Responsible Tourism

Panormas of Peru

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Trip highlights

- Volunteering in an impoverished community near Cusco
- Hike the Inca Trail
- Cusco tour
- Lake Titicaca and the floating village of Uros
- Colonial Arequipa
- Colca Canyon and the condors

"Taste of Volunteering" Projects:

You will assist in an impoverished village near Cusco, and you can either help with repairs and renovations and other odd-jobs or, if you have medical training, you can help in the medical clinic. You will transfer in from your hotel in Cusco each day in a private vehicle. Your interaction with the local people will leave an enduring memory with you - you would not be the first if you were to return multiple times!

Trip Summary
This nineteen day trip features the best of Peru.

 Trip COMMENCEMENT date:
5 October 2008
Please note that you should depart the day before the above dates from your country of origin.

Day 1: Sunday 5th October 2008
Upon your arrival in Lima, you are met by our Hands Up Holidays representative and transferred to your hotel. We enjoy a half day city tour in the afternoon.

Day 2: Monday 6th October 2008
We fly to Puerto Maldonado for the start of our Amazon adventure!

We transfer from the Puerto Maldonado airport to the city river port and prepare for the trip on the Madre de Dios river.

We visit the Puerto Maldonado city market. This activity may be carried out on arrival or departure from Puerto Maldonado, depending on flight schedules.

We embark on a 45-minute cruise downriver on a motor boat. Along the river we may see caimans (alligators), birds, flowering trees, etc., native to the region. We arrive at the Sandoval Lake Lodge, which was entirely built by indigenous people with forest materials. We have lunch in the panoramic dining room.

In the afternoon, we go on a two-hour guided walk on the botanical trail beside the lodge, and learn about the exuberant flora and fauna. We later go to Monkey Island (Rolin) where you can observe up to five species of monkeys.

At night, we stroll along the riverbank to observe baby caimans (alligators) and other nocturnal animals.

Day 3: Tuesday 7th October 2008
We embark on a motor boat for a 20-minute ride to the right bank of the Madre de Dios river. We walk through the tropical forest and observe plants, trees, some Batrachia (toads and frogs) and reptiles, a variety of birds and throughout the whole walk, multicolored butterflies and busy body ants. At the end of the path, we set off by rowboat to glide along a canal through the marsh to the magnificent Lake Sandoval.

This lake offers extraordinary scenery of placid waters surrounded by palm, aguaje and other primary forest trees. You can observe the local rich flora and fauna of the place: river otters, caimans (alligators) turtles and rare Amazonian birds, like the hoatzin or "Shansho" (a prehistoric-looking bird), parrots, black skimmers and herons, among others. You can also swim in the lake.

After a brief river boat trip on the Madre de Dios river, we walk in the forest through cacao and rubber plants and breadfruit trees, coffee bushes and other plants to discover the famous boat Fitzcarrald, run aground many years ago and covered with vegetation. This paddlewheel steam boat was used in the past as hospital to assist indigenous communities. It inspired the Cannes award winning film Fizcarraldo. We return to the lodge by boat and have lunch in the panoramic Amazon Pabillion.

In the afternoon, we visit an indigenous cultivation plot. We can get an insight on the lifestyle of the local community and see different types of Amazonian crops. You can taste tropical fruits and edible plants.

In the evening, we enjoy a typical dinner of paca: fish, chicken or beef, prepared in a fresh bamboo skewer, cooked by open fire by extracting the natural bamboo juice, along with tomatoes and onions and a variety of exotic herbs and sauces.

Day 4: Wednesday 8th October 2008
We return to the city of Puerto Maldonado. We transfer to the airport and depart by plane to Arequipa.

Day 5: Thursday 9th October 2008
We enjoy a private tour of the city, the Santa Catalina Convent and the Momia Juanita (the "ice maiden") the perfectly preserved mummy of a 14 years old Inca girl discovered in 1995 on the summit of Mount Ampato.

We then transfer into the Colca Canyon.

Day 6: Friday 10th October 2008
We spend full day in the Canyon! We visit Condor Cross and see condors flying.

Day 7: Saturday 11th October 2008
We transfer by private bus to Puno, Lake Titicaca. The trip will take about 7 hours.

Day 8: Sunday 12th October 2008
We visit, by boat, the floating island of the Uros Indians on Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. Today the Uros Indians live as they have done for generations, building their huts and boats with the totora reeds from the lake and seeking out a living by fishing and selling handicrafts.

Day 9: Monday 13th October, 2008
We take the train to Cusco. You can enjoy incredible views of the Andean plains with their majestic mountain backdrop, interspersed villages and herds of llamas and alpaca.

Day 10: Tuesday 14th October, 2008
Your Volunteer Project begins - you can help with repair and renovation work in a village near Cusco, and if you have medical skills, you can make a difference in the medical clinic.

Day 11 to Day 13: Wednesday 15th to Friday 17th October, 2008
Your volunteering continues.

Day 14 to Day 17 : Saturday 18th to Tuesday 21st October 2008
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu!

Day 14: Inca Trail begins: CUSCO - HUAYLLABAMBA
You are picked up from your hotel to the Inca Trail control. We drive by bus to the beginning of our trail and walk along the Urubamba River to the first archaeological site "Llaqtapata". We continue into the valley and start to gain altitude until we get to the last village Huayllabamba where we camp for today.

DAY 15: HUAYLLABAMBA - PACAYMAYO
We start climbing up to the first pass "Warmiwañusca" (4200 Mt/ 14'200 Ft). The climb will take us most of the morning. From here we descend for about 2 hours into the valley to our next camp "Pacaymayo".

DAY 16: PACAYMAYO - WIÑAYWAYNA
Today is going to be the most diverse day. We start in the morning with the ascent of the second pass "Runcuracay" (3900 Mt/ 13'800 Ft) and descend on the other side for about 2 hours to the beautiful archaeological site "Sayacmarca". We continue on the original stone path of the Incas through the semi-tropical cloud forest onto the third pass "Phuyupatamarca" (3800 Mt/ 13'600 Ft). If the weather is favourable, we enjoy spectacular views of the surrounding snow peaks and the valley below. From here it is all downhill to our camp at "Wiñaywayna" (one of the most beautiful sites in the area in terms of its construction and setting).

DAY 17: WIÑAYWAYNA - MACHU PICCHU - CUSCO
We hike another 2 hours through the cloud forest to the famous sun gate "Intipunku" from where we have the first breathtaking views and best panorama of the mysterious "Machupicchu". A short walk brings us down to the site. We have a guided tour of the "lost city of the Incas". We then descend by bus to the village of Aguas Calientes. We then take the train back to Cusco.

Day 18: Wednesday 22nd October 2008
We have some time to rest in the morning, and in the afternoon, a tour of Cusco.

The tour shows you the amazing colonial city built on the foundations of Inca palaces. We visit the Koricancha or Temple of the Sun, the Plaza de Armas and the Cathedral with its carved woodworks, altars and paintings. Then we are driven to the Inca fortress of Sacsahuamán, to the underground cave and temple of Kenko and to Tambomachay, known as the Inca Baths.

Day 19: Thursday 23rd October 2008
We transfer to Cusco airport for your flight to Lima. Your trip ends in Lima. (B)

(B) - Breakfast
(L) - Lunch
(D) - Dinner

What are the benefits to the local community?

- You will provide an income for the local community. Your accommodation will be locally owned and run, you will eat in local restaurants that source your food locally, and of course you will have a local guide
- Through the volunteer component of your trip, you will have an opportunity to contribute directly to the local communities you visit. You will assist in an impoverished village near Cusco, and you can either help with repairs and renovations and other odd-jobs or, if you have medical training, you can help in the medical clinic. The community will deeply appreciate your assistance.
- Your Volunteer Project has been sourced through consultation with the local community to identify which ways a small group of foreigners without necessarily any specific skills could be of benefit to them, and to ensure that your Volunteer Project is one that involve travellers working side-by-side with the local people to improve their circumstances
- In addition, your trip cost includes a donation to the Volunteer Project.

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