A new luxury hotel in Peru Popping up throughout Peru are a new breed of luxury accommodations that provide distinguished travelers with the high quality of service, amenities, and comfort that they have come to expect on their adventures. One such notable property is the recently opened JW Marriott Hotel in Cusco. Given the rich and vibrant history that surrounds the ground on which this hotel now stands, we thought it ideal to seek the professional advice of Colonial Art Historian, Anthropologist, and Aracari specialist guide Ms. Lisy Kuon to hear her thoughts on the history, the presentation and the service of this new luxury property. Lisy told us that the hotel comes with all of the modern services that would one would expect from a five-star property, including a full service spa, restaurant, an oxygen-enriched system, and full amenities. She hinted that the décor was somewhat "eclectic", as it fuses motifs from a wide range of eras. “The service is good in my personal experience,” she explains. “The hotel lives up to its category, and its services are highly recommended for their quality and price.” Of the fascinating history of the building, Lisy explained that “The convent of San Agustin was built in the second half of the sixteenth century. It suffered severe damage in the earthquake that devastated the city of Cuzco in 1650, being rebuilt by Augustinian priests.” More devastation ensued: “In the 1820s, it was destroyed by cannon fire ordered by General Agustín Gamarra, because of their political differences with the Augustinians. This was during the Peruvian wars of independence against the Spanish Crown. The priests of this Order were royalists, i.e. supporters of the Kings of Spain. In the twentieth century, what remained of the old convent passed into private ownership, having been sold to
A new luxury hotel in Peru Popping up throughout Peru are a new breed of luxury accommodations that provide distinguished travelers with the high quality of service, amenities, and comfort that they have come to expect on their adventures. One such notable property is the recently opened JW Marriott Hotel…
While recently in the Cusco region, I took the opportunity to hike the lodge-to-lodge Ausangate trek. This is an incredible high altitude 5 day trek, staying overnight at authentic and comfortable mountain lodges. Walk along a miraculous trekking route that passes beneath the snow covered peak of Ausangate amidst other wonders. The Lodge-to-Lodge Ausangate Trek combines core Aracari values: authenticity, sustainability and adventure complemented by comfort and good taste. Lodge-to-Lodge Ausangate Trek Day 1: Cusco to Chillca Tambo (4,368 metres asl) Distance: 3.3 km Within about 20 minutes of being picked up from my hotel, it quickly became apparent to our group that the Ausangate lodge to lodge trek would be an out-of-the-ordinary experience. Our guide, Jeremy, jumped into the van where we had been waiting with a bag of coca leaves; “they’re fresh” he told us excitedly, going on to enthusiastically detail the small farm in the high rainforest, from where he had just arrived, and from where he had acquired the leaves. “We’ll need them for the walk” he continued with a wry smile that could not contain his glee. This was quite clearly a guide who was up for an adventure, and his sheer excitement at going to Ausangate with us certainly made us very much more excited about the prospect of what on earth lay ahead of us. Jeremy would later explain why coca is sacred, why it has been such a vital plant to Andean communities for millennia, and how it is a mediator between man, the earth and the gods, but there was no time for that now. We drove out of Cusco on the road to Puno for a couple of hours, all the while hearing Jeremy’s detailed, animated and, at times jovial, insights into the Cusco region, everything from the population and the economy to the awful bout
While recently in the Cusco region, I took the opportunity to hike the lodge-to-lodge Ausangate trek. This is an incredible high altitude 5 day trek, staying overnight at authentic and comfortable mountain lodges. Walk along a miraculous trekking route that passes beneath the snow covered peak of Ausangate amidst other wonders. The…
Dr John Hemming is an explorer and writer who ran the Royal Geographical Society for 21 years. In addition to Peru, his passion is Amazonian indigenous peoples. His latest book about them is Die If You Must. Brazilian Indians in the Twentieth Century. Here he shares thoughts and top tips for visiting Cusco with Aracari. Dr. Hemming's Insider Insight: Tips for Visiting Cusco Why Cusco? I first saw Cusco in 1960 and fell hopelessly for this strange city. I have twice lived there for a while, and go back whenever I possibly can. Cusco never forgets that it was the capital of the mighty Inca empire. This means a lot to me, as I have written a history of the Conquest of the Incas and another book on their greatest artistic achievement - architecture. What do you miss most when you are away from Cusco? The altitude and the dignity. Cuzco is at 3310 metres (almost 11,000 feet), and I am addicted to the thrill of stepping out of a plane into that cool, thin climate and deep blue sky. I marvel at the way Cuzqueños keep their calm despite living in one of the world’s great tourist destinations. Everyone is unhurried at that altitude, and the townspeople are always friendly but dignified, as befits the heirs of the Incas. (The altitude should not be a problem, provided that you go easy on both food and drink for two or three days after arrival.) What’s the first thing you do when you return? I walk, slowly of course, around beloved streets. The ancient heart of Cusco is quite small, and there is Inca masonry everywhere. Every ruler built a palace of ashlars cut with dazzling virtuosity and you keep bumping into fragments of their walls. But look at the base of every
Dr John Hemming is an explorer and writer who ran the Royal Geographical Society for 21 years. In addition to Peru, his passion is Amazonian indigenous peoples. His latest book about them is Die If You Must. Brazilian Indians in the Twentieth Century. Here he shares thoughts and top tips for…
