Highlights of Peru tour

country:	Peru
location:	Inca Trail
trip type:	A small group adventure
departures:	2009: 30 Dec, 31 Dec 2010: 1 Jan
price:	From £1090 (9 days) excluding flights.
more info:	Price Includes: Tourist class accommodation on a bed & breakfast basis, Other meals where stated, Internal flights, All sightseeing, Airport transfers,, Entrances/ permits, Transport Tour guide. Price does not include: Internal flights, meals not stated in the itinerary, personal expenses, tips. Single Surcharge: $350 USD
vouchers:	Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday

Over the last few years, the Peruvian government has imposed increasing restrictions on tourism on the Inca Trail in order to protect it from overuse. The aim is to minimise ecological impact and erosion, mainly by having limited access and improving the quality of the operators. There are now only a very limited number of trekking permits available - 500 per day (around 200 for travellers and the rest for staff) - and they are being issued on a first-come-first-served basis. In order to avoid disappointment we recommend booking well in advance (up to a minimum of 3 months in peak season), unless you are extremely flexible over your travel dates.

Community Our tours source as much as possible from the local community, whether it be our knowledgeable local guides, porters from local villages or food prepared and cooked for you on our treks. We shop locally, use local transport and do not use imported goods when local produce is available. We aim to minimise our impact on the environment and give as much back as possible to the communities we work in. All operations for this tour are done by locally owned companies, a fact we pride ourselves on. Hotels used are all locally owned and we try to choose where possible hotels which hold the same values and understand their responsibilities to the local environment as we do. By booking your tour with us, you will be making a real impact on the community you are visiting. We can also assist you if you wish to visit community projects in order to get a lot more out of your trip to Peru. From a city orphanage run by a UK charity to an environmental project which involves local children and their communities from a high profile Peruvian NGO, ask us to see how you can give back. Most importantly a percentage of funds from your tour (10%) will go back to community, our charities and assist us to support the next generation and the environment they live in. Our guides are all highly qualified (most with university degrees) or many years of experience and are paid above the standard wage. We source them due to their unique knowledge of their native country (we do not use foreign guides like other companies) and they will give you a valuable insight into the history, traditions and culture of Peru. We also abide by all rules concerning porter treatment set down by the APTAE (Peruvian Ecotourism Association). Environment In our pre departure information pack and throughout the orientation on the ground we help you to minimise your carbon footprint on your tour, and help protect the fragile ecosystem of the Machu Picchu sanctuary and the other regions we visit. This information comes from simple advice on waste disposal while trekking, and the offsetting of carbon emissions through our carbon offsetting program for your journey with us. All entrance fees paid by us for your tour go to help upkeep the Machu Picchu and Inca trail Sanctuary and contribute to help maintain this historical gem for future generations. We really work hard to keep all our operations green! All our worldwide offices currently run on 90% green energy (we are working towards 100%) from hydro electric, wind to solar power. Being web based, we are close to becoming a paperless environment, brochure prints are at a minimum (and printed on a requirement basis) and all pre departure information is emailed. We use energy saving bulbs in our work centres, and recycle all our waste. We currently work with 3 different charities, giving us a broad spectrum and diversifying where our monies go. We work with Project Peru in the UK who run an orphanage in Zapallal in the shanty town outskirts of Lima, ANIA in Peru which is a high profile Peruvian NGO which works with children and helps to teach them about their local environment and how to manage it affectively, and GVI Foundation in Australia which work on several development projects in Latin America and around the world. We help these charities by fundraising treks, through donations as a company and through our clients and also through many of our customers who volunteer their time and expertise. These charities are close to our core of supporting the environment and children in need.

Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards.