Martina Capel

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

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

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

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

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.

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Peru

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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.

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.

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.

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.

I came late to this trip, which was originally planned by my friend and travelling companion, Alan. However, once on board, Martina and team made it easy to get everything organised - the packing list was especially useful!

There's a blog on peru2019.wordpress.com.

Trip notes:
- Everything went pretty smoothly, organisationally, especially once we'd realised some of the hotels had "Alan John" as the room occupant!
- Cumbemayo, Kuelap and Karajia especially good for me, largely because they... read more

I came late to this trip, which was originally planned by my friend and travelling companion, Alan. However, once on board, Martina and team made it easy to get everything organised - the packing list was especially useful!

There's a blog on peru2019.wordpress.com.

Trip notes:
- Everything went pretty smoothly, organisationally, especially once we'd realised some of the hotels had "Alan John" as the room occupant!
- Cumbemayo, Kuelap and Karajia especially good for me, largely because they were more into the countryside
- "local" lunches in village restaurants were great - I really enjoyed dancing with la abuela and her 6m old grandchild in Karajia
- Jhon was a great host and representative of Peru; we had a good time in the cars with him and the drivers, in a very relaxed atmosphere; he tried hard to answer questions (so many questions!!) about all sorts of random aspects of Peru past and present, and took our banter well
- Hotels were generally great, but it's a shootout for top gun between Rangua Wasi (great location, incredible food, a very personal experience) and Hotel Achemaqui, just for the DIY sarcophagus tour in the rain alone ... Nah, Rangua Wasi! Some were more "characterful" than others, but then we met
- Drivers were very careful and confidence-inspiring, given the often challenging conditions and traffic state, and very courteous about going over the innumerable speed bumps on every pavement in Peru
- Cars generally good, but last leg of trip (Trujillo-Casma-Lima) car was not especially comfortable for 10? hours in rear seats
- Everyone we interacted with, from hotel staff, people on the street, village people, was friendly and open - we had many surprise encounters that added a lot to our experience

We had an excellent guide, Jhon, and driver, Dantes. They made us feel safe, gave us local insight into the regions we were traveling and taught us a lot about the history and current events of the areas. The sites were diverse and marvelous. Our favorites were Kuélap and Cumbe Mayo but the other sites we saw were not far behind, such as the Sarcophagi of Karajia or Huaca de la Luna. We had a local guide for the Museo Reales de Sipan who did a wonderful job shepherding is through the museum... read more

We had an excellent guide, Jhon, and driver, Dantes. They made us feel safe, gave us local insight into the regions we were traveling and taught us a lot about the history and current events of the areas. The sites were diverse and marvelous. Our favorites were Kuélap and Cumbe Mayo but the other sites we saw were not far behind, such as the Sarcophagi of Karajia or Huaca de la Luna. We had a local guide for the Museo Reales de Sipan who did a wonderful job shepherding is through the museum in the limited time we had. The scenery is beautiful and every meal somehow was better than the last. Phima, Jhon and Dantes went above and beyond in their advice, recommendations and assistance for the trip.

I would like to say thank you to Martina. She put an incredible tour together in a very short amount of time. She always responded immediately to any question i had. She was a real pleasure to work with.
Our guide John was great. He was very friendly and always upbeat and helpful.
Our stay at Casa Hacienda Milpuj was great. The freandly conversations were nice and the food there was best of the entire trip. I could have stayed the entire trip in Hotel Achamaqui. The service and food were... read more

I would like to say thank you to Martina. She put an incredible tour together in a very short amount of time. She always responded immediately to any question i had. She was a real pleasure to work with.
Our guide John was great. He was very friendly and always upbeat and helpful.
Our stay at Casa Hacienda Milpuj was great. The freandly conversations were nice and the food there was best of the entire trip. I could have stayed the entire trip in Hotel Achamaqui. The service and food were very good and the scenery was amazing. I loved the quiet peacefulness.
All the day trips were great but I think the waterfalls of Gocta was the best. Riding horseback provided some great photo opportunities. I have traveled extensively in the past and this was the most organized and well planned tour i have ever been on. Thank you Martina and Kimkim.

Martina was very helpful regarding our pre-trip planning. We had planned all facets of our trip to Peru prior to contacting Martina. We decided to do so because we wanted to go to the area and found it somewhat difficult to research travel options there. Our tour stated that we would have an English speaking guide.
Day 1 we were met by Joan/John and Carlos @ Cajamarca airport. After dropping our bags we visited Cumbe Mayo. This was a wonderful place. Our guide was clearly... read more

Martina was very helpful regarding our pre-trip planning. We had planned all facets of our trip to Peru prior to contacting Martina. We decided to do so because we wanted to go to the area and found it somewhat difficult to research travel options there. Our tour stated that we would have an English speaking guide.
Day 1 we were met by Joan/John and Carlos @ Cajamarca airport. After dropping our bags we visited Cumbe Mayo. This was a wonderful place. Our guide was clearly enthusiastic but, not fluent enough (in English) to convey much of his knowledge. As became clear at that point, Anna often needed to translate for my benefit. ( I sensed the visit was the short version. ). We learned that J was a guide-in-training. He had to train for some 900 hours before receiving license.
We returned to Cajamarca. Having risen @ 3 in the morning for our 7:30 flight we were hungry at that point and asked J for recommendations. He dropped us at a lunchroom on the square. A fairly grim experience. I mention this only because perfunctory drop-offs became the norm. I think this is an issue of manners. We are outsiders, the guide the insider. This in addition to the fact that the Hostal had no heat — it was cold and mercilessly rainy,— or WiFi. There was no way not to hear our next door neighbor’s TV. If we had foreknowledge of the lack of heat, we would not have agreed to stay there. How hard is it to recommend a few places to eat?
Driver Carlos was excellent throughout. No fruit or water in car throughout our tour.

Day2 7 hr drive to Leymebamba. Prompt pickup. J asks if we want to stop @ a grocery store. Having stocked up on snacks at the Cajamarca market, we only needed more water and stopped at bodega. We naively assumed that there would be a plan to eat along the way. We chatted for about 1 hour as we left the city and headed in the direction of Leymebamba. We stopped for lunch and J suggested we take our food and eat on the little square. Another point of confusion. We hadn’t packed a lunch. Meanwhile J & C headed into a little restaurant for lunch. Since it was clearly the only place to eat in this locale, I joined them.
We stopped only once thereafter for a photo op. For the remaining 6 hours there was an abundantly obvious silence. Our questions like, ‘what river is that?’ were answered but, no comments/ info from guide.
Then a stop at woodworker’s place. This was kind of crazy. After 7 hours in a car we did not feel like doing this but, felt obliged to do so.
We reached Leymebamba and checked into our Hostal. This proved to be a far nicer stay. A lovely well maintained Hostal and it was fortunately warmer than Cajamarca. Great family, delicious breakfast. Again though, after that very long drive, no food recommendations. We made the wrong choice. Ironically, the next day after visiting the Museum we had a great lunch, in plaza. The restaurant owner, a relative of Carlos’, was a delightful woman who really knew how to cook!

Day 3
Visit to Leymebamba museum. Wonderful visit. Felt a bit rushed as we followed J through. This seems to be an occupational hazard for tour leaders. One though that they surely need to develop the flexibility to allow for. It seems to me that a tour guide to be really good, needs to get to know his clients. Perhaps J is too young? Not curious? ( He might have heard that one of our reasons for visiting Peru was our interest in its cuisine. )
After a terrific lunch we set out to visit Revash. Sadly rained out. Roads in dangerous conditions. We were dropped off at Lola’s and Perico’s. Heaven. Spent an afternoon at their wonderful place with our consummate hosts. We loved each other’s company. Nine hundred stars!

Day 4
Kuelap Visit. Terrific.
Lunch @ Shubet also good. Again Carlos’s friends/relatives..
Drive to Gocta. Rafael not there but, his in village helper arrived promptly to let us in. Somewhat unsure how to interpret Rafael’s absence but, made ourselves comfortable. (Footnote hot water unavailable.)
Had a wonderful afternoon enjoying Rafael’s place. Also later when another guest arrived.

Day 5
Hike to Gocta Waterfall. Strenuously wonderful. Took horses half way back down.
Arrived back to Rafael’s hot and tired....wanting to clean-up and relax. J announced we were to go next door for lunch. We went. When one is staying at Rafael’s, the setting isn’t really impressive.
The food is mediocre. J had told us that C would be driving us to Jaen the following morning; a gesture we very much appreciated. Carlos happened to be dining @ same time we were (next door) with his family. We confirmed that we would see him tomorrow.

Day 6
Instead of Carlos, his young relative ( no more than 18?) w/ his friend to airport in Jaen.
Nice person. Friendly but, not a mature driver. Thought we would be seeing C and planned to give him a tip then. Plz send info regarding how we can do so.

My advice to Trip planner. Suggest visitors to this region—-@ least @ this time of the year— come and go via Jaen. Spend time in Chachapoyas and environs.

Our trip was full of activity and adventure in Northern Peru for 2-1/2 weeks. Our guide Jhon was young and full of energy and our driver Carlos was an attentive, safe driver. In Trujillo, we thoroughly enjoyed the Sun and Moon Temples and Chan Chan. The demonstration of the straw boats and cooking class in Huanchaco was fantastic.

Heading into the Andes is spectacular. Outside Cajamarca, we loved our hike through Cumbemayo to see the remarkable Andean water works. The Revash was very... read more

Our trip was full of activity and adventure in Northern Peru for 2-1/2 weeks. Our guide Jhon was young and full of energy and our driver Carlos was an attentive, safe driver. In Trujillo, we thoroughly enjoyed the Sun and Moon Temples and Chan Chan. The demonstration of the straw boats and cooking class in Huanchaco was fantastic.

Heading into the Andes is spectacular. Outside Cajamarca, we loved our hike through Cumbemayo to see the remarkable Andean water works. The Revash was very interesting and we enjoyed our horse ride to the site. Visiting Miguel in his workshop and painting our own Sarcophagus was a lot of fun. Perico and Lola's private conservation property in the Utcubamba Valley was so beautiful and was a favourite of ours. It was hard to say goodbye to them and the family they had visiting at the time. Then off to Kuelap by cable car and another hike to the site...fantastic!

The biggest surprise and highlight for us was our stay at Villa del Monte in the coffee country of Rodriguez de Mendoza. We have a coffee roasting business and requested some time with coffee growers. The home we stayed at in the area was really great and the caretakers living next to the home were warm and friendly. We did an afternoon at an underground cave that was pretty cool although fitting through a small hole to start was a little scary but worth the effort. The best part for us was spending our time with the coffee farmers (owners of Cafe Monteverde) who provided us with such a detailed education of their business from the growing of the coffee at their farm (tasting included) to going to their laboratory in town to watch and participate in grading and cupping of the coffee. This was fantastic for us.

The Gocta Falls is another favourite. The hike is fairly difficult so the horses came in handy. Lunch at the Gocta Lodge is outstanding and so is the view. Our last stop on the coast was the Pyramids of Tucume and Museum Tumbas Reales with the latter being our favourite museum.

With a little more time, Jhon will get better at his English. It's good but sometimes we had translation difficulties. He is a great guide and really cares about what he does. Both him and Carlos were always available and willing to make things work for us.

Thank you Phima Voyages for a great adventure in Northern Peru!
Darlene & Gary Carlton

Everything was splendid before , during, and after the trip. The only thing that was REALLY hard was the hike to the lodging at Keulap.

Very professional and high-quality service from Martina, accommodating all of our requests and needs during the trip.

The North part of Peru is not very well advertised and there are not too many tourists in this area (good for people like us, who really enjoyed the real Peru experience, not overtaken by tourism industry yet.) We were nicely surprised and definitely I would suggest using this as a key point in the advertisement of this region. So thank you, Martina, for pointing to us these... read more

Very professional and high-quality service from Martina, accommodating all of our requests and needs during the trip.

The North part of Peru is not very well advertised and there are not too many tourists in this area (good for people like us, who really enjoyed the real Peru experience, not overtaken by tourism industry yet.) We were nicely surprised and definitely I would suggest using this as a key point in the advertisement of this region. So thank you, Martina, for pointing to us these incredible places to see and stay.

Kuelep, Mausoleum of Revish, Sarcophagi of Karajia - amazing sites. Getting to these places through the real Peruvian villages is an attraction on its own. Chachapoyas and Cajamarca - very authentic Peruvian towns with beautiful main squares and beautiful architecture (a little bit disappointing was the fact that there was a major renovation of the main square in Chachapoyas - which we did not expect).

Also, the drive from Cajamarca through the valleys, mountains, and an incredible one-line road was amazing: the views, the trill passing another vehicles and change of sceneries were unforgettable.

Two amazing places we have stayed I would like to mention. Perico and Lola house in Nogalcucho: quiet and isolated house with beautiful private accommodations. Great homemade dinner and breakfast. Lots of options for walks or areas to sit and enjoy the beauty of their place.
Another is in Cocachimba hostel Sacha Puyo (best view on Gocta falls). The views and quietness of this place are out of this world.

Even though we did not have a guide, our driver Beto was able to give us enough info so we did not feel lost without knowledge of Spanish. But the knowledge of a minimum of Spanish language is a must when traveling in this region so I would recommend to always let people know about this fact. In general people in Northern Peru do not know English.