Inca heritage tours of Southern Peru

Environment
Tourism to Peru has boomed over the past few decades. For this reason there is even greater emphasis for tours to be carried out in a responsible and sustainable manner.

We have picked hotels specifically with this in mind: for example our beautifully located lodge just outside the Machu Picchu ruins is part of the eponymous Inkaterra hotel group, a leader in sustainable tourism in Peru. It is their mission to provide luxury vacations to diverse exotic destinations in Peru, in a responsible manner that respects the culture and people who live here, in addition to preserving the environment. The wooden cottages are planned in a highly sensitive manner decorated in Inca designs and beds laid with traditional Peruvian blankets, all sourced locally. Experienced guides, including a resident biologist, are from the region itself and provide a range of carefully planned excursions to the surrounding area rich in various forms of wildlife. The hotel is famed for its vast number of rare orchids, receiving a prestigious award from the American Orchid Society; in fact the hotel has the largest number of native orchid species in their natural habitat in private facility open to the public. Within the grounds is also the presence of the endangered species of Spectacled Bear and on request guests are taken to the unique rescue and conservation centre monitored by Inkaterra Association (ITA-NGO) and INRENA (National Institute of Natural Resources of Peru) and sponsored by INKATERRA and the Bear Rescue Foundation (UK). Catching a glimpse of a bear in its natural habitat is a rare and thrilling experience.

One of the principle reasons for the National Reserve of Salinas and Aguada Blanca National Park near Arequipa being established is to preserve the diverse flora and fauna endemic to the region. In visiting the extraordinarily beautiful park on this trip, we provide financial support to schemes created to preserve communities of Vicuña, Guanaco (llama), Taruca (red deer) and flamingo. In addition, our accommodation for the two nights in the Colca Valley will be at the famous Colca Lodge, sensitively constructed using traditional Inca methods and materials typical of the region and look attractive with minimal impact on the surrounding area.

Community
Your tour leader, who is either from or spent a considerable amount of time living in Peru, will encourage interaction with the local communities at every stage. This includes trips to local markets in Cusco, the Sacred Valley and villages in the Colca Valley. Also included is a trip out to the Uros Islands in Lake Titicaca, where a selection of remote, traditional communities have turned to tourism to diversify their livelihoods and welcome visitors to their extraordinary islands, entirely made of the local totora reed. A wonderful opportunity to experience the fascinating indigenous way of life.