{"id":1664,"date":"2025-05-04T09:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-04T09:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/?p=1664"},"modified":"2025-05-06T13:05:56","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T13:05:56","slug":"every-gen-zer-is-travelling-thailand-so-i-flew-8000-miles-in-the-opposite-direction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/04\/every-gen-zer-is-travelling-thailand-so-i-flew-8000-miles-in-the-opposite-direction\/","title":{"rendered":"Every Gen Zer is travelling Thailand, so I flew 8,000 miles in the opposite direction"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n\t\t\"A\t<\/div>
Metro\u2019s Lucia Botfield didn\u2019t know what to expect from a trip to the far side of Latin America (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018There\u2019s no way you have gone all the way to South America to go bird watching\u2019, a friend replied to my Instagram<\/a> story a few days into my travels around Chil\u00e9<\/a>. \u2018My grandma would absolutely love this,\u2019 she added.<\/p>\n

As a 23-year-old Londoner with a penchant for pub Thursdays and Rowan\u2019s in Finsbury Park, aviary observation has never been high on my agenda.<\/p>\n

Neither, for that matter, had Chil\u00e9.<\/p>\n

Prior to my trip, I\u2019d never given much thought to this country of wild extremes; it seems everyone around my age prefers to travel in the opposite direction, across Thailand<\/a>, the Philippines<\/a>, Bali<\/a> and Australia<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But now I know they are sorely missing out.<\/p>\n

Thanks to its explosive nightlife, delicious food and breathtaking scenery, Chil\u00e9 is now one of my favourite countries. It\u2019s where I well and truly caught the bug for Latin America, so much so that I booked a ticket to Peru<\/a> as soon as I returned.<\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t\tSign up to The Getaway newsletter\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
\n

Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Santiago: City of culture and wine bars<\/h2>\n

Right in the middle of Chil\u00e9 is its capital, Santiago, best described as a one-stop-shop for anyone who wants to see the country but doesn\u2019t have much time to spend.<\/p>\n

The city, which is surrounded by the towering Andes mountains and the shimmering Pacific, has all the hustle and bustle you would expect of a Latin American metropolis. <\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"\"\t<\/div>
Santiago is overshadowed by the Andes mountains (Picture: Lucia Botfield)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Historically overlooked in favour of more glamorous South American capitals such as Buenos Aires<\/a>, Santiago is a city on the up. From thumping nightlife to exciting cuisine and some of the best street art on the continent, there\u2019s something to suit every taste. I spent only one day in Santiago, but I\u2019d recommend longer to explore all the city has to offer.<\/p>\n

The most memorable stop on my whistle-stop tour is Bocanariz Vinobar, a cosy wine bar tucked away in the upmarket Santa Lucia district.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s where I got my first taste of Chilean red wine, which has made it difficult to enjoy my once beloved Tesco<\/a> \u2018chicken wine\u2019 back home.<\/p>\n

Santiago is replete with religious symbolism; Chileans take enormous pride in their Catholic faith. <\/p>\n

Overlooking the city is a giant statue of the Virgin Mary, whose all-seeing eyes keep watch from atop the Cerro San Crist\u00f3bal, one of the country\u2019s principal places of worship.<\/p>\n

Santiago to the south: over the Andes<\/h2>\n

Lured from the capital by spectacular landscapes, I head one thousand kilometres south to Puerto Montt, a quaint 19th-century city founded during Germany\u2019s colonial rule.<\/p>\n

European influence remains strong here; it\u2019s particularly evident in the architecture, with dozens of Bavarian-style Lutheran churches made from wood. In some areas, it\u2019s common to see the German flag flying alongside the Chilean.<\/p>\n

History aside though, most people come here for the scenery.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"\"\t<\/div>
Not a bad view from the plane window (Picture: Lucia Botfield)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Speeding past lush green fields flanked by majestic peaks, it\u2019s not hard to see why locals care so much about their environment.<\/p>\n

Chil\u00e9\u2019s incredible biodiversity has scooped up nominations at the World Travel Awards because of its deep commitment to sustainable tourism<\/a>. It is regularly shortlisted for both Leading Green Destination and Leading Nature Destination \u2014\u00a0and in my eyes, it\u2019s a clear winner.<\/p>\n

In Puerto Varas, the lake district, I meet Felipe, a guide with the rewilding group BirdChile<\/a>, who wastes no time telling me about the smorgasbord of winged creatures we\u2019ll be able to spot on our expedition.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"\"\t<\/div>
The German Lutheran Church in Frutillar, a small town in the Lake District near Puerto Montt (Picture: Wolfgang Kaehler\/LightRocket via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s refreshing to hear someone talk about something they are passionate about, and it\u2019s clear from the way Felipe\u2019s face lights up how much thought and effort goes into educating aspiring birdwatchers on these tours.<\/p>\n

Bird watching was far from the South America I\u2019d imagined; images of Rio\u2019s infamous carnival<\/a> had come to mind as I prepared for my trip. <\/p>\n

But after an hour patiently listening for the mating call of the Chilean Magellanic woodpecker, I start to understand why retirees devote so much time to it.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s strange serenity in waiting for a bird call that may never come.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"\"\t<\/div>
Chil\u00e9\u2019s forests reminded me of wooden cabin trips to the Forest of Dean I\u2019d made as a child (Picture: Lucia Botfield)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Felipe, armed with a JBL speaker, plays bird noises in the hope of attracting a response as we wait with baited breath.<\/p>\n

As the youngest person on the tour, bringing down the average age by a solid 30 years, I rationalised the hobby in my own terms. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a bit like Pokemon GO<\/a>, without the jazz and battles.<\/p>\n

Chilo\u00e9 Island: paradise found<\/h2>\n

After three days in Puerto Varas, we catch the ferry to Chilo\u00e9 Island, which soon becomes my favourite region.<\/p>\n

Our first stop is Chacao, a small port village by the port dotted with wooden churches and souvenir shops. All are presided over by women rhythmically clacking knitting needles.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"\"\t<\/div>
Most of the souvenirs were made of wool from sheep of local farms (Picture: Lucia Botfield)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We take to the water on a zodiac for another round of birdwatching. A lone penguin stands on the rocks, staring aimlessly into the distance.<\/p>\n

Felipe explains that due to climate change, they have lost many of the once thriving population.<\/p>\n

That night is spent in Hotel Tierra Chiloe<\/a>, one of the most incredible places I\u2019ve stayed in my life.<\/p>\n

The only property as far as the eye can see, the structure is built on stilts in the style of traditional Chilean homes, with huge windows flooding the interior with natural light and panoramic views.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"\"\t<\/div>
Hotel Tierra Chiloe was a stay of dreams (Picture: Lucia Botfield)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The hotel has a strong commitment to sustainability and environmentally conscious tourism, reflective of the mindset of the Chilean people.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s an award-winning spa to unwind in after a long day of adventuring, and stays are all-inclusive. Rates are calculated per person, based on double occupancy.<\/p>\n

Chilean grub: \u2018stones of the sun\u2019<\/h2>\n

Chileans adopt an outdoors-first approach to life.<\/p>\n

In every restaurant, I\u2019m told these people live off the land. Most follow the 100 miles rule, which means produce is sourced locally, 100 miles away or less.<\/p>\n

After saying goodbye to bird-whisperer Felipe, I am passed to the trusted hands of Cyril, a guide from Chiloe Natural<\/a> who takes me to experience an authentic Chilean barbecue using\u2019stones of the sun\u2019 (aka leaves and fire) to prepare meat and bread.<\/p>\n

While the food was an acquired taste and a bit too meat-heavy for me, it was amazing to see the years of tradition that inspire this style of cooking.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"\"\t<\/div>
Locals prepare the barbecue with hot stones and leaves (Picture: Lucia Botfield)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The final stop on my transformational Chilean journey is the farm of Sandra Naiman, a specialist in agritourism who teaches other women how to farm organically.<\/p>\n

Beaming with pride, Sandra takes us around her land, which she has cultivated with her hands using traditional methods passed down by her ancestors.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019m really happy with the work I do. Although I mostly work alone, I see results and I know it can be done. Anyone can do it with a little sacrifice and patience,\u2019 Sandra says.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"\"\t<\/div>
Sandra inherited the land from her maternal grandparents (Picture: Lucia Botfield)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018It was really hard at first. I had to clean up the land, remove trees and create spaces. I started little by little, with flowers and garlic. Now I grow potatoes, both in the greenhouse and outside. <\/p>\n

\u2018I have pigs, sheep, chickens. I define myself through my work, because I work alone all day long. I wake up very early and I go to bed very late.\u2019<\/p>\n

After saying goodbye to Sandra, I notice she stands waving outside her house until we\u2019re out of sight.<\/p>\n

A warm farewell from a people, and a country, I will return to.<\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t\tGetting to Chil\u00e9\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
\n

You can fly from the UK to Chil\u00e9 with LATAM Airlines<\/a>. Flights to Santiago are around \u00a3500 per person, with a connection in Sao Paolo, Brazil.<\/p>\n

LATAM Airlines was named South America\u2019s leading airline 2024for the ninth consecutive year in World Travel Awards (WTA), which is considered the Oscars of the tourism industry.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Lucia Botfield was a guest of LATAM Airlines, Chil\u00e9 Travel and Hotel Tierra Chiloe.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Metro\u2019s Lucia Botfield didn\u2019t know what to expect from a trip to the far side of Latin America (Picture: Getty Images) \u2018There\u2019s no way you have gone all the way to South America to go bird watching\u2019, a friend replied to my Instagram story a few days into my travels around Chil\u00e9. \u2018My grandma would […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1666,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1664","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1664","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1664"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1664\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1676,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1664\/revisions\/1676"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1666"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1664"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1664"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1664"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}