Mendoza - The vineyard of Argentina

Mendoza is the perfect holiday destination with plenty of cheap shopping deals, a great nightlife and some top class restaurants and cafes. Oh and it just happens to be the world renown capital of Argentina’s wine industry. Here you can cuddle up with a vintage or taste the latest gold medal winning wines, and all at ridiculously cheap prices. Most of the restaurants and cafes will serve the best the local region has to offer and you will find yourself making as much room in you suitcase as possible for more bottles to take for the trip home. While you are here you can’t just stop at one or two Vineyard tours, and should instead go on a “Vineyard crawl” and drench yourself in the wine industry (and its tasty products!). The city itself is full of beautiful Plazas and parks which is surprising since the city is also in a desert region. But the city and outlying vineyards have a huge artificial irrigation system which you can see running down the path and roadsides. Also as a final note, if you aim to arrive in February you are likely to time your trip with the Harvest Festival which is great excuse to enjoy even more of the beautiful wine!

Viña del Mar - a hidden gem

One of the key beach destinations in Chile is Viña del Mar. This is a place with loads of cheap accommodation and fantastic white beaches that a lot of foreign tourists miss because they do not recognise the name. But because it is hugely popular with South Americans, make sure you book any hotel accommodation early if you intend to arrive in summer. Which of course would make sense since it’s a beach holiday resort. So as you are relaxing on the luxurious beaches, try one of the local delicacies - an alfajor. These are sweet cookies that usually contain fruits or caramels and are covered in chocolate. Great tasty and exotic gifts for anyone back home. Timing is essential for getting the most out of a trip to Viña del Mar, as on the third week of February the Festival de Cancion is held. This is a huge musical event that attracts many famous music artists and creates a fantastic atmosphere. When the festival is not around, the location – La Quinta Vergara, is a fantastic and beautiful garden with trees from all over the world including some from China and Canada. It is also a good idea to drop by the Plaza del Reloj, which is near the beaches and has several clocks containing flowers in different decorations for the numbers.