http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17351
A really affordable place for anybody who want to stay just a little or a long time in Santiago. It's cheap and it worth more then you pay for. The building is brand new and includes all services like doorman, elevators, laundry, gym, spa and pool.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17351 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14868 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14868 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13496
The Pulpo al Olivar (octopus with black olive dressing) is divine and the Seco de Cordero is excellent as well. Most items on the menu are very good and the Pisco Sours are some of the best in Santiago.

Highly recommended.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13496 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10369
I travelled to Chile once a few years ago and made the mistake of not making all my arrangements before going there. Although this might seem like a more adventurous option, the problem is, that if you haven't got months to spend, that you will end up not seeing everything that you want to.

I was therefore left with a strong desire to return to Chile on a more organised trip. This time I did my research, reading articles and the like and I found Optimundo, a company that specialises in tailor made trips to Chile.

I can't recommend contacting Optimundo enough, if you are planning a trip to this amazing country. They put together exactly the trip that I wanted to take my family on and once there it went like clockwork. Everything: friendly guides, good hotels, interesting tours, and most importantly we got to see all the places on my wish list - the icebergs and glaciers of Patagonia; the volcanoes and lakes in the lake district; the dolphins and penguins; the dramatic desert landscapes.

So my tip is, if you haven't got heaps of time, get a detailed itinerary planned out before you go.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10369 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/9792 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/9792 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/9791
You can cross the bridge and you're in the main nightlife area, Providencia. The hostel is also conveniently close to some Spanish language schools.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/9791 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/9402
If you fancy a day trip head to Valparaiso. It's a short hour-and-a-half journey. This big port is the second largest city in Chile and is far more unique and representative of the country. Don't attempt to tackle the hills once there - there are handy elevators that take you to the top for one of the most stunning views in Chile. I would particularly recommend Valparaiso at New Years Eve as a huge fireworks display takes place across the whole bay.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/9402 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5734 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5734 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5166 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5166 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4783 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4783 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4471
There is something very modernist about the whole revolving restaurant thing: a 60s/70s international style fad that has just about survived into the 21st-century. You can imagine Augusto Pinochet, fresh from one of his shopping trips to London, asking Santiago's city planners to come up with something that could replicate the GPO Tower dining experience.

Bizarrely, my main course at the Giratorio was like a Chilean riff on fish'n'chips: battered conger eel and a fried egg and chips. Not bad actually. And the wine was, as you'd expect in Chile, excellent.

Unlike with some revolving restaurants I have visited, the Giratorio building itself does not move, instead the restaurant is on a kind of giant turntable inside a rectangular steel and glass structure. With mountains on all sides, the 90-minute journey around Santiago is a picturesque and contemplative experience. Can the Muzak though please, guys.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4471 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4049 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4049 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/3535
The hostel itself is in a quiet neighbourhood a little way out the centre, 20 minutes or so from the Plaza de Armas by regular buses. The facilities themselves are basic but functional. Scott can also arrange a Spanish language teacher for group or individual lessons.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/3535