Our Style
“The best adventure outfitter in Cusco”, Conde Nast
We offer exceptional Peru adventures for discerning travellers
Safety First
This occupies the top position for a reason. Safety underpins everything we do. We are widely regarded as the safest and best equipped team on any expedition.
We carry an extensive emergency first aid kit on all trips plus satellite phones on all remote expeditions.
The key to Amazonas Explorer’s Safety Policy are our highly trained and superbly motivated staff. The guides make decisions that put safety above all else. These decisions include walking around rapids, waiting out for better weather, route changes and limiting trip participation if the client is too sick to continue. We expect the clients to abide by these decisions. After all it is for your own safety.
Travel Responsibly
We believe this is an obligation, not an option. Find out more about what we do here.
Travel Slowly
You may not have the luxury of weeks of vacation, but we encourage you to do a few things well, rather than try and see everything quickly.
Allow space in your itinerary for the unexpected – to stop and chat with the locals, to stop and join in the village festivities, to stop and explore something that catches your eye.
Expert local knowledge
We spend as much time out the office as possible. You benefit from the huge knowledge base this allows us to build. You can find us out on your trips, out exploring new route, checking new ones, staying in your hotels or dining in the restaurants we recommend you.
You get a trip tailored to your needs.
You get guides able to deal with any unexpected circumstances and make the most of any unexpected opportunities.
Great Guides
A good guide can make the difference between a good holiday and an exceptional holiday. Efrain Valles, who has worked with us for over ten years, was voted Wanderlust World Guide of the Year 2014. All our guides come to us as recommendations from our current guides. They are very careful who they recommend.
You can find more about our specific guide qualifications below under “Training and qualifications.”
24 hour back up
You want to know you will be looked after. We live right here, we are at the end of the telephone whenever you need. And we have the expertise and contacts to sort it out.
It is rare you will have to phone us, as our guides are great at solving any issues.
Escape the worst of the crowds
We realise you will want to visit certain “highlights” such as Machu Picchu. And you will have to deal with crowds at these kind of places. While we have found ways to improve those experiences, it is impossible to avoid other people entirely.
But if you allow us to take you to some lesser known places, or use a different route or form of transport to get to semi-popular places, we can offer you some fantastic lower key experiences, that may well turn out to be the highlight of your trip.
Small groups
If you join one of our fixed departures, you will share your tour with between two and sixteen like-minded people. This allows you a far more personal experience. It also allows you to interact with the local communities, rather than rushing through them in a self-contained bubble.
Training and qualifications
We consider training a vital investment to ensure the security and safety of all our trips. We also believe that trained guides are confident guides which help them to relax and enjoy the trip which we firmly believe will massively enhance your own personal enjoyment.
All our guides are all qualified in first aid. We bring instructors in from the UK to run these courses. With all of these organisations we have close contacts and experience this ensures that we are able to organise visits by the Doctors and treatments as quickly and as comfortably as possible.
Here are some specifics:
River Guides
All our white water rafting and kayaking guides hold the internationally recognised “Swiftwater Rescue Technician Advanced” qualification. Staff training on safe river-running techniques is constantly being reviewed.
All whitewater guides are deemed experienced and capable to raft at the high levels necessary on these demanding rivers. All have up to date first aid certificates, have agreed to abide with our commitment to maximum risk reduction and are aware of emergency and evacuation procedures at any point.
Safety cover is provided on all river activities.
Inca Trail Guides
All have the necessary Tourism University degree required to be registered Inca Trail guides. This course includes Peruvian history, languages, International tourist circuits, geography, geology, company organisation and administration.
They have up to date outdoor first aid certificates and a working knowledge of hypothermia and altitude sickness. They are aware of emergency & evacuation procedures at any point. By trekking the Inca trail in five days this ensures you never camp between the two high altitude passes where altitude sickness can take its toll. This means evacuation is a simple quick and effective operation.
Mountain Bike Guides
All have up to date first aid certificates and are aware of emergency and evacuation procedures at any point. They have a background of biking and can fix most roadside problems. On longer endurance trips a professional bike mechanic and spare bikes are taken as an extra precaution.
All our Mountain bike guides and mechanics are expert riders. Many have won, or ranked highly in both local and international Downhill races.
Tour Conductors:
All have up to date First aid certificates, insure the implementation of our risk assessment and reduction policy and are aware of emergency and evacuation procedures at any point.