Meet our expert, resident Trip Leaders
Nick Tozer
With OAT since 2003
99% of travelers rated their experience with
Nick excellent
"Nick is truly one of a kind. He has a wealth of experience and knowledge combined with a wonderful sense of humor. He was totally committed to our needs and well-being. He was intellectually stimulating and engaged us with many thought-provoking questions. He did a sensational job."
–Carole & Daniel Linscott, 16-time travelers, Richardson, Texas
Born in: Romford, England
Resides in: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian
Hobbies & Interests: Playing soccer, bicycling, running, writing, reading, politics, human rights, listening to classical music, tango
Get to know Nick:
As a British born kid growing up in Buenos Aires, I was always fascinated by the extraordinary relationship between my country of birth and the country I lived in, Argentina—especially two events I had never heard of while at school in England, but about which every school kid in Argentina is fully aware: the attempted British invasions of Buenos Aires in 1806 and 1807. Being the token English-born student at school, once a year I was inevitably reminded by my school mates about these events, and this contributed to my interest in the subject—and about the broader subjects of politics and history.
Growing up in Argentina in the 1960s was also fascinating because of the never-ending changes within this society, especially the political instability—including the constant oscillation between military and civilian governments and the exile and return of Perón—and the constant contradiction between an Argentina seen as a part of South America or as something of an extension of Europe in exile in the Americas. These are all topics that deeply influenced my own early life—leading to my current focus on democracy, human rights, and safeguarding the rule of law—as well as changing Argentinean society in general.
I left Argentina in the 1970s for London, but returned in the early 1990s and have lived here since. I’d been fortunate to have had ample opportunities to travel around the world during that time, and discovered that Argentina was the country I wanted to live in. I particularly like the people, who are not only incredibly friendly, but well educated (and largely quite attractive), and it helps that a lot of my family lives here too. My life has always been in two worlds, England and Argentina, and I think that gave me the chance to learn moderation and understanding, and helped me see the real differences between Argentina and other “melting pot” countries. As someone who once came here a foreigner, I understand these differences, and love to show people how places, people, and society have developed and changed—even in my own lifetime.
Nick’s Insider Tips:
Unique Food & Drink:
With a substantial part of the population claiming Italian heritage, it is not surprising that Buenos Aires’ Italian restaurants are among the best you can find—and of those, Broccolino is the king. My family and I have been going there forever, and my favorite dishes are the Cebolla Broccolino, an onion baked with grated cheese (which is truly delicious), followed by pasta, particularly the vegetable ravioli with a spicy puttanesca sauce of tomato, anchovy, garlic, and black olives—all washed down with a good Argentinean Malbec. The ambience at Broccolino is warm, the price range is moderate to expensive depending on what you choose, and servings tend to be generous, so make sure you don’t over-order. Broccolino is located at Esmeralda 768, and is open seven days a week from midday to midnight.
Hidden Gems & Highlights:
One of the best-guarded secrets in Antarctica is that you can actually swim there—and the most famous location for doing so is Deception Island, one of the islands in the South Shetland chain, which is actually a flooded volcanic crater. Inside the caldera is the world’s southernmost swimming opportunity: If we get the chance to visit Deception Island, you can take your Antarctic plunge in water heated by the active volcano. So bring your bathing suit along and something to wear on your feet (water or slip on shoes), because the beach is volcanic ash and not sand and can be quite tough when walking around shoeless, and we’ll most certainly provide you with a towel and give you an OAT diploma certifying that you are one of the brave Antarctica swimmers.
Special Places & Pastimes:
While in Buenos Aires, travelers heading to Antarctica have a unique opportunity to visit one of the last remaining monuments of the “Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration”—the Argentine Navy corvette ARA Uruguay, which rescued marooned members of the 1901-03 Swedish Antarctic Expedition, when their own ship was crushed by the ice. The ship’s crew was given a hero’s welcome by the citizens of Buenos Aries upon their return, and their three-masted sailing ship, which was built in 1874 and served until 1926, is now a floating museum and historic monument moored in the port of Buenos Aires at dock area No. 3 area in Puerto Madero. It is not to be missed, especially by anyone going to Antarctica.
Iconic Items & Handcrafts:
Argentina has plenty of penguins, and not only the real ones in Antarctica and Patagonia, but also some rather unique ones only to be found on the tables of Buenos Aires: the traditional Argentine ceramic wine pitcher known as the pinguino. For unknown reasons—that have defied historians for years—since the 1930s, table wine has been served in these penguin-shaped pitchers both at home and in popular restaurants. Today, pinguinos can still be found in stores in Buenos Aires (especially in the many shops along Florida Avenue), and they’re something you can bring home with you to share in a local Argentinean tradition, and serve wine in a different, more penguin-like, way.
Native Wilderness & Wildlife:
One frequently asked question is “how close can I get to a penguin,” and the answer is that we comply with IATTO regulations, and strictly impose the “five meter minimum approach distance guideline.” However, British naturalist Bernard Stonehouse once said: “I have often had the impression that, to penguins, Man is just another penguin—different, less predictable, occasionally violent, but tolerable company when he sits still and minds his own business," and over the years I have frequently seen how true these words are. If you simply sit down on a rock, you’ll find that penguins are both unafraid of human beings and curious about them, and may well come up to you and peck at your boots or occasionally even sit on them. Some of the best photos of penguins I have seen were taken by travelers who simply sat on a rock, watched the penguins, and let them decide when to close the distance between them.