A wonderful must in a lifetime!
Peru
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Dec 31 - Jan 16, 2026
We had a dense flawless and unforgettable joyful trip, organized to perfection and to the second in 17 days.
I believe Io read my mind when she organized the trip. I gave her few input about what we like and what we dislike and she created a perfect journey that surpassed by far our great expectations adding precious nuances that only locals could! We never liked to travel on organized plans, but KimKim made us change our mind forever. It was a 17 days trip filled up with excitement, beauty, nature, archeology.... couldn't ask for more!
We loved the luxury busses of Cruz del Sur that brought us to Paracas, Nazca and Arequipa, but the Avalos bus tour from Puno to Cuzco was a real surprise, when the super knowledgeable guide, Christian, made us discovering Wonders we didn't know existed.
The best highlight of the trip has been the rural hotel run by Chocolate Family in Coporaque, Colca Cañon! I wish we could have stayed there longer, learning by Rosio all the local knowledge on customs, plants, archeology, farming... Staying in strict contact with locals is the best.
All the tours and experience were guided by excellent guides. My favorite guides were Marco in Nazca, Brian on the bus tour from Arequipa to Colca Canyon, and Octavio on Titicaca Lake helped and instructed us in many ways to avoid altitude sickness. The hotels in Nazca, Arequipa, Coporaque, Cuzco, and OllantayTambo were splendid, spotless clean, adorable thoughtful staff trained to please and very beautiful structures and environment, some gardens perfect for birdwatching. Unfortunately the hotel in Paracas , though was in a perfect location to avoid the noise of the movida and had a very good bed, it had a disgusting dirty, stinky bathroom. Moreover in the hotel we stayed in Puno, the shower didn't work properly, the toilet got clogged and they couldn't change our room.
These last two were the only two exception to the perfection in the entire journey.
Hotel Reviews
The hidden garden with pool, filled with spectacular flowers and birds was a beautiful surprise. The room was spotless and dustless clean in every detail, even though Nazca is very dusty. The adorable staff gave us more pillows and more toilet paper when asked.
The bed was the most comfortable of the trip, but the room and the bathroom were very dirty.
In a very good position. The rooms are comfortable, but not well cleaned and the plumbing system is poor. The shower doesn't work properly, the water can't be mixed in lukewarm temperature. The toilet got clogged and impossible to use. They couldn't change the room. We had to wait for someone to unclog the toilet, and then they left it very dirty eventually. Very disappointing. They are doing some remodeling so maybe in the future the issues will all be solved.
Looking forward to coming here again. This is my favorite hotel of my entire life. The spotless clean spacious rooms are charming, with glorious views over the city. Breakfast is delicious and everyday full of different local goods. Adorable staff trained to please. Security 24/7. Wonderful travellers to hang out with. The patio is very nicely maintained and filled with hummingbirds of every size. The location is in a spectacular neighborhood, San Blas, at a walkable distance from the ancient ruins of Saqsaywaman and from downtown.
Activity Reviews
We really liked to visit the Ballestas islands and see the wonderful birds and sea lions, and for the first time penguins in their environment! A very well organized tour, perfect timing on the day to admire the Candelabro de Paracas.Our boat guide was amazing!
Exciting. Safely done! 💯 If KimKim didn't propose this experience, we wouldn't have had a glance on rural parts of Arequipa and this beautiful river.
This has been the best experience on our journey through Peru, and it should be a marvelous surprise.
Another Marvel!
Excellent tour experience transforming a transfer day in an outstanding tour out of the traditional tourist route, filled with interesting environmental, archeological, and historical sites and good food. Maybe our favorite because we didn't have any expectations. Christian, the tour guide, has deep knowledge in many fields and fulfilled all of our curiosity. We did not want it to end when we got to Cuzco.
