Nayara Atacama transformed a random “let’s go to Chile to see the stars” trip into a venerable once-in-a-lifetime experience. Rooms, grounds, facilities, and amenities are comparable to the most exclusive hotels in the world. Six outdoor swimming pools, indoor and outdoor eating areas, bar and lounge, and immaculately maintained premises and pathways all contribute to a sense of welcome. The level of service is exceptionally and uniformly high. The van at the airport had our names and greeted us accordingly. That is the start of the personalized service that permeates throughout the facility: guests are greeted respectfully by name, the staff making eye contact. Tiny details, like the waitress remembering every day how my wife prefers her coffee prepared in a peculiar manner. The staff has been carefully vetted and intensively taught on how to perform their duties to perfection. Food is excellent, goes without saying. Ditto for the wine pairings. Of course: this is Chile. Sensible portions, fresh ingredients, creative combinations, cheerfully colorful presentation, pasta al dente (minor detail which shows meticulous attention to everything). Interesting to note that pre-check in form asks about allergies and food preferences. The kitchen noted ours before arrival (like my intense dislike of and aversion to cilantro) and respected them at every meal and picnic throughout the stay. The mention of the picnics brings us to the excursions. Nayara Atacama offers a veritable cornucopia of excursions. Some are half-day; others are full day; ranked by level of physical difficulty. The excursion manager meets with the guests upon arrival, presents the options, makes suggestions (like slowly adapting to the elevation of each destination), and we are presented with a detailed spreadsheet covering all the excursions selected for each day, time of departure, and what to wear. Important: temperatures range within the day from freezing to baking-desert-hot. Nayara Atacama sends its guests on the various excursions in a private van, ranging from 2 to 8 people, with a dedicated driver and a guide. The guides are very well versed in the purpose of the excursion (glaciers, salt flats, geology, archaeology, etc.) and eager to share their enthusiasm for the region and its features. One can safely say that each excursion is like a concentrated, mini course on one topic. Ah yes, the picnics. Some excursions include a picnic, either because the excursion leaves at 5:30 am, in which case breakfast is prepared and served on the road; or because it is an all-day excursion with lunch included. Arriving at the designated spot, the driver and the guide open the back of the van. Out come a folding table, tablecloth, napkins, wine glasses (remember, I told you, this is Chile), and cutlery. While the guests loiter around, the driver and guide COOK the meal in situ, with ingredients the kitchen sent for this particular excursion, based on our preferences. Freshly made scramb
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