A tailor made journey to the Andes awaits you
It is with great pleasure that we can announce, Aracari founder and president Marisol Mosquera has been included on Travel + Leisure’s A-list of the World’s Top Travel Agents for 2011. Hurray!
Appearing in the September edition of the magazine, Marisol is listed in the Latin America section as the only entry for Peru. Having been awarded the same accolade in 2010, this marks the second year in a row that Aracari have made the T+L grade.
We are delighted to announce that on April 3rd, Oscar winning actress Susan Sarandon achieved a career first by re-opening Machu Picchu to visitors.
Re-opening ceremonies included a blessing of the Mother Earth (Pachamama) by actress Susan Sarandon
Spotlight on Northern Peru
One of the most overlooked, but arguably beautiful regions of South America is the unspoilt wilderness of Northern Peru. An ornithologist’s delight, this diverse landscape dissected by the mighty Maraňon River, is home to thousands of bird species including the elusive White-Winged Guan which was thought to be extinct for over 100 years. Yet, our feathered friends give only a hint of the extraordinary wealth of wildlife found in this part of the world.
Experiencing the wonder of Peru on a budget
Hacienda Marcabamba
Intelligent travel design takes more than just five star luxury hotels and over the years we have created a collection of little gems – homestays and boutique hotels – each with their own character and story that offer a charming and affordable way to experience Peru.
Meet a chef with a passion for Peruvian cooking
Our friend, chef Penelope Alzamora
‘Fusion’ is an over-used word in today’s culinary world, but there is no national cuisine that can quite live up to this label as confidently as Peruvian. Take a tradition of experimentation with flavours in the villages centuries ago, add some Spanish flavours courtesy of the Conquistadors and a hint of African and Arabian influences – together with the latter day popularity of Italian, Chinese and Japanese immigrant cooking and you have a highly ‘fused’ recipe for exciting and unique dishes.
Feeling at home, truly at ease in another’s country is a difficult emotion to create. You can’t just slip into a different culture. So we have done our doing our best to smooth your path by introducing our ‘friends in the city’ service.
Frigatebird, sometimes called Man of War birds or Pirate birds
There aren’t many places in the world where the word ‘unique’ is an understatement, but it barely does justice to the 35 volcanic islands (and counting) that constitute the archipelago of the Galapagos Islands set 1000km off the Pacific coast of Ecuador. With 43% of the wildlife species endemic to the Islands, this UNESCO world heritage site is the ultimate destination for nature lovers and I was lucky enough to spend two weeks investigating the latest cruises, hotels and opportunities on offer earlier this year.
In a country of extremes, it should come as no surprise that the intrepid Peruvians have successfully launched real luxury cruising into the Amazon rainforest, without losing authenticity or upsetting the delicate ecosystem. But will luxury and a ‘wide angled’ view of this beautiful landscape prove to be as popular as the ‘close-up’ inclusive experience of the rainforest lodge?
Click on image to read the rest of the aricle
Choquequirao has appeared in our blog in the past, and it is only relevant to bring it up one more time as we noticed its appearance in the latest Conde Nast Traveler. Aracari has finally answered the hard question of how to bridge the gap between trekking and a fair-deal to those supporting us with their services, and so far so good. At Aracari we can arrange a trek to Choquequirao which is considered the most difficult of our treks. It is ideal for those wanting to get that “undiscovered” feeling.