Wild Frontiers

Flight Information

Direct flights to Buenos Aires from London take around 13:40hrs with British Airways, who offer a daily service.

Useful Tips

• Diet before you go… with all the delicious food you will put on weight!

• Take eye patches - with the strange daylight saving it stays light in summer until past eleven

• If visiting Mendoza, try one of the wineries taster menus - but only if you have a driver!

• If you are looking for a leather handbag, go to Casa Lopez or Prune in Buenos Aires

• Watch for con artists in Buenos Aires who may spill something on you while swiping your wallet

Recommended Reading

If you want to read up on your destination we recommend a variety of guidebooks such as Bradt Guides, Odyssey Guides, The Rough Guide and Footprint Guides. All these publications have good general information as well as more specific country information that will help orientate you in the areas you visit.

Good books and maps of Argentina are available at Stanfords in Covent Garden, London or online at www.stanfords.co.uk

Relevant Reading:
Firstly, we must recommend Argentina’s most famous writer Jorge Luis Borges, who’s Book of Imaginary Beings, is a classic. A challenging read, but a classic nonetheless!

Some of our favourites are In Patagonia, by Bruce Chatwin, The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey, by Ernesto Che Guevara, Evita: The Real Life of Eva Peron, by Nicholas Fraser, Masculinities: Football, Polo and the Tango in Argentina, by Eduardo P. Archetti, A Passion for Tango, by David Turner, and Across The Andes, by Charles J. Post.

If on a horse riding trip you might like Between Extremes, by Brain Keenan and John McCarthy, which charts their horse riding adventure through the Andes after both had been released from captivity in Beirut.

When To Go

Thanks to the size of Argentina the weather conditions can vary from place to place. Buenos Aires is generally an all year destination with mild winters between May and September and hot summers from November to March.

Elsewhere, Iguazú Falls can also be visited at any time but the summer is especially hot and humid, although the falls are at their highest flow levels at that time.

The lake district is a mountainous region and cool most of the year with the highest rainfall levels in April, May and June. The summer months are the best times but also the most popular.

The central areas of the country have close to a continental Europe climate with Cordoba and Mendoza being all year destinations, the wine harvest in Mendoza happens in February and March.

Patagonia is largely cool on the Atlantic side but the weather can be unpredictable. The best time for animal spotting is December - March. The southernmost part of Patagonia will have an extremely cold winter leaving much of the infrastructure closed. Autumn (March & April) and Spring (September - November) will have reduced winds and colourful landscapes.

One area best visited in winter time is the Northwest part of Argentina when between April - September the climate is largely dry and warm after the real heat and rain comes slightly before then.

Packing List

Below is a list of general items you might take with you on a Wild Frontiers trip to Argentina.

Luggage:
It is best to use a soft bag - rucksack/hold-all/duffel bag - so it can be transported and stored more easily.
A small daypack is practical for keeping general items (e.g. camera, books, wallets etc.) at hand when your main luggage is out of reach. It is also handy for day trips and excursions.

Clothing:
In general you should bring clothes you feel comfortable with, so as a guide we suggest a packing list like this:
• 4 x Light cotton shirts or T-shirts, short sleeved and long.
• 2/3 pairs of cotton trousers. If preferred, women can wear dresses and skirts
• 2 x Lightweight jumpers or sweatshirts
• Good quality fleece or warm jumper
• Warm jacket
• Down jacket or warm ski jacket
• Set of lightweight waterproofs (poncho provided)
• Warm nightwear
• Swim suit or trunks
• Gloves
• Warm Hat
• Wide brimmed sun hat or cap
• Change of clothing for the evenings
• An extra “outfit” if you’d like to dress up a bit on occasion
• Pair of recreational shoes (adventure sandals or trainers)

Equipment:
The following is useful extra equipment for your trip:
• Travel towel, travel soap and toiletries
• Torch and spare batteries (LED head-torch keeps your hands free)
• Pair of good quality sunglasses
• Water bottle
• Plug adapter (see ‘Electricity’ section)

Personal First Aid Kit:
• Any prescription medication required (please inform the tour leader at your pre-departure meeting about these)
• Antibacterial dry hand wash
• Painkillers: paracetamol & ibuprofen
• Rehydration salts (Gastrolyte)
• Travel motion-sickness tablets if required (e.g. natural ginger tablets)
• Diarrhoea remedies
• Antihistamines
• Cold/flu decongestants
• Mosquito Repellent
• Insect bite cream
• Laxatives
• Plasters/Bandage/Steri-Strips/Blister pads
• Sunscreen (30+ factor)
• Moisturiser/after sun cream/lip balm
• Contact lenses and solution if required
• Tweezers
(A kit with most of this in is available at www.nomadtravel.co.uk)

Optional Extras:
• Ear plugs (if sharing a room / camping)
• Alarm clock
• 3-4 plastic carrier bags are very useful for dirty washing, dirty shoes and rubbish
• Binoculars
• Small packs of tissues
• Money belt or secure pouch for money and passport etc.
• Eye patches if light affects your sleep
• Sewing kit/scissors
• Writing materials
• Spare batteries/camera memory cards
• Swiss Army knife
NB: If you wear glasses, it is advisable to bring a spare pair since opticians are rare. If you wear contact lenses you may find that climatic changes and dust can create visual irritation, therefore, it is advisable to bring a pair of glasses.

You might be tempted to buy a few souvenirs here and there, so leave a little room for those extra purchases!!

Hand Luggage:
Although it is very rare that luggage goes missing on flights, it has been known to happen and so it’s a good idea to carry a spare top, toothbrush, wash kit, underwear and any other essentials in your hand luggage so that you can at least freshen up while waiting for your bags to catch you up. If you wear your sturdy shoes/boots it will also reduce weight in your luggage and keep them safe.

Practical Information

Time:
Argentina is 3hrs behind GMT.
A useful website to check the time zone differences is www.worldtimezone.com

Food and Alcohol:
Food and alcohol " really means beef, lamb and wine " one of the treats of travelling to Argentina. If you are a vegetarian or have special dietary needs you can also be catered for; however in South America the type of food may be limited. Please let us know your requirements as soon as possible so we can make any arrangements to cater for your needs.

Electricity:
Those bringing video & digital cameras that require battery chargers should also bring a 3 prong adapter - 1 straight and 2 at an angle. In most hotels you can charge from the mains using a travel adaptor plug.

Money:
In Argentina the unit of currency is the Peso.
To check out the latest exchange rate for the places that you are visiting you can go to www.oanda.com

A few points to help you plan:
• US dollars are the easiest to exchange in South America although all major currencies are manageable.
• Traveller’s cheques are only exchangeable in large towns and cities and incur a higher charge to do so.
• The cities are often similar to modern European locations and can take credit card payments and have ATM’s nearby.
• If using ATM machines, be sure to notify your bank before you travel, sometimes specific cards are required to work

Language & Religion:
Argentina’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion while also requiring the government to financially support Roman Catholicism. Over 90% of the population are Christians, mostly being Roman Catholic. Argentina has the largest Jewish community within Latin America.

Spanish is the official language of the country called castellano by Argentines. Some indigenous communities have maintained their original languages often located towards Argentines border. There are a number of welsh speaking communities in Patagonia having emigrated in the 19th Century.

Cultural Sensitivity:
At Wild Frontiers we are very aware of the ethical impact tourism can have on ancient cultures. We realise that taking a group of tourists through such a region can have a negative impact on the lives of those who live there and on all our tours we therefore go to great lengths to minimise the negative and accentuate the positive…after all, there are also many good things that the tourist can bring.

To help this process we ask that our clients do not hand out pens or sweets to children. As one sign in Egypt emphatically put it, ‘Please don't make beggars out of our children!' No matter how well intentioned, in our opinion the dolling out of free gifts fosters a ‘beggar mentality' that is ultimately extremely destructive to a society. In addition we do not condone giving out money to beggars or ‘students'.

However, we also realise that we are exceptionally privileged to be travelling in areas where most of the people have far less than us and that the desire to ‘help' can be very powerful. As a result we ask that you refer to your trip dossier for information on the Wild Frontiers Foundation which supports specific projects in the areas where we travel.

Photography:
Please remember, we are guests in the countries through which we travel and we may sometimes inadvertently cause offence by taking photographs without first asking permission.

Also many countries have very strict rules about taking photos of army, police or any official personnel; restrictions apply at borders, bridges and any government building. Please exercise care in this regard as the penalty may be to have your film and/or camera confiscated.