Peru

The trip to Peru was wonderful. There isn’t anything that could have been done or arranged better. Here’s a summary: • The 4-night trip on the Aqua was great. The accommodations were very nice, but most importantly the staff and guide on the boat were terrific. The food was delicious, everyone was friendly and outgoing and the guide was very knowledgeable. We saw a lot of wildlife and learned a lot about the people and the wildlife of the area. The visit to the Amazonian village was very interesting and we enjoyed that as well. It was not “hokey” or “made for tourists”. They should highlight that. • Your travel partner was also great. All of the “meet and greet” arrangements worked perfectly. The people who met us at each point were very professional and helpful and they didn’t miss a beat. Amatista (who was the representative in the Cusco area) called several nights to make sure all the transfers, etc., went well. She met us at several of the points as well. At the very end, LAN was delaying our flights, but luckily Amatista had given us her cell phone number so I could call her and she could advise us on how to handle the situation – which was very helpful. • The guides for the land portion were GREAT. The woman we had for the half day tour in Lima was professional, smart, knowledgeable and very nice. The guide we had in Cusco/Machu Picchu/Sacred Valley was truly exceptional. He was fun, outgoing, professional, knowledgeable (and his love for the history and archeology of everything we saw was contagious). We spent 6 days (or parts of days) with him and enjoyed them all. He is someone you should try to reserve for your clients if that is at all possible. • The accommodations were also terrific. Every hotel we stayed in provided the services we expected. The kids’ room in the Sanctuary Lodge at Machu Picchu didn’t have A/C and it was warm when we were there, but that was a very minor point (although one you might want to check on next time if you have guests who are sensitive to that). I would highly recommend the Rio Sagrado hotel for your clients staying in the Sacred Valley if they want a beautiful, calm and friendly place. We spent a few of our days there just staying at the hotel and watching the river and the pet llamas, etc. The staff there was extremely friendly and professional and we loved the villa we were in. If you have guests who can afford it, it provides the perfect blend of living in what is like a real house while having the amenities of a small, friendly, beautiful hotel. So, all in all, it was perfect. I want to thank you SO much for all of your help with planning the trip, including the recommendations you made. You listened to me when I described what we were looking for at each step of the trip and we got exactly what we were hoping for. August 2011