Bruce and Martha, an adventurous couple in their 60s from Tennessee, put together an ambitious itinerary with PeruNorth for August 2024, eschewing Machu Picchu to take in lesser-visited parts of Peru that encompassed a full range of the country’s contrasting geography: coast, desert, mountains and jungle.
Here is a detailed breakdown of their trip:
“I think our favorite part of the trip was the Huayhuash trek. Perhaps because it was our first leg of the journey?
Our guide (Eliseo) was outstanding and we were pleased that he was with us on our day treks out of Huaraz.
Based on these 2 days, he suggested a horse be available for Martha. We knew going into this it would be a stretch for us given our ages and the fact we live at sea level.
Eliseo the trekking guide, with horse.
So, we rented a horse (at 300 soles for the week) and this gave Martha the opportunity to ride and walk at about a 50/50 mix. In turn, this allowed her to experience the trip which probably would have been impossible for her entirely on foot.
We appreciate the candor from Eliseo but not surprised as we felt he put safety at the forefront (where it should be).
He also asked us if we would consider joining up with another private group as it would be beneficial for all parties. We agreed as we had grown to trust him and his advice so we were paired up with a young woman from Panama who happened to be a dentist (along with her guide Betsy). She was a delightful addition and we easily saw the efficiencies that Eliseo suggested in joining forces.
Our group had great dynamics and every day was just so much fun.
The meals on the trek were fabulous and the itinerary was adjusted so that we got to enjoy the hot springs!!!!
I observed some of the other companies who shared the campsites with us and I felt like our trip was better managed.
The difficulty level was just right for us - we felt challenged each day but not to the point of exhaustion. A typical day was walking from just after breakfast (7-8 AM) to maybe 12 - 2:30 PM so we had downtime in camp plus hearty meals.
The altitude was not an issue for me but was for Martha. Again, having access to the horse was critical for her. The 2 days in Huaraz with the acclimation hikes were essential and it was especially nice to do those with the guide for our "official" hike.
We did see a few trekkers who had maybe bitten off more than they could chew or perhaps were just struggling with the altitude.
Another aspect of the trek that we enjoyed was meeting fellow hikers from all over the globe. Since everyone camped at designated spots and tended to follow the same trips each day we got to know many of our fellow hikers. Great fellowship and community as is the case on any backcountry trail in the world.
We loved Huaraz and the hotel there (Andino) was perfect with a very nice restaurant.
Iquitos was fun and again, we loved the hotel there (Casa Morey).
In Iquitos, we met Alan and ventured up to the Antares Lodge. The city of Nauta was like something one might see in a movie set.
We really enjoyed our time at the Antares Lodge. The highlight was the hospitality of Alan and his team, fishing, seeing the pink dolphins and excursions into two local nearby villages. These were authentic experiences that cannot be duplicated without venturing off the grid a bit.
The food was fresh and enjoyable.
The only downside for us was visiting so late in the dry season. The creek in front of the lodge was almost dry so our travel was restricted a bit and therefore some of the listed activities (such as visiting the natural reserve area) weren't available.
Speaking candidly, this adventure might not appeal to all of your potential customer base as it was very hot (and of course without A/C) but we were fine relaxing in the hammocks and reading during the heat of the day.
At night it cooled off so we were comfortable and actually enjoyed some of the best sleep of the entire trip while staying here.
From Iquitos, we spent the last part of our journey in Paracas and Ica. After the adventures of the jungle and the mountains, it was a gentle and relaxing finish,
We absolutely loved the two hotels - La Hacienda Bahia Paracas and the Hotel Viña Quierolo. Both were lovely and elegant with superb bar and dining areas. The pools in both were magnificent, as were both the staff and service. Highly recommend both hotels!
In Paracas we enjoyed seeing the Nasca Lines as well as our visit to Ballestas island and Paracas National Park. The landscape and scenery were astonishing.
In Ica, the sand buggy trips are a must! Great fun and again, lovely scenery.
General comments:
Throughout the trip, we had the chance to meet and interact with locals. We hiked into their villages, shopped for local crafts, visited numerous markets, etc. It was a genuine and realistic experience to see what life is like for Peruvians outside of the mainstream that is Lima.
General store in Amazonian village, Loreto.
We brought back many crafts and loved the experience of bargaining for things, which is not something that happens here in the US.
We both liked the things we purchased as well as the idea of supporting local artists and craftsmen.
We did not have one unpleasant experience nor did we feel unsafe or unsecure, even when we ventured off on our own without a guide. My takeaway is that the people of Peru are generally welcoming of tourists/"outsiders".
Our packing was difficult given the broad range of activities that we had planned as well as the diversity of climates.
One surprise - we packed some bug repellant thinking it was a necessity in the jungle but we did not need it as we simply did not encounter them there. We were both pleasantly surprised.
As I mentioned to you, all of the companies that you selected were superb and the guides went out of their way to help us. Not only were they friendly but they had a lot of local insider knowledge and information about the area's history that made our trips even more enjoyable.
I don't know how we would have pulled this trip off on our own without the assistance of all our guides! Eliseo and Betsy from the trek really stand out to us, but we honestly enjoyed everyone who guided us along the way.
Favorite food or drink? Ceviche of course plus the pisco cocktails - the sours for Martha and the chilcanos for me. We have been enjoying them at cocktail hour back here at home as we were delighted to find Pisco at our local liquor and wine retailer!!
The bus system in Peru is fantastic. The two bus lines (Movilbus and Cruz del Sur) were comfortable and on time. It was much better than trying to drive a rental car, Quite frankly, the idea of driving in Lima would be a bit unsettling to us both!!!!!!”