Peru self-drive holiday

Environment

We realise that travel and tourism can benefit as well as harm the environment, the economy and the social and cultural structures of communities. The concept of sustainable tourism - the travel trade’s principles of using tourism to benefit local communities, conserve natural resources, and bolster the survival of cultural heritage – lies close to our heart. Our love and passion for Latin America encourages us to do everything in our power to protect the destinations we take you to. As members of AITO, we are committed to AITO’s Sustainable Tourism Guidelines, which means that we ensure that environmental and cultural demands are kept as low as possible.

Furthermore, we’ve developed strong relationships with local suppliers who all share our vision and agree to uphold a commitment to the safekeeping of the environment and local communities. We will always encourage you to keep a few basic things in mind, including refilling your water bottle, disposing of rubbish in a responsible way and staying on designated roads and trails.

We work with local foundations, including the LATA Foundation, which is a UK-based charity with social and environmental projects throughout the continent. To give an example, the LATA Foundation runs the Ecoan reforestation project in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, one of the destinations you will visit during this tour. This project aims to plant a million native trees in the Sacred Valley by 2020.

When selecting accommodation, our preference goes out to hotels and lodges which have a verifiable commitment to eco-friendly practices. In the Peruvian Amazon for example you will stay at Pampa Hermosa Ecolodge at the foot of the National Sanctuary of Pampa Hermosa. The lodge offers various activities, such as jungle walks and bird watching excursions. Moreover, in Ayacucho you will stay at Via Via Ayacucho, a converted colonial mansion where local dishes made with local ingredients are offered at the restaurant, and fair trade products are being sold to guests and visitors alike. In addition, they focus on the environment by using solar panels to generate electricity, by recycling and by implementing a water management plan for example.
We also aim to use accommodation that fit in with the environment they are set in. During this tour for example, you will stay at several traditional haciendas: Hacienda Santa Maria in Sacsamarca, Hacienda Boutique and Resort Majoro in Nazca and Casa Hacienda San Juan near Pampas.

Community

We pride ourselves on delivering our clients truly authentic and unforgettable experiences in Latin America which connect travellers with the people whose country they visit. On this holiday for example you will have the unique opportunity to attend a traditional Peruvian pachamanca celebration. This is basically a cooking ritual, where a dish buried underground and heated over hot stones for three-four hours is the manifestation of homage to the earth mother, Pachamama.

A self-drive holiday offers the flexibility to make stops and visit local villages and towns along the way. While driving from Andahuaylas to Ayacucho for example, you will pass through several Andean indigenous villages where people live a traditional lifestyle unchanged over the centuries. As a company we support the interaction between visitors and the local community, and our expert guides are on hand to provide advice on the best way to communicate with the local community, what and what not to buy, as well as explaining the importance of giving gifts responsibly, and acting in a respectful way while taking photographs.

Furthermore, you will also have enough time to learn more about the history of the Nazca Culture and Inca Empire, by visits and guided tours to the cemetery of Chachilla at Nazca, the Inca ruins near Cusco, and Machu Picchu for example.