Ruth Arias

We enjoyed our very short stay at Chakana. We had a quick overnight stay on our way to Machu Picchu. Our departure was very early the following morning and the kitchen staff graciously packed us a fulsome and delicious breakfast to take with us. They also stored all of our belongings for us until our tour was over. The strange thing was that the window in our room opened into the elevator shaft and if our curtain had a gap at the corner, anyone on our floor could peek into our bedroom. Good thing we were too tired to do anything but sleep!

Very nice hotel, close to everything that we were interested in seeing. This hotel was our first introduction to Peru. The hotel was clean and comfortable, the staff was helpful and the location was great for walkers like us!

Beautiful hotel, close to everything Ollantaytambo has to offer. Kind and helpful staff. Delicious breakfast options. Great views from the room. Beautiful, greenhouse-like courtyard with games and tea.

Amazing experience! The connection of this lodge to the people of Yanayaku make this experience one to remember. The staff feel like family because they are, by blood, by village or by love of the biodiversity of the Amazon Rainforest.

Our guide Eloy was fantastic! His tour put us in the mindset of the ancestors who once walked through the streets and temples of Cusco. He shared rituals and offerings with us as a way to help us understand the design of the temples that we visited. Our walk into Cusco followed part of the Inka trail and as we progressed the city unfolded before our eyes! We wandered from old to new, along cobbled roads learning about the different stone work and the transition from the ancient to the modern city that it is now. We ended at the San Pedro market where Eloy helped us navigate the isles, learn about the many offerings of the market and enjoy fresh fruit juices and bread.

Perfect hotel. Clean. Kind and helpful staff. Excellent location Delicious breakfast So kind. I’d return and recommend 100%.

Great location for catching the train. The dining room served good food. I’d stay again.

Nice hotel with big rooms. Very convenient.

The best place to stay. You are staying on a farm with a native Peruvian family. They take care of you like you are family. The tour and cocoa activities were so fun. They made our stay special. The food was amazing. The chef cooked excellent dishes that were gf. Two of us have celiac and our dishes were fabulous.

What a great experience. Chef Christine had so much energy and made the class amazing. Two of us have celiac and 4 people didn’t like seafood and I asked for something we could make at home in Idaho. She did it, she gave us a gf dish that my 14 year old could follow the recipe and create again at home. If time allowed we all would have done another class. She also had so much information to share regarding cuisine in Peru.

We did not go to the Salt flats. We did the weaving and llama trek. Tour guide Manuel Cevallos was exceptional. It was evident that Manuel had an exceptional reputation there, we were immediately welcomed as his friend. They were kind to us and served us very well in learning about weaving, llamas and alpacas. Roaming the store and looking at all the items in the store was very fun too, and we probably spent too much time in the store, and money.

To enter through the sun gate and see Machu Picchu right there was absolutely amazing and something I had waited my whole life to see. It seemed surreal. This was a fantastic experience. The views were amazing, and the challenge was self fulfilling. Don’t miss this 1 day experience. I have two bad knees, used walking sticks and took my time. My 14 year old daughter, who never exercises, ran most of it. The hike is uneven trails and tons of steps. It was hard, but doable at your own pace. One day hiking was plenty.

Bucket list complete! Once you walk through an area you can’t turn around. It’s one direction so don’t rush. Take your time in each area. It was interesting how every tour guide said different things about the same item or use at MP. It was nice to listen as you walked.

Manuel Cevallos has great knowledge about this area too. It was a beautiful day. He brought a personal friend that was a Sharma (?). He did a prayer ceremony and made an offering to the mountains and glaciers. It was a great personal experience and then he did a prayer for each of us with the offering. It was amazing to hear his story of how he became.

Staying at El Mangal was another highlight of the trip. Amazing experience with being on this plantation/farm/orchard. Stay here!

This was a private, beautiful barbecue, that we did at a small hotel that sits above the city. It was fabulous. Lizbeth took us there and then we walked home.

This hotel was perfect. The attention and locations were unbeatable.