Jayne and John wanted to base a holiday to Argentina around two rugby matches taking place in the towns of San Juan and Santa Fe, both a considerable distance from the more visited tourist destinations and so I needed to work a suitable itinerary for them around this that also included some of the more popular areas. Having recently visited this magnificent country myself I was excited to take on the challenge.
Coming from a UK farming background, they are no strangers to outdoor life, so staying on a local ranch and being able to join in the day-to-day running was something also very high on their wish list.
Being eager to share the delights of visiting South America on my website, I asked Jayne if she would be happy to relive the experience one more time...
We had 12 nights to spend in Argentina which needed to be booked around the rugby matches that we were attending. Having discussed options with Amanda we were very happy with her suggestions to visit a winery and ensure that we saw Iguazú Falls.
Our number one desire was to stay on a non-commercial working 'estancia' (ranch) with the opportunity to be able to feel like part of the farming family, working alongside them and joining in the daily tasks.
Amanda had listened intently and enthusiastically to what we were after and put together a magnificent adventure that we still reminisce about with regularity.
The trip was everything and more than we could have wanted and imagined. Amanda's organisation of everything was faultless. We felt completely pampered and very well looked after throughout. Each of the hotels hit the spot and everything ran like clockwork, including all the transfers, flights and internal travel arrangements.
Argentina more than exceeded our expectations. We admit to a little uncertainty as to how we would be treated due to the history between our countries but found this to not be an issue - locals were keen to talk about what happened but with no hostility in the slightest.
We enjoyed a night in Buenos Aires immensely and a fabulous stay in the winelands of Mendoza where we managed a full day excursion visiting no less than three wonderful wineries with lunch included, but without a doubt the highlights of our trip were the local ranch stay and our visit to Iguazú Falls.
We stayed three nights full board at the Estancia Don Joaquin, a family run working ranch near the town of Corrientes, about 1000km north of Buenos Aires which we reached by a very comfortable overnight bus journey.
The ranch was surrounded by estuaries, lagoons and rivers and provided a choice of daily activities from all things Gaucho related to horse riding through to cattle driving and branding. This was a truly authentic experience, not manufactured at all and we were very much made to feel part of the family, who were so welcoming and provided fantastic hospitality. We will always remember our time here.
Iguazú was equally memorable. We had of course seen pictures, but it really is one of those places that is very hard to describe until you experience walking over and around it and take a boat through the waterfall itself. The scenery totally blew us away and it is something etched in our minds for always.
We stayed two nights at a hotel located in the heart of the Irayapu Jungle, a ten-minute drive to the town of Puerto Iguazú and close to the falls.
Visiting both the Argentinean and Brazilian side of the falls is essential to do as the experience is totally different, so we had opted for a full day private tour with an English-speaking guide.
From the Argentinean side, we walked over the river and above the falls and got to stand above the largest drop, the Devil's Throat. This drops 262 feet below you, causing a curtain of white froth that seems to hang in mid-air before plunging into the distance.
We then took a boat trip which gets very close to the waterfalls and is huge fun - you will get wet!
The Brazilian side of the falls gives you a complete overview as you then get the view looking across at the falls - it's perfect for panoramic pictures.
Thank you again Amanda for helping us create such magical memories.