ARGENTINA
28 Feb - 4 Apr 2018
Highlights:
- 14-colour mountains and 7-colour hills in Jujuy region
- Amazing rock formations in Salta
- Nice wine in Mendoza
- Cheap Kingcrab in end of the world city, Ushuaia
- Great autumn colours and hiking trails in Argentinian Patagonia
- Beautiful Moreno Glacier
Map of our roadtrip:
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Day 1(28 Feb) - Singapore - BA
We flew Singapore Airline to Buenos Aires, flying via Turkey. We departed Singapore 0150 hours and arrived Istanbul 0825 hours. Rested at the lounge for about an hour before taking our flight at 1035 hours to EZE airport. Singapore to Istanbul 11h; Istanbul-Sao Paolo 13h20m, arrived 1925hours and stopover for 1h15mins before heading to Buenos Aires. Flight time was 2h20mins. After clearing immigration and collecting our luggage’s, we booked a taxi service to hotel for $40 (800 peso) before walking out of the custom. We arrived Holiday Inn around 1250am. Hotel: Holiday Inn Express |
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DAY 2 (1 Mar) - BA - Uruguay - BA
Colonia. 5 mins walk from hotel to Buquebus terminal to buy day tour to Colonia. Go to the tourist centre, take a queue number. The fast ferry departs at 815am. We took the luxury package for USD179 (for 2), inclusive of fast ferry, guided tour, lunch and bus ticket. After payment, take the paper to the check in counter (number 6). after checking in and taking the ferry ticket, go to second floor to clear custom. First is the Argentina immigration, then Uruguay, which are side by side. Arrived 920am, bus left 955am. Finished tour 1111am, free&easy after that. Went to restaurant for lunch around 1215h as most shops closed for lunch. Had a big bottle of beer for 250uruguay or USD9. Finished lunch 210pm and waited for the 3pm bus back to ferry terminal, which is only 3 mins away. Need to queue for check in to take the ferry ticket before going through immigration. First will go through Uruguay immigration, then go to counter 4 or 5 for Argentina immigration. After going through the immigration, go up to second floor to board the ferry. Ferry left at 402pm and docked at Buenos Aires terminal at 512pm and hotel 527pm. Cash withdrawal 3,204 peso from DBS card. Exchanged USD500 to 9925 peso, (19.85). Dinner at Galaria Pacifico for 145peos. Went to Personal to do the SIM card and topped up 100 pesos. But doesn’t seem to work Hotel: Holiday Inn Express |
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DAY 3 (2 Mar)- Buenos Aires - Salta
Checked out 9am and booked a taxi to airport through hotel for 288 pesos. 20 mins ride and checked in and at waiting area by 10am. 1105am flight to Salta. Flight took off at 1150am. Landed 150pm. Upon landed, went to the car rental company to pick up our car. Hotel: Hotel Ankara Suites |
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DAY 4 (3Mar)- Salta - Cachi
Checked out and left apartment around 9am, driving towards Cachi. The road conditions were good for most part, but some part are dirt road. We arrived Cachi around 430pm. After settling into our room, we drove to the town area, which is only 4 blocks away. Visited the archeological museum (60pesos each) and stroll around the centre (less than 20 mins you can finished the centre hahaha). Then we drove up to the cemetery for a panoramic view of Cachi before heading back to hotel. Drove to city centre for dinner again at around 7pm. Hotel: El Cortijo Hotel Boutique |
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DAY 5 (4Mar)- Cachi - Cafayate
After breakfast, we checked out from the hotel and left around 930am towards Cafayate. Drove the gravel and dirt route 40, which is the longest road in Argentina connecting from the North to South. Fortunately, the weather was good and hence not an issue to drive using 2WD on this road. We passed by several small towns (Seclantás, Molinos, Angastaco, and San Carlos) and the interesting Quebrada de las Flechas (arrow tip shape rock) before arriving Cafayate at around 5pm (including all the stop for taking photos). Fill up petrol at Cafayate (Petrol 900 pesos) before checking into our hotel. So tired that we slept around 6plus pm and skipped dinner. Hotel: Kallpa |
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DAY 6 (5Mar) - Cafayate
Had breakfast around 8plus and set off to ruins of Quilmes, which is about 50mins drive from Cafayate city centre. We spend about 2 hours in the ruins and drove back to Cafayate. Along the way, we stopped at a vineyard for late lunch. Back in hotel around 4plus pm and strolled around the city center. Too tired for dinner and slept around 8pm Hotel: Kallpa |
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Day 7 (6Mar)- Cafayate - Salta
Departed hotel in Cafayate around 930am and reached Salta 630pm. Driving the route 68 where you see lots of interesting and nice rock formations. Tarmac road all the way. Pumped petrol 440 pesos along the way. In the afternoon we make our way back to Salta visiting The Shell’s Gorge and its unequalled landscapes. Due to wind and rain erosion, these colourful formations have different names, such as The Devil’s Throat, The Amphitheatre, The Frog, The Monk, The Castles, The Windows, the ancient train station “Alemanía”, among others. The Lerma Valley (cradle of the Salteñan Tobacco), Salta. Hotel: Hotel Ankara Suites |
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Day 8 (7Mar)- Salta-San Antonio de los Cobres-Salinas-Grandes-Purmamarca
Departed hotel around 9am. The first town we pass by was the traditional town of Quijano and then, we reach to the Toro Gorge. After stopping for some photos, we continued our way to Tastil, at a height of about 3,000m altitude. We stop and take a stroll in the pre-Incan city of Tastil. Then, we continued our trip to San Antonio de los Cobres, which is a small mining town, to have a simple lunch at the tourist information. We departed the town around 4pm and took a gravel road (100km) to the Salt Flats. Took us almost 3 hours to reach here and unfortunately lightning and shower was approaching. Hence we took a few shots and hurried back to our car and make our way to Purmamarca on route 152. Again had to drive very slowly as we were driving into the heavy storm with lightning and fog. We finally arrived at our hotel in the picturesque Purmamarca town (Province of Jujuy), with its famous Seven Colour Hill around 10pm. Overnight in Purmamarca Hotel: Marques de Tojo Hotel |
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Day 9 (8Mar)- Purmamarca-Tilcara-Humahuaca-Salta
After breakfast, we checked out from our hotel but left our car here to explore the 7 colour hill. Was fortunate that weather turned sunny and saw amazing colours. There’s two vantage points to take photo of the hill. Once is near the hill but need to pay an extensive fee of 10 pesos. The other is across the route 152 and river, and climb up a small hill to have a vantage view of the town and colourful hill. Both are short walk, and would recommend doing both. After many photo shots, we left the town to the 14 colour mountains. The drive took us about 2 hours, but is well worth the drive. The view is simply stunning. We had a slow stroll As the altitude is very high at 4,350m -and enjoyed our packed lunch. On the way back, we drove around Humahuaca Gorge, in the Province of Jujuy, which was declared Humanity’s Patrimony. We also stopped by at Tilcara. Here you can visit El Pucará (Pre-Incan city) and the Archaeological Museum. Another small town Uquía, well-known for its Church which houses paintings from the Cuzco School. We left Tilcara around 6pm+ and headed back to Salta arriving 9pm+. Petrol at Tilcara 800 peso. Hotel: Hotel Ankara Suites |
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Day 10 (9Mar) - Salta - Mendoza
Pumped Petrol before returning car (500 pesos). Paid 1,300 pesos for overweight. 2 hours flight to Mendoza, take the seats on the right side of the plane (facing cockpit) to have the view of colourful mountains. We arrived Mendoza closed to 3pm and headed to collect our rental car at Europcar. Waited for almost 45mins to collect our car, but was upgraded to an automatic car for free. The drive from airport to our B&B was about 20-25mins, which is located just around the corner of Mendoza’s nightspots. After settling in our room, we walked out for dinner and decided to have sushi for dinner at SushiShop. Not nice :( Hotel: 816 B&B |
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Day 11 (10Mar) - Mendoza - Aconcagua
Day trip to Mt Aconcagua. Woke up early to have breakfast as the drive to the Parque Provincial Aconcagua is about 3 hrs. Left our accommodation around 9am+ and reached the visitor centre of the park around 1230pm. Entrance fee to the park and lookout point is 40 pesos each, and to hike to Confluencia base camp is 500 pesos each, which we opted. The walk to the base camp requires about 3.5 hours in and about 3 hours return. We did not make it to the camp as time was running short. The park supposed to close at 6pm. We left the park around 545pm, and on the return route, we stopped by Puerto del Inca for hamburger and photos of the ancient natural formed bridge. Thereafter, we make our way back to accommodation, arriving around 945pm. Hotel: 816 B&B |
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Day 12 (11Mar): Mendoza
Day trip to vineyard region. We left our apartment around 1145am. First stop was to the local market (Mercado Central 1883), a short drive from our apartment. Bought some fruits here before heading out to the vineyard restaurant in Maipu region. Reached the restaurant (Casa del Visitantel) around 1pm. We were the only two person when we arrived, but the crowds started to come in around 30 mins later. After lunch, we left the restaurant around 435pm after a sumptuous lunch and headed to a local shopping mall (Palmares Plaza). Spend about half an hour here, and drove to the hill monument and park before heading home. Pumped petrol 930pesos Hotel: 816 B&B |
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Day 13(12Mar) : Mendoza - Ushuaia
Checked out apartment around 420am and drove to airport (20mins drive). Returned the car at the car park and checked our luggages into LATAM airline to Ushuaia. Arrived 720 am in BA and waited at the airport for our connecting flight at 1040am to Ushuaia. The flight time was about 3h40mins from BA to Ushuaia. Upon landed, we decided to rent a car for two nights for ARS3,080. The drive from airport to hotel took us only 15-20 mins. Checked into hotel 4pm+, and drove around the city and had dinner at La Cantina Fueguina De Freddy for King crab (about US$40/kg). Hotel: Del Bosque Apart Hotel |
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Day 14 (13Mar): Ushuaia
After breakfast, we drove off to Parque Nacional Tierra Del Fuego. Entrance fee is ARS350 each. We spend half day walking the different trails and left the park at around 5-6pm. On the way back, we stopped by at the end of the world train station for some quick photos before head g back to town for King crab dinner again. We tried El Viejo Marino restaurant this time, which is equally good, but much cheaper (about US$40 per Kingcrab). Went back to hotel after dinner Hotel: Del Bosque Apart Hotel |
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Day 15 (14 Mar): Ushuaia - Antarctica
Checked out from hotel at around 10am and checked in our luggages for the Antarctica cruise before we drove off towards Emerald Lagoon trail. Back to Ushuaia town around 130pm and hang around the hotel till 4pm and drove to Avis to return the car. From there, we walked over to the cruise control area to board the cruise, which set sail at 6pm. On the sea for the rest of the day |
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Day 16 (15Mar): Antarctica
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Day 18 (17Mar): Antarctica
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Day 19 (18 Mar): Antarctica
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Day 20 (19 Mar): Antarctica
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Day 21 (20 Mar): Antarctica
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Day 22 (21 Mar): Antarctica
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Day 23 (22Mar): Antarctica
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Day 24 (23Mar): Antarctica
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Day 25 (24Mar): Antarctica
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Day 26 (25Mar): Antarctica
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Day 27 (26 Mar): Antarctica
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Day 28 (27 Mar): Antarctica
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Day 29 (28 Mar): Back to Ushuaia
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Day 30 (29 Mar):
Returned the car in the airport and took a flight to El Calafate. |
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Day 31 (30 Mar):
Drove 1h30min from El Calafate to Morena glacier lookout point. Entrance fee to the national park is AR500 each. We join a mini trek on the glacier (AR3,100 each), which includes the ferry ride, and 3-hr trek on the glacier. Took the 1130pm ferry and back around 430pm. Drove back to the boardwalk and walked the longer route to view the glacier from another angle. |
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Day 32 (31 Mar):
Left Calafate around 845am after breakfast and drove about an hour plus to Leona Hotel to meet the guide for the 3-hr excursion. |
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Day 33 (1 Apr):
Had breakfast at 10am and started the Laguna Torre trail at 1050am. Back to apartment around 7pm |
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Day 34 (2 Apr):
Had breakfast at 9am and started the xxx trail at 10am. Reached Laguna Capri at 12pm plus, a beautiful lake with the mountains view behind. Stop here for a short lunch break before continuing with our hike. Just before we reached the climb to the Torres view, started to rain quite heavily and hence decided to turn back. We reached the carpark after 8pm, and our last half an hour walk we needed touch light. |
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Day 35 (3 Apr):
Checked out at 1130am, and did a 3-4 hour hike at xxx for the view of the mountains in the park. Finished the hike around 3pm plus. Had a quick lunch at the lookout point, and drove back to El Calafate (2.5 hours drive). Arrived hotel 645pm, settle down and return the rental car at Localize around 8pm. Then walked across to xx for dinner. Finished 950pm and walked back to hotel |
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Day 36 (4 Apr):
Pick up 7am from Calafate to TDP. |
TRIP PHOTOS - ARGENTINA