Once upon a time, our great friend Susy Dyson was spotted for American Vogue by the Countess Aileen de Romanones in Marbella. Countless magazine covers followed, together with catwalk appearances for, among others, Yves Saint Laurent. Then having spent a decade absorbing the glamorous world of fashion, Susy decided to import her own brand of glamour back to her home country of Peru - with a vision of turning the bountiful raw materials found here into luxurious and beautiful products. Over the past twenty years, Susy has realized that vision in a line of clothes and accessories for export, by developing property and as an author - you'd be hard pushed to find anybody as well-connected inside and outside Peru, who can also provide a fascinating insight into local culture and traditional craftsmanship. Today, we are proud to be the recipients of Susy's latest venture, Ticllabamba - a beautiful, sixteenth century two bedroom house in the picturesque village of Yucay, 35km from Pisac deep in the Sacred Valley, the playground of the Incas. At 1000m lower and warmer than nearby Cuzco, the Valley is the ideal place to acclimatize and relax before exploring at higher altitudes. With comfort in mind, Susy has created a luxurious, but understated private retreat, with the emphasis on giving a uniquely personalized service for Aracari clients. Like its owner, the house has a fascinating story steeped in Inca history. Part of the 'royal estate' of Yucay, Ticllabamba is believed to been the property of Beatriz Coya, daughter of the Inca Huayna-Capac and was the favourite bathing place of "La Nusta", an Inca princess and daughter of the last Inca, Sayri-Tupac. Indeed, when rebuilding they found an Inca-stone lined bath below one of the three small cascades that flows into the northern terrace of the property,
Once upon a time, our great friend Susy Dyson was spotted for American Vogue by the Countess Aileen de Romanones in Marbella. Countless magazine covers followed, together with catwalk appearances for, among others, Yves Saint Laurent. Then having spent a decade absorbing the glamorous world of fashion, Susy decided to…
Hi Friends! Marisol Mosquera (Aracari's Founder and President) will be lecturing in London on the subject of Peruvian Gastronomy this coming June 24th, 2008. Peruvian cuisine is among South America's richest. Besides being the home of the potato - thousands of types - Peru has assimilated over hundreds of years Spanish, Creole, Chinese, and Japanese flavors from its waves of immigrants. This historic gastronomic view will take you from indigenous native foods of a thousand years ago, to the current Japanese style fusion, and will make your mouth water at Marisol Mosquera's vast visual presentation. Even Nobu Matsusida trained in Peru for three years. This is a fascinating look at a country's history thorough its food evolution into the new star of international gastronomy. Tuesday, June 24th, 2008 at 7:30 pm (doors open at 6.45pm) Miller's Academy of Arts and Science Hope you can make it and that it will inspire you to travel with us on a Peruvian Culinary Adventure.
Hi Friends! Marisol Mosquera (Aracari’s Founder and President) will be lecturing in London on the subject of Peruvian Gastronomy this coming June 24th, 2008. Peruvian cuisine is among South America’s richest. Besides being the home of the potato – thousands of types – Peru has assimilated over hundreds of years…
Patagonia is an immense, beautiful land brimming with variety. A mere two and a half hour flight south from Buenos Aires, Patagonia offers a totally different take on Argentina. The North boasts awe-inspiring natural beauty, the Lake District of thousands of kilometres of pine-covered landscapes bursting with impressive waterfalls, forests and, of course, lakes – without a boat in sight. It is a haven for those who enjoy outdoor pursuits – horse riding with the gauchos (cowboys), fishing with the experts or simply contemplating life. Or you can cross into the Chilean Lake District perhaps via the pretty Tyrolean-like town of Bariloche. Aracari arranges tailormade travel to Peru, Bolivia and the Galapagos. We can provide recommendations on who to travel with in Patagonia, but we do not arrange trips directly ourselves. Accommodation in Patagonia Accommodation offers luxury with a twist, lovely hotels, such as the fabulous Llao Llao hotel, or the choice of grand family-run estancias (estates) which vary from cattle ranches, to noble, elegant country houses. Visitors get a real taste of the country life when hosted by some of the warmest people you are likely to meet. Calafate Vast swathes of rugged land characterise Southern Patagonia, traditionally used since the end of the 19th Century for the raising of sheep. Down here, Calafate is a destination on the rise as it is the gateway to the Los Glaciares National Park, home to 47 lake-based glaciers that drain into the Atlantic. Calafate, named after a small indigenous bush, has some amazing hotels and you can cross from here to the Chilean Torres del Paine national park, home of the famous Explora hotel. El Chalten If mountain-climbing is your thing, further south you will find El Chalten, the trekking and climbing centre of Patagonia and its highest peak, Mount Fitzroy
Patagonia is an immense, beautiful land brimming with variety. A mere two and a half hour flight south from Buenos Aires, Patagonia offers a totally different take on Argentina. The North boasts awe-inspiring natural beauty, the Lake District of thousands of kilometres of pine-covered landscapes bursting with impressive waterfalls, forests…
Check out our up to date information on Las Casitas, on the Belmond Las Casitas page! A beautiful place in Peru Just 100 miles or a four hour car journey north of Arequipa, Peru, lies a stunning natural phenomenon, the Colca Canyon, the deepest canyons in the world. This is home of the Andean condor and a rich, fertile land where centuries of agriculture on pre-Inca terraces sustain the traditional villages that dot this magical landscape. It is also home to one the people closest to our hearts, Mother Antonia, who has run a soup kitchen for over 30 years in the Valley. Now this and the many charms of the Colca Valley have been embraced by the Orient Express Hotel Group, which opens the first luxury hotel in the area this April. The spiritual ambience of the Valley has certainly left its mark on the development of ‘Las Casitas del Colca’. Set high in the Andes, some 3,260 metres above sea level, the hotel is nestled in 25 hectares of stunning landscape on the left bank of the Colca river. Inspired by this haven of peace and tranquillity, accommodation has been designed around 20 individual ‘casitas’ (small houses) built from natural materials offering total privacy and exclusivity. Each beautifully decorated Casita has its own private terrace, a heated plunge pool, indoor and outdoor showers and spacious internal accommodation including a foyer and a lounge. The inspiration continues with the fine fare grown and produced on the estate’s farm and in the surrounding fields. Not only are the dishes delicious, but you can also benefit from this self-sufficiency by enjoying cookery lessons from the top hotel chefs, or feeding the baby alpacas down on the farm. However, if you want to simply ‘retreat’, you can lie by the pool or
Check out our up to date information on Las Casitas, on the Belmond Las Casitas page! A beautiful place in Peru Just 100 miles or a four hour car journey north of Arequipa, Peru, lies a stunning natural phenomenon, the Colca Canyon, the deepest canyons in the world. This is…
One of the smallest countries in South America is having something of a renaissance in 2008, with the New York Times declaring it one of the top 53 places to go to this year, and Condé Nast Traveller magazine dedicating a sizeable chunk of editorial to Ecuador in its December issue. So what is the appeal and why now? Well, Ecuador may be small, but it makes up for its size in an awe-inspiring display of biodiversity, history and culture. In fact it has the largest biodiversity per area in the world with dense rainforest and a number of national parks, including the Galápagos Islands, 600 miles off the Pacific coast. The capital of Quito, perched 9,200 ft high in the Andes, has been reborn after a seven year, $200 million renovation project of its historic colonial centre, which was already considered to be ‘the best-preserved, least altered historic centre in Latin America,’ by UNESCO. Surrounded by snow-capped mountains, Ecuador's capital has, as Condé Nast Traveller points out, enough attractions to keep visitors busy for days. But when you tire of the churches, museums and culture, a walk around the streets admiring the colourful attire and bustling lives of the indigenous people will give you a delightful sense of the unique character of the place. In keeping with the vibrant character of this spectacular country, accommodation takes on a special hue. Of course, there are upscale hotel chains, but Ecuador is famous for its beautifully preserved haciendas which have been converted into luxury boltholes. At Aracari, we offer five of the best haciendas, each with its own unique style and offering. One hacienda is built on an Inca Temple and overlooks the snow-capped Cotopaxi volcano, another one is Moorish in inspiration. Some are working farms, others grand estates. A few
One of the smallest countries in South America is having something of a renaissance in 2008, with the New York Times declaring it one of the top 53 places to go to this year, and Condé Nast Traveller magazine dedicating a sizeable chunk of editorial to Ecuador in its December…
Amidst the doom and gloom of environmental predictions there are always elements of light shining through. Environmental scientist Oliver Whaley is one such enlightened individual. Based at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew near London, Oliver and his team are dedicated to a three-year project supported by the UK Darwin Initiative to save the last few remnants of the Huarango forest on the south coast of Peru, on the edge of the Atacama Desert. Felled for charcoal or to make way for agriculture, this destruction is opening the door to spreading desertification. This ancient Huarango Tree forest once played a vital role in sustaining the Nazca peoples, (responsible for the enigmatic Nazca Lines) and has supported local people for thousands of years, supplying food, timber, fodder and other resources. It is also home to the Huarango (prosopis pallida) tree, a unique specimen with deep-tap roots and feathery foliage capable of trapping desert mists – a handy trick in an area which receives less than 1mm of rain per year. Working in collaboration with a host of local Peruvian organisations, including the Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Grupo Pro-Aves and the Universidad de Ica, the team is facilitating and encouraging reforestation via research, the development of a tree nursery, local education and capacity building, national and international education and habitat regeneration research and dissemination. Oliver is hopeful of the outcome, “This is a very exciting moment, but also a very critical one. We’re down to the last remnants of an ecosystem that serves as a lynchpin both for local livelihoods and biodiversity. But with the resources we now have for the project, backed by enthusiastic local support, there’s an opportunity to make a real difference to the region.” To visit the Huarango Forest and the many other attractions on the southern coast
Amidst the doom and gloom of environmental predictions there are always elements of light shining through. Environmental scientist Oliver Whaley is one such enlightened individual. Based at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew near London, Oliver and his team are dedicated to a three-year project supported by the UK Darwin Initiative…
