Best of Peru & Bolivia

My daughter and I have recently returned from a World Expeditions Best of Peru and Bolivia tour and I thought that I would give you our thoughts on the tour. The accommodation, meals, transport and organisation were excellent – the long-boat trips were just lovely.

After arriving at our accommodation in Cusco (the owner was such a nice woman) we met our main guide, Veronica Illa. There was nothing that Veronica didn’t know about this wonderful area around Cusco and she was willing to do anything for us. She is certainly a wonderful guide and we feel privileged that she was our tour leader. Once again the transport,drivers and attractions we visited were excellent. We were always picked up on time and our luggage was always taken care of. Everything ran very smoothly.

The ruins at Ollantaytambo were breathtaking and Veronica explained in detail, the Inca history. We loved our accommodation here! We started off on our 4 day Inca trek and at an early stage got to marvel at our wonderful porters. They are such hard working people who we admired greatly. The tents were always set up for us well before we arrived for meals and sleeping (and the toilet facilities).

But I think everyone was surprised by the quality and quantity of the food that was served up for each meal – piping hot and on time, every time. The gear pack and tents were all in very good condition and everything ran like clockwork. We were sad to see our porters leave us on Day 4.

The history of Machu Picchu was explained so well by Veronica and we had a lovely stay at Aguas Calientes before our trip back to Cusco.

Lake Titicaca is a magical place. The floating islands are amazing but the jewel in the crown on the lake was Taquile Island. We had such a wonderful time on this island with the homestay family. The family was very welcoming and we had a fun-filled time with their 3 little girls. They served us lovely food and we could have quite happily spent another night on this island to wander and discover a little more.

Our Bolivian guide, Sandro Diaz and our new driver took us to our lovely Hotel in La Paz.
We felt that Peru was so happy to welcome tourists to their wonderful country.

Overall,we had a wonderful experience in a different culture which we enjoyed immensely. I knew that I would love Peru but I just didn’t realise how much !! Thank you World Expeditions.

Lee and Kara Oates | Pacific Pines, Queensland
 

Classic Inca Trail

This classic trek along the historic Inca Trail is considered by many to be one of the great short treks of the world, and is a superb introduction to trekking in the Andes. Importantly, we spend ample time in Cusco and the Sacred Valley whilst acclimatising to the altitude before heading out onto the trail. Our Inca Trail itinerary differs from most as we avoid the busier camp sites. We ascend the jungle trails and cloud forest to appreciate the panorama of Andean peaks that would have inspired the Inca people as we make our way to Machu Picchu. Words cannot describe the exhilaration of the first sighting of these enigmatic ruins. Rather than heading back to Cusco we spend a night in Aguas Calientes, and this vitally gives us the opportunity to visit Machu Picchu at its best, early the following morning before the crowds arrive. Both pre and post the trek we have time to explore the Cusco we know so well, delving into a selection of Spanish taverns, cathedrals and colourful Quechua Indian markets.

Brief Itinerary

DAY 1 Join Lima
DAY 2 Fly to Cusco
DAY 3 Sightseeing in Cusco
DAY 4 Drive to Sacred Valley of the Incas
DAY 5 Day walks in Sacred Valley
DAYS 6/8 Commence trek along Inca Trail
DAY 9 Complete trek, arrive Machu Picchu
DAY 10 At Machu Picchu, afternoon train to Ollantaytambo, drive to Cusco
DAY 11 In Cusco
DAY 12 Fly to Lima where trip concludes
Trip Grading
Duration:  12 days
Activities:  Adventure Touring Trekking
Countries: 
Next Trip:  07 September 2010
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Pricing: 
All meals on trek
No local payments required
Countries we visit
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