Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
On these trips we travel around Peru to discover the wonders of this country. We use small local suppliers and guides in each one of the cities and places we visit, instead of using one of the big Peruvian operators nationwide. That way we are sure that the income that this tour produces is equally distributed to all areas of Peru, and does not remain only in Lima. At the same time in enables our travellers to enjoy the best local knowledge in each one of the areas we visit.
The accommodation used during the tour are small hotels which are privately owned by families or small local entrepreneurs. They are all simple but nice and clean, and you will feel welcome from the moment you arrive.
Again we try not to use nationwide chains, where the money does not remain in the different areas, but all goes to Lima. In Lake Titicaca we share a night with local families on the Amantani Island. The group gets divided and no more than 2 or 3 people stay at one home. A strict rotating system is carried out to make sure that all families get the same number of guests staying over a month. That way the income is equally distributed throughout the community. This is a fantastic opportunity to get close and understand the life in the countryside of Peru. You will take with you small gifts for your host, and they will share their food and their house with you, and will show you their traditions and dances in a little local party. Their hospitality will be something that you will remember long after the trip.
In an effort to reduce damage to the Inca Trail and ultimately preserve this unique corner of the earth for future generations, the Inca Trail governing body introduced new rules in 2004 limiting the number of trekkers to 500 per day (this includes travellers, guides, porters and any other crew). So as not to take up un-necessary permits, to leave as many as possible for other travellers and to reduce our impact on the trail, unlike other tour operators we do not include an individual porter for each member of the group. We enable travellers to purchase the use of 'half' a porter (ie to share a porter with another traveller) for those who need extra help.
In all cases, we do not allow our porters to carry any more weight than that permitted by the local authorities (15kg per porter), as is unfortunately common practice on the trail. We work really hard to be sure that our porters are fairly treated and paid.
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!
