Peru small group tour, a food adventure

Planet

As a global operator, we take our role in the tourism industry very seriously. We recognise the impact that tourism has on local communities and the environment, and we plan and operate all our tours with this at the forefront of our minds. We believe that every tour operator must be responsible in the way they conduct their business, to ensure the welfare of all people and the conservation of the environment.

We believe that responsible travel is about the attitude you take with you and the choices you make when travelling - to respect and benefit local people, their cultures, economy and the environment.

Peru’s food adventure will take you on a tantalising journey of spices, sampling a fusion of foods from the coast, jungle and the Andes to unique Peruvian recipes. This tour gives our travellers a real insight into the history and culture of Peru and encourages involvement with the traditions and daily life of local people. We visit a local fish market where generations of families have fished, sold and prepared the daily catch. Buy freshly caught [that morning] fish before taking it over to one of the local stallholders where they will demonstrate the art of making ceviche. Also sample a selection of other seafood dishes cooked upon request and try some freshly cooked bread, prepared and cooked in the traditional horno oven.

Our own in house foundation has been in operation for over 10 years; a not-for-profit fund that has distributed over AU$3 million to more than 70 non-government organisations since 2002, from health care, education, human rights, child welfare, sustainable development and in environmental and wildlife protection. Donations come from our travellers and are then matched by us dollar for dollar.

People

Our travellers make unique connections with the locals so we introduce them to Celia and learn all about making Chicha, a fermented corn drink, before playing a game of Sapo. We also visit with a local family and wonder through their market gardens [which grow corn, quinoa and herbs] before sitting down to a home cooked feast of ‘Cuy’ [Guinea Pig]

Our local Group Leaders are passionate about their culture and want to share their tales with you. They take you to meet small local producers in the Sacred Valley who will show you how cacao seed is cultivated and then harvested and taste the finished product – Chocolate. Our travellers prepare a Pachamanca, a traditional Peruvian dish where stones are heated over a fire and then placed in hole with potatoes, sweet potatoes, meat, corn and broad beans [to name a few ingredients], which are then covered with palm leaves and sealed with earth and grass. After a couple of hours, the ‘oven’ is opened up and the aromas that emit from the oven will have your taste buds tingling.

As a company our responsibilities don’t stop when our tours end. As we visit the Sacred Valley frequently, we have set up the Living Heart organisation which is a non-profit project that helps the Andean women and children of the Sacred Valley area with education, conservation, nutrition and health programs