Peru FAQ
Travel FAQ
Peru Testimonials
I just wanted to let AWR know that I had an AMAZING trip. I don't think the trip would have been so wonderful if it were not for the excellent services and organization of AWR.
Anna
New York, USA
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, May 2008
Everyone was friendly, on-time and very helpful! The buses that they provided were comfortable and clean!
One morning we woke to the sound of a harp. An old man had come to the camp in hopes of earning money. Our guide said that the man was too old to support his family in other ways, so he taught himself how to play the harp and plays it to anyone who he meets. It was a wonderful way to wake up in the morning at 12,500 feet in the Andes!
Jennifer
Ohio, USA
Quechua Trek and Inca Trail Express in July, 2007
Thank you for a memorable experience. I really enjoyed our trip. All the guides were friendly, entertaining and knowledgeable. Our drivers got us all wherever we were going safely. No one was lost or forgotten, although at times we were hard to herd away from the shops. The food was all very good.
Barb
Ohio, USA
Quechua Trek and Inca Trail Express in July, 2007
I really appreciated the opportunity to visit the Quechua villages along the way and to camp in their communities instead of crowded camp sites with dozens of other hikers. Meeting people along the way was the best part of the trip. Everyone was warm and friendly and made us feel welcome. The children in particular were lovely! They were as curious about us as we were about them. And, as with everyone else, they were welcoming. Everyone wanted to sing to us! A delight!
Our main guide, Wilfredo Huilco, was wonderful. He was patient with our slow pace and our endless questions. He looked for ways to make our trip even better. His passion for the land and for the people came through and really made the trip for us. The fact that he is an accomplished musician was a wonderful bonus! He made us feel that he was welcoming us into his home, a place he loves and wants to share with others. His knowledge of the Inca, the history of the Spanish conquest, of Hiram Bingham's discovery of Machu Picchu and of more recent archeological discoveries and theories was most impressive. He was able to help us see and understand the past and the present and to share with us his dream of the future for Peru.
An image burned into my mind: We had just topped Inti Punku (the Sun gate), breathless and anxious for our first look at Machu Picchu...only to find it totally socked in with fog. Zero visibility. Our guide, Wilfredo, climbed upon the wall and pulled a flute from his backpack. There, framed in profile by a window in the stone, he sailed a clear, haunting melody down the mountain into the fog. Incredibly, as he played, the fog began to thin and pull back in shreds and finally to allow us our first glimpse of magnificent Machu Picchu.
Nancy Ball
Ohio, USA
Quechua Trek and Inca Trail Express in July, 2007
The best part about our travel was meeting the "locals" during our time on the trek, and having Wilfredo with us as our guide. He is incredibly knowledgeable about Peru, it's history, people and traditions and he was able to both educate and entertain us with his stories and commentaries. Having him on our trip is what made a wonderful trip into a truly extraordinary experience.
Suzanne
Ohio, USA
Quechua Trek and Inca Trail Express in July, 2007
The outfitter did a good job organizing all the logistics well. Special thanks to Wilfredo (our main guide) who did an outstanding job beginning to the end. Also,Juan (assistant guide for the trek) did a nice job making sure all the logistical elements were synchronized perfectly. Thanks to AWR for making our vacation a success!
Sam
Ohio, USA
Quechua Trek and Inca Trail Express in July, 2007
Thank you so much for organizing our recent trip to Peru. The trip was fantastic! Explorandes handled everything perfectly. We didn't have to worry about any of the details, because they took care of everything and told us what to do when needed. The customized trek that we took was above and beyond my wildest dreams. As we hiked across the Andes mountains, we met native Quechua people. We did not see any other hikers. Quechua children sang for us along the trail, which was a real treat. We visited schools in two villages, and spent the night in a Quechua village. The food on the trek was fantastic!!!!! We all wanted to take the cooks home with us. Our main guide, Wilfredo Huillca, was exceptional! He was extremely knowledgeable, and his English was very easy to understand. He always had a smile on his face, and he was very patient with our slow pace.
On the first day of our trek a group of Quechua children saw us coming on the trail, so they waited for us. They were curious about us. Our guides asked them to sing for us. They sang a few songs. It was very special.
Kimberly
Ohio, USA
Quechua Trek and Inca Trail Express in July, 2007
Our cook was great!! The porters brought us basins of hot water to "freshen up" every evening after we arrived in camp and every morning as soon as we popped our heads out of our tents. Were they ever attentive! Narciso, our guide, was great identifying all the different flowers and plants along the way. Sometimes he would walk along with us, sometimes he gave the 3 of us some "space" to walk alone together. He introduced us to people along the way and showed us how the locals lived. He never hurried us along. He set a good walking pace.
Diane and Dave
Maryland, USA
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in May, 2007
Our guide for the trek was Elkin; he was absolutely fantastic. He and the crew made the trip! He set a pace that worked for us. But he always kept us moving so that we made our lunch spot and camp on time. His knowledge of Cusco, Machu Picchu, the Inca trail and the Inca civilization was astounding! He seemed to know just when to stop and give us a little "fun fact." We started on the trail with a guide and left the trail with a friend! We always felt safe, cared for, and comfortable.
The porters and crew were fantastic. It is hard to image, even after watching them, how they transport all of the gear and provisions along the same trail that we are barely ascending! It was humbling!
Personally, I thought the “goal” was Machu Picchu and I did not realize how much I would enjoy the Inca trail. Elkin (plus being with Nancy and Tim) made the Inca Trail fun. Our motto was, "Look up, my friends look up!" Elkin said this several times on the first day because we were, of course, looking at the stones on the trail and trying not to trip!
AWR’s information was very helpful. Your timely responses were appreciated. Thanks to AWR for having this great service! We loved our trip and believe that it is an adventure of a lifetime.
We feel so fortunate to have connected with Adventures Within Reach and Explorandes. (We loved their "private" camp at Km88.). We have heard stories from others about their experiences and they don't even compare to ours......It was a truly phenomenal experience.
Brenda
Colorado, USA
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in June, 2007
Our cook was great!! The porters brought us basins of hot water to "freshen up" every evening after we arrived in camp and every morning as soon as we popped our heads out of our tents. Were they ever attentive! Narciso, our guide, was great identifying all the different flowers and plants along the way. Sometimes he would walk along with us, sometimes he gave the 3 of us some "space" to walk alone together. He introduced us to people along the way and showed us how the locals lived. He never hurried us along. He set a good walking pace.
Diane and Dave
Maryland, USA
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in May, 2007
There were six other hikers in our group on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu trek. The guide, Harry, was excellent. We had good interaction with the porters also. On the last day of the Inca Trail, we got to the sun gate at 4:30 p.m. after crowds left; it was really neat. We went back to Machu Picchu early the next morning for the tour, before crowds came. Great!
The day hike to Huchuy Qosqo was a good warm up for the trek! This hike gets to 14,000 feet. The guide was Rueben--wonderful guide! I had the city ticket for entry into 16 attractions, museums, and churches. It was great and I did most of them!
John
California,
USA
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in May, 2007
Our trekking guide, Narciso, was very concerned about the environment and about historic preservation. He made a point of picking up every bit of trash that previous trekkers had carelessly left along the trail. He also encouraged the local children at Llactapata to look after the ruins that were near their homes. He was also very generous, sharing his lunch or fruit with local people along the trail and sharing a great wealth of knowledge with us.
The transfer agent in Lima was a lifesaver. When our plane from Miami arrived two hours late and we missed the flight to Juliaca, he had already checked into options (all other flights to Juliaca for the next two days were booked full) and had a plan to get us on our way.
Eugene, USA
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in May, 2007