Rafting in Cusco and Peru

Dear Carol and everyone, My husband and I wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed our recent trip to Peru! We had a fantastic trip! You guys did such a great job of organizing everything for us, from the transfers/pick ups/drop offs at our various locations, to the amazing guides, the itinerary, the hikes, the picnic lunches, hotels, etc. We felt very well taken care of and at the same time got a wonderful taste of the beauty and culture of Peru. We were able to comment on our guide Ruben "Chino" for the Machu Picchu portion of our trip in the feedback questionnaire we returned to you. We also wanted to take this opportunity to tell you how much we enjoyed our time with Omar Quintana on the Arequipa/Colca portion of our trip. Omar was extremely knowledgeable and adept at providing us with insights into pre-Incan, Incan and Spanish cultural influences on modern-day Peru. He was also a fantastic natural guide, pointing out many birds and other wildlife, such as Vicuna. He took us on a really great hike while we were in Colca Valley. He was very professional, but at the same time friendly and sociable. He instilled a feeling of complete confidence in his leadership of our travels. We also were very happy with our driver for this part of the trip, Pablo. We thought all of the hotels were good. Our favorite of the trip was Colca Lodge. The hotel at Ollantaytambo (Pakaritampu) seemed really beautiful and the town would have been fun to explore, but we arrived there at almost dinner time the day before our Inca trail hike to Machu Picchu so did not really have time to explore/enjoy the hotel and town. I think we mentioned in our feedback form that we probably would have preferred skipping the Salinaras (although we know other people really enjoyed this) and having a little more time in Ollantaytambo. Our hotel in Algas Calientes (El Mapi) and the Quinta San Blas hotel in Cusco, were quite nice also. Our least favorite hotel was La Hosteria in Arequipa. While the location was great, our room the first night had a leak. They switched us to another room the second night which was better. But the quality of the hotel and the breakfast was not as good as our other hotels. Overall, we are very grateful for an excellent experience and trip and would highly recommend Amazonas Explorers to anyone planning a trip to Peru!! Thank you so much!! Gail and Rick

The crew were excellent all around- Julio, Diego, Enrique and of course Omar. Thanks to Matt also for his listening to us, sensing what we wanted and linking us to a trip and guides that exceeded expectations.

We would never have been able to organise this trip without a guide. Everything went smoothly and we had a great time. Everyone was very nice and worked very hard. Food was all very good but there was more than we needed. Everyone on the trek did a great job and we really appreciate their hard work. Jose was great. He was always on time and was very organised. He is also very knowledgeable and pleasant. He was very attentive to how everyone in the group was doing and we really enjoyed getting to know him. We knew the trekking was going to be difficult and it was. Jose did a good job letting us know what to expect and making sure everyone made it. The Inca trail was amazing and the best part was arriving to Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate. We have no complaints. We were especially impressed with how the trek was organised so we were able to avoid other tourists on visiting all the sites at non-peak times.

Truly everything was great-excursions, food, accommodations, hospitality, organization...etc. Our trip was well planned out, but still allowed for a lot of flexibility. It was just the right amount of physical challenge for my 14yo son and me. We’re both fairly active people, but also wanted some exposure to culture and variety. This trip struck a great balance of all we were looking for-adventure, culture, relaxation. Our guides were knowledgeable, patient and easy going. We felt very well cared for. I think the high point for both of us was when we climbed up the final steps on the Inca trail at the Sun Gate and took in the view of the amazing Machu Picchu. It was truly awe-inspiring. I also felt that our accommodations were well curated to have minimal environmental impact and our excursions allowed us to patronize locally owned establishments. Thanks for helping us plan our unforgettable adventure.