Most Inspirational Moment
For me personally it was seeing Machu Picchu - a lifetime ambition. We took the train rather than trekking to get there and I do not feel I missed out in any way. As it was not high season we were able to go back to the site on the second day - choosing to go early at sunrise, which was really worth the effort.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Marcial Bedregal was an excellent leader. He was born in Peru and has been leading tours for decades and so knows it very well. He knew how to pace the trip to suit us best and all the best places to stop for food, toilet stops and photos. He adapted parts of the itinerary slightly to give us the best possible experience. He was very knowledgable about the history but gave us information in manageable chunks. He was laid back and friendly with us all equally and very helpful to any group members having problems.
Advice for Potential Travellers
I went on the group flights with United Airlines with changes in Houston on the way out and Newark on the way back. We were unlucky with delays due to electrical problems. On the way out the flight from London was delayed and so we missed our connection and had to spend 24hrs in Houston. United Airlines put us up in the holiday Inn at their expense and gave us meal vouchers. We phoned Exodus about missing the connection and they arranged that when we reached Lima the next night we were met by the tour operator and driven four hours through the night down the coast to meet the rest of the group, so that we only missed one day of the trip. On the way home at Newark the flight to London was cancelled due to an electrical fault and we had approx 9 hours in Newark airport until the next flight. Again we got meal vouchers. It sounds bad, but I think we were unlucky to be delayed and the service on the actual flights was very good. As it was the official group flight that was delayed on the way out, I arrived home to discover a very prompt letter from Exodus apologising for my delayed journey and with financial compensation. I was very happy with Exodus' response and their actions to catch us up with the group. If we had not been on the official group flights and had been delayed we might have had to arrange our own transport at Lima to drive down the coast. So don't let my experience put you off the group flights!Apart from the flights saga, it all went quite smoothly. Two people were quite badly affected by the altitude at various times but were dealt with promptly by our guide and completed most of the trip with a few modifications. Most of us had only mild symptoms and just had to walk more slowly than usual - and not talk so much when walking! As regards money, I would suggest planning to use nuevo sol everywhere rather than dollars. I only used dollars twice - once to pay the local tour operator for some extra tours and once in a market when I ran out of sol. Most places seemed to prefer sol to dollars. I brought some from home and also changed a lot at Lima airport. For the first two to three days no-one seems to have any change but from Cusco onwards this is not usually a problem. From Cusco onwards it is easier to access ATMs or money changers.Some of us felt that we could have done with fewer hot weather clothes and more warm ones - it gets very cold at altitude especially in the early or late parts of the day. Layers are the way to go - the temperature changes a lot in one day as you go up and down in altitude.