by ALCHEMY DMC | Nov 30, 2017 | ALCHEMY DMC News, ALCHEMY DMC News, Tourism News
The garden, the details of interior design and the pool awarded Home Buenos Aires as the best boutique hotel in the region.
When in 2000 Patricia O’Shea and Tom Rixton decided to move from Dublin to Buenos Aires they looked for a property to build a hotel. They wanted to invite their European friends to the wedding, and to host them “in a really cool place”, as they define. Two years later, in an old furniture factory on Honduras Street, they built Home Buenos Aires. With 20 rooms, all different from each other, a dream garden, pool and special interior details, today the hotel became the Best Boutique Hotel in Latin America 2017, according to World Boutique Hotels Awards.
Six or seven years ago, wall papers did not have the “deco” acceptance they count on now. But they were the fetish of Patricia and Tom, who brought them especially from London. They became one of the reasons why the organization rewarded the hotel: “The collection of original wallpaper that the owners treasure, some as old as from 1889”. And they add: “The vegetable sanctuary next to the pool, Mulata: the hotel’s cat, and the effort to transport guests to live an experience that transmits the history and culture of its location, with its own style, were also evaluated satisfactorily “.
During 2017, the Home was also recognized among the 25 Best Hotels of South America in the Travelers Choice Awards 2017, of the magazine Condé Nast Traveler, in which it obtained the position no. 8, the highest among hotels in Argentina. In addition, they won the Best New Hotel Design Awards from Wallpaper Magazine 2006, Condé Nast Gold List 2015, and Best Boutique Hotel Argentina – Luxury Travel Awards 2014.
by ALCHEMY DMC | Nov 30, 2017 | ALCHEMY DMC News, Tourism News
At a special press conference held at World Travel Market lead by the Minister of Tourism for Argentina, Gustavo Santos and CEO of Edelweiss Air Mr. Bernard Bauer announced new direct services from Zurich to Buenos Aires. Flights will commence on 7 November 2018 with sales available with immediate effect. Also in attendance at the announcement and signing of the contracts was Mr. Horacio Rodriguez Larreta, Mayor of Buenos Aires. The flights will be operated on an A340-300 which will include 27 Business Class Seats, 76 Economy Max, and 211 Economy Class Seats.
Edelweiss plans to operate ZRH-EZE year round. The summer 2019 schedule might vary slightly but the current schedule is: Wednesday and Sunday 22:30 ZRH-EZE arriving 09:00 – Thursday and Monday’s 13:05 EZE-ZRH arriving 06:30 It is expected the new service will see an additional 33,000 passengers from Switzerland visiting Argentina each year.
Edelweiss is a subsidiary of Lufhtansa Group.
“In other aviation news as we continue to grow the tourism sector in Argentina we are pleased to announce our flight schedules and new services available in Argentina’s many airports. Our programme not only includes new flights, but also updates to our infrastructure which will increase capacity and provide tourists with an exceptional experience when travelling through Argentina.
A new aero-commercial programme that will double the number of passengers by 2019.
Our plans include the growth of Aerolineas Argentinas to a leading industry position, the incorporation of new airlines for more connection alternatives and the transformation of infrastructure and airspace to increase the capacity of Argentina’s airports.
We continue to increase service as we connect to the provinces without the need to transit through Buenos Aires. The new Aerolineas Argentinas hub in Cordoba connects destinations in the north and south of the country, reducing waiting times for connections and lowering ticket prices.
Further to this we are promoting new air routes and the establishment of new airlines servicing Argentina (many offer a low cost option) so we are in a position to continue growing connections and direct flights throughout the country. 135 routes were approved and established last year and there are 505 additional routes requested this year between domestic and international routes”.
by ALCHEMY DMC | Nov 30, 2017 | ALCHEMY DMC News, Outdoors, Tourism News
As dictated by the National Geographic website; the news were broadcasted by the local government.
Salinas Grandes de Jujuy was recognized as one of the “17 wildest and most beautiful places in the world” by the National Geographic website, which added the amazing white landscape, located at more than 4 meters of altitude, to the list of tourist destinations of the northern province highlighted internationally.
This was announced by the government of Jujuy to celebrate the mention of Salinas in the publication made by the international organization, which invites you to explore the “perfect trips” with images of the new book of National Geographic: Beautiful Wild Places.
“Jujuy, in the northwest of Argentina, is the country’s connection with the desert: a remote, arid and spectacularly beautiful land”, highlights a brief description attached to a photo in which you can appreciate the splendor of the place and pools rectangular from which the salts are extracted.
The salinas represent “a palette of lights, shadows and colors in constant change that transforms Jujuy into a photographer’s paradise”.
“In this way, the Salinas Grandes, 135 kilometers from the capital of Jujuy, join the town of Purmamarca, the Cerro de los Siete Colores, the Serranías del Hornocal, the summer village of Tilcara and the Calilegua National Park to the list of places internationally highlighted among tourist destinations not only in the province but also in Argentina”, commented from the provincial Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Among the 17 destinations selected for the publication, we see sites from everywhere in the world, including three from Latin America: the Salinas Jujeñas, Mount Roraima in Venezuela, and Southern Peru with its Inca tradition of shearing vicuñas.
Marking the beginning of the Puna region, to the west of the Quebrada de Humahuaca, the Salinas can be visited departing from the provincial capital by the national route 9 towards the north and then by the national route 52 until beyond Purmamarca and the Cuesta de Lipán, thus reaching the extensive sea of salt that covers some 12,000 hectares.
by ALCHEMY DMC | Nov 2, 2017 | ALCHEMY DMC News, ALCHEMY DMC News, Tourism News
Vik Retreats recognized with Condé Nast Traveler’s 2017 readers’ choice awards all four retreats named to top twenty best resorts in South America with Playa Vik José Ignacio and Bahia Vik José Ignacio tying for #1 in South America and #3 in the world’s best hotels, resorts, cities, islands, airlines, airports and cruise lines.
Playa Vik
Condé Nast Traveler today announced the results of its 30th annual Readers’ Choice Awards with Bahia Vik José Ignacio and Playa Vik José Ignacio recognized as the #1 resorts in South America and the #3 resorts in the world with a score of 99.61, Vik Chile recognized as the #4 resort in South America with a score of 98.35, and Estancia Vik José Ignacio recognized as the #16 resort in South America, with a score of 96.3.
Bahia Vik
Vik Retreats are a collection of private South American resorts designed for discerning travelers seeking a unique and unrivaled experience. Comprised of Estancia Vik José Ignacio, Playa Vik José Ignacio and Bahia Vik José Ignacio in Uruguay, and Vik Chile and the Viña Vik Vineyard in the Millahue Valley, Vik Retreats promise singular stays offering entrée into the very best of their respective locales. Since their debuts, the properties have been lauded as some of the most exceptional destinations in the world, and Condé Nast Traveler’s 2017 Readers Choice Awards further solidifiy their position as the benchmark in luxury travel.
Estancia Vik
Working in tandem to provide a world-class stay for visitors, Estancia Vik José Ignacio is romantic, rustic and traditional and located nearby in the hills rolling down to the José Ignacio lagoon, which runs into the ocean, Playa Vik José Ignacio showcases ultra-contemporary art and design along the most coveted spot on the coast, and Bahia Vik José Ignacio celebrates contemporary beach living with seamless flow between indoors and outdoors.
Website: www.vikretreats.com
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by ALCHEMY DMC | Nov 2, 2017 | ALCHEMY DMC News, Tourism News
“THESE GUYS WERE ARGENTINA AT ITS BEST” – by BRIAN WINTER
A tribute to the special Argentine talent for life-long friendships, in the wake of the New York terrorist attack.
I was practically a kid, 22 years old, when I moved to Argentina in 2000 with the crazy idea of making it as a reporter. Shockingly, the Buenos Aires Herald was in no rush to hire a Texan with no experience, and the economy seemed to be in a bit of trouble. I knew only two Argentines – both lovely, but older, with kids and lives of their own. So I spent sweltering days wandering the streets and riding the #60 bus (it crossed the whole city from Constitución to Tigre for under a dollar, and offered a nice breeze) while devouring empanadas, ñoquis and ham sandwiches on a budget of 70 pesos – which then was 70 dollars – per week.
Weekends were most desolate of all. I read Borges, Arlt and Mafalda. I binge-watched the Weather Channel in Spanish, and memorized the lyrics to a Rodrigo song. Finally, after watching the inauguration of Uruguayan President Julio María Sanguinetti on TV from start to finish, I decided I either needed to get a life or go home.
Two things ended up saving me. The first, though a total cliché, was tango lessons – which turned into a nice hobby and, years later, into a book. The second, far more important, was a group of a dozen Argentine guys from Temperley, an old railway suburb of Buenos Aires, whom I met through a common friend back home. They had known each other since high school; they spent weekends playing tennis, making asados and going to 1980s-themed nightclubs until 5 a.m.; they gave each other ridiculous nicknames like Wallet, Wolfman and Boti. They took me in, for reasons I still don’t quite understand, and baptized me “Caruso” – after an Argentine child actor of that era, the only other “Brian” they knew.
I had my own crew back home, but I quickly discovered the Argentine talent for life-long group friendships was in a class of its own. These guys did everything together. They had decade-old running jokes – one guy was always “getting married next spring” – and indecipherable slang. They were also open about their struggles, sometimes shockingly so – girlfriend trouble, job losses and family squabbles were dissected with both humor and subtle compassion. They vacationed together: Villa Gesell, Bariloche, the glaciers. I tagged along several times, awed by the strength of their bonds, convinced – correctly, as it turned out – that this group would stay together over the years, even after marriage, kids and careers began to take root.
I thought of those guys last night, in the wake of the terrible terrorist attack in New York City, where I now reside. Among the eight fatalities were five Argentine men, high school friends on a group trip to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their graduation – exactly the sort of thing my Temperley crew would have done. When I saw the photo of them (above) gathered at the Buenos Aires airport, wearing T-shirts that said “FREE,” I instantly understood what this trip meant to them. Sure, they were “free” for a weekend from the middle-aged pressures of jobs and family, but I reckon that was secondary. Above all, this was an opportunity to maintain those bonds, to re-up on those three-decade-old jokes, and laugh until 5 a.m.
According to Argentine press reports, Ariel Erlij, 48, had a successful career as a steel executive in Rosario, where the group had studied. He helped pay for his friends’ tickets – no small thing in a country just emerging from a nasty recession. They landed in New York, then made a quick side trip to Boston, where another member of the group now lives. Upon returning to the Big Apple yesterday, they decided to go on a bike ride in Lower Manhattan. Erlij and four others – Hernán Diego Mendoza, Diego Enrique Angelini, Alejandro Damián Pagnucco and Hernán Ferruchi – lost their lives. One of the survivors’ wives told La Nación: “They’d been waiting for this trip for so long. I can’t believe it ended this way.”
I have lived in other Latin American countries in the years since, and social bonds are tight there, too. But – I insist – there’s something special about Argentina. So much else has gone wrong over the years: the brutal dictatorship of the 1970s, the hyperinflation of the 1980s, and the devastating 2001-02 economic crisis, which I experienced firsthand (and eventually covered in my first reporting job). Why hasn’t everybody just abandoned the country? Well, many did. But those Argentines who remained will almost universally tell you it was because of those bonds – family, yes, but also their crew from high school or college. The national talent for lifelong camaraderie is surely Argentina at its very best. To see it now at the epicenter of an international tragedy, in the city where I live – I’m so sorry. It just breaks my heart.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brian Winter is editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly magazine and the vice president for policy at Americas Society/Council of the Americas. A best-selling author and columnist, Brian is a leading expert on Latin America and a frequent speaker for international media and events.
Source: http://www.americasquarterly.org/content/these-guys-were-argentina-its-best
by ALCHEMY DMC | Oct 31, 2017 | ALCHEMY DMC News, ALCHEMY DMC News, Outdoors, Tourism News
This is a rare opportunity to directly visit some great organic vineyards, and meet the people
behind them. With beautiful countryside, great food and good humor on hand, you can
ensure that you’ll be well looked after, and return with stories to tell, and a heightened
enthusiasm to discover more about the world of organic wine in Mendoza.
Think Green… get ready for an amazing tour in Uco Valley. The visits will begin in the vineyards where organic farming will be explained and then continues inside the wineries where you will see all the chain of production from the pressing machine to the steel tanks, from the barrels to the filling bottle machine and understand the difference between the organic method and the conventional technique of wine making.
First, you will visit MASI Winery, a heaven for native flora and fauna. Masi has integrated its own techniques into the winery and created an eco-sustainable reality in which important oasis of biodiversity are maintained in the context of organic agriculture. Care and respect for the environment are part of the Masi company culture and philosophy, their wines combine the exuberance of Argentinean nature with the attractive style and elegance of wines from the Veneto, Italy.
On our way to the following estate, we´ll stop for some more scenic views of spectacular vineyards and fruit orchards of the beautiful district of Uco Valley. Once we arrive at The Vines of Mendoza, we will hop onto our bikes and we´ll pedal along the wide dirt roads among the vineyards tracks knowing this wonderful wine resort. Afterwards, you can taste the fantastic products from a beautiful family winery : Super UCO. There we meet one of the Michelini brothers who will explain all the process to make a great biodynamic wine, focused on the pure soul and terroir of the Uco Valley, specifically Gualtallary and Vista Flores districts. This boutique, biodynamic project is the first of its kind in Mendoza with very limited production of top quality, terroir driven wines. The two hectares farm is planted in circles with 360 degrees of exposure to the sun. The different varietals are planted from the center outward, as its vegetative cycle dictates … cutting edge, meticulously crafted argentinian wines
We continue west along the rolling countryside to get to Domaine Bousquet, a highly awarded organic wine producer. The winery is dedicated to farming organically while improving their land’s biodiversity. They really think the healthier the vineyard, the better the fruit and of course the wine. Organic agriculture and production helps to protect and sustain the land and the environment for future generations.
This is the ideal tour when you’re looking for an experience that goes beyond ordinary. On a clear day you really can see forever. Expansive only begins to describe each view which is surpassed only by the next mountain country vista!
