Read the thoughts of an Anglo-US-Dutch couple who travelled to Peru in 2018.
PeruNorth arranged two sections of their trip:
an off-the-beaten-path Chachapoyas trek.
a classic Southern Peruvian Amazon jungle lodge.
Here is what they say of their experience:
“We traveled to Peru in late August 2018. I had been there once before, about 20 years ago, focused on what is now known as the "gringo trail" in the South.
This was my partner’s first trip to South America, so in addition to the South, wanted to also get off the beaten track up North.
Peru is an amazing country with a beautiful nature, culture and people.
Luckily, I found Miles and PeruNorth. It was great that Miles is in the UK, as it made it very easy to work with him from Amsterdam.
He has lots of information about Peru overall, and especially the North. We had a rough itinerary and Miles gave me several tips re: destinations, flights and treks.
Huaylla Belen Valley on Gran Vilaya Trek.
He arranged a wonderful itinerary for us in the North - Chachapoyas region.
We are not 'tour package' people, and everything was very individually tailored to our logistical needs and preferred travel style.
Also, English is not widely spoken in this region, and my Spanish is minimal, so having things in place made for a very hassle-free experience.
There is so much diversity in history, culture and nature in the Chachapoyas region. One could easily spend a full 3 week vacation in this region alone.
I would highly recommend visiting this region before it gets too touristy and also recommend working with Miles to make it a memorable and carefree experience.
The highlight of our time in the region was our 4 day Gran Vilaya trek. Not a traditional trek, in that it wasn't limited to hiking, but also the fun experience of riding on a mule.
Roger, the Gran Vilaya Trek guide.
Our tour guide Roger was excellent - he had a lot of knowledge and is very friendly. He comes from Kuelap, the "Machu Picchu of the North. In fact his family lives right outside the walls.
It was just the two of us and Roger, which also made it very special.
The trip involved going through lush green nature - cloud forest, hummingbirds, colorful flowers - and was home-stay based.
Very basic and rural accommodations in small villages, with some of the warmest people and a great experience in seeing how people live.
We spent the last night in Kuelap - closer than any tourist can be - in Roger's family home. Waking up with the sunrise right at Kuelap was amazing.
At the end of our trip, we wanted to spend a week in the jungle. Miles recommended Tambopata region, which is easy to reach from Cusco, and specifically, the Tambopata Research Center.
Parrot & Macaw Clay Lick at Tambopata Research Center.
It was great to have Miles arrange this for us, as prices were better than what we could find online and it was a fantastic experience.
Out in the middle of nowhere with so much nature & jungle sounds - Macaws, several types of monkeys and we were even lucky enough to see a Jaguar on our first evening - incredible!!
Overall very happy with our holiday in Peru....the only bad part is that it is over, but the experience and memories will stay with us a very long time.
Thanks to Miles for everything!”