Essential Peru

Our Clients’ Reviews

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It's the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you're interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers. Any feedback collected (Good or bad) from Exodus clients is posted straight onto our website - totally unedited. Read more...

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  Doreen Borg

  ESSENTIAL PERU

  

  Written September 2012

  Tour was excellently planned, giving us the chance to see as much of Peru as possible.  Tour Leader was very helpful and gave us excellent service. The only drawback was the long time spent on the coach travelling from place to place but, given the country's vastness, it was to be expected.   

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Definitely the first glimpse of Machu Picchu.  However, viewing the condors in Colca Canyon comes a close second.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Fabrizio was very helpful and took great care of us especially while crossing the Andes when some of us experienced mild altitude sickness.

   
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  Amenda Caruana

  ESSENTIAL PERU/AMAZON EXTENSION

  

  Written September 2012

  The tour was great and very well organised. It contains  loads of travelling but Peru is enormous thus to see as much places as possible you have to travel long distances -coach was comfortable  Well worth it!!  

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

   

  • Definately No 1 is the visit to Machu Picchu - spectacular! The tour enables you to visit the site in the afternoon with the tour guide and thus receive a full explanation of the site.  It also offers free time to visit again the following morning which is great.
  • No 2 has to be Cuszo - I love it, its a beautifull city
  • No 3 travelling through the Andes.  Had a lovely experience when the LLamas stole sugar from restaurant:)
  • No 4 Arequipa is a lovely city, enjoyed sight seeing especially the visit to Santa Catalina convent.

   

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Group leader was Fabrizzio.  He was great !! he well informed us in advance of what to do, where to go and which places we should avoid.  He really took great care of all the tour members.

   

   

   

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

   

  • Always take the guide's advice especially to avoid any dangerous areas.  
  • Drink plenty of water when travelling to high altitude areas - it helps as lot.
  • very important to take DEET spray and torches if visiting the Amazon.

   

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  I must say we visited a beautiful country, the essential Peru tour is a mixture of culture, sightseeing, meeting local people.  We also included the Amazon extention which showed us a different scenario. The tour guide has helped us to even enjoy the tour more.  Exodus were great, its the first time i booked a tour with them and I will definately travel with them again.

   
• 

  doreen thomson

  ESSENTIAL PERU

  

  Written June 2012

  When booking my trip to Peru i didnt really know too much about Peru, i knew machu Picchu had been on my bucket list for years so everything else was an amazing surprise and everyday became more and more exciting.  

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  we arrived at Lake Titicaca in the afternoon where we caught a small boat to Amantani island.Our local hosts were waiting at the pier to meet us so they could carry our luggage up the steep hill, my family made up of elderly parents , mother and father and 3 years old son Anthony. They had a small house and garden where they grew potatos and corn, a few sheep with a baby lamb who needed bottle fed as it had lost its mother and a toilet in the garden .  we were invited into thier kitchen where the women of the house were cooking our meal of veg. soup and veg stew with rice over the wood burning fire. after dinner we got dressed up in traditional dress and enjoyed a night of dancing and music. after a good nights sleep in our warm beds dressed with lots of heavy blankets , we watched the locals go about thier work , picking up water from the well in the garden, taking  their sheep to graze. it was all so peaceful and the local people were happy with life. granddad was picking flowers from the tree in the morning and before we left they presented us with a garland of flowers for around our neck, they were such lovely people who had little but gave us much.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  fabrizzio was our tour leader , he was amazing, he was such a kind and caring person who took the stress out of traveling, he was always asking if we were ok and took us to the most amazing restaurants. he was so passionate about his job and his people, we stopped in the country a number of times to see some ruins or to do some shopping and the locals seemed to bond with him and love him, the old saying "NEVER  FORGET WHERE YOU CAME FROM' came to mind, cause to us a few pence or a orange didnt amount to much but to them it was a treat, we all have so much , which we take for granted but there are millions out there who have so little and he was one of these people who sees that.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  when traveling its like life if you treat people the way you would like to be treated yourself , you can get so much more out of your trip, its not the places you go its the people you meet when you are there. we had 18 people on our trip but not all 18 saw the real Peru. try new things , eat adventurously, try the guinea pig, alpacha, chicha,tamales and Pisco sours and you will not be disapointed,

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  The scenery in Peru is mind blowing, everywhere you look its a picture postcard, take enough memory cards , there is wifi in all hotels so you can update your facebook and make your friends jealous. you can wash clothes in cuzco so you can pack for 7 days. in  Arequipa go to visit Juanita the ice mummy, and interact with the locals whenever possible, bring some candies and pens, pencils to the kids. when you go to Amantani island bring some supplies for the family, fruits, sugar, rice or any extra clothes you dont want to bring home, i gave the lady my tube of soap for washing clothes and she thought it was a nice handcream ,she was very happy when i found some in my bag. But most of all enjoy the experience and reflect on how lucky you are in life.

   
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  JACQUELINE SEYMOUR

  ESSENTIAL PERU

  

  Written June 2012

  This holiday totally exceeded my expectations.  I had a wonderful rollercoaster of a ride from start to finish.  Peru is a country of such diversity, everytime our bus entered a different valley it was absolutely breathtaking.  From sand dunes, to flat, black desert to mountains, to volcanoes and vast open spaces, to interesting cities and a plethora of archeaology and wildlife.   

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  I needed and enjoyed the safety of the group but loved the opportunity of free time to tailor some of the trip to my own desires, thus a morning spent walking from Pisac, followed by fresh juice and corn in the market, was wonderful and will stay with me forever; other highlights include returning to Macchu Picchu for sunrise, and climbing to the top of the island for sunset on Amantani, and standing watching Lllama, Vicuna and Alpaca graze next to big lonely lakes, surrounded by even bigger skies, and seeing the ice maiden Juanita in Arequipa.  The white water rafting, the sand boarding........I could go on and on.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Fabrizzio was great.  He knew everything there was to know about Peru, the Incas etc.  For me he really came into his own when walking us around Maachu Picchu, his love and pride was evident and he enabled us to fully appreciate what we were seeing.  I felt well looked after but not in an obstrusive way at all.  His advice was first class.  He does his job very well indeed.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  As long as you drink loads of water, and I mean loads (3-4 litres a day), and move slowly you should not be affected to much by the altitude (but you will pee a lot).  Take the opportunity to sleep early at night and on the bus as there are a lot of very necessary early starts to enable you to see everything possible. Enjoy every minute.  Go with the flow.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  Being part of a group made this holiday possible for me; and I have nothing but praise for the whole adventure.  This was my first experience of Exodus - it was so good I am now trying to decide where to go next.  If you want to see Peru - in all its extremes, book it - you won't regret it!

   
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  Hoi Lun Tam

  ESSENTIAL PERU

  

  Written June 2012

  The beauty of Peru is just beyond words. Perhaps I got several "once in a lifetime" in this tour. I will never forget the moment that I was surrounded by a group of cute llamas and alpaca. I will always miss the spectacular Machu Picchu. The nice people, colonial architecture, stunning cities and the wildlife encounter experience have all been clearly locked in my mind. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  I would say the moment surrounded by llamas and alpaca on the endless grassland.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  The group leader was great! He paid a lot of attention to the safety of the group and made sure that the arrangement will be as smooth as planned.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Don't think. Book it now. It would be one of your lifetime best memory.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  Just have to thanks exodus for creating this awesome itinerary. 

  Oh and be prepared that some hotels do not have hot water for shower. But the stunning scenery worths all the hardship you encountered in the trip.

   
• 

  Marion Johnston

  ESSENTIAL PERU

  

  Written May 2012

  This was a wonderful trip in a huge and varied country.  It was a great mix of amazing archeological sites, great scenery and fascinating people and places.  Although we had a few hassles with our flights, it did not detract from a fabulous trip. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  For me personally it was seeing Machu Picchu - a lifetime ambition.  We took the train rather than trekking to get there and I do not feel I missed out in any way.  As it was not high season we were able to go back to the site on the second day - choosing to go early at sunrise, which was really worth the effort.  

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Marcial Bedregal was an excellent leader.  He was born in Peru and has been leading tours for decades and so knows it very well.  He knew how to pace the trip to suit us best and all the best places to stop for food, toilet stops and photos.  He adapted parts of the itinerary slightly to give us the best possible experience.  He was very knowledgable about the history but gave us information in manageable chunks.  He was laid back and friendly with us all equally and very helpful to any group members having problems.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  I went on the group flights with United Airlines with changes in Houston on the way out and Newark on the way back.  We were unlucky with delays due to electrical problems.  On the way out the flight from London was delayed and so we missed our connection and had to spend 24hrs in Houston.  United Airlines put us up in the holiday Inn at their expense and gave us meal vouchers.  We phoned Exodus about missing the connection and they arranged that when we reached Lima the next night we were met by the tour operator and driven four hours through the night down the coast to meet the rest of the group, so that we only missed one day of the trip.  On the way home at Newark the flight to London was cancelled due to an electrical fault and we had approx 9 hours in Newark airport until the next flight.  Again we got meal vouchers.  It sounds bad, but I think we were unlucky to be delayed and the service on the actual flights was very good.  As it was the official group flight that was delayed on the way out, I arrived home to discover a very prompt letter from Exodus apologising for my delayed journey and with financial compensation.  I was very happy with Exodus' response and their actions to catch us up with the group.  If we had not been on the official group flights and had been delayed we might have had to arrange our own transport at Lima to drive down the coast.  So don't let my experience put you off the group flights!

  Apart from the flights saga, it all went quite smoothly. Two people were quite badly affected by the altitude at various times but were dealt with promptly by our guide and completed most of the trip with a few modifications.  Most of us had only mild symptoms and just had to walk more slowly than usual - and not talk so much when walking! 

  As regards money, I would suggest planning to use nuevo sol everywhere rather than dollars.  I only used dollars twice - once to pay the local tour operator for some extra tours and once in a market when I ran out of sol.  Most places seemed to prefer sol to dollars.  I brought some from home and also changed a lot at Lima airport.  For the first two to three days no-one seems to have any change but from Cusco onwards this is not usually a problem.  From Cusco onwards it is easier to access ATMs or money changers.

  Some of us felt that we could have done with fewer hot weather clothes and more warm ones - it gets very cold at altitude especially in the early or late parts of the day.  Layers are the way to go - the temperature changes a lot in one day as you go up and down in altitude.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  There is a lot more to Peru than I ever knew before.  I enjoyed all the Inca history and sites - there are many others besides Machu Picchu.  The Santa Catalina convent in Arequipa was beautiful.  Also we were able to go and see the "ice mummies" in the museum and I had never heard of them before I went there.   I also really enjoyed Chinchero market as we saw the locals in their national dress doing their shopping as well as seeing the weaving etc for visitors.  The scenery in the Andes was wonderful and much more interesting than I had expected. 

  Although there are people who want to sell you things there is no hassle from them - it is all a lot more relaxed than in, say, Egypt or India.  The food is plentiful and varied though you do have to be very careful to avoid the local water and any food affected by it. 

  We had a lot of early starts but that was good because we saw places at the best times of day and were not travelling the the dark.  Bring things to do on the bus - although I hardly read any of my books in the end as I was too busy admiring the secenery or chatting to members of the group.  It was all great and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!

   
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  Patricia Arlt

  ESSENTIAL PERU

  

  Written May 2012

  This was my first Exodus trip and I was bowled over from start to finish! Will definitely be back for more and cannot wait to be on the next journey! 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Machu Pichu was a dream come true and the initial reason for my choosing a trip to Peru. Other main highlights included an overnight stay with a family at Amantani – an emotional & humbling experience, and thereafter the Colca Canyon to view the majestic Condors in flight.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  We were so very privileged to have Fabrizzio Cornejo as our Group Leader. His knowledge & understanding of his country and its people are phenomenal and the passion with which he performs his work is tangible. He went the extra mile in terms of taking care of the group.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Prior to departure, I had done a fair amount of reading, particularly relating to cultures, history, and politics of the country and this most definitely made me appreciate & enjoy so much more the significance of all that I was experiencing. I also learnt a bit of very basic Spanish and it was fun putting it to practice!

  Pack half of the permitted baggage allowance as an excellent laundry service is available in Cuzco, and this also means you will have lots more space for shopping en route – the quality and range of Textiles are amazing and very hard to resist!

  Read the reviews on the website and be prepared for some long travel, although I did not find this unpleasant as the scenery, wildlife & diversity of the landscape more than compensated.

   

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  For anyone passionate about travel, learning about new cultures and archeologically stepping back in time then move “Essential Peru” to the top of your wish list as this trip can only delight!!

   

   

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