Hello
I just started to plan my trip to Peru (April/May 2013) and looking for the reliable local tour operator.
Did any of you worked with Indiana Expedition?
Thanks

Hi

We were in Peru for 3 weeks in May and used Kuoda Travel in our planning and subsequent touring

We had a van, driver and guide for 2 weeks in the Andes. etc
and they organized all the flights, and transfers in Lima. Arequipan Puno and Cusco
They also arranged our stay at the Inkaterra in Puerto Maldonado-which was great by the way

They were excellent to work with and we had a great trip
I will/would use them again

Sandy

Just so you know Kuoda is one of the most expensive agencies .

The charge probably twice as much as the mid level agencies.

I just book my own hoteks online and ask them to arrange transfers. That way I do not need to wire $5000 to $7000 to lock in my arrangements.

Of course some people do not enjoy doing their own arrangements, however if you pick up a copy if Fodors Peru you can probably stay in all the Fodors Choice hotels for whar Kuoda will charge. And you can find excellent hotels for $100/nt.

Hi mlgb

I believe that the OP asked for a reliable local tour operator and I recommended the agency we dealt with that is based in Cusco

As you know, there are hundreds of tour operators in Peru

By the way, I can say we got great value and a fair price with Kuoda-as we stayed in really outstanding resorts and properties and having the indiidual guides and transport allowed us to travel and see many places that we could not have done by bus or taxi
It was an integral part of the experience
I love to research and plan our trips, and do our own driving, however for Peru, it was just smarter and safer to have the van and driver
As for the itinerary, I planned it with the company and chose the properties we stayed at
I am sure that there are nice properties for $100 dollars per night in Peru-we chose to stay in places that were very special- each in its own way, and they were in another price range altogether

I have no clue if the original poster enjoys making his own arragements or not, or if he has a copy of Fodor Peru-that was not what he was asking.
I agree, there are many different ways to travel-and as we used to say "different tokes for different folks"!

Sandy

He was specifically asking about Indiana.

Which is a mid level operator (sorry OP I have no experience with them).

If you are looking for agencies with expertise in particular locations you can start with www.andeantravelweb.com

All hotels can set up your transfers from the airport with reliable drivers (and can also arrange private day tours). It is easy to book hotels online by email, many have their own online reservation system, you can also find hotels on sites such as Expedia and booking.com. The luxury resorts and Amazon lodges will have a US phone number.

I have found it just as easy to plan and book a Peruvian vacation as one in the US or Europe. Too often people have an outdated impression that travel in Peru is dangerous or that you will gave a terrible experience unless you book with a specific travel agent (there seem to be a few who ask their clients to write promotional reviews for them on travel forums).

You don't actually need to buy the guidebook to find the Fodor's Choice Hotels just look under Destinations.

Try South Adventure Peru Tours in .cusco. Ruben Coronado and his team will make sure you have a great trip. They have a series of preplanned tiurs inckuding the Inca Trail, but are more than willing tonprovide customized itineraries at reasonable prices. Www.southadventureperutours.com. You win't be sorry,