Itinerary Suggestion

'‘We want to see Machu Picchu, the sights in the Sacred Valley and Cuzco but not feel like we are being processed like a tourist. We also want to trek but nothing hard core and nothing too touristy either.’'

At c+l we make sure that our guides are incentivised to take our clients to the main sights as much as possible at times when the tour groups do not go there. If they are not motivated by the commissions paid by shop-keepers but by keeping our clients (and therefore us) happy, then this is relatively easy to do. We also use smaller lodges in the Sacred Valley itself in order to visit the more famous sites before the tourist buses get there or after they have left. A guide and driver at every client’s disposal and a bit of nifty footwork ensures that we can work around the crowds even in the high season of July and August.

Likewise with trekking, just by choosing lesser known routes we can ensure a pristine experience in private campsites away from the ‘done to death’ Inca Trail and other obvious tourist staples. And there is no need for every trek to be up steep gradients with nights under canvas. There are some lovely day treks along the base of valleys.

For clients who allow us to design an itinerary which takes in places which may not be in the guide books, we can take them to parts of Peru (and even parts of the Sacred Valley) which most tourists do not visit. Especially if you have an extra few days, we can also add in some really lovely treks or trips on mountain bikes or white-water rafting in order to make a holiday in Southern Peru more than just a sightseeing trip.

Contrary to popular opinion, experiencing the Amazon in Peru if planned in the less accessible parts such as the Manu Biosphere or Pacaya Samara is a more satisfying experience than in most Brazilian Amazon lodges.

Altitude is an issue in the Peruvian Andes when things are taken at too rushed a pace. But it also compromises our guides’ ability to show those extra special landscapes and experiences which end up being the most enduring memories.

A meal taken with a guide’s family in a remote Andean village or being present in a little town in the Colca Valley for one of the Holy Week processions.

Or having Pisac all to youself after all of the tourist buses have headed back to Cuzco. These are some of the aspects which make a good guide and a considered itinerary that bit special.