| Date | Rating | Comment
[Guest Comments: 6 positive, 0 negative]
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| 08/29/09 |
Positive
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David
Washington, MO
My wife and I were blessed with a trip to Chile in
March of 2007. After spending a few days in the
lovely city of Iquique, we traveled up to the high
desert for a stay at El Renovara located in La
Huayca. The drive past the never ending desert and
a blue sky as big as Montana's culminated with our
arrival at the gates of El Renovara. Truely an oasis
in the desert. To see this desert blossom beyond
the gates was magical. It was like entering an
enchanted city. The stark contrast of the brilliant
lush green grass and the sparkling ponds was
indeed a surprise. Just the first of many.
We first checked in at the Guest Reception area. A
tour of the Meeting Hall, Gym & Locker Rooms then
followed. The gym was equipped as well as any gym
here in the states. It almost made me want to
schedule a work out. Thank God there was a bench
nearby where I could sit down until that thought
passed. We were then taken to our Guest Cabana. I
felt as though I had been transported to Sante Fe.
The Cabana was wonderful. My wife and I felt like
we were on our Honeymoon. More than enough
bedrooms and a bathroom that would make a 5
star hotel blush. Each Cabana has a front porch.
Ours faced west so that we could sit out and watch
the sun set. And the stars were amazing! Our
Cabana also had an outdoor dining area where we
ate our breakfast. Oh and did I mention the fully
equipped kitchen & living room (not that we did any
cooking)? I could live there! A far as activities and
places to visit nearby. We went horseback riding, 4-
wheeling. There is a driving range, archery and the
craft area located in the original casita. I couldn't
snap enough photos.
I could go on and on but you get the picture. Its
was a once in a lifetime experience. The only
negative thing I have to say is that the time passed
much too quickly." |
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David Arnold, Washington, MO
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|
| 08/27/09 |
Positive
|
| El Renovara is beautiful! What Geoff and Lisa have created out of nothing is truly remarkable and something to see. Just as the ranch is an oasis in the desert, it is also an oasis of peacefulness for the soul. The accommodations left nothing to be desired, for they were comfortable, spacious and first class. I enjoyed the workout room with the latest equipment and I chose candle making as an activity. Although the instructor only spoke Spanish and I only spoke English we got along very well with smiles and nods. We broke out into a belly laugh when we each realized we forgot to put the wick in first. And, oh, the stars! We laid down in the drive way just to watch in awe of the Milky Way. I highly recommend El Renovara as a place to visit. |
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Kathy Simon, St. Peters, MO USA
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| 08/26/09 |
Positive
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| Debbie and I had the wonderful priveledge of visiting El Renovara at the conclusion of our 25th Wedding Anniversary in Nov. 2007. We stayed in Iquique, joined by our daughter for a spectacular Paragliding tour of 10 days in what we would learn to be some of the best paragliding country in the world. (For an unforgetable experience check out a tandem ride with a qualified expert, flying over a thousand feet above an incredible city and land at one of the many beautiful beachs!) GT and Lisa, your hosts, have truly been blessed with what we fondly describe as an oasis in adventureland. Their story of carving this slice of heaven out of the dessert is something you must experience to understand. Our treat to top off our anniversary journey was being renewed with an unparalleled respite at El Renovara. While our stay in Iquique was a 4 star hotel with awesome 23rd floor views it would not compare to the peace, serenity and tranquility we found in La Huayca at the ranch. We enjoyed really relaxing, horseback riding, a wonderfully fresh garden, tasty locally prepared food, archery, attention to every detail, a beautiful pool and waterfall, a trip to town with Lisa and the natural hot spring pools and caves, their friends, the history, a favorite- the bulldozer/ earthmover! The 5 star cottages are tastefully decored with Lisa's exacting attention to detail, did I mention relaxing! And the people will touch your heart with memories to be moved by. From their smile to their story we were touched beyond explanation. Not to mention the treat of sharing some time with GT and Lisa, truly a gift from God. As they have been blessed I have come to learn they love nothing more than paying it forward through sharing this blessing with others. You can tell we were moved and more than happy to share our experience. Please feel free to call us. Jim and Debbie Matush |
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Jim and Debbie Matush, St. Louis, MO
314) 965-1106 |
|
| 08/26/09 |
Positive
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| I spent a week at the Ranch in March 2007. It was the nicest vacation I´d ever been on. I didn´t think I could go a whole week without having a t.v. It was amazing to me the beauty of the ranch and all the things there to make me comfortable. I only hope they will have me back again. Thanks, Dan Mallon. |
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Daniel, Saint Charles/Missouri
+1 (314) 4385028 |
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| 08/14/09 |
Positive
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My husband and I had the privilege of staying at El Renovara in January 2008. As we first drove up the mountain from the beach town of Iquique into the Atacama desert I noticed the stark weather contrast. Iquique had been cloudy when we arrived but once we started up the mountain the sky cleared to a bright blue and the sun was shining!
Simply put, we loved everything about our stay at El Renovara: from the palm tree lined entrance, to the welcoming staff, to the peaceful cabanas. It far exceeded our expectations!
The cabana was beautiful and fully equipped with anything we needed to make our stay comfortable including a refrigerator, dishes, cd player, stove and oven. The bathroom was something out of a 5 star hotel with marble walls and floors. Even the shower was powerful! ( This is very important to me and my husband. Many of our trips to Europe included aggravation with weak shower power resulting in a flat looking head of hair. But to our amazement, out in the middle of the desert, we had a better and more powerful shower than anywhere in Europe!)
The staff is friendly and available but also great at giving space. There is a box in the front porch that you put your breakfast and activity requests for the next day. This is nice because you fill it in at your pace and they pick it up that night.
As we sat to watch the amazing desert sunset each night we would fill in our requests for breakfast and then try to decide what activities to do. We went horseback riding, golfing and 4 –wheeling. Then to relax we went swimming and took a scenic hike around the historic areas of the ranch. They even brought an afternoon treat of lemonade, made from lemons grown on the ranch! It was so peaceful. We would stay at El Renovara again in a heartbeat! Oh, and yes we DID see shooting stars at night!
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Tali, O'Fallon, IL |
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| 08/10/09 |
Positive
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When I heard that the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile was one of the best places in the world for viewing the night time sky I just had to go. The fact that the daytime was filled with such beauty, peace and fun was just an added bonus for me.
The welcome I received at El Renovara was off the charts! The entire staff was there to greet and welcome me. I was escorted to my private 2 bedroom casita and given a brief tour. I'd just stayed at two upscale hotels for a few days before arriving at the ranch but the the accommodations at the ranch put them to shame. Everything about the room was over the top. Imagine the quality of a Ritz Carlton but in the style of the Southwest USA and you'll start to get the idea. I was told about all of the options available to me that day and there were a lot to choose from. I chose Horseback riding and some time on the driving range. The rest of the time I spent on quiet walks, a nap by the pool and enjoying some amazing meals! That was just day one! But back to the night sky... I was not disappointed. I stepped out of my room at about 10:00pm and it was pitch black outside. I looked up and I would have sworn that there were some thin clouds passing over the ranch. But they weren't moving and they weren't clouds... it was the Milky Way! As clear as I've ever seen it. It was spectacular. I spent time just looking at stars, shooting stars and planets and being in awe.
El Renovara gets my highest recommendation! Go by yourself or take your family or group but don't miss this one. |
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David, St. Louis, Missouri USA |
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