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Martina Capel

My name is Martina, I am German and the co-founder of Phima Voyages, together with my husband Philippe who is French. We created Phima Voyages in 2015 when we arrived in Chachapoyas, as we felt the need of developing responsible tourism in the region of Amazonas.

It is our mission to integrate local people through traditional experiences such as weaving or a cooking lesson, a homestay or any other activity that can be shared with the local.

I have 20 years of experience in tourism and hospitality and have myself worked and traveled extensively all over the world. I love the fascinating history of the pre-Columbian civilizations in the northern region, but also the incredible culinary diversification. Meeting with local people, staying in home-stays or participating in traditional activities are some of the experiences I could propose you.

What places and activities do you specialize in?

"All the regions of Northern Peru, starting from Lima and going north.

This includes pre-Incan archaeology such as Chan Chan or the Sun and Moon Temples, great funeral sites in Cajamarca such as the Ventanillas de Otuzco, the Chachapoya civilisation in the Amazonas region with its citadel of Kuelap (also named the Machu Picchu of the North), extraordinary Museums such as the Museum Tumbas Reales in Chiclayo or Museum Mallqui of Leymebamba, until the region San Martin, already in the Peruvian Amazonia with its chocolate and coffee production.

We specialize in local and rural activities such as weaving or cooking classes, learning how to make sugar cane sirop and sugar, natural walks for birding and butterflies, chocolate experiences and many more..."

How did you get involved in travel?

"I always worked in Hospitality industry, I went to a hotel and tourism management school in Switzerland, worked overseas in Asia for several years before coming back to France where I had a hotel with my husband for over 10 years. We then travelled around the world with our boys for 4 years before settling down again in Chachapoyas."

Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

"With my husband and our two boys, we spend one year travelling the United States in an RV. I will never forget this time when we were so close, living on 14 m2 and sharing so many memories."

Martina is part of the following groups: Peru Travel Agents
Top itineraries and travel advice
Family itineraries

Recent trip reviews for Martina

Excellent experience; both with planning and on the ground logistics
Peru | Dec 20 - Dec 28, 2023

Sangeeta
Sangeeta N.
San Jose, CA | Reviewed on Dec 31, 2023

Our first time using KimKim and it was an excellent experience. Martina, our local specialist was very prompt in her responses and took into account our preferences. The logistics were flawless - airport transfers, domestic tickets, tours everything worked out as planned. Our local guides were excellent as well - Jime, Melbin, Darwin, Will and took care of everything. It was a new experience for us to offload all the planning to someone else; all we had to do was show up. Thanks Martina and team!

Local specialist: Martina Capel
Martina
Martina Capel
Local specialist in France | Replied on Jan 01, 2024

Dear Sangeeta,

Thank you for that wonderful testimonial. I'm very happy that you enjoyed your trip to Peru and that you could just wind down and benefit from your time there.

Let me wish you all the best for this new year 2024, many adventures, projects and (of course) great travels with KimKim.

Cheers,
Martina

Knowledgeable and complete trip planning
Peru | Dec 17 - Dec 22, 2023

Ravnit
Ravnit L.
Anchorage, AK | Reviewed on Dec 30, 2023
Phima Voyages made our trip to Peru so easy because they planned for and took care of every detail. Martina who is very knowledgeable about the area asked all the right questions, and really listened to our responses. We had a truly amazing time. Not only because Peru is amazing, but because Martina, Alex, Wilfredo, and the various drivers, made it easy for us to to focus on how amazing Peru is. Wilfredo is a wonderful guide- very knowledgeable, kind, and intuitive. He gave us the right... Read more

Phima Voyages made our trip to Peru so easy because they planned for and took care of every detail. Martina who is very knowledgeable about the area asked all the right questions, and really listened to our responses. We had a truly amazing time. Not only because Peru is amazing, but because Martina, Alex, Wilfredo, and the various drivers, made it easy for us to to focus on how amazing Peru is. Wilfredo is a wonderful guide- very knowledgeable, kind, and intuitive. He gave us the right amount of detail as he gauged our interest based on our questions. Thank you to Phima Voyages!

Hotel Review
Hotel Rumi Punku
Cusco

Nice clean rooms. Good breakfast, and we appreciated the filtered water to fill our water bottles- to avoid the plastic water bottles.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Very near the central areas, but enough away to be quiet.
Staff
Very kind and helpful.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Martina Capel
Martina
Martina Capel
Local specialist in France | Replied on Dec 30, 2023

Dear Ravnit,

Thank you so much for having taken the time to review your trip. It was a pleasure for me planning your trip to the region of Cusco and I'm very glad that you enjoyed the visits with Wilfredo.

I am sure that you also had a great time with your family in Lima afterwards !
Happy New Year to you and your family!
Warm regards,
Martina

Amazing trip to Peru!
Peru | Aug 25 - Sep 4, 2023

B
Bilin C.
Coney Island, NY | Reviewed on Sep 10, 2023
We had an amazing trip in Peru, planned by Martina with Kimkim. All our local guides were great, and we enjoyed all the places we visited. We booked a private tour and our guides were very flexible with timing and such. We started the tours each morning, and were back to the hotel late afternoon everyday and it felt like a nice mix between guided tour and free time for ourselves each day. Some thing that could have done better -
1. We arrived in Lima late in the evening and were supposed to...
Read more

We had an amazing trip in Peru, planned by Martina with Kimkim. All our local guides were great, and we enjoyed all the places we visited. We booked a private tour and our guides were very flexible with timing and such. We started the tours each morning, and were back to the hotel late afternoon everyday and it felt like a nice mix between guided tour and free time for ourselves each day. Some thing that could have done better -
1. We arrived in Lima late in the evening and were supposed to have a free half day to tour Lima ourselves the next day, before we flight to Cusco in the afternoon(we asked for an afternoon flight so we could have the free half day in Lima). That's why we chose to stay in a hotel in Miraflores(45mins from the airport) instead of right by the airport. However, the pick up time to the airport was 9am for our 1pm flight. We ended up staying in a hotel far from the airport for no reason, wasting our whole morning, just waiting at the airport for the flight.
2. Our return flight from Lima was around midnight so we had a full long day. The tour planned originally was to go to Caral archaeological site, which is 4.5 hours each way. That's 9 hours of car time plus we had to fly home that night. So instead, we decided to do a Lima city tour instead(since again we couldn't do it ourselves earlier). The tour was good, but it did feel like it was dragged long because we had so much time to fill. The local guides were very flexible though, changing our plans from Caral to Lima city tour with short notice.
Overall, we still had a great experience with Kimkim and would go with them again.

Hotel Reviews
Hotel El Patio
Miraflores, Lima

Room was clean, nothing special. Not a ton of options at breakfast, poor wifi connection

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Antigua Casona San Blas
Cusco

Great hotel! Stayed here twice with different rooms, both were great! Friendly staff, tea time every night. They had a really good spa menu too.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
El Albergue Ollantaytambo Boutique Hotel
Cusco

Cute hotel right at the train station, super easy to take the train to Machu Picchu. Although it's right at the train station, we couldn't hear the train from our room at all. They have a nice farm of animals and vegetables, and a very nice restaurant that uses fresh seasonable vegetables from their garden.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Corto Maltes Amazon Lodge
Puerto Maldonado

Nice lodge, friendly staff. It's amazing how many excursions you could go on just around their lodge. Food was good too!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Martina Capel
Martina
Martina Capel
Local specialist in France | Replied on Sep 11, 2023

Dear Bilin,
I'm so happy that you enjoyed your trip to Peru and that you had a great experience !
Thank you for taking the time to write your review, I will certainly take your comments into account to give an even better service to our travellers.
Warm regards,
Martina

Amazing Peru!!!!!!!!!
Peru | Nov 15 - Nov 21, 2022

S
sue n.
West Chicago, IL | Reviewed on Nov 26, 2022
My husband and i just came back from a weeklong and activities-filled vacation from Peru. I could not be more thankful that we went along with Martina's agency. Being busy all the time-she has really been my brain throughout this trip. She created a trip for me, and my husband based on our likes, and it was perfect! Huge shoutout to the rest of her team. Gwen was always one step ahead of us in terms of our day-to-day activities. our drivers and guides were absolutely wonderful. We couldn't... Read more

My husband and i just came back from a weeklong and activities-filled vacation from Peru. I could not be more thankful that we went along with Martina's agency. Being busy all the time-she has really been my brain throughout this trip. She created a trip for me, and my husband based on our likes, and it was perfect! Huge shoutout to the rest of her team. Gwen was always one step ahead of us in terms of our day-to-day activities. our drivers and guides were absolutely wonderful. We couldn't ask for more. Yuri and Yefry ,Juan Carlos and Percy -they were all professional and knowledgeable. Special mention to both Angel and Edgar-they were there during my toughest time battling through altitude sickness and they went above and beyond to take care of me. Even my husband said that they looked and sounded really concerned for my wellbeing.
With that being said, Cusco was wonderful. A very clean city, I might add. Machu Picchu was extraordinary. But i really enjoyed Palcoyo Mountain. If not for the harsh condition up there, i could've have stayed there all day. Peru is beautiful. We can't wait to go back!!!! Martina, expect am email from me one of these days. We'll do this again!!!!!!!!!!!

Hotel Reviews
Llipimpac Guesthouse
Cusco

A very quaint hotel in the middle of bustling Cusco, you instantly feel at home and relaxed in this hotel. The front desk person-i forgot his name is just oh so respectful and charming. They take good care of the place.

Location
Sol Natura Hotel
Ollantaytambo

I like the hotel set up..They have some sort of indoor garden/oasis in the middle of the hotel, surrounding the rooms. Rooms were big enough and clean. Just a tad bit noisy since our room was right by the entrance and we can hear conversations when people walk by our room but when nighttime comes, it's really quiet Good location too--right across good restaurants and walkable train station.

Casa Vivencial Raqchi homestay

Very authentic Peruvian stay with the local family. Obviously, the comfort is not the same with the hotel but one night of immersing yourself with the locals and they are embracing you and welcoming you to their home--it's an experience in itself.

Casa Vivencial Llachon Homestay Ruben
Puno

Loaction is very good. Overlooking Lake Titicaca. Another first-hand experience with a Peruvian family. They helped me get tucked in bed as this was when i got really sick with altitude sickness. Room was comfortable enough. We just didn't have any hot water for the shower.

Activity Reviews
City Tour Cusco
City Tour Cusco
Cusco

Cusco is surprisingly very clean. I loved all the architectural design. It's a bustling city but still relaxing..

Ollantaytambo - Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Cusco
Ollantaytambo - Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Cusco
Ollantaytambo

Amazing structure of Machu Picchu--just amazed as how intact it is despite hundreds of years that has passed. and how the people brought all those rocks on top -surrounded by the Andes Mountain is beyond my comprehension. It is a legitimate wonder of the world.

Palcoyo excursion
Palcoyo excursion
Cusco

Now this is what i call a marvel...I've seen mountains but not colorful mountains. I would want to go back if i can. I just can't stop appreciating how wonderful it really is. I got sick with altitude sickness, but it was really worth it.

Activites at Llachon, Lake Titicaca : Uros, Textile Workshop and Hiking
Activites at Llachon, Lake Titicaca : Uros, Textile Workshop and Hiking
Llachon

Another amazing day with the floating villages. Very ingenious of using totoro reeds to build a floating village. How cool is that? Looking at those people--i didn't see any stress in their faces. Do they even know what stress is? They just looked very content in how they live their lives. It was just relaxing sitting with them and just looking at how calm and content they looked.

Local specialist: Martina Capel
Martina
Martina Capel
Local specialist in France | Replied on Nov 26, 2022

Dear Sue,

Thank you so much for this amazing feedback !

I can see that you fell in love with Peru - I absolutely understand :) I'll be there for you whenever you want to discover some more regions of our beautiful country.

In the meantime I wish you a good re-adaptation to daily life and a happy holiday season coming up.
Warm regards,
Martina

Our trip to Peru was amazing!
Peru | Sep 5 - Sep 17, 2022

K
Kori H.
Akron, OH | Reviewed on Sep 20, 2022
Our trip to Peru was amazing! Everything was perfectly organized. Martina did a great job upfront ensuring that all of our excursions , hotels, and travels were booked and coordinated. She did a great job of listening to our requests and altering our itinerary to ensure that it was everything that we wanted. She was kept in great contact before and during the trip!
Lionel was our main contact once we got to Peru, he was very helpful providing us all of the detailed information we needed...
Read more

Our trip to Peru was amazing! Everything was perfectly organized.

Martina did a great job upfront ensuring that all of our excursions , hotels, and travels were booked and coordinated. She did a great job of listening to our requests and altering our itinerary to ensure that it was everything that we wanted. She was kept in great contact before and during the trip!
Lionel was our main contact once we got to Peru, he was very helpful providing us all of the detailed information we needed and ensuring we got from place to place. Our trip included 6 flights, 5 hotels, and over a dozen excursions, EVERYTHING was planned to perfection.
All drivers and tour guides were extremely professional and really made our experience the best that it could be. We loved exploring everything that Peru had to offer. Some of our favorite experiences included sand boarding and camping in the desert, visiting Machu Picchu, hiking to scenic waterfalls, and exploring the amazon via jungle cruise!

I typically do not like booking with travel agents, but I would book with Kimkim again in a heartbeat!

Hotel Reviews
Villa Barranco - Ananay
Lima
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Aranwa Paracas Resort & Spa
Paracas, Pisco, Ica
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Desert Camp
Huacachina
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Sol y Luna Hotel (Relais & Chateaux)
Urubamba
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Antigua Casona San Blas
Cusco
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Delfin III Amazon Cruise
Iquitos
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Martina Capel
Martina
Martina Capel
Local specialist in France | Replied on Sep 21, 2022

Dear Kori and Emeric,

Thank you so much for your great review and comments. It was a pleasure for me organizing your honeymoon trip to Peru - you wanted it to be very special and it was my mission to make sure it will be unforgettable.

I am so glad that you enjoyed your time in Peru and that you got to experience as well the less-visited places (like the desert camp).

Thank you for travelling with us.
Warm regards,
Martina

An incredible family trip to Peru!
Peru | Aug 3 - Aug 16, 2022

Julia
Julia M.
East Norwalk, CT | Reviewed on Aug 18, 2022
What a trip to Peru! It was an incredible family holiday. Even more so for not having done an adventurous trip before like this with our children (16, 14 and 11) mainly because of their age and then covid. I soon realized that I needed help planning this as there was such a lot or organize and (although I normally like to plan holidays myself) it was clear that I definitely needed help with this. Martina was so helpful ... we went through each part of each day. We added places and... Read more

What a trip to Peru! It was an incredible family holiday. Even more so for not having done an adventurous trip before like this with our children (16, 14 and 11) mainly because of their age and then covid. I soon realized that I needed help planning this as there was such a lot or organize and (although I normally like to plan holidays myself) it was clear that I definitely needed help with this.

Martina was so helpful ... we went through each part of each day. We added places and activities that I knew I would like us to do and Martina made suggestions for those I didn't know or wasn't sure about. She put together an amazing itinerary for us. We were very busy but it was thoroughly enjoyable and very importantly manageable and fun for my kids.

I really also appreciated the support from the team in Peru. Information was provided for each day in advance (tickets, guide names, transfer details) and all the work was done for me and arrived via What's App on my phone .... which was so easy! Everything went very smoothly (which I think would not always be the case in Peru!) and the services provided were excellent ... very helpful as our Spanish is extremely limited.

I definitely would plan a holiday with Martina again!

Hotel Reviews
Pisac Inn
Pisac

Loved this cozy hotel. Food was amazing!!!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Desert Camp
Huacachina

Incredible experience! Beautifully set up for us. A great adventure. Also, the sand boarding and buggy ride before were so much fun!!!!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Pullman Lima Miraflores
Miraflores, Lima

Such a luxury! A real treat for the the beginning and end of the holiday.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Waman Hotel Machu Picchu

Can't recommend. Basic rooms, noisy all night. Awful breakfast. Our only bad experience.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Everything.
San Agustin Paracas
Paracas
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
The view, the pool, the location. A little threadbare generally but we thoroughly enjoyed our stay.
Tika Wasi Casa Boutique
Cusco

Very pretty hotel ... cozy and very authentic. The staff were incredibly helpful with everything. Breakfast was good. Very nice to have coca leaf tea any time you want it! We were very happy to go back there after our travels in the Sacred Valley.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Tika Wasi Valley
Sacred Valley

Very pretty hotel. Very convenient location.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Sacred Valley tour : Chinchero, Maras and Moray by bike
Sacred Valley tour : Chinchero, Maras and Moray by bike
Peru

Great fun family day! Yuri was an excellent guide.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
From Paracas to Huacachina Sand duning and buggy
From Paracas to Huacachina Sand duning and buggy
Paracas

Such a fantastic experience! Thoroughly enjoyed all of it ... the buggy ride, the sand boarding and the camping. All of our family loved doing this and we will always remember it!

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
From Lima to Paracas, visit of the Paracas Reserve
From Lima to Paracas, visit of the Paracas Reserve
Lima

This was really good ... stunning actually. We had traveled to Paracas to see the Ballestas Islands and I didn't really have much expectation for this reserve but it was actually incredibly beautiful and I'm really glad we went.

Quality of Experience
Food
The view! The guide was also excellent.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
From Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu and overnight in Aguas Calientes
From Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu and overnight in Aguas Calientes
Peru

The train ride from Ollyantaytambo to Aquas Calientes was great ... the views were amazing. The guide we had in Machu Picchu (Ana) was absolutely excellent. There was a small protest (very peaceful though) going on which she swiftly navigated us past and straight onto a bus up to Machu Picchu. We LOVED Machu Picchu. Ana's English was excellent. She was patient with our children mucking about (!!!). She had lots of information which was fascinating. Hotel Waman not great. We loved the hike to the top of Machu Picchu Mountain. Our 11 year old found it the easiest, funnily enough! It was much harder than expected but totally worth it and something we will never forget. The views from the top were out of this world! So glad we did this. The train ride down was HILARIOUS! There was dancing and a fashion show. So much fun!

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Visit Pisac archaeological site and market
Visit Pisac archaeological site and market
Pisac

I didn't get to see very much of this as I wanted plenty of time in the market! What I did see was very interesting and I had an excellent guide ... Milton .... whose English was just incredible.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Visit of Islas Ballestas
Visit of Islas Ballestas
Peru

This was good ... lovely to see the penguins jumping in the water.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Martina Capel
Martina
Martina Capel
Local specialist in France | Replied on Aug 18, 2022

Dear Julia,

Thank you so much for your nice comments.

I'm so glad that everybody in your family enjoyed this very special family vacation. It was a pleasure creating this trip together with you. As I have young adult-children myself, I felt very comfortable in proposing the different activities that might suit your children. They will forever remember this trip they made with you.

Warm regards,
Martina

Martina and her team were amazing. They made ...
Peru | Jun 9 - Jun 17, 2022

C
Catherine D.
United Kingdom | Reviewed on Jul 27, 2022

Martina and her team were amazing. They made me a custom made trip in a short amount of time. I really recommend their treks as I had one of the most stunning hiking experiences in my life. They are friendly and helpful and knowledgeable.

Local specialist: Martina Capel
Martina
Martina Capel
Local specialist in France | Replied on Jul 27, 2022

Dear Catherine,

Thank you so much for your comment. It was a pleasure creating your trip and we are glad that you enjoyed the trek.

Thanks for choosing KimKim for your customised trips !

All the best,
Martina

great experience in Peru
Peru | May 21 - Jun 1, 2022

T
Todd V.
Chapel Hill, NC | Reviewed on Jun 21, 2022
We had a complicated custom itinerary involving many different guides and drivers that was put together very quickly (and at a very reasonable cost) through Phima Voyages, going from Lima to Cusco to the Parque de la Papas to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu (including a 1-day trail hike), the Rainbow mountains, Lake Titicaca and various sites in between. All the guides and drivers were excellent (and very multilingual), the handoffs between them were smooth, and when troubles arose (e.g.... Read more

We had a complicated custom itinerary involving many different guides and drivers that was put together very quickly (and at a very reasonable cost) through Phima Voyages, going from Lima to Cusco to the Parque de la Papas to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu (including a 1-day trail hike), the Rainbow mountains, Lake Titicaca and various sites in between. All the guides and drivers were excellent (and very multilingual), the handoffs between them were smooth, and when troubles arose (e.g. an airport closure) they put together an alternate plan to get us where we needed to go with minimal fuss. There was always a helpful agent on call over whatsapp if we had any questions. It was a top-notch operation and an amazing experience. The Parque de la Papas is less visited, but if you are interested in traditional agriculture, cultural heritage, and biodiversity (and are also acclimated to the altitude and comfortable with a very rural homestay) I can't recommend it enough.

Local specialist: Martina Capel
Martina
Martina Capel
Local specialist in France | Replied on Jun 22, 2022

Dear Todd,

Thank you so much for your feedback. I'm very glad that you enjoyed your trip. We love to show our travellers the less visited sites, to take a little more time and to get a closer experience about life in Peru. Therefore we work with different communities and rural entrepreneurs (such as the Parque de las Papas, but also at Lake Titicaca). Your trip has a direct impact on our local partners !

It was a pleasure creating your personnalised itinerary to Peru. I will pass on your comments to everybody involved.

Thanks for travelling with us and KimKim.
Warm regards,
Martina

Can you organise a custom trip for 2 in the Chachapoyas area?
Peru | May 25 - May 29, 2019

L
Lynda P.
Australia | Reviewed on Jun 12, 2019
We loved our trip to North Peru that we organised through Phima Voyages. Martina was wonderful as we made our plans and bookings. She kept us really well informed and provided lots of good advice and local information.
The airport transfers and hotel bookings were very well organised.
Our tours were wonderful. It was great to get away from the main areas for international tourism and explore a bit more of Peru. A highlight for us was the ruins at Keulap, but we enjoyed our experiences too....
Read more

We loved our trip to North Peru that we organised through Phima Voyages. Martina was wonderful as we made our plans and bookings. She kept us really well informed and provided lots of good advice and local information.
The airport transfers and hotel bookings were very well organised.
Our tours were wonderful. It was great to get away from the main areas for international tourism and explore a bit more of Peru. A highlight for us was the ruins at Keulap, but we enjoyed our experiences too. Our guide was friendly, well informed and helpful. Our driver was very professional and we always felt safe, including on some of the winding dirt roads.
While we were there we experienced a magnitude 8 earthquake. The Phima team were great at making us feel safe (which we were!) and keeping us informed about potential changes due to rockfalls on the roads.
I really recommend Phima to anyone looking for a personalised travel experience in the Chachapoyas area.

Local specialist: Martina Capel
Martina
Martina Capel
Local specialist in France | Replied on Jul 18, 2019

Dear Lynda,

Your trip was very special with the earthquake in the middle !! I am glad that everything turned out fine and there were no major problems.

Thank you on behalf of our team for your nice comments. We work together already for several years and it is very encouraging to hear that you appreciate our services. It was a pleasure showing you our beautiful region of Amazonas with all its treasures and experiences !

I wish you many more exciting trips and especially - lots of encounters and stories to tell.
Warm regards,
Martina

Chachapoyas: Peru’s Best Kept Secret - 7 Days
Peru | May 13 - May 28, 2019

Alan
Alan K.
Canada | Reviewed on May 31, 2019
This trip was everything I hoped it would be. On the practical side, all the connections and transfers went according to plan and no time was wasted. We had an excellent guide, Jhon, and driver, Carlos (in the Andes - there were other drivers on the coast). Both were friendly and made the time in the car interesting and fun. Through them, we were able to spend whatever time we wanted in each place and they were only too happy to make unscheduled stops whenever we requested. I hadn't... Read more

This trip was everything I hoped it would be. On the practical side, all the connections and transfers went according to plan and no time was wasted. We had an excellent guide, Jhon, and driver, Carlos (in the Andes - there were other drivers on the coast). Both were friendly and made the time in the car interesting and fun. Through them, we were able to spend whatever time we wanted in each place and they were only too happy to make unscheduled stops whenever we requested.

I hadn't anticipated the drive through the Andes from Cajamarca to Leymebamba would be so important. It immersed us in the beautiful, rugged physicality of the country and took us completely into new territory - like a trip to Oz. The primary reason for me taking this trip was to see the sarcophagi of Karajia and the experience did not disappoint. They have a silent, majestic mysteriousness that must be experienced first hand. When you are walking through Kuelap, you can begin to imagine what a thriving bustling place it must have been in its heyday. The museums at Leymebamba and that of the treasures of the Lord of Sipan should be singled out for the creativity they show in the way their artifacts and information are presented.

Local specialist: Martina Capel
Martina
Martina Capel
Local specialist in France | Replied on May 31, 2019

Dear Alan,

I am so glad that this trip to Northern Peru matched your expectations and that you could spend time at the Sarcophagi of Karajia. With your itinerary you got a great overview of the important archaeological sites and if Jhon could give you some more insight of Peru, the customs and habits, then this is just wonderful.

On behalf of all our team, thank you for travelling with us, for your good humour and interest in the beautiful regions of Northern Peru.

Keep on travelling :)
Martina