ANCIENT SUMMIT is great.

Nina Fogelman and her associates at Ancient Summit in Peru are fantastic. We have worked with several agencies, both in the US and South America on previous trips. We really found Nina and all of her Peruvian associates committed to their guests' experience; not just the travel or accomodations themselves (all excellent and well planned) but also the entire experience in Peru. Nina and Mary, her partner in Peru, understood this and we felt like guests given the opportunity to experience a deeper side of Peru than we might ever have gained planning or traveling on our own. While we were in Peru either Nina or Mary were frequently in contact with us, just to check in and make sure all was going as planned. When a national strike occurred, they quickly juggled our itinerary and we really never missed a beat! We definitely recommend Ancient Summit if you want a personal, customized experience in Peru, not a group tour.

Lest our endorsement of Ancient Summit seem artificial, feel free to contact us directly.
Ken and Carol Kabel, Cincinnati, OH, USA. (You can find us in the phone book.)

Could you elaborate on the type of activities they planned for you.

Gosh, it was everything:

> We went horseback riding in Urubamba (passed salt mines on way to Maras and Moray archeological site.
> We hiked the last 6 hours of the Inca Trail to the Sun Gate of MP.
> We took a boat ride (entire boat just for us and our guide) on Lake Titicaca to the Uros Islands and Taquile Island.
> We went to see the condors fly in Colca Canyon.
> We visited a small village to see locals practicing weaving (quite interesting) and we were the only tourists there.
>We toured Lima/Cusco/Arequipa/Sacred Valley.

All of the things mentioned above were tailored just for us; we always had an English speaking guide and a driver to accompany and transport us. There was even more that we did, but these were some of them.

Nina also provided great restaurant recommendations.

Thanks for the details. Sounds like the kind of things we would want to do ... had not considered the KM104 hike into Machu Picchu ... but now think it might be something we'd like to add.

When I started to think about a trip to Peru in the spring of 2009, I thought that I could do all the planning. After all, years ago I had no problems when I travelled (without assistance from a travel agent) across Europe and Mexico. But since my 22 year-old son was going to be with me, I researched travel agents for Peru. When I discovered a recommendation for Ancient Summit at Fodor's, I contacted Nina Fogelman. I am very glad I did so.

Nina found out what was important to us and planned the whole trip accordingly. It had some very complicated logistics involving planes, vans and trains. Her representatives and guides met us at every juncture. The transitions were seamless, and the inevitable disruptions were taken care of. We experienced two national strikes and a cancelled plane flight during our time in Peru. These were not problems with Nina's staff overseeing us. Our Cusco guide, Pilar, was especially knowledgeable and personable. After lunch at her friend Aida's in the Sacred Valley, we felt like we were part of her family.

We were awfully glad we weren't in those packed buses that we saw descending on tourist sites. Nina arranged for us to be in a van with just a driver and our guide. This allowed us to see sights in the Sacred Valley, Cusco and at Machu Picchu at our own pace and without being crowded. Our trek around Ausangate mountain was spectacular, remote and solitary. We saw one group of trekkers on our first day, and another on the fifth day of our seven day trip. Both of those groups were huge while ours was just my son, me and five Llama Path porters. On the trek that Nina organized, we met local llama herders and school children we will never forget.

The package that Nina put together for our visit to Peru allowed us to experience both the culture and the sights of this amazing country. I heartily recommend her services.