Casa Newen Bed and Breakfast has been operating for around 8 years and in that time we have seen a rapid increase in both the number of tourists who visit Chile and the accommodations that are available in Santiago.

I mention this because over the last couple of years, we have received a number of guests at Casa Newen Bed and Breakfast who where in need of last minute accommodation because the departments, hotels and bed and breakfasts that they booked in Santiago was nothing like the photos they saw or the location was not close to the city.

Recently a very nice lady from Canada, knocked on our door asking if we had any rooms available, luckily a couple from San Francisco had just left that morning, we told her that we did and she sighed with relief and sat down to enjoy some tea that we had offered her. After some friendly chit chat she explained that she had booked to stay at a bed and breakfast in Santiago that was very close to the city and was offered a great rate, to be sure she quickly did a google search and found great reviews in tripadvisor.

Well after arriving in Santiago and waiting 1hr for her transfer to pick her up she decided to catch a taxi to her bed and breakfast. When she arrived at the address that was given to her, she found a non nondescript apartment building, puzzled she asked the taxi driver to wait as she rang the button of the complex, A nice lady appeared, and she tried to explain the situation to her.

She was shocked to learn that the “bed and breakfast” that she had booked was nothing more then a rented apartment, were a gentleman asks that they make no noise when they arrive or depart so as not to raise the suspicion of his nieghbours! Their had been various tourists that had left annoyed at the lack of services and the general lack of interest of the “host”

To Luis and my self these stories are becoming more common, we would advice anybody who is thinking of visiting Chile and more specifically Santiago to ask the bed and breakfast which there thinking of staying; how long have they been registered and licenced with the national tourism office SERNATUR and with their local town as a bed and breakfast in Santiago.

If they are not licenced or can not give you a specific answer, STAY AWAY. Of course you can always check this information at the sernatur.cl website.

Casa Newen Bed and Breakfast in Santiago de Chile, was one of the first bed and breakfasts in Santiago. We are a registered and licenced bed and breakfast for the last 8 years and apply the international bed and breakfast standards to all our services.

Adda & Luis Carvajal

Casa Newen Bed and Breakfast
contact@casanewen.com
www.casanewen.com

Our Bed and Breakfast in Santiago de Chile offers it´s winter special promo package for 2010 which includes two (2) night accommodation with continental breakfast and full day wine tour with bilingual guide for $320 USD. To Book visit www.casanewen.com or contact(at)casanewen.com and mention our promo coupon WINE320.

Casa Newen offers travelers and tourists our fun santiago tours for the summer of 2010! We organize and arrange private and group tours to the must see attractions that Santiago and Chile has to offer. The tours are with experienced bilingual guides and can be personalized to fit your needs.

There are 10 tours throughout Santiago and central Chile catering to every want imaginable! If you fancy the beach and coastline we offer tours to the iconic port city of Valparaiso and the resort city of Vina del Mar as well as the enchanting fishing town of Zapallar. The Isla Negra and Pomaire tour will take you on a journey into the life of Chile’s Nobel Prize Winner Pablo Neruda, visiting the poets home and Pomaire, the traditional potters village known for it’s handmade arts and crafts.

If you love Chilean wine then the tours in Chile offer a smorgasbord of lush green valleys and vineyards. The Wine Train Tour is a popular tour in Santiago and features an original steam train and a trip to the Colchagua valley. There are also wine tours to the Maipo Valley featuring the vineyards of Concha y Toro, Undurraga. The Colchagua Ranch Tour is a unique experience of Chilean wine and culture with a traditional folklore dance and rodeo as well as visit to the Colchagua Museum.

If you are the outdoors type then a tour of Cajon del Maipo and San jose is a sure bet. Here you will find various activities at your disposal. Trekking El Morado National Park to the San Fransisco Glacier is unforgettable as well as a visit to Colina Thermal Baths, a natural wonderland with the Andes Mountain range as your backdrop.

And finally the Dinner and Show tour highlights the best attractions that Santiago has to offer! The cultural center that is Santiago’s main square, the majestic Cathedral of Santiago and the resilience of the Presidential Palace. Finally a traditional restaurant of Santiago will introduce you to Chile’s typical dances, wines and gastronomy.

Visit our website at www.casanewen.com and view our Tours section for more info. You can also book a tour by clicking on “bookings and enquiries” or by Clicking Here you can also reach us by sending an email at contact@casanewen.com or by Tel:+56 02 716 9007 (Santiago de Chile)

We pride ourselves on providing travelers, guests and tourists our renowned personal service and friendly advice so we hope you discover Chile with our Santiago tours

Alejandro Carvajal
Casa Newen Tours Santiago Chile

At Casa Newen Bed and Breakfast we strive to accomodate our guests so they have the best possible experience in Santiago de Chile, with our one of a kind personalised service and hospitality or with discounts and specials in accomodation or tours.

We believe we provide an experience that opens our guests to really enjoy their holiday, vacation or business trip. To that end Casa Newen Bed and Breakfast has decided to make coming to Chile even easier with a limited time offer of 30% DISCOUNT ON WINTER ACCOMODATION.

If you would like a NEW TRAVEL experience in one of the best places in South America. Visit Santiago de Chile and SAVE 30% Off of WINTER ACCOMODATION, simply visit Casa Newen Bed and Breakfast rated “EXCELLENT” by TRIPADVISOR.COM and featured in NATIONAL GEAOGRAPHIC TRAVEL MAGAZINE for your discount rate. This is a limited offer subject to avaliabilty and season.

Vina del Mar has the reputation of being the glamourous playground of the wealthy and is often referred to the Chilean Riviera.

Our guests usually leave only one day to Valparaiso and go on a cruise, but in our opinion there are plenty of things to do and gems to discover onshore just by strolling from Vina del Mar to Valparaiso, then dancing the night away at the bars and clubs in town.

The key here is to soak up the picturesque coastal town atmosphere, strolling in the backstreets and seeing where the day takes you .

The flower clock, the museum and the botanical garden in Vina del Mar, are the must see´s, but if you have no idea where to start, here´s my list of our favourite tucked away gems and things to do in Valparaiso-Vina del Mar..

Not so common things to do in Valparaiso or Vina Del Mar.

:: For New Year´s Eve :: Don’t do as the locals do who watch this popular spectacle on TV. Get up early and stake out a place somewhere along the coast of Valparaiso or Vina Del Mar. At 3min past midnight, the sky explodes in the biggest fireworks displayed in all Latin America. Book accommodation way in advance.

:: Go to Pablo Neruda´s House:: ¨La Sebastiana¨ in Valparaiso, Chile,where he wrote all those famous love poems. Tuesdays to Sundays, 10.10 AM to 6 PM, CLP $3.500 per adult. Down “Ferrari” Streer, on Bella Vista hill.

:: Outdoor Market :: If you like perusing flea markets for antiques and collectables, Vina Del Mar holds a large outdoor fleamarket right in front of the main flower clock tourist spot in ¨Las Salinas¨ on Sundays and public holidays. 10am to 5pm.

::Horse carriages:: See the city lights in an old style horse carriage called ¨Las Victorias¨ along Plaza Vergara and Plaza Colombia around the corner from our Valparaiso Villa holiday house, in Vina del Mar, Chile. Short ride CLP$6,000 or long ride CLP$12,000.

:: See a smaller scale authentic Moai statue:: It was brought from the Easter Island in 1951 to Vina del Mar, Chile, and is standing besides the Francisco Fonck Museum, Nº 784, 4 Norte, open from Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 to 6pm. Sundays and holidays 10:00 to 2pm.

::Wharf:: Take a stroll on the wharf and check out the catch before dining in one of the many restaurants with a view overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Caleta Higuerilla Av. Borgoño,Viña del Mar, Chile.

::Go for a salsa dancing lesson:: At salsa club La Piedra Feliz (The Happy Stone). The fun starts at 10pm on Thursdays. Errazuriz 1054, Valparaiso.Chile. Ph:(32) 256788. http://lapiedrafeliz.cl

::Go for a midsummer nights dip:: At glamourous Renaca beach, Viña del Mar, specifically at ¨El Cementerio¨ the jetset hangout area on the beach.

::Sea Lions:: Take a hike out on the rocks on the coastal road linking Reñaca and Concón at the Mirador Lobos Marinos (Sea Lion Lookout) where you can meet some local sea lions. It is not easy but it´s worth it. Avenida Borgoña Viña del Mar, Chile.

::Try an ¨empanada¨:: The national savoury pastry snack filled with mince meat, egg and olives, at any corner bakery.

::Rioja Palace:: (Palacio Rioja). Get dressed up and visit this French style Palace which is now an environmental museum and cinema. It is located on one of the Vina del Mar’s main streets “Quillota”. Open Hours10am-2pm, 3pm-6pm Mon-Sun. Ph.+ 56 32 883322.

::Sports Club:: Parque Sausalito (Sausalito Park ) is an excellent place for the more active tourist wanting to fit in a bit of tennis, swimming, jogging even a bit of shooting practice. Avenida Sausalito Viña del Mar, Chile. Open 24 hrs.

::Valparaiso Sporting Club:: Enjoy a day at the races. At a very English style Derby day the first Sunday of every February. The first Derby Day, based on the British race, was held in 1885. On Saturday before the race, the traditional antique cars parade takes place through the streets of Viña del Mar, with the Queen of the Derby making a special guest appearance in the parade. Los Castaños 404, Vina del Mar, Chile.

Hi everyone,
This year we went down to the local park Inez de Suarez, Providencia, Santiago, to celebrate Independence day and took some photos. We had some ¨churros¨ which are doughy sweet sticks covered with icing sugar, tried some Chicha (sweet fermented wine) and had a dance to ¨La Cueca¨ under the Chilean Flags.