We chose the Wildlife Safari package at Ecocamp and stayed in Suite Domes.

The Suite Domes were lovely, with woodburning stove. I had the best sleep on my whole Patagonian trip at Ecocamp. Food was very good except for one minor translation issue: "Oysters Ragout" should have been "Scallops." There was no shortage in packing for daily lunchboxes. Dining with other guests and meeting your fellow travelers is a lot of fun at Ecocamp.

Guides and staff were very helpful, and so was the guest services manager. The "easy" daytime excursions were probably about the equivalent of moderate U.S. hiking due to steady inclines/declines. The strong Patagonian winds and regular micro-climates could make this challenging. We had some 70 year olds on our "easy hikes," and while they did fine, the hiking is NOT the equivalent of US "easy" grade hiking. Many of our fellow travelers commented that Ecocamp could do a better job describing the distances/elevations of their excursions and offer more variability. They like to keep to their daily rigid offerings and schedules (e.g. hurrying to get you to the evening ferry on time).

A shout-out to the Yoga teacher who very nicely makes adjustments based on the level of participants in the class.

However, we did not see as much wildlife on the walks as expected, and no puma despite reported sightings in the proximal days. The wildlife and Mother Nature are uncontrollable variables. We met a couple who had stayed at Ecocamp before us and they reported the active hikes in difficult weather was just miserable.

One negative: the bus that took us from EcoCamp to the border was leaking condensation on the heads of its passengers. The driver drove very quickly due to this, which was quite another adventure all together. Also, our scheduled time of departure was before breakfast. The 13-hour drive in also seems unncessary, with the stop at the Milodon Cave. I suspect this is a test walk for the guides to assess the group's fitness. The 6-hour drive back via the Castillo border is more reasonable.

NB: Bring your own trekking poles if you want them. We were advised that the rental ones are poor-quality and dilapidated.

There are certainly a number of ways to experience Torres del Paine, and hiking the W trek with Ecocamp turned out to be fantastic way to experience the park. We booked the 7 day trek, whereby you stay 4 evenings in the Ecocamp domes, and 2 evenings at the refugios (hostels). We had a suite-dome which was super charming and unique, and the view of the TDP from the dome makes it feel that much more special. The guides and staff were very helpful and attentive. All together, a well organized and pleasant experience and would definitely recommend.

The refugios you stay in during the multi-day trekking excursion are very basic and, to be honest, I wasn't looking forward to a shared room with 6-8 people. But after some time together trekking in such a beautiful location, you bond with your fellow trekkers and it becomes a camp-like experience and was actually quite fun. Make sure you a bring a quick-drying towel (we picked one up in Puerto Natales) as you'll need it during the 2 evenings at the refugios.

We also booked the big-ice extension at the Perito Moreno glacier. Definitely worth seeing and, at the end you get to drink whiskey with 300 year old glacier ice! Best whiskey ever! The border crossing into Argentina is slow, so just remember it will take 6 hours to get to El Calafate.

We also spent a few days in the lake district (Frutillar) to see the awesome volcano (Osorno). The German influence around this area is interesting and worth a visit. I would visit the lake district before the trek, because you can't fly from El Calafate to Puerto Montt directly, which means we had to take several buses to get back to Punta Arenas before catching our flight to Puerto Montt. One word of advice, there is really not much to see or do in Punta Arenas.

We stayed at a standard Eco camp dome for three people which had an open (inside the dome!) upper deck with a bed in addition to the real wood fireplace and queen bed on the ground level. Very intimate, comfortable even though cold outside. The "window" has great view of the famous mountain ranges. Going to the toilet and shower which is attached to the dome but right outside the main entrance means a bit of coldness before the hot shower. The separate dining hall for all campers is very comfortable with grand views of the outdoor mountain ranges. Simply luxury in a wild, natural, most beautiful environment. Fantastic service with attention to details. The eco friendliness on the detailed design and operations is to be commended. Great hikes/ around the area. The air was soooo fresh and untinted. You do pay for all this.