Peru holiday, encompassed
Highlights
Lima | Ballestas Islands | Nazca Lines | Cuzco (3400m) | Aguas Calientes | Machu Picchu | Lake Titicaca (3800m) | Amantani Island | Puno | altiplano to Colca Canyon | Arequipa (2350m) | Santa Catalina Convent |Description of Peru holiday, encompassed
Spend 16 days on an all-encompassed Peru holiday that will take you overland through some of South America’s most mesmerising landscapes including coastal deserts, the snow-covered peaks of the Andes and some of the world’s most intoxicating cloud forests.From Lima to Arequipa, via the Nazca Lines, Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca, this Peru holiday, encompasses all of the region’s highlights with the high altiplano, home stays on Lake Titicaca and the jaw-dropping sight of the Colca Canyon all adding to the thrill of overland travel in South America.
Alongside the exciting natural and cultural experiences, you’ll be treated to no end of organic encounters with llamas and wheeling condors bound to stick long in the memory just as strongly as chance meetings with friendly and hospitable local Peruvians.
Cuzco’s Inti Raymi Festival (Sun festival) takes place during our 18th June departures for 2017 & 2018. This is a fantastic time of year to experience Andean culture with numerous colourful parades and traditional dances, costumes and festivities adding to the authenticity of animal sacrifices. If travelling around this time an additional day in Cuzco has been placed within the current itinerary.
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about this holiday or need help finding one we're very happy to help. The Travel Team.
01273 823 700 Calling from outside the UK? rosy@responsibletravel.com
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Responsible tourism
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we screen every trip so you can travel knowing your holiday will help support conservation and local people.
Accommodation and meals:We spend 13 nights in hotels and 1 night in a homestay on Amantani Island. We prefer to use small businesses for our accommodation, activities and services as these are the companies which have most direct benefit to the communities which we visit. All of our hotel managers have signed a sustainability contract which ensures they employ locals and endeavour to reduce waste, whilst our campsites are very eco-friendly in terms of energy reduction. The homestay on Amantani Island on Lake Titicaca is a great opportunity, offering an authentic experience of staying with a local family, and the income from our stay is divided amongst the island community. Where meals are not supplied, guides will be able to recommend local cafes, restaurants and markets to get a bite. Local specialties to look out for include ceviche (a spicy dish of fish marinated in lime juice), lomo saltado (a Peruvian take on a stir fry) and hearty soups.
Group size:
This small group tour has a maximum of 18 participants, meaning that we have a low impact on the communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in a unique, family-run hotel that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to its limited size.
UK office:
It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.
The Impacts of this Trip
Local Craft & Culture:
There are several chances to support craftsmanship on the tour, including with the Amantani people who sell produce and various handmade souvenirs. By buying something we are providing an avenue of income for these people. There is also an optional excursion to the Sacred Valley on which you can eat a traditional meal in the village and buy handicrafts. Our local guides are able to advise clients on which products to buy and which to avoid- for example, walking sticks made of wood are one to avoid as they are potentially a product of harmful deforestation activity.
A Fair Deal:
Our local partner in Peru is extremely committed to staff welfare and to protecting the environment. All staff are paid a fair wage and receive proper treatment by their employers in exchange for their incredibly valuable local expertise. They are also encouraged to put environmental protection practices into use in their own communities - regular training courses are held for all staff to increase their understanding of how to protect their natural and cultural heritage. This should filter through to clients in briefings, which help to minimise detrimental effects on the people and environments we visit.
Accommodation and meals:We spend 13 nights in hotels and 1 night in a homestay on Amantani Island. We prefer to use small businesses for our accommodation, activities and services as these are the companies which have most direct benefit to the communities which we visit. All of our hotel managers have signed a sustainability contract which ensures they employ locals and endeavour to reduce waste, whilst our campsites are very eco-friendly in terms of energy reduction. The homestay on Amantani Island on Lake Titicaca is a great opportunity, offering an authentic experience of staying with a local family, and the income from our stay is divided amongst the island community. Where meals are not supplied, guides will be able to recommend local cafes, restaurants and markets to get a bite. Local specialties to look out for include ceviche (a spicy dish of fish marinated in lime juice), lomo saltado (a Peruvian take on a stir fry) and hearty soups.
Group size:
This small group tour has a maximum of 18 participants, meaning that we have a low impact on the communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in a unique, family-run hotel that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to its limited size.
UK office:
It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.
The Impacts of this Trip
Local Craft & Culture:
There are several chances to support craftsmanship on the tour, including with the Amantani people who sell produce and various handmade souvenirs. By buying something we are providing an avenue of income for these people. There is also an optional excursion to the Sacred Valley on which you can eat a traditional meal in the village and buy handicrafts. Our local guides are able to advise clients on which products to buy and which to avoid- for example, walking sticks made of wood are one to avoid as they are potentially a product of harmful deforestation activity.
A Fair Deal:
Our local partner in Peru is extremely committed to staff welfare and to protecting the environment. All staff are paid a fair wage and receive proper treatment by their employers in exchange for their incredibly valuable local expertise. They are also encouraged to put environmental protection practices into use in their own communities - regular training courses are held for all staff to increase their understanding of how to protect their natural and cultural heritage. This should filter through to clients in briefings, which help to minimise detrimental effects on the people and environments we visit.
3 Reviews of Peru holiday, encompassed
Reviewed on 01 Oct 2019 by Beth Walsh
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Cannot define one part! Machu Picchu was better than I expected it to be, the Condors were awesome, Nazca lines a great experience, the people were lovely. Everything was fab. Our guide, Renzo, was genuinely caring, available nearly always, patient with a good sense of humour.!
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be prepared for early morning starts and long bus journeys. All worth it to cover the places we visited and the sights we saw. Several of our group suffered varying degrees of altitude sickness, until we acclimatized.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
We visited environmental conservation, and local craft, centres. We had water supplied on our bus so therefore re-used our water bottles throughout our journey, therefore cutting down on plastics. We stopped at local small cafes on the journeys to buy food, drinks and handicrafts.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
We loved it! Very busy, did not unpack suitcases, but saw so much in two weeks.
Reviewed on 18 Nov 2017 by Rosemary Chinchen
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Our visit to Machu Picchu and also our night on the homestay at Almantani Island. The food was great and it was fun helping to prepare the evening meal.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be prepared for lots of early morning starts, a few days of long drives and for moving on most days, so living out of suitcases. Also try to do the jungle
extension and an extra day in Lima. It is worth exploring the city and the illuminated waterfalls, which are included in the Guinness Book of Records, are well worth seeing (closed Monday evenings).
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes I did, particularly with regard to the homestay.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Brilliant trip. Definitely not a holiday as it was so full on and you need a rest when you get back home.
Reviewed on 06 Aug 2017 by Kay Emblen-Perry
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
So many memorable moments!! Penguins on the Ballestas Islands, seeing the the Milky Way and the sky completely full of stars when staying on Amantain Island in Lake Titicaca, Machu Picchu, the Nasca Lines from a small plane...the list could go on and on.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Go with the flow. If you get held up in a traffic jam or behind a protest don't let it wind you up; its normal for Peru and getting upset won't make the bus go faster!! Drink lots of water as suggested by the guide you're less likely to get altitude sickness.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes -we ate in local restaurants (some of which gave 10% of profits to a local foundation), stayed in locally owned hotels etc. The guide bought 20 litre water boxes so we could reuse plastic bottles rather than dispose of them after one use. Local guides and drivers were used.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent, a great experience!
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