Travel Channel 

The new TJs are headed to Chile 6/09 - 6/16. Give them your suggestions and ideas of cool places to go and things to do.

TJ's-
The Andes mountains are a MUST SEE

Hey TJs,
I must speak about Chile because my Spanish professor is Chilean. If you're in Santiago, you have to go to the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (National Museum of Fine Arts). It is such a magnificent building that once was a palace. The building is a great example of gothic style architecture and it houses thousands of paintings and sculptures from Chile's finest. Plus, there is free entry on Sunday!
Also, check out wine country where you can taste and experience some of Chile's finest wines. Take a wine tour and you are sure to have a wonderful time.

Hasta Luego,
Kelly, Georgia

I recommend visiting Cerro Santa Lucia. It's worth the climb up. It's one of the first places established in Santiago. There's also a little street fair across the street (from the main Castillo Hidalgo entrance) that has nice stuff.

You should also visit Cerro San Cristobal. You can take the funicular up the mountain, and finish the climb up to the Statue of the Virgin Mary. it's also fun to ride the telefericos (cable cars) across the park.

If there isn't much smog, the views from both Cerros are spectacular.

Finally, you can't leave Chile without trying the wine. The Carmenere is one of their best red wines.

Hola TJ's!

I heard the wine in Chile is something to experience during your time there. Maybe you should check out some vineyards along the way.

Jean

TJs-
You MUST have a pisco sour before leaving Chile!
In Santiago (I think in the area of the city Penalolen) is Parque por la Paz. This is a very moving place that honors the victims of Pinochet's military museum. Stop by this park as a way to understand htis part of Santiago's history. Its not a large park so its a good half day trip.
If you have time, take a trip out to Valparaiso or Vina del Mar for the beach and the amazing architecture.
There are several organic vineyards north of Santiago..
Check out some of the neighborhoods- nunoa has a great plaza with small restaurants and bars for night time, bellavista has an artsy street with bars and interesting nightlife, barrio paris-londres has some great streets to wonder down!
If you're feeling adventurous travel on the yellow buses, or micros, but be prepared to flag them down if you want them to stop (and hold on once on the bus)!

im so glad that the travel channel is exploring south america. Even more so that you guys will be in chile. where my dad and his side of the fam. are all from.

anyhow you guys should deffenatly chech out La Sebastiana *Pablo neruda's house*, in Valparaiso. its an amazing tour. aslo while your in valparaiso make sure to check out the Robinson Crusoe Inn. it has an amazing glass terrace. you get a 360 degree veiw of the city . its beautiful.just ask for Jorge Yavar..... who happens to be my dad.
Also you have to go to the many wine vineyards. like everyone has said....they have the best red wines! oh and dont be affard to try the local drink pisco sours!

hope you guys have a blast!

~simone

I agree w/ the above posters that they should check out Pablo Neruda's houses (he was a famous poet). There's one that belonged to his mistress in Santiago called La Chascona and one right on the ocean (Vina del Mar?) where he is buried. San Cristobal Hill is also a must.
There's a winery in Valparaiso called Concha y Torro that we went to - we got to sample the wines and take a tour of the cellar. They even sell the Concha y Torro wine at our local Sam's Club here in the middle of Iowa!
If they get to travel further south, Puerto Montt has incredible rafting on the Petrohue river. We took a 1920's sleeeper train from Santiago to Puerto Montt- it was a unique way to travel. The ocean views there are also incredible. Punta Arenas and Tierra del Fuego are great but they probably won't be heading that far south.

Be sure to try a hotdog or completo as it's called. It's not at all similar to the American version. This one takes mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, tomato, mashed avocado (palta), sauerkraut (chucrut) and chilli (ají). All of it makes a full sandwich, i.e. un completo. With mayonnaise, tomato and avocado it's un italiano with the colors of the Italian flag.

A common combination is meat with avocado and/or mayonnaise. Such as Ave palta mayo (chicken with avocado and mayonnaise) or Churrasco palta (thinly sliced beefsteak with avocado).

The strong presence of avocado is a Chilean standard for sandwiches that even makes it to the fast food franchises who include it in their menus.

If you are interested in trying wine or whatever, it's important to know this... in Chile it's illegal to drink on the streets or public areas. The alcohol laws also severely restrict vendors hours depending on the week day (in no case after 3 AM or before 9 AM). For Foreigners it's allowed to consume alcoholic beverages around the clock but only with their passport and in the hotel they're staying.

hey! I've been watching 5 takes for a couple of seasons, but this is my first time in the forums! I wish you guys good luck/best wishes in your travels....on your trip to chile I think you guys should try some

CAZUELA DE VACUNO - beef soup with pieces of meat, potatoes, corn on the cob, carrots, onions, green beans, garlic, chunks of pumpkin, rice or noodles....

it sounds really good and I heard it's a typical Chilean dish. I think Erika will really like this!

safe journey, guys!

Chile is an amazing country, the landscaping and the people in Chile are unique. People are very friendly. You won't regret it. I recommend you go to 4 amazing places:
1-First the north: you can go to San Pedro de Atacama. The Chilean dessert is one of the driest in the world.
2-Central Valley: There you must visit
Vina del Mar. You can find a lot of night life there and some amazing architecture. Vina del Mar is in the 5th region. You can also visit Portillo which is also in the 5th region. Portillo is a sky resort in the Andes Mountains.
3-The south: you guys must go to Pucon. This is located in the IX region. The nighlife and architecture is amazing there too. The best thing about Pucon is that you can see an active volcano from almost anywhere, you can even climb up the volcano and see the crater. The volcano is called Villarica Volcano.
I hope you guys get good weather there, since now it is winter.
I am so happy you are doing South America, because now I can show my friends in the USA my beautiful country: Chile.

Chile is an awesome country. Santiago is a HUGE city with lots to do and A LOT to buy. Cerro Santa Lucia in the downtown area is a must see. If its a day with no smog you'll enjoy amazing views of the andes and santiago. You should also visit the paseo ahumada, a huge vibrant shopping and commercial center. The architecture is very interesting and the streets are pedestrian only, so its a great place to meet locals. Just around the corner from the shopping is the Plaza de Armas. Once there you'll find great historic architecture and and a nice plaza to take a break. For the more modern areas, head over to Las Condes, Providencia and Vitacura for great shopping and fine dinning. During your stay you must try Sopaipillas, and empanadas de horno!! I hope you find Chile to be an awesome country, HAVE FUN!

Hey there globe trotters. Even though it is just the beginning of another great ski season in Chile, we would like to invite your group for a day of skiing at the Valle Nevado Ski Resort. Since we are not officially open yet, you guys will be the only ones on the mountain, so enjoy. I'm expecting to see some good moves out there. Maybe some 180's and 360's. Let's try to stay on our feet though, no wipe-outs.... (ha).
Have a Chile Summer!
Bill
Marketing and Promotions
Valle Nevado Ski Resort, Chile

@ travelgirl87

Well, that soup sounds like it is filled with yumminess! I promise to try it and let you know how it is. (And thanks for giving me pointers on local food, you know me too well)

Hi, TJ's. In terms of where to stay in Santiago, I found a nice-looking hostel on the internet called the Bellavista Hostel. It has free internet access in the lobby and rooms, as well as free fresh linens and blankets in every room. Breakfast is included. The hostel is in a neighborhood with a lot of bars and night clubs, and is within walking distance of many sights of interest. Have fun in Santiago!

These cities are great. However, I would like to see them go to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Although the city is not as big as Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro, it has a lot to offer. The city is home to the oldest establishment of the western hemisphere. In fact, Christopher Columbus founded many of the city's buildings and churches. The locals even say that Columbus' body is buried in one of the country's churches.

Also, they will be able to see the oldest church(es) and the oldest university of the western hemisphere. At the same time, they will fall in love with the oldest colonial neighborhoods of the new world (La Zona Colonial).

A really good time to go to Santo Domingo is during their annual festival held in La Vega. This festival is the biggest festival of Hispanola.

There are also many clubs in Santo Domingo that they can go to dance Merengue - one of most popular latin dances in the US second to Salsa.

Dominican Republic has close ties to the United States and over the past years tourism has grown a lot, this destination will be great for the Travel Channel to explore. I am sure the viewers will enjoy something new outside from the typical mentioned Latin American locations.

Speaking of Valparaiso, I was reading that the many hills surrounding the bay offer some amazing views. Apparently, there are also some old-fashioned elevators that you can take to get up these hills.

Chile is a beautiful country and you can have fun there. I wouldn’t spend too much time in Santiago- perhaps 2 or 3 days at the most- a few museums and galleries, el cajon del Maipo (a great spot up in the mountains about 2/3 hours from the city centre), the hills around Santiago (where you can get some great photos) and the port of Valparaiso about 2 hours from Santiago. To me, though, your trip doesn’t really start until you leave Santiago..that’s when you really get to find out what Chile is all about... Definitely go to Torres del Paine National Park with layers of clothing

HEY TJs COMO ESTAN? Chile is an awsome place, I'll be heading there for the second time in a few weeks.

You should try to make it to Valle Nevado even if you don't ski... TRY! The drive up the mountain alone is incredible, and you must stay for the sunset it's amazing.

I see lots of posts for you to try a Pisco Sour... good suggestions but if you really want to try pisco the local way a Piscola is what you want. 1/2 glass coke & a 1/2 glass pisco is the way to do it! Also try Vaina, another chilean drink. For food you should try anyting that is "a lo pobre" typically Lomo a lo Pobre. You can find this most anywhere in South America but I think it was the best in Chile.

For destinations: you should try sand boarding & dune buggies in the Atacama desert in the north. Also, look into going to Easter Island. If you can't get there, go to the Easter Island museum in Viña del Mar to see a real Moai. Next to Viña is Valparaiso, definitely go up one of the elevators to see a great view of the harbor. The best is near the Aduana building. You can also get a tour of the harbor from one of the fishing boats. In Santiago, there is a small free museum under the "White House" the capital building. If your up for a good walk Cerro San Cristobal has great views of the city, or you can take the funicular (gondola) to the top.

I haven't been to the south yet but I hope this helps you guys out and that you enjoy Chile as much as I did.

Chau Chau

Hey Tom!
I'm so jealous that you get to go to Santiago! I was there a few years ago and can't wait to go back. Since you're really into the local culture, don't miss the Los Dominicos artisans market. Not only do they sell amazing crafts, but you get to see the artists at work!Have fun!