HOW TO USE THIS BROCHURE 1) Firstly look through our circuits: These itineraries offered in the first 27 pages will form a good starting point of the most popular places you can visit in this amazing continent. These tours are all suggested itineraries of what you can fit in within certain periods of time (2 weeks, 3 weeks, 30 days etc.) 2) Read further about particular tours in the relevant country pages. If you want to know a bit more detail about what there is to see in each country you will visit, have a glance over the descriptions from p. 18. Summaries and photos are available of some of the programs, packages, hotels and combinations that are possible in each country. 3) Choose your level of comfort for hotels and tours. Choose from the hotel grading offered (tourist, first class, deluxe class or boutique.) If you are unsure about these, you can discuss these with our consultants or you can specify what your overall budget is for the entire trip. Choose whether you would like to share your tours with other tourists (seat in coach) or have a private guide (exclusive for you and your group.) 4) Decide on your travel dates and duration. If you are unsure of the best times to travel, our consultants can assist you as climate and geography of the continent is quite varied. 5) Contact SATO to begin planning your ultimate South American experience. Email reservations@sthamerica.com or contact us on 1300 857 805
HOTELS
TOURS AND TRANSFERS
We generally do not use accommodation that is considered less than a 3 star hotel and our properties all include private bathroom facilities. (In some less developed places, only 2 star hotels may be available but this is rare and even in these cases, they will have a private bathroom.)
Local Guides
Our philosophy is that location is paramount when you are staying in a city for a few nights, as being central to the attractions and restaurants makes a big difference to your experience. And as safety is a concern for some of our clients, we can often suggest districts/suburbs they may find more appealing. Prices of hotels within these categories will vary depending on service, location and reputation and we have many to choose from in each city Tourist hotels (3 star) Value hotels, clean and with a reasonable level of comfort with rooms that may vary in terms of size. Most have local or are operated by local chains and offer good location. Hotels have private bathrooms. Tourist superior hotels (3.5) Better hotels with extra benefits and are slightly better located that the standard tourist options. Others superior properties may once been considered first class and have a high standard of facilities but may now be a little dated. These hotels will often fall between the categories of 3 and 4 stars in terms of price and standard. First class hotels (4 star) Good hotels with comfortable rooms and great facilities and service. A lot of these are new hotels or have been recently upgraded and strive to maintain the standard of their facilities. Deluxe class hotels (5 star)
We prefer to use local English speaking guides to conduct your tours and believe you will get an extra insight into the local culture and character from the first hand experience that people living in these destinations can provide. Transfers and tours will be conducted in a combination of private and seat in coach basis depending on location and cost. Seat in coach service (SIB) Seat in coach services are shared with other tourists from all over the world allowing you to mingle and meet other travellers. This kind of service is the more economical option as the cost is shared with other people and the numbers on any given tour will vary depending to the location and dates. You will be led by qualified English speaking guides (unless otherwise specified or requested) and in some places, information may also be translated into other languages (such as Portuguese/French/Italian) depending on other nationalities present. Some other languages may also be requested at additional cost. Private services
Boutique Hotels (BT)
Private services are exclusive for you/your travelling companions which means you receive a higher level of personalised service from your guide. The departure time of private tours can be specified, their attention will be completely devoted to you and you can travel at your own pace within the allocated time.
Exclusive hotels with plenty of character, focused on design or special themes, often smaller in size in terms of rooms and offering exceptional service for a unique experience. Perfect for the discerning traveller after a truly memorable journey.
*Please note that in some remote/more expensive regions, a private driver only service may be used to bring down the costs. This will be specified on our itineraries.
Excellent hotels, often leading properties in their respective cities, either based on world class design or cultural characteristics. These may be based on international or local chains whilst some may be leading smaller hotels. Ideal for travellers who like to travel in style and prefer a high level of comfort.