Custom Designing Pampered Adventure since 1966
Destinations
Experiences
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L A D A T C
O T O U R S Custom Designing Pampered Adventure since 1966 |
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| HOME | South America | Falkland Islands | Antarctica | Unique Destinations |
Unique Experiences |
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| HOW | |
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Getting to the Islands is now easy with Lan Chile's once a week Saturday flight from Santiago with a stop in Punta Arenas. The flight leaves in the morning, arriving Mount Pleasant mid-afternoon and then leaves late afternoon and arrives back in Santiago in the evening. From Punta Arenas flying time is only 1 hour 20 minutes to the Islands, so rather than making a long day by going from or to Santiago, break the trip in Punta Arenas for a night, especially on the return from the Islands - do not try to make an international connection in Santiago on the same day as flying Falklands-Santiago. |
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Once in the Islands, getting anywhere except a few points
close to Stanley is by FIGAS (Falkland Islands Government Air Service). They fly 9-seater
Islander aircraft on an "On Demand" service. But because land
strip lengths dictate the maximum number of persons, flights rarely
have more than 6 persons. FIGAS collect names, dates and destinations and then the night before decide flight schedule for the next day -what time the flight leaves, where it will go in what order to drop-off and pick-up passengers along with mail and local cargo. They announce the flights, departing and arriving times at all points and who is on what flight segment on the radio that same evening - the night before you fly. Your local host finds out your schedule by listening to the radio or in same cases getting a fax or even going online. FIGAS issues an air ticket, but you don't need it; your name on the manifest is sufficient. They weigh you (no limit) and your luggage (28 pounds maximum) in order to determine distribution within the aircraft. Once at your destination you get around by Land Rover, over hill and dale, across streams and puddles, along beaches and peat bogs.
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