Customer Reviews & Testimonials

Dear Paul, Carol, and Maria,

We are home again after a great two-week trip through Peru! Everything was organized perfectly even with the changes needed due to the strike! We especially enjoyed having Efrain Valles as our guide as he connected with our kids in a very special way; he shows so much care and love for Peru and the Peruvian people! So thank you for organizing a beautiful trip for us that will provide us and our kids with great life-long memories! We will be back.

Friendly regards,

Margriet & family

Hi Matt,

The trek was incredible. The organization was first class and the guides, chefs, and horsemen all did a fantastic job. Loved every minute of it.

Hi Paul,

I just wanted to pass along some feedback from the client. They had a really great time in Cusco. They absolutely loved the Machu Picchu trek and one of their favorite activities was interacting with the children at the service site.

Hi Mark, I just wanted to say a huge thank you for arranging the Choquequirao trek for me. I had an absolutely amazing time. Juan Carlos and Eduardo were superb guides and kept us safe and humored throughout. The group was also great to trek with and I feel like I have made some new friends.

Best wishes to all at Amazonas and thanks again.

Kind regards,

Brian

Carol,

Now that we've returned, I wanted to let you know again just how much we enjoyed it.  I particularly want to let you know how impressed we were with the organization (including the timing of the first-day start and the arrival at Machu Picchu which kept us away from the multitudes), the professionalism and excellent people skills of the guides, and our wonderful crew who took such good care of us, fed us really well and clearly enjoy working for Amazonas Explorer.

I can report that we were very impressed. Of course, the canyon and the river sell themselves: spectacular scenery and a lovely time to go in May when everything is so green. But the professionalism of the operation and the high quality of both equipment and personnel were fantastic.

It all ran so smoothly and was very slick. Everything from the careful driving to the expert piloting of the raft: we felt totally safe and had complete confidence in the raft. Santiago is a gem of a guide, and the two Victors were also very conscientious.  We were amazed by their skills: not only on the water but also creating such an enjoyable experience on the beaches: everything was set up for us quickly, and they are also very competent chefs. Extraordinary to have pisco sours created in a wind-up liquidizer, and a full English breakfast! The kit, from tents to tables and chairs, sleeping bags, etc, was top-notch. (The Number 2 loo tent perhaps not necessary: we’d have been quite happy to go natural and scoop it into a bag with a bit of lime and pop it into a little box...)

I just hope Ed Sheeran enjoyed it as much as we did!

Thanks again to everyone.

Once again we have had a superb adventure with Amazonas. As you know, we work all over the world, and it is fair to say that your level of professionalism, support of your guides and porters, and responsible tourism are second to none, you are our top-rated ground operator.

Dear Carol and the Amazonas team

Just a short note to thank you all for the fantastic trip we all had the care and support we received were truly incredible and we would not hesitate to offer our recommendations anytime. Please, convey our thanks to Juan Carlos and the entire team... Their smiles and encouragement were contagious in their goodwill

We are coming back!! Thanks and with our best

Jozef

Jimmy was Professional and very Informed, Local knowledge and tour guide info were Exceptional He is Passionate about his Country and People. He administered Oxygen To Carol and kept an eye on her when suffering from Altitude Sickness, he also Phoned a Doctor in Cusco several times for Clarification on her progress. Just Brilliant

Oh my goodness, Matt- it was fabulous. Perfect for New Year’s eve- very festive and special. Really, truly, this trip was one of our best travel experiences. Everything was perfectly planned and timed, Jimmy was great, and I didn’t have to do any leg work! (except walking!) I will most definitely recumbent you guys to anyone wanting to do this trip- thanks again.

Jen Portman

The scope of the service it’s as complete as it can be. You joined us from the very beginning of the activity (the previous day chat) until the check-in in the last hotel. It’s helpful but not oppressing.

The activity itself is unforgettable. Well balanced, not exhausting, never boring, and with enough content. Of course, the incredible landscape plays its role! The guide (Jaime) it’s perfect for the activity. Well prepared, with a wide range of conversation and explanations about the whole trek. Helpful, funny, and familiar. Congratulations on that.

So, in general, we would rate your service as excellent. Thank you, and wish you great success!

How do we begin to thank you for the truly amazing experience you planned for us? With three weeks in Peru and only the barest outline of where we wanted to go and what we like to do, you filled in the blanks and gave us the trip of a lifetime! Each day was a new adventure full of wonderful sights, people, and experiences. The places we stayed were wonderful and the food in Peru was fabulous, but it was your people who put the trip over the top. The execution of the plan was flawless – everyone was prompt, knowledgeable, friendly, and fun to be with. They took great care of us and eliminated all the usual stress of travel. You planned for us the perfect balance of “guided” time and independence; the hiking and biking days were perfectly suited to our age, ability, and altitude. We’re telling everyone we know to visit Peru and plan their trip with Amazonas!

Robin and OJ Burns

Well we are back from Peru.   We had a fantastic trip! I am so impressed with Amazonas Explorers. They were 100% reliable, friendly, well equipped, and well organized. Our guide Jimmy was so great. We did have him (and a cook, driver and other helpers) to ourselves for the biking, rafting, town tour, and horseback tour. Though we didn't do horses because Dan was unwell so Jimmy (his driver, actually, with Jimmy) drove us to all the local sites and we walked through them, besides helping Dan with his digestive issues. He was so knowledgeable and friendly, spoke English well (and also Spanish and Quecha (?)...we couldn't absorb a quarter of all he told us about, it was so much.  Perfect guide in every way.

The trek was awesome; harder than we expected (for me the uphills, for Dan the fear of heights did get to him sometimes), BUT, we persevered and did just fine.  Our companions were Brits that were about 30 years old, but the group did well together.  I am still amazed at the porters running up and down in their sandals with huge packs on their backs.  And the rafting...Jimmy and Henry, in a kayak, were obviously VERY skilled; it was the most exciting whitewater I have ever done.  We ended up with the bike trip NOT to the salt mines; I'm not sure why, but the ride we had along the Urubamba was plenty interesting and wore us out anyway.  Maybe he looked at our age and decided the salt mine road was too much?  He didn't know yet how rugged we were.

The rafting trip went very well. As you may know, neither Yvonne nor I had done white water rafting before so it was a new experience. Amazonas Explorer put one of their experienced helmsmen/guides (Juan Carlos) on the job. He was supported by the rescue canoeist, a driver, and a cook. We had an interesting trip out to the Urubamba river, taking in several villages, each specializing in a different product.

The rafting itself was very well organized, the safety drill thorough, the wet suit fitting, and the rafting fun. The river is rather low at the moment but there was one spot where we got out and walked. Otherwise, the degree of difficulty was, we were told, Level 3. Juan Carlos zipped it up a bit further by dunking us at the front to get Yvonne giggling hysterically. All this is recorded on our GoPro which we positioned at the front/bow and then on Juan Carlos’ helmet.

We had a break halfway through, where to our surprise a snack was produced. In the end, we were treated to a lovely meal, so much so that cars were stopping by the roadside to ask if we were a pop-up restaurant. The scenery was stunning. We got back in the late afternoon. It was tiring while we were paddling but we soon recovered.

I recently returned from trekking the Lares Valley. Willow is an exceptional guide and a thoroughly nice individual. His knowledge of both the Peruvian culture and history is infectious. He went out of his way to take time with all members of the group constantly checking how people were feeling and adjusting the day's itinerary to suit.

We both successfully managed the Inca trek, culminating with a return visit to Machu Picchu on Day 5. The whole experience certainly lived up to our expectations. We had both done some training beforehand and we were glad we did because the trek is in parts quite strenuous, especially Day 3.  Everything was very well-organized. We were in the hands of Amazonas Explorer.

Our guide (Edward) was very experienced. He knew the area very well and had led groups on more advanced treks in his time. He knew about the Incas, the trail, the surrounding mountains and forests, flora & fauna, history, economy, and even a bit of politics. The crew was also amazing, being courteous and friendly, efficient & helpful, and made a major contribution to our overall enjoyment. We shall never forget the rush of the porters’ train as they passed us by on the trail as they pushed on to the next rendezvous. The camps were good and well-positioned. The days were well-designed and thought-out.

As you know, it is possible to complete the trek in a shorter duration but 5 days was good for us, particularly at the end. Edward gave us a good tour of MP. It was incredibly hot that day and the place was thronging with visitors. We enjoyed our visit and the level of information was right for us.

Hi Matt.

Thanks for the personal touch yesterday and call this morning.  It was great to meet you in person. I really appreciate you and the company taking care of the additional hotel charges. You and the Amazonas team are a class act. As I mentioned, I deal with many people and companies as part of my profession and know the work involved to deliver the type of experience and customer satisfaction that you have provided us. It is impressive that across so many touchpoints, guides, and experiences you consistently set a high bar.

Thanks again,

We did the Ultimate Inca Trail Adventure. Amazonas Explorer is a first-class adventure company. Their execution of the trip was flawless. Communication, guides, porters, transports, food, hotels, luggage, permits, tickets, knowledge, and history are excellent on all counts. I would recommend this company without any hesitation or qualification. If I go back and I just might, this is the Company I will choose again.

Amazonas Explorer provided bikes, paddleboards, kayaks, porters, guides, the works for our trip to Peru. Without fail, everyone was reliable and knowledgeable. The equipment they had for us was in excellent condition, especially important when using bikes. On a short camping trip, we arrived at the site to discover all of our tents erected with cots. We even had slippers and bouquets. The meals they prepared were exceptional. Mark followed us by email every step of the way, making sure we made all our connections and had everything we needed. Cannot offer enough praise for this outfitter.

We did the 1-day rafting trip down the Apurimac Canyon thru Amazonas Explorer. It was an experience that I would highly recommend. Our guide for the day was Santiago. From the moment he picked us up from our hotel we knew this was going to be a great experience. He is very passionate about rafting and wanted to make sure the experience was enjoyable for me, my husband, and our 2 daughters ages (12 and 14 years old). We had a 2.5 hours van ride to the starting point of the river, however, Santiago educated us on Peruvian culture. Once we got to our starting destination we were given wet suits, thermal shirts, water shoes, life jackets, and helmets.

There was a safety lesson and then we began rafting. At no point during the trip did we feel unsafe. They take every saftey precaution available and we had another guide (Neil) follow us in a safety kayak. Neil took pictures throughout the trip down the river. Halfway thru the rafting, we stopped on the bank of the river for a snack. My kids were able to sit in front of the raft during the second half of the trip. We experienced up to 3+ rapids. Toward the end of the rafting trip, Santiago gave us the option to jump out of the raft and swim in the river.

The water was quite cold (50 degrees F), but it was a great experience. When we arrived on shore there was a tent to change and a tent with a portable toilet. Three other members of their group made a wonderful lunch and set up a tent for us to eat in. The food was amazing. This is a well-run business that believes in the quality of service. I would highly recommend it!

Having read the book Turn Right at Machu Picchu, I looked up Amazonas Explorer out of curiosity. Four months later, my 11-year-old daughter and I experienced the 8 day Family Adventure Peru which included all transfers and daily excursions in the Sacred Valley and Cusco area. This was a very active trip that included hiking, cycling, kayaking, and SUP.

The tour conductors were Jose Antonio and Juan Carlos Juros. Both were very knowledgeable and personable but most importantly made us feel safe as every detail was handled and every question answered. Jose had a great sense of humor and was very encouraging during the one-day Inca trail trek to Machu Picchu. Both guides were so kind to my daughter treating her as they would their own and we both learned a great deal about the Peruvian lifestyle, respect for nature, and Pacha Mama (Mother Earth).

This trip exceeded our expectations in every way. There were many magical moments such as dipping into the 29-foot waterfall along the Inca trail, meeting many local children, interacting with alpacas, llamas, and guinea pigs, having Lake Piuray to ourselves, and enjoying pachamanca--a traditional Peruvian meal cooked under rocks in the ground. We will never forget this experience and are grateful to Amazonas Explorer for everything.

We had a wonderful time – the whole trip exceeded our expectations – big thank you!!!! The mountain biking was great – I decided not to be challenged after lunch and took the easy route (bus) to the salt pans but the rest of the group made it (and in one piece!!!!)

My wife Silvana, my son Roberto, and another couple, Tom and Mary Kyme walked the Inka Trail in July 2016. I just wanted to express our gratitude for such a wonderful experience. In particular, I want to thank Wifredo, our guide. He was so professional in everything that he did. He put our minds at ease in the pre-trek briefing. He ensured that everything we ate and drank was prepared in a very hygienic manner. He provided an expert narrative about the many Inka sites we encountered on the way to the Sacred Valley.

All of his Porters also provided an excellent service and ensured that we had a fantastic experience. My wife and I had a problem when entering the Park because our Passport Numbers had been changed. Wilfredo solved this problem for us and ensured that we were able to continue with the Trek. I cannot thank him enough.

We had a fantastic time thank you. Everything went pretty smoothly. We loved Casitas Del Colca - definitely our favourite hotel together with Inkaterra Amazonica. The activities were great and all worked well for everyone. We were so glad we did the one day Inca trail - arriving at Machu Picchu wouldn't have been the same amazing experience without that.

We all thought Jose Rivas was a fantastic guide and were very fond of him. We loved seeing the condors - a definite highlight. I would say Mauricio was probably our least attentive guide but still nice and friendly. And we somehow missed Miguel on arriving at Lima which was no problem but a bit confusing transferring to international check-in with such a gap between flights.

All in all an amazing trip - thank you!- Anne

We've been home a month now after our family's fantastic trip with Amazonas Explorers. We are still remembering sites, telling friends, and showing our beautiful pictures to family and friends. My daughter dreamed up this trip to Machu Picchu after a cultural presentation on Peru in her Spanish class and we finally did it 4 years later.

From our arrival tour in Cuzco, whitewater rafting trip, mountain biking trip, and trek on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, it was truly awesome and unforgettable. Our "Dream Team" from Chef Teo to the porters to our amazing guide Willow Cardenas Torres all made our trek comfortable, exciting, rewarding and such a wonderful memory for our family. We love Peru, we loved our experience with Amazonas Explorer and hope to return again. We know who to ask for (Willow!) for our next adventure!!! Muchas Gracias!

The Melby Family

Dear Jimmy,

I have done a lot of traveling in my life and I must tell you that you are the very best guide I have ever had. You made the mystery of Machu Picchu and the majesty of the Inca civilization come alive.  Your knowledge & explanation of the cultural history of Peru and Cusco's place in that history and your familiarity with everything around us made our visit really special. Of course, I am very grateful for your hand in helping me navigate the ups and especially the downs.

I wish health and happiness for you and your family in the future.  If I can ever help you with anything please let me know.

I will miss you. As we say in Hawaii "a hui hou" - till we meet again.

We cannot speak highly enough of our experience on the Inca Trail, the Wayki’s and our guide Chino were amazing, helpful, happy, fun and so knowledgeable, they made the trip absolutely perfect. Chino is a real asset to your company, he could not have done any more to make it the trip of a lifetime, nothing was too much trouble and he was so warm and caring to us and to the Wayki’s.

Our group of three empty-nester couples had an amazing one-week trip to Machu Picchu and the Andes thanks to a personalized itinerary that squeezed as many highlights as possible. Our guide, Jose, was professional and well-versed. It was great to have the trip details and transportation worked out so that we could just enjoy the adventure. We also opted for a rafting trip from Cusco through the company that was much more professional than any rafting trip I have been on in Tennessee or North Carolina.

We were worried about being cold since the trip was in early October, but Santiago and his team provided high-quality wetsuits that kept us comfortable and fairly dry. There was even a chef who prepared a picnic lunch, and tents for changing, and a portable toilet. I want to go back for a combination hiking/rafting trip and will use Amazonas Explorer again

We used Amazonas Explorer for our recent trip to Cuzco. We are a family of 4 (two teenagers) and wanted to do something active but reasonable on our 1st day in Cuzco, so after contacting the company via the web, decided on the Sacred Valley one-day bike. Our guide picked us up at the airport and we drove to Pisac (a brief stop in Cuzco for us to get some Peruvian currency).

The weather was initially pretty rainy, so it wasn't totally clear we'd be able to bike. We went 1st to the market at Pisac, which I thought was OK (I'm not crazy about markets - my wife liked it more). We then drove down the road a bit (we bought a roasted guinea pig at a roadside stand - good to have a guide since I imaging some vendors are better than others). The guide and his two helpers then set up a tent (since it was still drizzling) for our lunch. They prepared a quite nice hot lunch, which we supplemented with our guinea pig. By then, the rain had largely stopped, so we biked back to Pisac along a very quiet, zero-traffic dirt road, which was pretty flat. It was muddy with the rain). We then drove back to Cuzco and they dropped us at our hotel. I liked our guide's very flexible approach. It was kind of a custom tour as it was only the four of us (since it was the day before Christmas, not really their busy season).

 From the first day to the last, everything was fantastic. We never had to worry or wonder about anything. Hotels, van pick-ups, guides - you had it all covered!

The boutique hotels were cute, clean and welcoming. We enjoyed not having to stay in big places or Americanized versions. We felt like we got to know local people better. Cuzco hotel was especially convenient for strolling around. As for our two expeditions, the Eureka tents were fantastic. (They are made close to where we live!). One night we stayed warm and dry in a 10 hour rainstorm!

We could have never guessed the food would be as tasty and well presented as it was. Paulino, our Peruvian cook, was amazing! He made the best soups each day and kept us well stoked up for riding and hiking. This was a huge surprise and one which really added to the trip. They ( the rides) were all great - each one was different. Riding down from the top of Manu was visual, a special treat. Xavier, our guide, couldn't have been better. He made sure we were safe, shared history and nature and made the ride fun, exhilarating and a true adventure.

Each day had its own special touch. We always had something to look forward to.

We hired bikes before, but never such high-end models. We both ride Scott road bikes at home, so we are familiar with their quality. Full suspension, disc brakes - these bikes put up with a lot of rough terrain and are handled beautifully.

Can't say enough about Xavier. He met us at the airport, gave us a tour of Cuzco, cautioned us re. altitude, drinking and climatizing. He prepared us well, starting with an easy day and gradually progressing to more and more difficult terrain. We felt we really learned a lot about off road riding on this trip. In addition, he was a fantastic liaison between us and local villagers. We felt we were welcomed warmly wherever we went. Part of it was because of the small size of our group. He also was extremely knowledgeable re. history, culture and nature. We saw some incredible birds thanks to his knowledge. He is one of the best!!

On our Inca trail hike, Eduard and Nilda were a great team. Eduard knew exactly what we would need to do to reach our goal. Nilda was patient and understanding. Their historical knowledge as we traversed the trail was outstanding and added immensely to the experience. You have chosen your guides well. They share their personal lives with us, as we do with them. They form us into a working, sharing team. They celebrate our successes as if it were their first time. They REALLY made the two adventures (biking & trekking) a special experience!!!.... Who would have guessed we'd have Mercedes vans on those bumpy backroads?!

Hi Carol,

I just wanted to provide some feedback from our trek. It was amazing! The whole team were incredible, from Percy the driver, all the porters, the cooks and especially Jimmy. It was a magical experience and most of the time we felt we had the trail and the campsites to ourselves.

The food was incredible, (thank you Paulino and Alex), the campsites amazing and Jimmy was an awesome Guide. His knowledge of the Incan history, wildlife and fauna was impeccable.

The communication from yourself and Thom was excellent. We have nothing to fault.

A truly memorable experience.

If there is a specific website such as trip advisor you'd like me to write a review please let me know.

Thanks again,

Rich and Wendy

From October 29th to November 6th we were on an Amazonas Explorer trip in Peru with your guide Chino. Due to issues we faced at the end of that trip, we were unable to do a thorough job of completing the evaluation form so we are now adding our comments. You have probably heard about the medical crisis that occurred when we returned to our hotel in Cusco on November 5th and the role that Chino played in helping us to get through it.

We could not have asked for a better guide than Chino. He helped us immensely by taking us to and from the hospital, staying with us throughout the ordeal, translating, advocating for us and offering support. This was well beyond his role as a guide and his willingness to do this really touched our hearts. As a guide, he was always friendly and courteous, going out of his way to ensure that we were comfortable and enjoying ourselves and that Gordon was able to see as much as possible despite his mobility challenges. Chino's knowledge of Inca history, culture and engineering is profound and we learned so much from him. Plus, he was a lot of fun. The drivers we had [especially Percy] were also great.

Otherwise, we were very pleased with the arrangements that you made for us and would happily recommend your services to others. With thanks and warm wishes,

Barbara and Gordon

It was one of the most wonderful travel trip we both had. Trek was bit trying but it was worth the effort. Beautiful scenery and wilderness was amazing on the way. All the arrangements you have done was excellent: good hotels, friendly guides and tasty food (3 course meals while camping!) can't ask more.

Thanks again for helping us for such a memorable travel experience. I have attached our photo at Machu Picchu.

Firstly our guides were fantastic. I'd like to mention the standouts:- Cristo in Sacred Valley, Cusco, and Machu Picchu

What can I say about Machu Picchu, totally mind-blowing, I consider myself so privileged to have walked through one of the great marvels of the world, to have had my hands on the same stones that the Incas touched, to stand at the three windows and feel that I could touch the sun and the connection I felt with the spirituality of what is the essence of Machu Picchu. Totally humbling. I'm So lucky!

I also realized I missed telling you about a very significant highlight. The Goose Dance, performed by Kindy students in Huilloc was Organised by Cristo and it had a profound effect on all of us The little ones are amazing.

Thank you for the best holiday imaginable in one of the world's greatest continents

It has taken us a few weeks to recover from the awesome trip that we took September 18th - 27th with your wonderful trekking company! While it is but a memory now, we wanted you to know just how special this trip was for all of us. On behalf of our group of five, we want you to know that Amazonas Explorer provided an extremely positive experience, from the front end planning of the trip, answering questions, booking and paying for the trip, all transfers to and from the hotels, sightseeing prior to the hike to Machu Picchu and then the actual Inca Trail and train and bus ride on the return to Cusco, up to the final day of our trip.

Everyone that we met from day one through the end was extremely professional, friendly, and treated us with respect and friendship, helping to make us feel extra special. You have every reason to be proud of the way all of your employees represented your company and your beautiful country! Our guides, porters and cooks were amazing, and did an awesome job to ensure that everyone was embraced as family, making sure we were well-fed (the meals were amazing) and as comfortable as we could be in a camping situation.

I want to point out an exceptional young man and Assistant Guide that supported our group, Henry Quintano Loayza. Although I believe this was only his second time on the trail as an assistant, he was most definitely someone who stands out in customer service, leadership, and compassion.

There was a young lady in the group who really struggled on the hike, and Henry was quick to be there to encourage her (as well as all of us when we struggled) and made sure she was safe, oftentimes carrying her backpack so she would be able to make it to camp each day. Henry also carried my pack several times as I struggled one afternoon on the slippery trail, and also once we made it to Machu Picchu on the trail down to the bus stop. He is such a joy to be around, always there with his quick smile and wonderful demeanor, and our group really enjoyed spending time with him. We hope that he will one day be promoted to a Lead Guide with your company, as he was a favorite among all of the hikers on the trip.

Warmest Regards - Geanine Ballard

As you could tell by the pictures - I still have more to post - it was a memorable trip. We loved Peru and it was so different from any other country I've visited. It has a unique culture and the scenery is jaw-droppingly beautiful. Plus, the history - man - the Inca were busy little buggers. It's amazing to wonder what kind of structures still remain uncovered. At Machu Picchu, Gonzalo (guide) pointed out a massive aqueduct across the valley/river from the site. It had just been discovered in the last nine months. Crazy. He told us they estimate less than 50% of Machu Picchu has been exposed and just a bit more than 20% of Choquequirao has been identified.

Speaking of Gonzalo, he was great. If I were you, I wouldn't hesitate to request him to guide future guests you send to Peru. He's warm, upbeat, enthusiastic, and funny and he knows his stuff. Plus he is so proud of his country and his heritage. Having a private guide and vehicle really enhanced our experience.

Dear Mark:

Thank you for helping us have an experience of a lifetime.

We rode in on bikes and tomorrow we head out for La Paz. The group I helped, no you helped get to Machu Picchu are so thankful.

We especially want to thank you for Nilo. He was an incredible guide funny, concerned always there and so knowable. We have been biking together for over 2 months and we have become a close net family, Nile joined our family for two days

I highly recommend you and your company for further groups.

Svend

This email is intended to help you with further trips going the same way as us and does not require a reply. I deem the organisation of our trip by you as a success. The quality of the guides stands out as being a major contributor to an interesting and successful holiday of this type. They were all good, with perfect English, excellent knowledge of the sort of things we are interested in, and with a very good sense of humor, which made it fun. Maybe we were lucky, but please commend Cristobal (Cusco) and  Julio (Lake Titicaca) from one very satisfied client.

Your hotel choices were exactly what we liked with perhaps Hotel B in Lima being the most stylish and Titilaka being the most scenic. Titilaka had Jude Law staying. It was good for us to stay there for 3 days because we like islands and birds. Most other people there thought two days would do. Highlights for us were the Andean Explorer train, Macchu Picchu itself, and the total experience of Lake Titicaca. I would miss out on Lima.

Thank you for your help - Giles

Thanks to all at Amazonas but particularly Mauricio and Efrain our guides to the Colca Valley and Machu Pichu and the Sacred Valley. The whole trip was excellent. The Boutique accommodation was so much better than large impersonal hotels and attention to detail such as the timing of arrival at sites ahead of the crowds was welcomed. Excellent natural and cultural history knowledge were displayed throughout and attention to our well-being energy etc was shown throughout truly memorable.

Jacqui and Russell Watkinson

I don't normally write thank you emails, but we had other guides during our 3-week Peru visit, while some were good some were terrible, they just highlighted how amazingly special Jose was and how lucky we were to have him. He's a credit to his profession and Amazonas.

We all want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for organizing the trip of a lifetime for us.  Every single aspect of the holiday was immaculately organized, from the initial planning on your behalf, the expert advice given to tailor the trip to suit us, to the actual reality of being in Peru and completing the Inca Trail. Our guide Efrain was a delight – full of knowledge, full of fun, and very easy on the eye which is always a plus.  Our wonderful porters were adorable and quite awesome, and the hotels, flights, and transits were seamless.  The food was divine, especially the ceviche and the guinea pig, and the Pisco Sours were pretty good too.

The Trail, itself, was wonderfully planned.  We mainly walked on our own which gave Efrain plenty of opportunity to show us the amazing flora and fauna, and his knowledge and passion for the history of the Inca people and the Peruvians was impeccable.  We were treated like royalty by our porters and fed like royalty too.  Big Karen got inadvertently married to head porter, Daniele, so we’re waiting to see how that works out...

Lima and Cusco were both amazing cities, and we managed to see quite a lot of both of them. So we’re back home enriched with the experience and delighted in the knowledge that we have some great memories to cherish. Sorry to gush, but it really was that great.

We did the 1 day Bike A-salt mountain biking trip with 3 friends, and it ended up being my favorite part of the entire trip. It had beautiful scenery, allowed us to see some cool ruins, and was a very fun ride. The first half is more scenic with fireroad trails while the second half of the trip was more technical on donkey trails with some challenging terrain. Our guide, Xavier, was very friendly and enthusiastic about biking.

The ride was very safe since they have a van that meets up during the ride every half hour to hour. It also carried food, water, and our stuff so we didn't have to keep it all on us during the ride. They set up an excellent lunch out on the field with shade and a delicious variety of food. Also, the equipment they rent you is all great quality.

Our group wasn't the most experienced, but they tailor the trip to your skill level. Xavier also gave good tips to us on biking. We accidentally left our jacket in the van after the trip, and while I offered to go pick it up from them, they drove all the way back to our hostel the next day and dropped it off for us, great service! Highly recommend this trip with Amazonas Explorer. The price was excellent for what you get.

While we arrived in the rainy season and the rapids were said to be not the best, we thoroughly enjoyed the one-day rafting experience. The equipment was good, the staff were very professional, and the river was great fun. We had options of large rafts or kayaks and used both. The lunch following was delicious, and Juan Carlos, our rafting guide, was knowledgeable, interesting, and clearly had extensive rafting and outdoor experience. Highly recommend this for families.

Paul, When I explained to you originally that this was to be our family holiday of a lifetime, we had high expectations for a great trip. That you and your excellent staff managed to far exceed those expectations is a testament to a great and well-managed company. When we describe to our friends where we visited, what we did and what we saw they are all amazed at how much could be crammed into 16 exciting days. Peru certainly has it all and we have come back with a feeling of great admiration and respect for its history, wildlife, and people. We wish you and your team the very best and hope you are able to continue making families such as ours feel very special and privileged long into the future.

The biking was AMAZING!!!! We had a fantastic time. Javier was a superb guide, the service, equipment, lunch, snacks were all EXCELLENT!! The terrain was fantastic, we did 3 runs on the half-day and had a great time! We could not have asked for anything more - Thank you very much. We will recommend the company highly to friends who visit in the future. Maybe come back ourselves. We were wishing we had more time on the bikes when we finished!!!

We had a wonderful trip hiking to Machu Picchu in December, and want to tell you what a fantastic job Willow Torres did for us.  He was informative, helpful, entertaining, and professional and made the hike successful.  He even did well as a doctor.  If we have friends who consider going on this trip we will strongly urge them to make sure Willow is their guide

Apologies for the tardy response to the fabulous trip you arranged for me and Oliver. We both had a great time and I cannot thank you enough for the superb organization involved. Thank you also for the lunch and change in plans that were made so effortlessly on the last day of our trek with Zach

Hi Dougie, We just got back from our rafting trip and it was amazing! We all had a fantastic time and did not want to get out of the raft, it was so much fun! The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful.  The guides were knowledgeable, patient and a joy to be with. Lunch was delicious and well prepared. We enjoyed ourselves very much and would highly recommend Amazonas Explorer.  Thank you again for organizing and setting this up. We are also loving the privacy and hospitality of the Urubamba Villas.

The three days in the Sacred Valley were very worthwhile. Certainly much easier than doing the climb! Our little hacienda was slap in the middle of the Valley. It was in the village of Urubamba, (as in the river) down a dirt track set amongst farms, far away from noise or traffic or towns. A high wall surrounded the unkempt garden (which was full of indigenous South African flowers!) and at the back, a lovely orchard full of fruit trees in blossom. It made me think of the villages we slept in the Annapurnas - remember the apple orchards at Marpha, and then the next night in orange orchards?

Anyway the hacienda was run by a delightful couple who couldn't do enough for us. The accommodation was basic but homely and most comfortable. Sue liked it so much, she stayed behind one day just to enjoy the place by herself and to write.

Our guide Chino was an absolute star. He called us his beautiful super duper ladies which endeared him to us no end. Did you know that he studied history at university and was a lecturer? He said he didn't have patience with the students, so he gave that up and now he prefers guiding. He had a wealth of knowledge. Anyway every day he took us to a different Inca site, as set out in your itinerary to us. After visiting the site we would set off on a hike through hills and dale. That was fabulous - the walking part. Many times we would pass minor Inka sites, and of course, the never-ending terraces were often our contour paths. Then all of a sudden we would come upon a clearing and there would be the most beautiful picnic lunch set out for us. With a gas cooker and all to make us HOT tea! And there was nobody else in sight, we were the only people on the planet.

The Amazon Basin was WONDERFUL!!! Certainly one of the highlights.

Three nights there was perfect. If we were there for 2 nights, I would have felt cheated. Once again our guide was excellent. Ivan was a native from the forest - so you can imagine the wealth of stories he had to tell. He liked to refer to his grandfather who taught him all about the medicines available in the forests. So, it was a wonderful trip. Thank you for making it happen.