Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Machu Picchu! How could it not be?! We were taken there early in the morning so we got the best light and less tourists.  Just wandering around it was amazing and walking to the top of the steps from the entrance gate, the trees breaking apart and seeing it properly for the first time - wow!We also had a keen bird-watcher in our group so by the time we got to the Colca Canyon we were all equally excited and nervous.  When five condors rose out of the canyon, it was just incredible. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Juan Diaz was excellent. He managed to keep smiling for two weeks while trying to get us to keep to specific times when we were coo-ing over alpachas instead of doing what we were meant to! Despite having been to some of the sights over 100 times he was still really enthusiastic and eager for us to have a great time while learning lots. He came across very calm and relaxed even though when the group were off exploring he was glued to his phone organising the next thing for us - I didn't pick my suitcase up for two weeks because he made sure they were taken to the right rooms in hotels. He took good care of us when we got altitude sickness, made us laugh for two weeks and bascially made sure we really loved our time in Peru.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack light - the washing facilities in Cusco are cheap and excellent.Don't underestimate altitude sickness!  Although it is easily remedied make sure you get plenty of rest, drink the coca tea and do as your guide says.Take memory for your camera!

Most Inspirational Moment

 Definately No 1 is the visit to Machu Picchu - spectacular! The tour enables you to visit the site in the afternoon with the tour guide and thus receive a full explanation of the site.  It also offers free time to visit again the following morning which is great.No 2 has to be Cuszo - I love it, its a beautifull cityNo 3 travelling through the Andes.  Had a lovely experience when the LLamas stole sugar from restaurant:)No 4 Arequipa is a lovely city, enjoyed sight seeing especially the visit to Santa Catalina convent. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Group leader was Fabrizzio.  He was great !! he well informed us in advance of what to do, where to go and which places we should avoid.  He really took great care of all the tour members.   

Advice for Potential Travellers

 Always take the guide's advice especially to avoid any dangerous areas.  Drink plenty of water when travelling to high altitude areas - it helps as lot.very important to take DEET spray and torches if visiting the Amazon. 

Most Inspirational Moment

Definitely the first glimpse of Machu Picchu.  However, viewing the condors in Colca Canyon comes a close second.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fabrizio was very helpful and took great care of us especially while crossing the Andes when some of us experienced mild altitude sickness.

Most Inspirational Moment

Machu Pichu , seeing condors, lake titicaca. Cusco  ( a beautiful place) santa Catalina convent (beautiful and peaceful)

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fabrizzio Cornejo was excellent and very helpful re timings,clothing to wear and avaoiding ams. he was passionateabout his country

Advice for Potential Travellers

travel via Amsterdam, much less hassle and local connecting flights rhere from most/all local airports plus no ESTArequired. would recommend exodus, already saving for next hol

Most Inspirational Moment

The most inspirational moment of the trip for me was visiting Machu Picchu, its something I've always wanted to see and it for me lived up to my expectations and beyond. Going back on the 2nd day and seeing the sunrise over Machu Picchu was awesome. The trip to Cuzco was wonderful and the trip to Colca Canyon to view the Condors soaring above you so gracefully was breathtaking

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our Group Leader Mr Fabrizzio Cornejo was excellent and a real credit to you. His knowledge and expertise made my trip to Peru unforgetable and he was very mindful of the whole group at all times

Advice for Potential Travellers

Yes - listen to the group leader when he/she gives you advice, especially where preventing altitude sickness is concerned. If they say drink plenty of water, then drink plenty of water. Other than that justenjoy the whole experience of Peru - you will not be disappointed in any way

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing soaring condors nearby in Colca Climbing around Machu Picchu  Sandboarding  near Ica and being amazed at how much I enjoyed it 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent  Good - very good - leader  Thought ahead about the expected and the unexpected  Very well  informed  A credit to you 

Advice for Potential Travellers

The flight via Amsterdam are much more conveniently timed  than those via the US And listen when your guide tells you to keep drinking water - when we got cavalier about this we did feel some - avoidable - altitude sickness 

Most Inspirational Moment

I would say the moment surrounded by llamas and alpaca on the endless grassland.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader was great! He paid a lot of attention to the safety of the group and made sure that the arrangement will be as smooth as planned.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't think. Book it now. It would be one of your lifetime best memory.

Most Inspirational Moment

Machu Pichu was a dream come true and the initial reason for my choosing a trip to Peru. Other main highlights included an overnight stay with a family at Amantani – an emotional & humbling experience, and thereafter the Colca Canyon to view the majestic Condors in flight.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We were so very privileged to have Fabrizzio Cornejo as our Group Leader. His knowledge & understanding of his country and its people are phenomenal and the passion with which he performs his work is tangible. He went the extra mile in terms of taking care of the group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Prior to departure, I had done a fair amount of reading, particularly relating to cultures, history, and politics of the country and this most definitely made me appreciate & enjoy so much more the significance of all that I was experiencing. I also learnt a bit of very basic Spanish and it was fun putting it to practice!Pack half of the permitted baggage allowance as an excellent laundry service is available in Cuzco, and this also means you will have lots more space for shopping en route – the quality and range of Textiles are amazing and very hard to resist! Read the reviews on the website and be prepared for some long travel, although I did not find this unpleasant as the scenery, wildlife & diversity of the landscape more than compensated. 

Most Inspirational Moment

I needed and enjoyed the safety of the group but loved the opportunity of free time to tailor some of the trip to my own desires, thus a morning spent walking from Pisac, followed by fresh juice and corn in the market, was wonderful and will stay with me forever; other highlights include returning to Macchu Picchu for sunrise, and climbing to the top of the island for sunset on Amantani, and standing watching Lllama, Vicuna and Alpaca graze next to big lonely lakes, surrounded by even bigger skies, and seeing the ice maiden Juanita in Arequipa.  The white water rafting, the sand boarding........I could go on and on.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fabrizzio was great.  He knew everything there was to know about Peru, the Incas etc.  For me he really came into his own when walking us around Maachu Picchu, his love and pride was evident and he enabled us to fully appreciate what we were seeing.  I felt well looked after but not in an obstrusive way at all.  His advice was first class.  He does his job very well indeed.

Advice for Potential Travellers

As long as you drink loads of water, and I mean loads (3-4 litres a day), and move slowly you should not be affected to much by the altitude (but you will pee a lot).  Take the opportunity to sleep early at night and on the bus as there are a lot of very necessary early starts to enable you to see everything possible. Enjoy every minute.  Go with the flow.

Most Inspirational Moment

we arrived at Lake Titicaca in the afternoon where we caught a small boat to Amantani island.Our local hosts were waiting at the pier to meet us so they could carry our luggage up the steep hill, my family made up of elderly parents , mother and father and 3 years old son Anthony. They had a small house and garden where they grew potatos and corn, a few sheep with a baby lamb who needed bottle fed as it had lost its mother and a toilet in the garden .  we were invited into thier kitchen where the women of the house were cooking our meal of veg. soup and veg stew with rice over the wood burning fire. after dinner we got dressed up in traditional dress and enjoyed a night of dancing and music. after a good nights sleep in our warm beds dressed with lots of heavy blankets , we watched the locals go about thier work , picking up water from the well in the garden, taking  their sheep to graze. it was all so peaceful and the local people were happy with life. granddad was picking flowers from the tree in the morning and before we left they presented us with a garland of flowers for around our neck, they were such lovely people who had little but gave us much.

Thoughts on Group Leader

fabrizzio was our tour leader , he was amazing, he was such a kind and caring person who took the stress out of traveling, he was always asking if we were ok and took us to the most amazing restaurants. he was so passionate about his job and his people, we stopped in the country a number of times to see some ruins or to do some shopping and the locals seemed to bond with him and love him, the old saying "NEVER  FORGET WHERE YOU CAME FROM' came to mind, cause to us a few pence or a orange didnt amount to much but to them it was a treat, we all have so much , which we take for granted but there are millions out there who have so little and he was one of these people who sees that.

Advice for Potential Travellers

when traveling its like life if you treat people the way you would like to be treated yourself , you can get so much more out of your trip, its not the places you go its the people you meet when you are there. we had 18 people on our trip but not all 18 saw the real Peru. try new things , eat adventurously, try the guinea pig, alpacha, chicha,tamales and Pisco sours and you will not be disapointed,