is the Panamonte Inn & Spa, located in the picturesque mountain village of Boquete, offering views to the foothills of Volcan Baru.
- TheMashpi Lodge, located in a protected area in Ecuador’s Mindo Cloud Forest, is due to open in September 2011. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows provide panoramic views of the surrounding jungle and there is an environment-friendly aerial tram that runs through the upper canopy providing spectacular views.
- Offering the ultimate trekking experience for the more adventurous traveller is Peru’s new Andean Lodge Trek in the Cordillera Vilcanota mountain range, which takes you to the highest and most sacred Inca mountain – Apu Ausangate. Additional space in the brochure has been dedicated to Peru’s Sacred Valley, offering in-depth information about fascinating Inca ruins and fortresses which can be explored during self-drive itineraries or combined with hikes in the area. Further north, close to the Ecuadorian border, is the rustic fishing town ofMancora, with great seafood restaurants, some lively bars and cafés, some of the best beaches in Peru and dramatic sand dunes.
- Valparaiso lies on Chile’s coast, northwest of Santiago, and is the capital’s bohemian neighbour. The city resembles a medieval harbour town with cobbled streets, steep hills and colourful architecture. A self-drive itinerary in Chile is highly recommended for travellers looking for a challenging journey on unpaved roads through remote regions. The Alerce National Park in southern Chile is home to the ancient Alerce trees, which grow at a rate of just 1mm per year. The ‘El Tata’ (grandfather) tree is the park’s oldest, with an estimated age of over 4,000 years. Nearby is the remote Quelat National Park, with evergreen forests, rocky slopes, steep valleys and beautiful snow-capped mountains. The prize here, though, is the magnificent Hanging Glacier – hear thunderous cracks as huge chunks of the ice break free from this natural wonder.
Sunvil Traveller makes a donation to the LATA Foundation for every passenger travelling with the company to Latin America.
The lead-in price is £2529 pp (two sharing) for a trip to Costa Rica including flights from Heathrow, 14 nights’ bed and breakfast, private excursions and private transfers.
Call Sunvil Traveller on 020 8758 4747 to request the brand-new brochure. Visit www.sunvil.co.uk for a
pdf copy downloadable by country/section or an online page-turning brochure.
Ends 7 September 2010
Press enquiries: Mika Bishop at Travel PR on 020 8891 4440 or email m.bishop@travelpr.co.uk.