oceanrockview

How would you best take advantage of 3 nights and 2 days here?
How much time for Ollantaytambo, for Pisac?
Are the salt pans at Maras worth the time?
I have booked 3 nights at the Sol y Luna in September and want to make the time memorable.
Your ideas would be appreciated.

anavert

Ollay is a terrific town. Lots of pic opps with all the native dressed people. Also a TERRIFIC tour if the ruins there. Advise to get a guide. I found it even more interesting than Macchu Picchu info.The Hotel Ollaytaytambo is in a great spot and beautiful. I found Pisac hot, crowded and nothing to buy.Natives standing around with their hands out...even to take their pics.Chinchero is a much better market. Also didn't think Maras was worth it given limited time. Cusco is a terrific town as well. Take some tours and eat in the terrific restaurants.

oceanrockview

This is truly helpful.

I am going to pass on the Pisac market. I am going to pass on the salt pans at Maras.
One full day to enjoy Ollay and one full day to relax at the Sol y Luna before the trip to Machu Picchu.

Do you have any thoughts to share about MP?

Thanks -

taitai

I actually really enjoyed the salt mines. It was very interesting to talk to the people who were there tending their families pan and hear about their lives.

The goods for sale at the Pisac market are the same as the goods everywhere else. Also, wherever you go, people will ask for money to take their picture...which actually seems fair to me. However, I really liked the produce and cuy portions of the Pisac market and spent the bulk of my time visiting those. Also, can't miss the ruins at Pisac.

We also stayed at the sol y luna and I think I would be bored silly spending a whole day there. Perhaps you can go mountain biking or something one day.

Have a good trip.
taitai

yestravel

We were in Pisac overnight, but not on the market day. I think it's a nice little village and the ruins are fantastic. We enjoyed kicking back and sitting on the square watching the village people go about their day. We spent several hours at the Pisac ruins the next morning and went to Ollantaytambo that afternoon. I think the Pisac ruins are much more intersting then the ruins at Ollantaytambo. That said I loved Ollantaytambo and we spent 2 nights there, went to MP and then spent another night there. At least a full day is needed to explore the village and see the ruins in Ollantaytambo.

MP is spectacular. We had a guide for the am and spent the afternoon wandering around on our own.

oceanrockview

Thanks for the information.
I am sold on spending a full day in Ollantaytambo.

Anavert,
I cannot find the Hotel Ollantaytambo in the guide books or on line. I am hoping to find a great view to go along with a relaxing lunch there. Would this hotel be the place for that?

Will be in Cusco for 3 days after Machu Picchu. Any advise for what to do and what to avoid there? What sights and museums, restaurants were truly worth the visit?

Taitai,
Did you enjoy the Sol y Luna?
What would you do with a second day there so as not to be bored silly? Other than breakfast, did you eat there?

Yestravel,
Would you devote the second day to Pisac? Or something else?

Also, how well did you all acclimate to the altitude? Did anyone take Diamox?

With all the questions, I want to say that I am very, very excited about this trip.

evening

I loved Pisac. Was with a photo tour and we got there the night before and walked down from the ruins to town. That was a highpoint of the trip, and I'm not the hiker type. I had no trouble finding things to buy there! Just be careful - bought the cutest silver alpaca and the vendor tried to switch it with a smaller one. Yes, the kids can be aggressive about tips for pictures, but if you have a long lens, you can sneak a lot of candid shots. Got some great pictures in Chinchero but I didnt think the market was as good.

We stayed at Pakaritampu in Ollanta and it was great, but they bumped us out the last night (although confirmed) for a larger group and we stayed in a dive! Cant remember the name. Pakaritampu was great - good view of the ruins.

For anyone interested in photography, the salt flats are a dont miss! Especially if you go at sunset.

I took Diamox and was pretty OK the whole trip. Tired and no appetite (and make sure to wear sunscreen it makes you burn easily, which no one told me).

taitai

I did enjoy the Sol y Luna. We had a huge round two story house/cottage there that was very cool. Had breakfast and dinner there and liked dinner more. If I had a free day and was "ruined out" than I would mountain bike or go on a trail ride with the horses or something active.

Not sure if you are going to MP and spending any time in the town. We stayed at the Inkaterra and LOVED it. There was a tremendous amount to do there and if you had a free day to hang at a resort, I would do it at the Inkaterra instead of Sol y Luna.

Didn't take Diamox and didn't really have any problems. Just took it slow the first day or so and drank a ton of water. We did the two day trail hike and did fine after a couple days in the Sacred Valley.

Have fun.

anavert

Sorry the hotel in Ollay is Hotel Pakaritampu. It's owned by a pro soccer star (female) and her husband. One of them is German and the grounds are beautifully maintained like Germany. Good restaurant, people and atmosphere Bar is open at night for snacks and...It's on the road to the train to MP and a short walk down a rocky road into town. We just hired a guide at the site of the ruins and he was outstanding. In addition took us into the old town where people still live like many years ago.Went into a home where they raised all the little cuys (guinea pigs) and took pics. That is a full tiring afternoon. Walk around town is so interesting. You can go into Urubamba by cab for about $2-5 and go to the home/store of Seminario if you like beautiful pottery (more modern than folk). On the way back to Cusco we stopped at the Chinchero market. I believe i's only 2 days/week (Tues and Sat?) but much better and less hectic shopping than Pisac. I didn't find anyone asking for money to have pics taken other than Pisac. Be ready for Chinchero as it'll be the higher altitude than Cusco. I took the diamax and still got sick. Cusco is a delightful town with excellent restaurants, shopping and museums. Always some kind of festival going on in the square. Take a tour from there...lots of choices and worth it.Depending on what you're looking for, Macchu Picchu needs at least a day. We hired a guide right there and he was okay. It can be hot at that altitude and we were there in NOv., several people got carried out by stretcher from the heat in the heart of the afternoon. Not sure why you want to spend time in a hotel when there is sooooo much to see here! My all time favorite place to go!

yestravel

Without knowing what your interests are and how long your entire trip is, it's hard to say whether you'd enjoy a day in Pisac -- the ruins are defintely a must see, but you can do that on the way to Ollantaytambo if you dont want to spend a night or entire day in Pisac. We were in Peru for over 2 weeks and didn't mind just lazing around a lovely village for a day. Pisac is a very small, typical village except that it has this HUGE market sitting on the square. It's set up everyday and not busy at all on the "non-market" days. Staying there worked out well for us because we took an early flight from Arequipa into Cusco and then went directly to Pisac. It was nice to be some place that we didnt feel rushed to sightsee around...we just took it easy for that day.

Also stayed at Hotel Pakarit... in Ollantaytambo and thought it was nice, clean and basic with lovely grounds. We didn't eat dinner there, but the breakfast was fine. As noted, it's about a 5 minute walk to the train to MP and a 10 minute or so walk into the town itself. The ruins in Ollantatyatambo were the only ones we did without a guide and were fine just using guide books.

In Cusco we had a great meal at the Hotel Monasterio which has beautiful grounds and is worth stopping there for a drink at least and in the MAP musuem. Not cheap, but not expensive by US standards.

I took Diamox in Arequipa - didnt have any side effects from it, but I got sick from something I ate so hard to say how helpful it was. I had stopped taking it by the time we got to SV. As someone said, just walked a lot slower than normally do. Drink lots of water too and drink the cocoa tea.

Definitely take sunscreen. I used it in MP and still got a bit burned (this was in April). I wear contacts and wished I had taken something to put in my eyes as its very dry and all the dust really irratitated my eyes.

Have a great trip

travelgringo

Ollantaytambo is midway between Cuzco and MP so its a great location to base. We changed hotels to KB Tambo after falling in love with the restaurant. The chef is one of the most interesting people I have ever met. He is a man living life. His food is excellent, reasonably priced, and safe! I would stay for a minimum of 2 nights.

JAGM

Evening, tell us more about being bumped at the Pakaritampu. I have reservations there in about 1 month and will confirm right before I leave. Did they help you with alternative arrangements and did they reimburse you? This is worrisome.