Our family of four (kids 19 and 14) is just back from about 10 days in Peru (followed by 3 days at Iguazu Falls). We would like to recommend the services of two independent guides in Peru who contributed so significantly to our enjoyment of the days we spent with them.

Percy Salas (smunditour@hotmail.com) is available for anything you might need in Cuzco or the Sacred Valley or Machu Picchu. He's been at it for 25 years, has excellent English skills, and makes a great and flexible companion. We hired him to meet us at the Cuzco airport and transfer us to what should be your preferred base of ops for the area -- Ollantaytambo. On the way we stopped at Maras and Moray and Chinchero. Percy provided not just information, but insight. He also kept an eagle-eye out for altitude sickness symptoms and adjusted activities when one of us got headachey and dizzy on this first day in-country. We also used Percy's driver, Juan, for Pisac and a spate of ruin-touring a couple of days later, when Percy was otherwise engaged. Juan is also a delight, but as he's less comfortable speaking English than Percy is, a bit of functional Spanish is a good asset when riding with Juan.

In Lake Titicaca, Manuel Quispe Kahuana (manuel0117@hotmail.com) was our guide for an ambitious and wonderful day tour including Amantani, Taquile, and Uros islands in one 7:30 AM to 6 PM swath. He came to us via AllWays tours, a well-regarded provider of socially responsible tour packages, but Manuel works for all agencies in the area and for himself. Manuel speaks excellent English, along with Spanish, Quechua and Aymara. He took us to the top of Pachatata (Earth Father) on Amantani (huff puff) and trimmed back our Taquile hiking plans to ensure that the day would include everything we'd anticipated. On the boat ride back toward Uros and Puno in the sunset, he was an absolute storyteller, demonstrating a real love and understanding of the Incan story and Lake Titicaca's pivotal role in it.

We heartily recommend these guides to you!