Monthly Newsletter - January 2009

Gemma Kataky and her friends Raj, Kunal and Bhamini took a trip to Peru this August. They visited Puerto Maldonado, Cuzco, Machu Picchu, Puno, Arequipa, Paracas and Lima. All of us at Latin America for Less would like to thank this group for allowing us to share their extensive review of the cities they visited. Check out the smiles and spectacular views from their amazing photos!

Hi Aimee,

I hope this review helps - let me know if you have any questions.
We really appreciate all your help in making our trip memorable.
Thanks,

Peru Trip 2008 Review

Group: Chall Group – Raj Chall, Kunal Patel, Bhamini Kirpalani, Gemma Kataky
Date: 8th August 2008 – 25th August 2008

Puerto Maldonado

Our Amazon experience was amazing and unforgettable. Sonya, our guide throughout the trip, was very friendly and made every effort to make us feel at home. Her knowledge of all the different species and wildlife in the Amazon was very impressive and we really felt that we not just had fun but also learnt a lot from our few days at Sandoval Lodge in Puerto Maldonado.

Also, the whole team working at the lodge was extremely welcoming and fun to be around and the lodge itself was beautiful and very well maintained. We appreciated your advice on things to take to the jungle. The insect repellent was really useful!!! We saw a lot of wildlife which we had never seen before (and perhaps will never see again!) from giant otters to crocodiles and tarantulas!! There is nothing I would suggest to improve the few days we had in the jungle and I would definitely recommend this experience to friends.

Cusco

After the heat of the Amazon the cold temperatures in Cusco came as quite a surprise!  We had the afternoon to rest and acclimatize. I think this time was really needed as the altitude does take some time to get used to.

The Cusco city tour was enjoyable and we enjoyed meeting new people who joined the tour group. The tour guide was very informative and answered any questions we had. The evening dinner and folk show was also entertaining and the variety of food on offer was very impressive. The Sacred Valley tour was really educational. Once again our guide was very informative and friendly and really tried hard to show us as much as possible.

Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu really was the highlight of the trip! Our tour guide, once again, was very very knowledgeable and friendly. The views were spectacular and really a once in a lifetime experience.

Puno and Lake Titikaka
After the amazing views of Cusco and Machu Picchu we arrived in Puno. Our day-trip to Lake Titikaka and Taquile island was fun. We enjoyed looking around the Uros floating islands and taking a boat trip in a reed boat. The people of the Uros Island were very friendly and let us openly look around. We then took a 2 hour boat trip to the Taquile Island and had lunch there before making our way back to Puno.  Our own personal guide was very good and spoke clearly in English.

Arequipa and Colca Canyon
We got the coach to Arequipa.  We only had one day to experience Colca Canyon so our tour began very early at 3am! Our tour guide and bus driver were extremely fun and lively and being locals from the area they knew a lot. We took many photos of the Condors and then went to the hot springs and then through the national reserve where we took many photos of the llamas and alpacas. This was one of our best days in Peru and although tiring, we really enjoyed it!

It would have been good to spend an extra day here but this was not possible in our tight schedule.

The next day in Arequipa we had a city tour. This was quite brief but allowed us to have some spare time to do some shopping and visit Juanita the mummy in the local museum.

Ica and Ballestas Islands
Ica, in the desert was amazing. We arrived at the hotel and immediately went sand-boarding and dune-buggying in the desert. The hotel in the oasis was also beautiful and we enjoyed some spare time by the pool. The Bellastas Islands were very interesting and we saw a lot of wildlife.

Lima
Our last day in Lima was good. Our tour guide, who studied Peruvian history, showed us by car and on foot all the historical sites and explained really well the history of Lima and Peru. We had our final meal in Peru in a restaurant by the sea. The seafood was fantastic. We then had some spare time to shop before our flight!

We would just like to say a big thank you to the Peru for Less team. We had a once in a lifetime trip and we will definitely recommend the company to friends and family.

The Chall Group
London, England
August 2008
Lima, Amazon, Cuzco, Puno, Arequipa, Nazca and Ica

If you would like to contact the travel advisor who planned the Chall group’s trip, please send an email to Aimee at aimee@peruforless.com.

PAST NEWSLETTERS:

• Newsletter December 2008
• Newsletter November 2008
• Newsletter October 2008
• Newsletter September 2008
• Newsletter August 2008
• Newsletter July 2008
• Newsletter June 2008
• Newsletter May 2008
• Newsletter April 2008
• Newsletter February 2008
• Newsletter January 2008