I covered myself in a alpaca lined blanket and put my feet in luxury shoes. The private jet door closed, and I told myself goodbye to the ethereal salar of Uyuni in Bolivia (the largest salt floor in the world), ready for an extraordinary travel.
Our next destination, just a few hours away, was Bogotá, Colombia. It would be the final stop of a 13 -day expedition through South America. Just a week before, he had been walking among the steep peaks of the Torres del Paine National Park, in Chilean Patagonia. A few days before that, he had rubbed his elbows with gauchos in the wine country in Argentina. Two days before, he had crouched along with the Galapagos turtles, one hundred years old, in the hills of the island of Santa Cruz de Ecuador.
A trip to remember: take a look at the private Jet experience
It was, to say at least, no ordinary trip. This immersion of complete inclination in some of the most coveted destinations in South America was the work of TCS World Travel, an operator who specializes in Private Jet expeditions. TCS is a pioneer in the field, one of the few travel companies that these logistically complex itineraries can achieve. Since he operated his first trip in 1995, TCS has organized more than 300 private expeditions, including many trips around the world; Most last about three weeks.
Mine, last October, was shorter, if it was more focused. Together with 37 other passengers, the vast majority of which had traveled with TCS before, I left Miami in an Airbus Airbus A321 of custom designed. A typical commercial version of this plane could have a crew of seven and 196 passengers. Ours had only 52 seats and a team of 18 people: pilots, hostesses, a chef, expedition leaders, teachers, cameramen and a doctor. The interior was organized in commercial class style, with two for two Italian leather seats that can be completely flat. The multiple meals were a particular culminating point, with menus adapted to each country we were visiting: Escamas Colombian empanadas, Ecuadorian lobster, beers and wines of the destinations that we pass.
Upon arrival, we often find an escort, which helped us avoid any line. Whenever possible, the necessary paperwork, immigration forms and the like, was handled in our name.
It is not surprising that travelers adopt these trips, says John Clifford, founder of International Travel Management, a luxury travel agency. “The high value of the network value time, an unexpected resource, and there is the exclusivity that a select guest group joins them,” says Clifford.
Exclusivity was a motivation; The access was another, as I learned while starting a conversation with Lynda Riesbeck, who, along with her husband, Bob, was traveling with TCS for the first time. “The experience provided the opportunity to leave our comfort zone and explore parts of the world that we can not consider traveling for ourselves,” he told me.
In addition to VIP treatment, we had accommodation in high -end hotels, such as VInes Resort & Spa, in Mendoza, Argentina and the Singular Patagonia, in Southern Chile, which qualify highly in the T+l The best awards survey in the world. TCS also organizes activities at each stop. One night in Mendoza, for example, a chefs team prepared a roast in the middle of a vineyard while Tango artists did a show.
Reserve your stay at Vnes Resort & Spa through Booking.com
Reserve your stay at Vnes Resort & Spa through Agoda.com
The company’s experience really stood out when things went aside. A few hours after our trip, the crew learned that a permit had been revoked that allowed our plane to land on the Galapagos Islands. The TCS Ground staff, led by the veteran leader of the expedition, Eszter Foldary, pivot and organized tickets for the islands for the entire travel party on commercial flights scheduled from Guayaquil, Ecuador. “We always remind the guests that these are true ‘expeditions’, where flexibility is key,” says Shelley Cline, president of TCS.
Reserve your stay at the Singular Patagonia Hotel through Booking.com
Reserve your stay at the Singular Patagonia Hotel through Agoda.com
When we landed in Bolivia, everything worked without problems. From our hotel, the Tajibos, in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, took us by plane and then a SUV caravan deeply in the salt. Very soon, we get to Portal, A monumental sculpture built with 5,000 salt bricks. The ephemeral work is the creation of the late Bolivian artist Gastón Ugalde, and TCS had arranged to recreate for our visit under the auspices of the Gastón Ugalde Foundation. The adult children of the artist, Mariano and Canela Ugalde also joined us, who are the director and president, respectively, of the foundation that continues with the artist’s legacy.
Reserve your stay in the tajibos through booking.com
Reserve your stay in the tajibos through Agoda.com
“Sharing Bolivia with travelers around the world is deeply personal,” Mariano told me later. “It is an opportunity to show the incredible diversity of the country, from its landscapes to its culture and art, and with TCS, we can elaborate moments that leave lasting impressions.” As regards me, they certainly succeeded.
Four more options for ultra luxurious flights
For Asia fans
Remote Lands, who specializes in trips to Asia, has associated with Aman for its private “flies”, such as the 15 -day trip scheduled for October 2025 that will be reduced in Nepal, Bután, India and Sri Lanka.
For luxury lovers
One of several private Jet experiences of Four Seasons, which operates in association with TCS, is a 24-day trip to ST.-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France, which visits evocative destinations, including Japan, Vietnam, Maldives, Tanzania. and Türkiye.
For adventurers
The Abercrombie & Kent historical operator coordinates a few private jet trips every year. An option for 2025 will be an odyssey of wildlife, around the world, which stops in Palau, Nepal, Seychelles, Namibia, Brazil and Panama for 24 days.
For milestone hunters
Safrans du Monde, based in Paris, offers a selection of two kinds of travel, club and premire, in their private jet itineraries. Grands’s trips of the company cover 25 days and reached iconic sites such as Angkor Wat, Easter Island and Taj Mahal.
Buy the best travel experiences here
(Characteristics Image Credit: TCS World Travel)
This story first appeared in Travelandleisure.com
Related: The new private jet trips with four seasons take him to the most emblematic destinations in the world
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The information in this article is accurate at the date of publication.
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Written by
Chris Dong
(Tagstotranslate) Aviation (T) Private Jet (T) Private Jet Tours
