Vendors at the Pisac Market were just setting up their stalls when I arrived at the main plaza this past Saturday morning ahead of a visit to the community of Amaru. Currently on an inspection trip to Cusco, I was going with the translator, Pilar, into the mountains east of Pisac to participate in a textile demonstration and lunch organized by the comunity based tourism initiative Tierra de los Yachaqs. Traditional Textiles with Tierra de los Yachaqs Amaru is one of eight communities that form a coalition called Tierra de los Yachaqs, an initiative that allows local people to participate in the very same tourism industry that has transformed the Cusco region. Aracari first started arranging visits in 2011 when Tierra de los Yachaqs first began in support of responsible tourism in Peru. A window into tural Life in the Sacred Valley Before my visit, I had mentioned Amaru to several people I’d met who live in the Valley, but none of them seemed to know the community because it is tucked away in the Andes, about 20 minutes away from Pisac. Quechua is the common language of the inhabitants of Amaru (hence the translator), and most families work in agriculture and animal domestication. The initiative gives many of the 200 families of Amaru a chance to earn extra income by offering tours that teach visitors about an aspect of their culture, like weaving, which they have chosen. Trained local guides are accompanied by a translator during the visit, but they are the ones who lead and design the tour. Arriving at Amaru After a bumpy but scenic ride along a narrow, dirt road, Pilar and I arrived at Amaru and the workshop where we’d be participating in the textile demonstration. As I entered a small opening in a stone wall
Vendors at the Pisac Market were just setting up their stalls when I arrived at the main plaza this past Saturday morning ahead of a visit to the community of Amaru. Currently on an inspection trip to Cusco, I was going with the translator, Pilar, into the mountains east of…
We're a member of the Adventure Travel Trade Association! Aracari is proud to announce we're a member of the Adventure Travel Trade Association! Operating adventure trips in Peru since we started back in 1996, we felt it was high time that we supported the efforts of this global membership organization, which has social and environmental ethics at the heart of their efforts. The ATTA is an association of 800 members, ranging from tour operators, travel agents, guides, and media representatives, all of whom are dedicated to promoting responsible adventure travel around the world. As one of the only upscale travel agencies in Peru to operate our own treks, we are able to provide a very high standard of trekking experiences in the Andean region, with the assurance that every detail is catered for. Offering short camping treks, treks that take you close to local communities, multi-day high altitude treks, and anywhere in between, our guests get to know the region, its landscapes, its history, and its people through up-close-and-personal immersion. We have been recognized for our expertise in adventure travel before, most recently, in May 2013, Travel + Leisure featured our trek to Apu Huayllanay on their Ultimate Guide to Trekking, Walking, & Hiking. We even offer a number of treks in lesser known areas of the country, such as the Cordillera Blanca, where we were fortunate to trek to Laguna 69 in September 2012 with the help of our friends at Llanganuco Lodge. As well as trekking, the varied and dramatic landscapes of the Andes and the rainforest afford all kinds of opportunities for sustainable adventure travel. In the Sacred Valley, activities such as kayaking on Waypo lake and mountain biking from the ancient agricultural testing site of Moray allow you to escape life for a moment. One of our
We’re a member of the Adventure Travel Trade Association! Aracari is proud to announce we’re a member of the Adventure Travel Trade Association! Operating adventure trips in Peru since we started back in 1996, we felt it was high time that we supported the efforts of this global membership organization,…
Charity Climb to the Summit of Huascaran If you read our blog article on Living Heart last week and felt moved to help the NGO, then you'll be very impressed to hear what Englishman Luke Blezard is doing to support the charity. Peru's Highest Mountain The 27-year-old has spent the last three years living and working in Lima, Luke will be attempting to summit the highest mountain in Peru and the earth’s tropics, no less, in an astonishing attempt to raise a five-figure sum to support Living Heart's various projects. Mount Huascaran in Huaraz "It was in May 2012 when I first went to Huaraz with my father and his partner that the idea was born," Luke explained to us when we caught up with him in Lima. "The very first moment I saw Mt. Huascaran I knew right there and then that I had to climb it. Why? That’s simple. I have always enjoyed a challenge and have always been of a curious nature, so climbing the highest mountain in Peru to see what the view would be like seemed like a perfect project!" "However, this wasn’t enough, I wanted to do something more. I wanted to do something for Peru as well as for myself. Having thought about the many memories and opportunities that Peru has given me, I wanted to leave something for others and this was what prompted me to start an international charity campaign. Besides supporting a local Andean community my goal is to create hope and inspiration in the children that live there so that they will believe that with hard work and commitment they too can succeed in realizing their dreams and achieving whatever they put their minds to." "Choosing a charity to raise money for can often be a slow, time consuming
Charity Climb to the Summit of Huascaran If you read our blog article on Living Heart last week and felt moved to help the NGO, then you’ll be very impressed to hear what Englishman Luke Blezard is doing to support the charity. Peru’s Highest Mountain The 27-year-old has spent the…
Aracari prides itself in unveiling the most authentic aspects of Peruvian culture and it has always been important for us to establish close links with organisations that support local communities in the regions that our guests travel to as part of our responsible travel ethos. We want to shine a spotlight on Living Heart NGO knowing that our guests look to give back too, and to help raise awareness around some of the issues facing Andean communities. Living Heart NGO in Peru We came to know of Sonia Newhouse and her charity Living Heart in 2010 through a friend in the Urubamba Valley. After various trips to meet her, we were humbled, inspired and thoroughly impressed by the work she was doing. Above all, we felt reassured that Sonia and Living Heart were having a genuine impact upon the communities where they work. From their core work of providing nutritional food for younger children, establishing greenhouses in schools to make vegetable cultivation sustainable and, providing much needed vitamins, to working with small-scale water purification and elimination of risk from water-borne parasites, and even organizing volunteer art teachers and theatre classes for children, they utilise every penny of the money that they receive to have the most lasting impact in improving people's lives. Living Heart have not only given us a sense of the scale of impoverishment in the Andes, but they have also made it very clear to us how much needs to be done. As of May 2013, there is a very serious situation in all of the communities that are supported with a Nutrition Program. Their greenhouse initiative has allowed them to plant enough food to eventually provide a mass of wonderful vegetables for the school and community, yet as they wait for the new sprouts to grow,
Aracari prides itself in unveiling the most authentic aspects of Peruvian culture and it has always been important for us to establish close links with organisations that support local communities in the regions that our guests travel to as part of our responsible travel ethos. We want to shine a…
Aracari launches new Peru Family Itineraries 18 April 2013, Immediate Release Aracari Travel, an award winning travel agency based in Lima, Peru, has announced a range of new family-friendly tour itineraries for summer 2013. Family Travel Peru Responding to increasing demand for family-oriented experiences in Peru, Aracari Travel has developed two itineraries that incorporate the destinations, accommodations and activities that are most suited to younger families with children aged up to 12 years old as well as families with children aged 13 years and older. Both itineraries include a broad range of adventure activities, educational visits and opportunities to meet and interact with local people and communities. Activities for the younger itinerary include a trip to the Amazon rainforest, treasure hunts, interactive weaving lessons, a chocolate workshop and fishing excursions. The tour also includes a visit to Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley and Cusco. The older itinerary includes more adventurous activities such as surfing, mountain biking, hiking and driving sand buggies. In addition to visiting Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley and Cusco, the older itinerary adds the Nazca Lines, Lima and Paracas National Reserve. Interest in family travel to Peru has grown rapidly in recent years with Aracari Travel noting a substantial increase in family requests since 2010. The Lima-based company attributes this to improvements in travel infrastructure and hotel accommodations as well as a growth in the number of destinations and activities suitable for younger travellers. This is particularly the case in the Amazon rainforest where a number of lodges have developed activities specifically for children, such as interactive rainforest trails and child-friendly field guides that are designed to teach youngsters the value of the natural environment. Other family-friendly activities have become widespread throughout the country over recent years such as horseback riding, quad biking, hot air ballooning and
Aracari launches new Peru Family Itineraries 18 April 2013, Immediate Release Aracari Travel, an award winning travel agency based in Lima, Peru, has announced a range of new family-friendly tour itineraries for summer 2013. Family Travel Peru Responding to increasing demand for family-oriented experiences in Peru, Aracari Travel has developed…
Over the past few years, Peru has developed into a destination that is no longer just for backpackers looking for adventure in the Andes or historians studying ancient civilizations. Popping up at an increasingly growing rate in various regions throughout the country, luxury hotels, five-star dining, and private experiences are attracting a new demographic of discerning travelers. A destination once known only for its historical offerings, Peru is now a big player in the world of leading luxury destinations. The base of any trip starts with the accommodations, and the emergence of high-end boutiques and luxury hotels throughout Peru provides travelers with a combination of personalized service, high-quality and ample amenities, and a mix of style and comfort that permeates the importance of attention to the “finer details.” Luxury hotel brands have invested huge amounts in introducing hotels defined by their facilities and attention to customer service, and come fully equipped with spa services, gyms, and business centers. Boutiques, meanwhile, add quirky details and highly authentic touches to bring an altogether different flavor to options in Peru. A perfect example of an accommodation raising the bar of luxury hotels in Peru is Cusco’s Palacio Nazarenas (2012), a colonial convent refurbished by Orient-Express into a refined and fashionable property featuring 55 suites lavished in the most luxurious décor and amenities. The brand new JW Marriott Cusco also seeks to satisfy the needs of today’s luxury travelers with the style and design elements of an architecturally stunning site. For those looking for a more unique, personalized, and cozy property, La Lune One Suite (2012 … actually two suites) is an owner-operated boutique hotel? perfect for discerning travelers looking for a refined, lavish, and exclusive experience, with a hotel owner and operator who goes out of his way accommodate his guests and make
Over the past few years, Peru has developed into a destination that is no longer just for backpackers looking for adventure in the Andes or historians studying ancient civilizations. Popping up at an increasingly growing rate in various regions throughout the country, luxury hotels, five-star dining, and private experiences are…