Chile is a country full of charm and treasures, its nature and its landscapes are unique, extraordinary and touching; when one utters “Valparaíso”, “Patagonia”, “Cabo de Hornos”, “Isla de Pascua”, “Desierto de Atacama”, the air fills with magic. Add our hospitability, the taste of our wines, fish and shellfish, the public safety conditions, and you will understand why we take pride in suggesting you come to Planeta Chile…

To travel tailored-wise is an uncommon privilege, you can travel alone or choose your company, you can choose your road map as well as your dates and schedules according to your own priorities, tastes and rhythm. You will have the exclusive service of a bilingual guide and a driver. If you still don’t have an exact idea of the places you would like to visit or of the itinerary that you would like to follow, you may find inspiration in the Personal Interests and Travel Ideas sections that we suggest here, and which you may modify adding, discarding or combining with other alternatives at your free choice. Flexibility is one of our principles, rely on our permanent willingness to advise you, we are here to be of service.

Who are we?

We are Vicente Sota, Yves Lecompte, Juan Sota and Alejandro Mercader, three Chileans and a Frenchman, who have come together following our three passions: discover and share treasures, being genuine and working with excellence.

 

Vicente Sota (photograph)

I am Chilean by family and French by experience. I grew up in Europe where I studied History, Drama/Acting and Languages. For five years I was devoted to guide tourists through the routes of Scottish Whisky, the routes of Goya in Spain, and the Danube through Austria and Hungary, ending up in France, specializing in the treasures of Paris, the Palace of Versailles and the Loire river Castles. Since I got back to Chile, I have roamed around the country accompanying friends that came to visit my large family, something that has allowed me to, gradually, pick out the most interesting and beautiful spots. Falling in love again, with this country, its beautiful and luxurious nature, this is how me and my partners, Yves, Juan and Alejandro, are at present adopting Planeta Chile as an occupation and a passion.

 

Yves Lecompte (photograph)

I am a French heart surgeon just over sixty years old. At the end of my career, after travelling the world either for pleasure or need, I have attained the confidence that one can’t get to know a country without the mediation of the personal contact with its people. The tourist that is only a spectator or a consumer always misses the essentials. This is why I decided to team up with Vicente, Juan and Alejandro (Chileans imbued with the French culture) in this project that considers its sense of purpose to promote and share a unique experience instead of the mere intake of a standard product.

 

Juan Sota (photograph)

After years searching al over the globe, I ended up finding, twenty years ago, my little slice of paradise at San Pedro de Atacama, an oasis in the driest desert on earth, where I have been able to bring to life my passion for a tourism with a special focus. A pioneer in this field when I arrived, and working non-stop as a guide and owner of different tourism projects till, along with my partners, I have been able to make use of my experience in the development and success of Planeta Chile, and as its name suggests, embrace this country and its wonders in all their extent.

 

Our Specialist Guides

Juan, Alejandro and Vicente will accompany you in most of the journeys, however, if you are specially interested in bird watching, poetry, archaeology, etc., then your trip will need the company of real specialists like Fabrice and Miriam, an ornithologist and an enthusiast of poetry that are knowledgeable and enjoy sharing their passion.

 

Fabrice Schmitt (photograph)

An enthusiast of ornithology for more than 20 years, I fell in love with South American birds during my first trip to Peru in 1995. Since then I have been roaming the continent, visiting nearly all its countries, engaged in discovering its fauna, its flora, its people… Since year 2005 I live in Santiago de Chile where I am engaged in various activities with the “Asociación Chilena de estudio y protección de las aves” AvesChile, like coordinating the ornithology database and as a moderator of the discussion group at ObsChile. I’m also the head editor of the electronic magazine La Chiricoca.
I have undertaken, in partnership with my Chilean friend Rodrigo Barros, a study on the “Pajaro Amarillo” (Warbling Doradito, Pseudocolopteryx flaviventris) with the aim to determine the ecological demands of this species as also its biological characteristics (migration, reproduction site fidelity). I guide bird watching tours throughout Chile, Peru and Argentine.

 

Miriam Lahsen (photograph)

I love poetry and literature like something alive, like a landscape that changes with the course of seasons. I love travelling and poetry is a fascinating and deep trip through the authors world, a world that enlightens and broadens mine, a trip that allows me to recognize my existence and my perception of this world and the other. At present I deliver literary workshops, and I am convinced that the best Chile has ever produced are its wines and its poets. Neruda is my poetic passion, and along with performing workshops on his work and life, I accompany visitors to enjoy his houses, profoundly experiencing his physical and poetical settings.
Master in Literature, I have the fortune of accomplishing my most deep call: to communicate with others in affectionate and transcendent surroundings as those one can find in art.

Our philosophy

…isn’t the transport of tourist groups to picturesque spots or performing typical circuits. At Planet Chile each guest is unique, as is each trip.
Here you will not have to adapt to our programs, on the contrary, we will embrace your personal interests, your priorities and your rhythm.

If you want to combine historical topics with real-world ones, during our promenade through downtown Santiago we’ll suggest a walk through the historic district visiting the museum of Pre-Columbian Art (“Museo de Arte Precolombino”) , the official home and workplace of the President (the “Palacio Presidencial de La Moneda”), walk around the “Mercado Central” (a food market formed by an array of small stalls) and later have a rest in one of the most folkloric bars in Chile, where we’ll taste the “Chicha Chilena” (a kind of cider). If, while we visit Valparaiso, you are tempted to stay overnight, we will suggest a night out in an unforgettable experience dancing Tango facing the harbour…(we can even teach you some steps!), and the next day, on our way back to Santiago, we can get off our tracks to visit Pablo Neruda’s world at his house in “Isla Negra”. If you want to visit the Atacama desert and you want to be amazed by the stars in the sky, we will take you to see an astronomer at San Pedro de Atacama, who professionally equipped, will delight you with his passion for the stars and with the hot chocolate that his wife prepares. Or, if during your stay, you get interested in experiencing Chilean hospitality in a more genuine way, we will propose alternatives to share everyday life with a Patagonian family, a desert family, an Andean family or with a family from a fishing village……you decide, we will do it professionally and gladly.

At Planeta Chile we know how to be hospitable, we are flexible and we are reliable. We provide all the logistics and all the requirements so your trip shall be a unique and unforgettable experience.