(Monocle) Saving up your leave and heading on a proper adventure can change the way you think. Go for a whole month; don’t follow the pack. Open skies and awe-inspiring landscapes await in Patagonia. This huge plateau is divided by the Andes and cupped by two oceans, and spans both Argentina and neighbouring Chile. In the latter’s Aysén region, conservationists Kristine and Doug Tompkins have sponsored the creation of Patagonia National Park, a haven for species in the Chacabuco Valley. Kristine also recently opened her private three-bedroom hilltop home, Casa Butler, to guests through hospitality group Explora. Designed by architect Francisco Morandé Ruiz-Tagle and Tompkins’ late husband, the cosy lodge is a great base for trekking Patagonia’s stunning steppe – and going off-grid for a while. 

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