The VM | Elite collection

Our dedicated team offers support and expertise throughout the travel planning process to ensure a seamless delivery

0

VM|Elite is an experiential luxury travel concierge and specialized tour operator based in Santiago de Chile.

Avoiding mainstream tourism and seeking out experiences for travelers who resonate with real local life.

Our highly qualified and knowledgeable team of travel experts is committed to the design of unique tailormade luxury travel experiences throughout Chile, from Atacama to Patagonia and everything in between even combined with other Latin American countries.

We aim to exceed your expectations at all times. Making sure that you will visit each of the destinations as a local yet discovering on your own.

Approaching travel on a different perspective, extending the invitation to cease an opportunity to slow down and take in something truly authentic and endemic of our culture.

Travel Design 02 Â

Luxury Portfolio Travel Design Unique Retreats Tailor Made

VM|Elite architects and designs luxury travel experiences in Chile. We truly believe that the experience of a lifetime takes a lifetime of experience to be able to exceed our customers expectations.

VM| Elite shares their local knowledge and network allowing us to organize almost any experience you desire. Be inspired by some of our highlighted encounters and favorite destinations throughout the country of Chile.

We’ve been to all the right places that Chile offers, now it has become our passion to share our knowledge of with our customers.

Our expertise is indeed what makes us stand out from the crowd. We aim to create entirely unique moments for our visitors. As such, we design, plan and tailor your itinerary from scratch, applying our deep local knowledge and true travel inspiration.

It is because of our network and knowledge of the travel industry, that we are able to propose unique accommodations and travel arrangements, according to your corporation’s needs. To this end, we constantly update our handpicked portfolio of the finest business hotels, lodges, cruises, private homes and villas throughout Chile. Furthermore, VM knows the best restaurants for fine dining in Chile and can organize a gourmet experience that will leave a lasting impression on your foreign guests.

Hotel Reservations House Rentals Gourmet Outings We have rigorously searched for the best Chilean chefs all around Santiago to develop our worldclass private dining service. A fundamental addition to our dining experiences is the quality of our wine selection. If your intention is to impress a true wine connoisseur look no further: at VM Elite our first concern is to complement each restaurants proposal with the most exclusive and iconic wines of Chile.

Travel Solutions

S olutions for F oreign V isitors

05 Concierge Services Security Bodyguards Airport Meet & Greet VIP Airport Lounge

Besides the Meet & Greet service, VM also offers an even more exclusive service for VIP guests. Here, the VIP will be escorted (if required with bodyguards) to a private lounge where he can relax while we arrange all immigrations and customs paperwork for him. Of course, a luxury car will be waiting for him in front of the airport. Our unique VIP services ensure safe and comfortable travel even for Chile’s most famous visitors. As such, we go above and beyond to organize the best bodyguards and armored cars to make sure that our clients can be carefree during their time in Chile. Lastly, our concierge services will make sure our client has everything he desires at all times. Â

ontent

C

The VM | Elite Collection

Cultural & Gourmet SANTIAGO Gastronomic Capital

Helicopter flights the ANDES Iconic Vineyards and Glaciers

Iconic Chilean WINE Tastings & Terroirs

Explore EASTER ISLAND Archaelogical Maoi Sights

Discover the LAKE DISTRICT Nomads of The Seas Expedition VALPARAISO Heritage Graffiti Art & Gourmet

Photo Safari PATAGONIA Chile’s Iconic National Park

The Northern Road to ATACAMA The Worlds Clearest Skies

ANDES Powder Wonderland Heliskiing & Heliboarding

ANTARTICA Expedition Cruise Ice Fields & Wildlife

01

He who has not

seen the Chilean forests, does not know the World

PABLO NERUDA Memoir, I Confess that I Have Lived Chile’s Lake District is one of Earth’s most breathtaking whale-watching destinations. Rich planktons coming from Antarctica through the Humboldt Current lead to an amazing biodiversity in this part of the Pacific Ocean. Thanks to the country’s geographic conditions and the nutritious water, Chile is one of the few places in the world that offers such diverse wildlife and where whales swim as close to the coast.

VM created an exclusive and unique one-week program focused on whale and dolphin watching. The program starts in one of the most high-end boutique hotels in the picturesque city of Puerto Varas with the famous Llanquihue Lake and Osorno Volcano on the horizon. The first highlight of the tour will be a dinner hosted by a well-known local personality who will share his stories about the history, culture, German colonization and latest geological events of the area. The main part of the program will be based on Nomads of the Sea’s luxury Expedition Cruise “The Atmosphere” in the middle of Patagonia most picturesque wilderness. The ship’s navigation route starts at the island of Chiloé and heads down further south to the waters around Aysén passing the Melimoyu Bay, the favorite breeding grounds and feeding spots of a large variety of marine mammals.

Together with our well-known and experienced guides, guests typically meet the gentle giants in a 920 Hurricane RIB Zodiac. You will probably have the chance to see several different cetacean breeds. In fact, the area is home to several large whale species such as the Humpback Whale, the Orca and the biggest animal in the world: the Blue Whale. Most of these whale species migrate annually from warmer latitudes to feed their calves in the prolific food-abundant South-Chilean waters between December and March.

Moreover, Minke, Pygmy and Sey Whales as well as Sperm Whales are sighted occasionally in the area. Other marine species in these waters include the Peale’s, Chilean, Commerson’s, and Bottlenose Dolphin, the killer whale and Burmeister’s and Spectacled Porpoises. Beyond marine mammals, two species of sea lions the Southern Fur Seal and Juan Fernandez Fur Seal, and an impressive variety of seabirds like the wandering albatross can be observed during this Cruise Expedition.

Besides the described wildlife adventures, guests can choose from a variety of outdoor activities such as fly-fishing, nature photography, kayaking, trekking or hiking.

The unique combination of luxurious comfort and gourmet cuisine aboard the S/V and the astonishing adventures in Patagonia’s deep blue waters, vast unique landscapes guided by knowledgeable specialists ensure an unforgettable experience you can’t miss out on.

Atacama Star Gazing Experience

VM has joined up with one of our favourite hotel partners to offer you a totally unique and magical experience in the twinkling gem of Chile: the awe inspiring Atacama Desert.

Although you will find it hard to step away from Your perfect slice of hotel heaven we suggest you Leave a night in our hands; be prepared for the unexpected and be wowed by a special evening under the stars. In this brand new expedition, exclusive to VM, we will take you into the middle of the mighty Atacama Desert where you will dine alfresco to the sounds of a crackling fire.

However, don’t panic, this is definitely more glamping style than camp-fire cowboy. You will find yourself fine Chilean Wine in hand with some lip-smacking food created to be quite filling for your stomach - then time to curl up in soft blankets and watch the Twinkling star filled sky. This will certainly be a night to remember!

Thanks to the dry climate and the great altitudes, northern Chile is one of the best places on Earth for stargazing. One can literally count shooting stars in the crystal-clear night sky. The Alma observatory, which owns the largest radio telescope in the world, is located in these latitudes. During a visit to the observatory, an experienced guide and astronomer Jorge Corante will teach our guests about the planets, stars and galaxies of the southern hemisphere and show them the wonders of the sky first with their naked eye and then through a telescope. But will have a cozy tent just in case you are feeling a bit sleepy at night. The stars here are renowned for their beauty, and number! With a personal guide to teach you your ‘supernovae’ from your ‘white dwarfs’ and a whole evening to make a year full of wishes under shooting stars we are not sure if you are going to want to go to sleep.

02

The Program Includes Double accommodation for 3 nights in All-Inclusive Alto Atacama Hotel Round trip transfer to/from CalamaAirport • 1 night camping in the Moon Valley • 2 nights lodging in Alto Atacama Desert Lodge • CatarpeRoom Category

03

• Daily Activities & Atacama Excursions Private Excursions & Tours available with a Private Guide & Driver • Full Board. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner • Open Bar

bespoke

SANTIAGO Santiago is located in a perfect location for exploring local markets, lush wine country and the roaring Pacific, all within a couple of hours from your hotel.

04

Explore Chile’s vibrant capital, a cosmopolitan city that blends historic neighborhoods and bohemian hangouts with designer boutiques, gourmet restaurants, and a business district known as “Sanhattan”. Santiago is full of surprises! Our guests discover the capital of Chile with a specialist that shares his cultural knowledge of the city and uncovers Santiago’s historical myths and stories. Our bilingual guide will lead visitors on a circuit highlighting not only the most important historical sites, but also the fancy neighborhoods and hot spots of the city like Bellas Artes or Lastarria to unable visitors a taste of Santiago’s urban life.

VM’s historic tour entails exclusive access to the most iconic historic and political buildings in Chile, some of which are usually not open to public. The Municipal Theatre of Santiago, for example, was inaugurated in 1857 with the premiered performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Ernani and declared a national monument in 1974.

The Pre-Columbian Art Museum’s display contains more than 5,000 pieces of art and focuses on the Americas On VM’s unique city tour guests experience these buildings and many more in an intimate and private way and get to know Santiago from an insider’s perspective.

The tour will be accompanied by an exquisite wine tasting and an exposure to Chile’s fine cuisine. Boragó Restaurant with his renowned chef and founder Rodolfo Guzman is the best place to discover the culinary diversity of the local cuisine. At Boragó the concept of fresh local cuisine is taken to a new level: guests are served innovative dishes based on seasonal Chilean plants and cooked with ancient techniques from the pre-Columbian era such as slow roasting on ashes. During at least nine courses each accompanied with beverages and paired with the most iconic Chilean wines, gourmets will relish scrumptious compositions of exciting ingredients.

PATAGONIA PHOTO SAFARI

It’s official; there is a place where your friends may not have even heard of, where eco-tourism mixes seamlessly with

05

Super spa-pampering, where you can be so firmly off the beaten path that you will probably have to get the map out right now to

know where we are talking about.

Welcome to one of the most remote destinations of South America, the fabulously named Patagonia were Butch Cassidy escaped as it is said by the book to have been the inspiration for George Ray Hill’s legendary character The Sundace Kid.

Patagonia, with its vast untouched landscapes shaped by the rough weather at the southern tip of the continent, is one of the world’s last great wildernesses. Endless windswept plains, ancient native forests, electric-blue icebergs, massive snowcapped mountains, emerald lakes and sparkling waterfalls make this area one of the most breathtaking places in Chile.

Even though Patagonia’s nature is rough and untamed, one still has a feeling of peace and tranquility when seeing the seemingly endless untouched nature.

Torres del Paine, probably South America’s most famous national park, is located in Chile’s most southern and largest region: Magallanes. The park is characterized by the Paine massif that rises dramatically above the Patagonian pampa. The impressive granite Torres (9,350 ft or 2.850 m) were formed by a tectonic reformation that intruded the Andes Cordillera. With its extensive valleys, numerous turquoise lakes and rivers, ice fields and glaciers, Torres del Paine is a true trekking and hiking paradise.

06

The dazzling vegetation, including seven types of orchids, the evergreen Chilean firebush with its red flowers corymbs and the mountain plant Darwin’s slipper, make the park even more appealing. Furthermore, a lot of rare and protected animals such as Pumas, Guanacos, Gray Foxes, Red Foxes and Giant Skunks can be spotted. Finally, over 100 visible bird species, among them the Condor or Rhea, live in Torres del Paine.

VM Elite has created a unique experience in this amazing park focused on wildlife and landscape photography. Our experienced guide and well-known professional wildflower and animal photographers (Claudio Vidal) will take visitors to the most stunning spots of the park. His deep knowledge of photography, the park’s most pristine spots, its unique flora and fauna and wildlife’s habitat ensure a great photo safari with stunning shots. Guests will get an authentic impression of Patagonia’s untamed beauty. Especially during sunrise or sunset, chances are high to be able to observe not only the amazing red light on the mountains but also some of the wildlife.

07

Iconic Chilean Wine

We all know by now that Chile is a serious player on

the international wine scene and a trip to this country is not really complete without visiting the vineyards and of course sampling their famous Carmenere.

Chile is a paradise for viticulture, an oasis where grape types from around the world flourish and are turned into world-class wines. Few places in the world are as suitable for wine production as Chile’s central and coastal valleys. The breezes from the Pacific Ocean, the protection of the Andes mountain range, perfectly balanced soils and crystalline rivers create ideal climatic and geographic conditions for growing the most noble and aromatic grape varieties that give Chilean wine its strong character. Some of the world’s oldest vines (such as País and Carignan) and long forgotten grape varieties grow in Chile and inspire a new generation of winemakers to create deliciously original, bold and complex wines. As such, the legendary Carménère grape was rediscovered in Chile and has become the basis of the country’s signature wine.

When you have bottled, corked and all importantlylabelled your nectaryou can of course take it with you.

One of Chile’s most diverse and historically significant wine regions, the Maipo Valley is located only a few kilometers south of Santiago and marks the birthplace of the Chilean wine industry; wine production started in this region in the 1850s. Today the valley hosts more than 7,000 acres (2955 ha) of vineyards, more than half of which are dedicated to Cabernet Sauvignon. No other place in Chile has the same climatic conditions than the terroir of Maipo Alto with its hillsides, large exposure to the sun, warm days and cool nights, little rainfall during the second half of the growing season, and alluvial soils. As such, several well-known wineries make some of Chile’s most iconic wines in this valley.

VALPARAISO

Valparaiso was once the most important port in al of South America. Now declared a UNESCO world heritage sight is the link to Chile history and iconic landmarks.

09

Valparaiso, located around 75 miles (120 km) west of Santiago, is a historical port city with around 280,000 inhabitants. Especially in the 19th century the city, then known as “Little San Fransisco”, was the most important seaport on the continent filled with prosperous globetrotting Europeans. In 2003, the historic center of “Valpo” was declared a World Heritage Site. Today, it is the cultural center of Chile and attracts a growing creative crowd made up of artists, entrepreneurs and students. Throughout the hills of the city, historic houses and decaying landmarks are restored and transformed into cool art galleries, gourmet restaurants and trendy bars.

As the creative hub of Chile, Valparaiso is filled with unique street art and graffiti of rising native artists. During our tour of the city, our expert guides will introduce visitors to the underground scene and let them feel the vibrant, creative spirit firsthand when walking through the numerous steep alleys and small pathways and photographing the many colorful surprises.

Our visitors will be part of Valparaiso’s bohemian culture by driving up the hills in one of the historic funiculars and learning tricks to create their own street art and leave a mark on the walls of the city, Neruda was a self-named gourmet that enjoyed traditional and local Chilean cuisine with his family and friends.

When reading his acclaimed ode to conger eel chowder one can feel his excitement for this truly delicious dish “…in the chowder are warmed the essences of Chile, and to the table come, newly wed the savors of land and sea, that in this dish you may know heaven.”

After years away from Chile, the conger eel soup felt like home to Neruda and gave him what he had missed all those years while abroad. To follow Neruda’s footsteps and enjoy traditional Chilean seafood in an intimate setting, our guests will dine at the world-class restaurant Pasta e Vino in the heart of Valparaiso. The dinner will be paired with some of Chile’s most iconic wines produced in the valleys surrounding the city.

10

POWDER WINTER &

Wonderlands

A spectacular year round destination Chile offers up a veritable winter wonderland of adventures and experiences.

The three mounts (especially Olivares) of the Maipo Canyon, Marmolejo mountain (20,039 ft or 6.108 m), Cerro El Plomo (17,795 ft or 5.424 m where a mummy from the Incas was found), and El Morado glacier are some of the selected spots with the most exceptional snowfall, light and fluffy snow texture and special terrain profile.

Riding down these mostly treeless slopes with their alpine bowls, couloirs and big mountain faces, glaciated Andean peaks, steep ridges and gullies, guarantees an adrenaline-packed experience you will never forget.

During their adventure, our guests reside in the beautiful, authentic and cozy El Ingenio Lodge located at the foothills of the Andes in Maipo Valley only five minutes from some of the best heliskiing spots. The exclusive and luxurious bed and breakfast is furnished in an authentic yet stylish Chilean Colonial style and is equipped with a pool and jacuzzi to relax sore muscles. After a delicious meal made of Chilean aromas and flavors refined with local herbs, guests get a good night sleep in one of the seven quiet and comfortable rooms.

The breathtaking Andes mountain range does not only have great ski resorts, but is also a great place to go heli-skiing or boarding. Coming from the Northern hemisphere, one can enjoy snow in the “summer months” between June and October. It is a truly unique experience to ski through the untouched, pure, and fresh powder snow amidst the breathtaking Andes mountain scenery. This is a must-do adventure for anyone who loves skiing or snowboarding in its most extreme way.

Our professional guides will create the perfect tour for you thanks to their knowledge of the best places for novices and experts. The Andes Mountains offer a wide range of perfect heliskiing spots with drop-offs between 8,200 and 14,700 feet (2.500 and 4.500 m) and slopes with vertical drops between 4,265 and 7,874 feet (1.300 and 2.400 m). The stable weather conditions, maritime snowpack and excellent snow quality make the central Andes mountain range a great playground for explorative heli adventures in small groups.

HELICOPTER FLIGHTS

12

Into The Andes

Everybody dreams of escaping the city, whether it be leaving

just for a few hours for some wine tasting at a vineyard close by or heading far away into the Andes searching for the most unseen Glaciers or perhaps head for lunch on the Chilean coast

VM Elite’s helicopter experience is a great opportunity to see the Chilean mountains, central valleys and the coast from a different angle. We will take our visitors to the most exclusive helideck in Santiago where they will board a helicopter and set off. Of course, the helicopters fulfill the highest safety standards and all pilot are highly experienced with at least 1,000 flights completed. This tour is ideal for an exclusive and unusual sightseeing experience and aerial photography.

The flight will start with a spectacular view of the skyscrapers of Santiago and the dramatic Andes mountains in the background. Then, the helicopter will fly over the Cajon del Maipo, a canyon located southeast of the city and filled with beautiful rivers and the Maipo river basin.

The proximity to the majestic snowcapped mountain peaks is breathtaking. There, our guests have the option to land and enjoy a flavorsome gourmet lunch at El Ingenio, a restaurant that offers delicious authentic Chilean cuisine and BBQs based on local and seasonal ingredients.

We are very pleased to announce that some of the top lodges in Chile have held a room for you.

Continuing the flight over the Maipo region, we will surpass the beautiful Rio Olivares and Morado Valley that captivate thanks to their waterfalls and glaciers. Next, we will reach the Casablanca Valley, which is located around 75 km northwest of Santiago. This fertile valley hosts some of the most iconic vineyards and wineries of the country due to its unique geographic and climatic conditions. Upon request, our visitors can stop over at one of the vineyards, take part in a winetasting and learn about the history of the Chilean wine industry.

14

Easter Island

Much More Than Moais

Easter Island.

The very words carry an almost mystical pull towards its savagely

beautiful terrain.

The beautiful Easter Island or Rapa Nui as it is called in the native language, is located approximately 2,181 miles (3.510 km) west of the Chilean coast and is the most isolated inhabited place on Earth. An amazing amount of almost 900 well-preserved historic colossal monolithic statues (some with a height of up to 66 ft (20 m)) of deified ancestors, called Moai, are scattered along the mystical island. It is presumed that the Moai were created

by Rapa Nui inhabitants for protection after they arrived on the Polynesian island between 700 to1,000 years ago.

Around 40% of the island’s 41,100 acres (16,630 ha) have been declared World Heritage to protect the legacy of the ancient Rapa Nui culture.

Beyond the statues, there are also over 300 ceremonial platforms, several pictographs and petroglyphs and caves with rock art to observe in the Rapa Nui National Park.

VM’s tour of the island is hosted and guided by one of the most well known anthropologists and archeologists of the area. On an adventurous, informative tour he will share his knowledge of the island history and culture and take our guests to all the interesting sites. Rano Raraku, the quarry where the Rapa Nui carved the Moai statues and where half of them still remain today is one of the most fascinating sites on the Easter Island.

The other half of the statues, some of them weighing over 80 tons, were transported around the island and placed on platforms facing the inside of the island. There are numerous great activities besides visiting the archeological sites to pursue on Rapa Nui: from discovering the island by bike or on horseback, relaxing on the lovely Anakena beach, hiking up Rano Kau or Orongo volcano for a magnificent view of the island, During the first two weeks of February the entire island celebrates the Tapati festival with traditional dances, music and sports - a great chance to meet natives and get an authentic impression of the local culture and customs. Any time of the year, we invite our guests to one of the best restaurants of the island to enjoy the delicious seafood like Sea Urchins, Tuna, Kana Kana or Lobster fresh from the ocean. Moreover, one of the best local cooks will prepare the traditional dish Umu Rapa Nui or Curanto of meat, chicken, fish, sweet potato, taro and tapioca cooked in a hole in the ground filled with hot stones and covered by plantain leaves for our guests. The Rapa Nui also have their own brewery Mahina that makes natural and refreshing beer that is well worth a try. Easter Island certainly is one the most remarkable cultural phenomena in the world that every true traveler should discover.

15 The World’s End

ANTARTICA

Dream of glaciers glinting in your eyes, seen from the comfort of your bed? Have an urge to sit nose to nose with a penguin, or maybe amongst a few hundred?

Always wanted to feel like a great explorer but don’t want to drop the luxury from your life?

Antarctica, the coldest, windiest, harshest and least inhabited continent, is a unique destination that doesn't cease to astonish with its vast ice fields, clear skies, high mountains, roaming icebergs, electric-blue glaciers and impressive fauna. It is an unexplored, wild continent bigger than Europe and covered with more than 90% of the Earth’s land ice. A tour to Antarctica may not be for everyone, but the few that do reach this remote and exotic place will be truly fascinated by its roughness, extraordinary beauty and marine and bird wildlife diversity.

VM’s Antarctica tour starts in Punta Arenas, the capital of the Region of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica and one of the southern most cities in the world. Visitors will spend one day getting to know the beautiful Patagonian landscapes and visiting a penguin colony with Magellanic penguins. This threatened specie lives on Patagonia’s coast, but not in Antarctica. This first day will be crowned by a personalized dinner made of local flavors paired with iconic wine in a luxurious historic restaurant and hosted by a well-known local personality who will share his stories and vast knowledge of the wildlife, history and first expeditions to Antarctica.

After a short briefing, our guests will fly directly from Punta Arenas to King George Island in the South Shetland Islands. The aerial views already give a good foretaste of the extreme and mysterious beauty visitors will experience during the next days.

Guests will then board one of the modern and comfortable expedition vessels of Antarctica XXI that cruise between the South Shetland Islands and the western coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. Aboard the ship (either the M/V Ocean Nova or the even more exclusive M/V Sea Explorer) a lounge, grand dining room, bar, library, gym, wellness and sundeck await the guests.

Every day, there are different activities organized to explore the surrounding landscapes and wildlife by Zodiac boats. Expert guides and polar specialists will teach our guests about the characteristics and wildlife of the area and ensure that our guests have the adventure of a lifetime. The Antarctic is home to four species of penguins, four species of seals, Humpback and Minke Whales, Orca Dolphins and a variety of polar birds two species of Albatrosses, Blue-eyed Shag, Snowy Sheathbill, two species of Petrel and the Polar Skua.