tzachie

Hi,
We are pretty experienced travelers, around 50, and we plan to travel this August to (at least) Peru for 2-3 weeks with our 13 years old daughter.
Usually we rent a car and travel independently.
Is it feasible and safe to do in Peru?
Or maybe we need guides only in certain parts of our journey?
Plus, we are thinking about adding one more country (or part of it) to Peru.
Initially we were thinking about Galapagos, but after seeing some Youtube pieces, we realized that in its best, it can only match to our New Zealand experience of nature, sea and wild life.
Will appreciate your good advice

4everywhere

Hello tzachie:

search Karen and Julie and take a look at their trip report. Also, many others.

We're 46,52... no kids, going Feb 29.
We chose not to rent a car, but will use a private guide for our visit to the sacred valley. This will be our first time to not have our own car...
I've read alot of posts, that there's no problem driving in Peru, though it can be challenging in Cusco because of signage, etc.

Here's our itinerary:

Fri night: Lima Airport Hotel (Expensive,but convenient)
Sat: Fly to Cusco, Percy picks us up and drives us to Ollantaytambo in Sacred Valley, a couple of stops along the way. We're staying 3 nights at Hotel Pakaritampu. Looks pretty, and they've been very responsive in the emails back and forth.

Percy will drive us around Sacred Valley on Sunday and Monday (including Pisac Market on Sunday...).

On Tuesday, we take the Vistadome Train (8:05am) towards Machu Picchu, getting off at KM104 to join guide to hike the moderate Chachabamba Trail to MP Sungate. It will take about 6 hours because of picture taking. We will not "go in" to the Sanctuary until the next morning on Wednesday. We're staying 2 nights at the Pueblo (Inkaterra). It is a splurge, but what the heck. This is a "wonder" of the world...when will we get back to it? On Thursday, we may do some other hikes along the river, or just rest... The Sanctuary is 42US dollars per day to visit...but we just might go back again that Thursday morning...

We depart MP on the 3:25pm Vistadome Train arriving around 7 something in Cusco, where we are staying 3 nights at Los Ninos 1 hotel. This will give us two full days to walk around the city of Cusco. I have a feeling we will have had our fill of ruins.

The last full day in Peru, we will have a good 8 hours or so to walk around Lima center before catching our red-eye flight back.

This is a nine night trip. You've got a lot of time to linger, and see other places in Peru (Jungles, lakes, etc...)

The hardest part of planning has been the one day hike. And it is costly, but worth it. I'm also really pleased that we are not "doing" Machu Picchu in a single day. Many do, and it works out fine, but it seems to me that if you have the luxury of a longer trip, 2 nights is worth it, if not at least one night.

Good luck planning your trip. Have you involved your daughter in the research?

eveningcrane

Hi

You may want to consider a trip to the Peruvian amazon basin. We stayed three nights at the Posadas Amazonas, which is the southern part of the Peruvian Amazon basin.
You fly in to Puerto Maldonado (driving to there is not an option) and from there are taken by a truck-like bus to the river (about 45 minutes) and then take a long motorized dugout canoe about an hour up river to the lodge (about a 20 minute hike from the docks).

We really enjoyed seeing macaws at the clay licks. The was a British spider expert staying there at the same time and we went out with him in the evening hunting wandering spiders. Various types of monkeys would move through the forest are and the lodge area at different times of days. Saw jaguar footprints but alas no jaguars. Fished for piranhas in an oxbow lake. Unfortunately it was the wrong time of year to spot giant otters (the rainy season). But we really enjoyed our stay at the lodge nonetheless.

There are other propetiesin the southern Amazon basin area, such as Lake Sandoval Lodge or Manu Lodge in the Manu Biosphere Reserve that you might wish to consider.

By the way I have been to the Galapagos and consider it to be one of the most unique wildlife experiences in the world.

We stood on a beach and watched two bull sea lions fight over the beach and accompanying harem (We actually watched the challenger emerge from the ocean and initiate the confrontation.) When the incumbent sensed his impending defeat he dove off into the surf and was pursue for at least a half mile by the new beach boss - the two of them porpoising, one after the other the whole way. Then we watched as the new boss return to take his hard won beach.

On a deep sea snorkel on the edge of an old volcanic crater, we watched a couple of sea turtles grazing on algae when a puffer fish came by and latched on to a spiny black sea urchin - that puffer fish thrashed backed and forth to wrench the sea urchin off the rock wall. There he was with about 60% of the sea urchin sticking out of his mouth and we watched as he wwent about swallowing that 60%.

It was at this point that I looked up and realized that we were floating within a flock of about 25 penguin - penguins sitting on the surface three - four feet away from us! When they realized that we weren't just miscellaneous flotsam and jetsam - they dove en mass, like 25 miniature torpedos, through the water to about 35 yds away.

It was simply amazing to stand two feet away from a red booby nest containing one of the most ungainly chicks I have ever seen. The chick and his mother were totally unconcerned about our proximity.

I could go on about watching a frigate fly after and grab the tail of an inflight booby, shaking him back and forth (in mid air) so that he would regurgitate his fish catch for the frigate to steal. The booby opted to land in the water and try to wait out the situation, but the frigate circled, waiting for the booby to take off again.

Oh and walking in the highlands and seeing giant tortoises in the wild.

I have also been to New Zealand and long for the day when I can return. When I went to NZ I was afraid I would be disappointed because we had heard so much positive about NZ that it couldn't possibly live up to all the hype, but it did. It is one of the most amazing places on earth (especially the South Island).

The Galapagos is also one of the most amazing places on earth, and I would never dismiss one in favor of the other. From my perspective they were completely different experiences, not in the least comparable, except for the sense of wonder they evoke.

Oh, back to Peru, we stayed at the Sol y Luna in the Sacred Valley and really enjoyed our time there. They have a stable with real Paso Fino gaited horses and we went for a lovely ride one morning (I have ridden horses before that people claimed were Paso Fino, but once you've ridden the real thing you realize that there are many unsatisfactory imitations - the true Paso Fino gait is an easy and pleasant gait to sit to)

In Aguas Caliente we stayed at the Inkaterra Pueblo Hotel, which was wonderful - I was torn between wanting to go back up to Machu Picchu the next day or do the orchid and bird walks at the Pueblo hotel.

Well this is all for now - have a great trip

Pamela

venturesome4

Hi Eveningcrane,
Your trips sounds like it was a wonderful experience! What time of year did you go? We are a family of 4 ,going in June and trying to decide about Peruvian vs Ecuadorian jungle experience(Also going to Galapagos awaiting info about what boats are still available). How did you make up your mind to go to Posadas Amasonas?
Sincerely,
Evelyn

eveningcrane

Hi Evelyn

We choose Posadas Amazonas with the assistance of Andrew at Lost World Adventures. Some of the considerations were cost and some were time.

The Manu Lodge is reached by a small plane (11 passenger, I think) out of Cusco. It was February, the rainy season, and thoughts of small planes into the jungle, with the good potential for canceled flights and my natural aversion to small planes, ruled out this option.

I understand you can now do a land/boat approach into Manu Lodge but I believe it is an 11 hour journey, without a lot of creature comforts.

I felt much better about flying Lan Peru into Puerto Maldonado and then cost considerations took over.

Posadas Amazonas has no electricity in the rooms, they are ventilated (no screens, but you do sleep under very effective mosquito netting), cold showers (but after a warmish day it was refreshing). There is electricity in the Lounge / Dining area in the evenings for recharging cameras etc. and they have refrigerated beverages. The food was wonderful, the guides were wonderful and we were fine with the open air option.

In March 2003 Outside Magazine listed them as one of the top ten eco-lodges. It is on indigenas land - the Esa'ejas and the lodge is run as a collaboration between these people and a Peruvian eco-tourism company.

Sandoval Lodge, also accessed out of Puerto Moldanado, is more upscale (but still jungle). They have screened rooms and electricity in the rooms part of the day, hence hot showers are available at times during the day. It is pricier than Posadas Amazonas.

It all depends in your comfort/cost tradeoff level. Both Lodges have other, more remote properties if you have more time. Posadas Amazonas has a macaw clay lick, whereas Sandoval Lodge doesn't (however the more remote Sandoval Lodge property has a really good clay lick)

Apologies to Tzachie for hijacking her original thread, but maybe she finds this info useful also.

If you want more info on our Peru and/or Galapagos and/or other things to see in Ecuador / Quito you can e-mail me at [email protected]

Also here is a link to our pictures - Peru 2007 is near the bottom and it has some pictures of the lodge - room, shower, dining room, animals and birds etc.

http://vcrane.gotdns.com/

Pamela

blamona

I have also been to New Zealand, and to Galapagaogs. I absolutely loved them both, and have to agree that they are completely different from each other.

South Island NZ completely surprised me, I though it was stunning gorgeous, one of my favorites in the world.

Galapagos is not stunning scenery, but where else in the world can you see these unique animals that helped understand evolution, and see animals you well never see anywhere else-that don't "leave" or scurry away just because you're there?

I've also been an an African safari, and again, a completely different experience.

The beauty of the world, is the different experiences-I'd take the good, the bad and the ugly anyday-so rewarding! ;-)

tzachie

Thank you people for all the information. I am sure that we will make good use of it.