Our guides, Abraham and EJ, made the trip so enriching and memorable.
On the first leg of our trip, Abraham took such good care of us in Lima and taught us sandboarding, and facilitated an overall great time. He was friendly, authentic and shared great stories and knowledge about Peru. He took care of fine details and made all the logistics so smooth.
EJ became part of the family. His kindness, hospitality, and engagement (vast depth and breadth of history and culture), made our...
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Our guides, Abraham and EJ, made the trip so enriching and memorable.
On the first leg of our trip, Abraham took such good care of us in Lima and taught us sandboarding, and facilitated an overall great time. He was friendly, authentic and shared great stories and knowledge about Peru. He took care of fine details and made all the logistics so smooth.
EJ became part of the family. His kindness, hospitality, and engagement (vast depth and breadth of history and culture), made our trip exceptional. We felt immersed and welcomed in the culture. We loved the hikes, traditional earthen pot meal, the winter solstice festival, the fabulous gastronomy, and of course, the Machu Picchu experience. He had a way of reading us / our needs, and flexing to be more present or more behind the scenes. We loved having him join us for meals and his stories made our experience so enriching. Biggest highlight of our time in Peru was meeting the people, especially Rosaura (11 year old who became fast friends with my daughter) as EJ facilitated her joining us to tour Cusco (with her parents' permission of course).
Hotel Reviews
Hatun Inti Boutique Machupicchu
Machu Picchu
Great location and stunning views of the river. Elevator smelled like mold / mildew so we used the stairs, thankfully we were on the 3rd floor. We had a massage at the lower level of the hotel which was a little sketchy (room seemed unfinished and they could do more to protect modesty). We had to ask 3 times for additional towels and finally just stayed at the front desk until they handed them to us.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Great shower
Antigua Casona San Blas
Cusco
Stunning historic hotel that was beautifully appointed with lovely community spaces in a natural environment (with games and tea, water). The breakfast was the best on the trip - with full buffet and order off the menu. We enjoyed a lovely yoga class on site. Location was ideal, in the center of the city.
Holiday Inn Lima Airport
Lima
This was a quick overnight for flying out. Only 1.5 miles from the airport but took like 45 min to get there bc of the traffic and screwed up roadways. We had to leave at 4:30am and asked if we could take breakfast to-go and they were militant about not allowing us to take any food away (despite having our own containers) and only allowed us to take a piece of fruit and coffee.
Location
Plan for extra time to get to the airport despite being only 1.5 miles away.
Staff
Airport hotel - Everyone staying there is just arriving to Lima or departing Lima. They should accomodate travelers better with food, water, etc.
Hotel Antigua Miraflores
Lima
Beautiful hotel with fascinating antiques throughout. We loved drinks at the quaint bar, and morning coffee on the terrace. Breakfast was delicious. We were so grateful to have filtered water stations on each floor which made it easy to stay hydrated which was so important for us to enjoy our stay.
Staff
Young lady bartender was so endearing. She also worked in the cafe.
Beautiful historic hotel but disappointed in customer service. Lovely room that accommodated our family of 4 very comfortably. Excellent breakfast. We loved cozy bar/ community room on the first night. We were disappointed to see the room closed on the second night (for maintenance). Unfortunately the hot tub was non-operational which limited the amenities available on the gorgeous grounds. With no hot tub and no community room, they missed an opportunity to "made it right" by providing a fire pit for guests as an alternative gathering spot. Despite us asking about it, they did not seem interested (although fire pit was available for sale- outrageously priced at 1 bundle of wood for $25USD for only 1 hour). We asked for their assistance in calling a taxi but they did not know how to do this or didn't want to be bothered. Lastly, with an early morning departure, we were frustrated they did not allow us to take breakfast food to go, but did give us some dry snacks and bottle of water. Staff seemed to hide behind a language barrier and just didn't seem motivated or interested in providing a good customer experience.
Staff
Friendliness and mindset of accommodating guests needs for a superior experience. Communication could be improved.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Great water pressure.
Activity Reviews
Bikes & Bites: Cycling and Sampling Peruvian Cuisine in Lima
Lima
Excellent experience overall. Marino was so accommodating (helped us with a pharmacy trip), was friendly and engaging throughout the experience. Restaurant was great because we could taste a wide range of authentic Peruvian food.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Soft hike from Pachar to Ollantaytambo
Sacred Valley
Guides, Drivers and Staff
We loved our time exploring Cusco for 2 reasons: first, bc it was the summer solstice festival and second bc our guide coordinated Rosaura (girl from the alpaca farm) to be able to join us for the day. We toured the city with her and took her to lunch - she was an absolute joy to be with and for my kids to have a real cultural exchange.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Pass by Pisac Market & an Andean camelid Farms
Sacred Valley
Exceptional experience, loved the market and the city. Best part of the trip was the alpaca farm and shop. We could have spent all day there petting the animals and getting to know the charming locals.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Afternoon Exploration of Machu Picchu
Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu
Train ride was a lovely experience in and of itself! Exploring Machu Picchu with EJ was mind blowing and very memorable.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Sandboarding in Chilca Dunes
Lima
Our driver Rafael was great and made it a fun drive (albiet a long one) with soft 80's music and engaging conversation. Abraham (lead instructor) and the other instructors were fabulous - so sweet and accommodating.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Pachamanca: Traditional Andean Underground Cooking
Sacred Valley
We loved this - the traditional meal experience was so culturally enriching (and delicious). The welcome cocktail was so good that we ordered another round. Such a lovely and peaceful experience, we didn't want to leave.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Second visit to Machu Picchu and Hike to its viewpoints
Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu
Incredible experience, breathtaking views, but it was high exertion, very challenging physically (and we're all fairly fit).
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Local specialist: Anne Godoy