Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
48
In the opaque-w ebsite categor y,
Price-
line
and
Hotwire
are even better for hotels
than for airfares; with both, you're allowed
to pick the neighborhood and quality level
of y our hotel befor e offering up y our
money. P riceline's hotel pr oduct ev en
covers Europe and Asia, though it 's much
better at getting five-star lodging for three-
star prices than at finding anything at the
bottom of the scale. O n the do wnside,
many hotels stick P riceline guests in their
least desirable rooms. Be sure to go to the
BiddingForTravel w ebsite (see abo ve)
before bidding on a hotel r oom on Price-
line; it featur es a fairly up-to-date list of
hotels that P riceline uses in major cities.
For both P riceline and H otwire, you pay
upfront and the fee is nonr
Note:
Some hotels do not pr ovide loyalty
program cr edits or points or other fr e-
quent-stay amenities when y ou book a
room through opaque online services.
SURFING FOR
RENTAL CARS
For booking r ental cars online, the best
deals are usually found at r ental-car com-
pany w ebsites, although all the major
online travel agencies also offer r ental-car
reservations ser vices. P riceline and H ot-
wire work well for rental cars too; the only
“mystery” is which major r ental company
you get, and for most trav elers the differ-
ence betw een H ertz, Avis, and B udget is
negligible.
efundable.
12
ACTIVE VACATION PLANNER
With so many climate z ones and such a
wide v ariety of terrain, Argentina is a
haven for outdoor activities of all kinds.
Locals have a healthy sense of adv enture,
and r ecreational outdoor spor ts ar e an
important par t of life her e. A ctivities
around Iguazú Falls range fr om easy hik-
ing along the waterfall circuits and on San
Martín I sland to speed-rafting along the
river and tr ekking into the jungle. The
high plains of the N orthwest draw adven-
turers seeking a little-trav eled wilderness
that can be explor ed b y bike, on horse-
back, or in a 4WD vehicle. Near Mendoza
are the tallest mountains in the Western
Hemisphere, with spectacular riv ers and
high plains. And of course, Argentine
Patagonia has mor e kayaking, climbing,
and trekking opportunities than you could
possibly fit in one lifetime.
Here is a brief introduction to the main
outdoor activities in Argentina. Many will
require y ou to hir e a local guide to help
you navigate the local terrain—and the
sometimes-confusing local permit process.
For more information, visit the w ebsite of
the Argentine N ational P arks S ervice at
www.parquesnacionales.gov.ar
.
BACKPACKING
Overnight hiking trips will take y ou even
deeper into the mountains and far ther
away fr om the hustle and bustle of life.
Organized campsites dot most national
parks and have rustic facilities. Camping is
a popular activity for y oung Argentines,
who flock to the peaks for their summer
holidays in dr oves. There ar e ex cellent
backpacking trips in the Lake D istrict,
where you can connect rustic and friendly
mountain huts in Nahuel Huapi National
Park. I n the E l Chaltén ar ea, o vernight
trekking can take y ou beneath the granite
spires of Mt. FitzRoy and Cerro Torre. Be
sure to head out w ell pr epared, with
appropriate clothing and safety gear , a
good map, and a r eliable w eather report.
Always tell someone where you are going.
3
BIKING
The wide-open spaces and notoriously
long distances can make for some adv en-
turous two-wheel trips.
With so many
