Client reviews our Inca Trail trip

15th August 2008

Wow! What a fantastic 11 days. Once in a while you have life changing moments and this trip was one for me. From the minute we landed in Lima right up until we arrived back in London I had a fantastic time. As a single traveller going on his first trip with exodus and first trip to south America i was a bit scared to say the least. But the people we fantastic, the organisation was great and the country was amazing!

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
There are to many to list. Every day of the trek was bigger and better. From the amazingly clear sky and view of the stars on the first night to the sense of achievement at reaching the top of dead woman’s pass on a very hot second day, to waking up at 4 am on the 3rd day to watch the sunrise above the clouds over machu pitcchu with a warm cup of black tea, to finally getting a first view of machu pitcchu from the sun gate, to relaxing in the thermal baths with a cold beer in the torrential rain and to saving the energy to climb waynapicchu after 4 hard days trekking.

The trek was just as mentally challenging as physical. But for me the most inspirational part of the trip was the group of people I was with. Each one of them contributed to making the atmosphere really friendly. I really have made friends for life.

What did you think of your group leader?
Rene ‘The Peruvian Godfather’ he really did know everybody and could help with everything. He was great, his local knowledge was tip top and although we may have questioned his methods at first, by the end of the trip we realised that he really had kept the group going. If he is your guide listen to him!! The tips for acclimatisation in cusco were great, not one of our group suffered from major altitude sickness because of it! Light food on the first day (soup) building to heavier food on the second day. Also it may seem odd, lying in whilst on trek and setting off around 8:30, but this meant we basically had the trail to ourselves, we did not see any other groups apart from the campsites at lunch and night. Rene was a star, especially when ‘super sue’ was struggling with trek, he gradually slowed the pace, gave us lots of breaks and made sure that we all made it to the end of the trail. His sense of humour was spot on.

Admil the assistant was just as good, always bringing up the rear of the group, he was a real rene in the making. I hope he becomes a group leader soon.

The chefs were awe inspiring, some of the food that came out of the little kitchen tent on the top of the Andes was, well simply amazing. I wish I could cook like that with such basic equipment. I’m surprised I actually lost weight on this trip!

The porters were also inspiring. Keep to the 10kg weight limit as you will realise that these people do an excellent job, carrying the weight on their back and running up the trails. And still they were really friendly and helpful. The slightest problem in camp and they were there to help you. Also a note to remember is don’t use the word porter whilst on trek, they find it really insulting. We ended up calling them by the name of a different Peruvian beer each day. Not only did this help make them laugh, it kept us all going with the thought of what was waiting at the thermal baths!

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Currency – Make sure you change dollars into local currency as soon as you land in lima. Some members of our group were caught out a couple of times with some tourist places not taking dollars.

Haggle – Make sure you do so, even in the big shops in cuzco. It may seem like you are ripping the locals of as goods are cheap as it is but they expect it. I was scared to start with but over time my confidence grew.

Trek Weight Limit – 10 kg may not sound like a lot, I was worried before I went, but just take the basics. Don’t worry about the smell of clothes, everyone will be just as dirty and smelly!! I would suggest, 2 pairs of trousers/shorts, 3 tops, 2 fleeces, waterproofs, hats (sun and thermal for at night) and enough socks and underwear to last the 5 days. Respect the porters and keep the weight down!

Camera- Take lots of batteries and memory cards.

Sleeping bag / mat – Better to take your own, the exodus ones were very large and heavy.

Exodus Tents etc. – These had seen better days but they added to the fun of the trip. Trying to get out of PAT 1(The toilet) at 2am in the pitch black and the zip getting stuck was hilarious. Thought I might have had to sleep there.

Lima Airport – Be careful what you buy as you cannot take certain things back through Amsterdam airport. Check the EU regs before you go.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
If your going just for machu pitcchu this trek is not for you. This was not the best bit of the trip, the trek to get there was. Machu pitcchu was amazing but far to touristy, it felt like a theme park in places. There is far more to the cuzco region of Peru that machu pitcchu.
The way the trip was organised was great, I will certainly be using exodus again. Although I was travelling alone, by the end I felt like I had been on holiday with 12 people I had known for a long time. Indeed we have all kept in contact since being back in the uk and are alredy planning reunion trips.

Overall , savour ever minute of this trip as its over in a flash. Be warned it could change your life. The challenges it presents and the sense of achievement are huge and should not be underestimated. I’ve come back to the uk a different person, much more confident and looking forward to the next challenge what ever that may be!

Read more reviews for the The Inca Trail, or view the holiday page