Visiting the Atacama Desert Aracari's Founder Marisol Mosquera shares a series of reports from her trip across Chile, Bolivia and Peru in July 2012 I love San Pedro de Atacama in Northern Chile as a destination for outdoor activities and relaxation. The hotels are excellent and varied, and the geography so diverse, you can stay here for 3 , 4 days or more and have a great time. Its geographic location, bordering Bolivia and Argentina, means the Atacama Desert combines well with an overland trip through the Eduardo Avaroa Reserve to the impressive salt flats of Uyuni in Bolivia, or to Salta in Argentina. The town of Atacama The last time I came to San Pedro was 10 years ago. The town hasn't changed much, it is practically the same thing. It has a feeling of a town in the wild west: very quiet, roads are unpaved and there is little to see and do. We went into the Museum and it looks exactly the same as it did 10 years ago. The humble church is the same on the outside but the interior has been restored, it is a very simple village church. I hear the municipality has strict regulations on the appearance of the town: they want it to look as authentic as possible, this is why the roads are unpaved and they regulate the construction. I particularly liked the pharmacy which has opened just recently keeping the old style. Where to stay in the Atacama Desert What has really changed is that there are so many new hotels now. When I came, there was Explora at the high end and Hosteria San Pedro at the budget level. Now there are countless hotels, and it is this is what I really wanted to experience on this trip. But is not cheap
Visiting the Atacama Desert Aracari’s Founder Marisol Mosquera shares a series of reports from her trip across Chile, Bolivia and Peru in July 2012 I love San Pedro de Atacama in Northern Chile as a destination for outdoor activities and relaxation. The hotels are excellent and varied, and the geography so…
The Galapagos Islands is a keystone of the experiences that Aracari can offer, and there has been a lot going on recently. We talked with Galapagos specialist Santiago Martinez to get his take on the latest news, Santiago has previously lived on the islands and has been taking groups there for 27 years, he is the co-founder of Gentian Trails, one of Aracari’s close friends in Ecuador. Lonesome George passes away The last of his kind, Lonesome George sadly passed away last weekend, marking the extinction of the species the Pinta Island tortoise. “I was really sad” Santiago told us, “George was the only one of his kind, and his death was so sudden”. “Nobody knows exactly how old he was, but it was presumably in the region of 150 years old .. it is possible that he was around when Charles Darwin first visited.” George had made a name for himself due to the lack of enthusiasm that he showed for continuing his species. Several attempts were made to breed with other turtles, but George’s libido just did not budge. “They tried all sorts of things,” Santiago told me “but he just didn’t pay attention”. On George’s legacy Santiago said “He was an icon of conservation on the Galapagos islands, he survived the damage to the area before the Galapagos Islands became a national park and, as the last of his kind, he is a reminder of the impact that human beings have had upon nature.” “He also acted as a catalyst for conservation of the National Park, he was a large part of the Park’s identity and his profile helped NGOs to raise awareness for the Park’s conservation.” Needless to say, George will be sorely missed. Read more about his fascinating profile on the Guardian and Time magazine.
The Galapagos Islands is a keystone of the experiences that Aracari can offer, and there has been a lot going on recently. We talked with Galapagos specialist Santiago Martinez to get his take on the latest news, Santiago has previously lived on the islands and has been taking groups there…
Discover this peruvian restaurants. Delicious! Peruvian food is on the march! As recently reported in UK newspaper The Independent Peruvian cuisine is going global. Nick Curtis reported that “Native chefs … are reworking the nation's classic dishes and its cornucopia of fresh ingredients for gourmet palates. International gastronomes such as Denmark's René Redzepi and Spain's Ferran Adrià sing the praises of Peruvian food, and Peruvian restaurants are springing up across the Americas, Spain and London.”, marking just the latest in a series of commentaries charting the booming exportation of Peruvian cuisine. At Aracari, being big fans of our country’s beautiful cuisine, we can’t help but oblige. Being a well-travelled bunch we thought we’d try out 2 brand new Peruvian restaurants in Europe: Tradición Moderna in Barcelona and Ceviche in London, to see if they matched up to the challenge of replicating Peruvian cuisine abroad. Tradición Moderna C/ Castillejos, 397. Barcelona, Spain Tel. 686 220 200 Travel Planner Cécile visited Tradición Moderna in Barcelona. She said that the restaurant was a modern and simple take on Peruvian cuisine, nothing too heavy, a mix of traditional and modern fusion, and with minimalist decor. She visited with her family, and emphasised that the food here is very child-friendly. On whether Tradicion Moderna is a good representation of Peruvian cuisine, she said “it is becoming very well known in the Peruvian community in Barcelona, and everyone who comes here for lunch or dinner end up very happy” adding that the “service is very efficient”. They ate ceviche, lomo saltado and tamales, all of which retained the familiarity of Peruvian flavour, she told me. --- Ceviche 17 Frith Street SoHo London W1D 4RG http://cevicheuk.com After being invited by owner Martin Morales, I myself visited Ceviche in London during a trip home to the UK. Ceviche has
Discover this peruvian restaurants. Delicious! Peruvian food is on the march! As recently reported in UK newspaper The Independent Peruvian cuisine is going global. Nick Curtis reported that “Native chefs … are reworking the nation’s classic dishes and its cornucopia of fresh ingredients for gourmet palates. International gastronomes such as…
Palacio Nazarenas has officially opened its doors to guests! This fabulous hotel, one of the coveted Orient-Express collection, opened for business on Friday 15th of June. We reported back in October 2011 that the hotel would further raise the bar for hotels in Cusco and by all accounts this is set to be the case. Guests staying at the 55 suites will enjoy the highest quality of personal attention, with private butlers, fresh flowers in the room and such personalized details as a pillow menu, an iPad preloaded with advice about Cusco and a selection of Oscar-winning movies at your disposal. Each of the suites is lavishly decorated with local textiles and colonial carpentry, while some of them have their own unique characteristics – such as a particularly good view of the city, or perhaps a unique feature of colonial architecture - giving guests a wide variety to choose from. Right next door to Orient Express’ other flagship hotel, Monasterio del Cusco, Las Nazarenas differs in that it has a swimming pool and a spa, and has a modern approach implicit in all areas of its service. It also has fewer, but more ample suites. For full details and specification please visit our corresponding website: Palacio Nazarenas. We feel that this hotel is a welcome addition to the array of hotels already available in Cusco. It offers a more modern interpretation of Cusco’s culture that is not distasteful or detached, and is ideal for those guests who prefer a focus on personal attention. Aracari founder Marisol Mosquera will be visiting the hotel next month and will give a first-hand account of her stay there. For now, here is a selection of pictures from the hotel:
Palacio Nazarenas has officially opened its doors to guests! This fabulous hotel, one of the coveted Orient-Express collection, opened for business on Friday 15th of June. We reported back in October 2011 that the hotel would further raise the bar for hotels in Cusco and by all accounts this is set to be…
Top chefs Ferran Adrià and Gastón Acurio have been promoting Peruvian gastronomy as a force for social transformation and empowerment at a recent presentation at the UN in New York. Earlier this week, the pair presented their documentary “Perú Sabe, La cocina, arma social” which examines how - with more than 80,000 culinary students in the country - Peru’s booming culinary scene has provided inspiration for a generation of youngsters. Cuisine, argues the documentary, gives them the passion and freedom that allows them to transform their lives. You can see a preview of the documentary below; video is in Spanish with English Subtitles. It will be aired Univision in the USA on June 17th and in Spain on RTVE. For more information on Peruvian food along with details of the culinary experiences that we organise in Peru, visit our page on Peruvian cuisine.
Top chefs Ferran Adrià and Gastón Acurio have been promoting Peruvian gastronomy as a force for social transformation and empowerment at a recent presentation at the UN in New York. Earlier this week, the pair presented their documentary “Perú Sabe, La cocina, arma social” which examines how – with more…
When organising visits to local communities in Peru, it is essential for us that we ensure the visit is authentic, tasteful and, above all, representative of what local life and tradition in Peru actually entails. In this spirit, the following series of photos were taken on a recent visit by Aracari guests to the community of Chuquibamba, part of the Tierra de los Yachaqs project. The accompanying report is written by Aracari guide Juan Llanos. If you are interested in an authentic comunity visit such as those with Tierra de los Yachaqs during your trip to Peru, contact us to enquire further. --- Visit to the community of Chuquibamba by Juan Llanos After a beautiful drive from Cusco of around 2 hours, our group was joyfully greeted by the people of the community. During our introduction, we were given local dress to wear during the visit; the clothing is unique to the locals of Chuquibamba, a symbol of their identity. It is important for guests to the village to wear the same clothes during their time here so that they feel welcome and not an “outsider”. After meeting and greeting with the community members, we climbed to more than 3,500 metres above sea level to visit the tombs of the villagers' ancestors. This sanctuary, adorned by skulls and bones, is a shrine of great importance as this is where the local people come to ask for the advice of their predecessors. There are also a collection of local arts and crafts, such as baskets, necklaces and other adornments, crafted from the trunk of the sacred Achupalla plant and its thorns. As the local guides explained to me in Quechua, the Achupalla is a very important plant for everyday life, as it provides food for their guinea pigs and llamas; it
When organising visits to local communities in Peru, it is essential for us that we ensure the visit is authentic, tasteful and, above all, representative of what local life and tradition in Peru actually entails. In this spirit, the following series of photos were taken on a recent visit by…
