PERU - Machu Picchu & the Plains of Nazca

[slotl]

Well, we have returned from our Globus excorted 10 day tour of Machu Picchu.

 

We had a nightmare trip to Lima. We live in Atlanta and could have flown Delta direct to Lima, but noooo......they flew us to Miami on Delta at 8:30PM and then switch to Lan Airways at 1 AM Miami to Lima. Sounds like enough time for a transfer...WRONG!! Thundershowers in Atlanta delayed our 8:30PM flight until 2 AM. We landed in Miami at 3:30AM well after our Lan flight left Miami. Stranded!!! Our luggage checked thru on Lan to Lima.

 

Thank goodness for travel insurance. We book the insurance because of medical evacuation, we never even consider trip interruption. But, we are $2,000 out of pocket for the thunderstorms. We went and booked a hotel in Miami and went to the internet to see what might be available. We had already missed day 1 of the tour and day 2 was the Nasca Lines which I was not about to miss. There was an American Airlines flight to Lima at 5:30PM. We would arrive in Lima and our hotel (Mellita) around midnight.

 

We met up with our guide from the check-in desk, he told us we would by flying to Ica at 7:30AM. The original itinerary had us driving to Ica, but the Pan American Highway was destroyed by the earthquake. We flew to Ica on Condor Airlines and saw the Nasca Lines and the earthquake destruction from the air. The Nasca Airport was serving as a distribution point for donated clothing, shoes, etc for earthquake victims.

 

We flew back to Lima and spent an additional night in Lima instead of spending the night in Ica. Good thing, because our luggage arrived in Lima on day 3 of our tour.

 

The tour substituted lunch, a horse show, and folklore dance at a Hacienda. It was well worth the time as a substitute for the Ballestas Islands cruise.

 

We flew to Cusco and spent the day in the Sacred Valley and visited Tambomachay and the Temple of Sacsayhuaman. We stayed at the Casa Andina and loved it. Our escort told us to purchase "shaquchi" pills for altititude sickness, Cipro for stomach problems, and only eat peeled or cooked food, no cerveche, salads, etc.

 

The hotels (at altitude) all offer free oxygen, so just ask for it if you get a headache or dizzy.

 

We drove ot Ollantaytambo to visit the Inca fortress and picked up the train to Machu Picchu from Ollantaytambo. The train ride from Cusco is over 3 hours. We arrived at the train station at the base of Machu Picchu (we saw the young folks walking the Inca trail for 4 days). We stayed in a wonderful hotel by the train station (Incaterra). There was also a wonderful "market" right by the hotel/train. The hotel is a nature preserve with beautiful fauna and bird wildlife. We purchased most of our souvineers at the market here.

 

We took a bus up the winding, winding hills until we reached the Sancuary Lodge and entrance to the site. Spectaular, spectacular site.

 

From Machu Picchu we flew to Juliaca/Puno for Lake Titicaca. Took a hydrofoil to Moon Island and Sea Island, but the biggest surprise on the trip was the Floating Islands on Lake Titicaca. I had never heard of the floating islands, but they are man-made islands of reefs, where they build houses (solar powered) and live on the islands. It really is a man-made wonder of the world. If you get the chance, please try to see them. We stayed at the Liberador (Puno) on the Lake. A MUST SEE.

 

On to Quito Ecuador to pick up the Galapagos end of the tour. Before the tour began, we went to the "Center of the World"....the Equator. There is a huge monument detailing the Equator, the GPS proved that that site was 12 degrees off. So, they built a little village at the GPS point and did some amazing experiments which can only be done on the Equator.

 

1. You cannot walk a straight line on the Equator, the gravitational pull will pull you off.

2. You can balance an egg on the Equator

3. You can balance 3 eggs on the North side and the middle egg will spin clockwise (I think :confused: ) and on the South side the middle egg will spin counter clockwise (I think :confused: )

4. Water drains from a sink directly at the equator and spins clockwise (I think :confused: ) on the Northside and counter clockwise (I think :confused: ) on the South Side.

 

Definitely worth a visit. We hired a taxi for $30 to take us there and stay with us and drive us back to the hotel. We stayed at the Hilton in Quito and got "upgraded" to a mini-suite because of my Diamond status.

 

We then flew to the Galapagos and stayed at the Finch Bay Hotel. We took day cruises to three of the islands and snorkled with the sea turtles, sharks, sea lions, schools of fish every day. Our local experts Mario and Soto were great. The hotel was rustic, but beautiful. Birds eat out of your hands, ducks swim in the swimming pool.

 

I don't mean to sound crass, but aside from the landscape, Machu Picchu was "another set of ruins". We have been to Rome, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Mexico and now Peru.

 

The highlight of the trip was the Nazca Lines, Floating Islands, and by far, the Galapagos, Galapagos, Galapagos!!

[CamelliaCity]

Lois,

 

Thanks for reporting back. Even with a few glitches, sounds like it was a wonderful trip.

[Fabs]

Thank you for all the info. we are planning our trip for March 08 and looking at Globus for a land tour of Machu Picchu before we board our Cruise on April 11. Glad to read that you enjoyed the tour. We are looking at Legacy of the Incas which looks like the one you (Slotl)took. Thanks again to everyone for all the help.

Frank

[budaandi]

Just wanted to add a couple things, first, if you fly to Cusco, you can spend a day or two in the Sacred Valley which is a little lower (including Machu Picchu) and then head to Cusco afterwards. Also, cash machines in Peru will dispense US Dollars or Peruvian Soles, some tours and hotels take US, everything else in Soles so you don't have to worry about carrying cash, and there are ATM's just about everywhere!

[dpro]

If you get your doctor to prescribe a week to 10 day Rx of diamox, (take 2 to 3x a day starting about two days before you reach altitude), you will have no altitude sickness. Diamox is safe, just don't drink any sodas unless you want a buzz in your mouth. If you feel a slight chill, it means its working. We use it all the time when hiking in high altitudes and have never become sick, even at much higher altitudes than MP. Diamox is most normally prescribed for Glaucoma.

 

RonC

[greatam]

If you get your doctor to prescribe a week to 10 day Rx of diamox, (take 2 to 3x a day starting about two days before you reach altitude), you will have no altitude sickness. Diamox is safe, just don't drink any sodas unless you want a buzz in your mouth. If you feel a slight chill, it means its working. We use it all the time when hiking in high altitudes and have never become sick, even at much higher altitudes than MP. Diamox is most normally prescribed for Glaucoma.

 

RonC

 

Diamoxx is available all over Peru for 1/6 the price in the US. About $6.00 for a 25 tab bottle. Buy it in Lima BEFORE going to MP-non prescription. However, IF you are allergic to sulfa drugs, you cannot take Diamoxx. And the side effects can be nasty, even if you are not allergic-you pee A LOT (it is a diuretic), you may feel light headed or feel you are slightly enebriated.

 

As a frequent traveler to Cusco, I SWEAR by the coca tea. It is the age old remedy, used by Peruvians for 100's of years. Chew the leaves, drink the tea (about every 2 hours) and you should not have problems. I RUN (well, a fast walk) to the little stands at the back of the airport parking lot, THE MINUTE I get off the plane. I buy a bag of leaves and have the lady make me a couple of cups of tea. Less than $5.00 US. By drinking the tea every couple of hours for the first day and TAKING IT VERY EASY, I have not had another bout of altitude sickness. I have had AMS before and my doc states I am now VERY prone to it. Since I started doing my "tea routine", I have been lucky and not had another bout. I have even gone to Lake Titicaca twice, which is higher than MP or Cusco, with NO problems.

[greatam]

Thank you for all the info. we are planning our trip for March 08 and looking at Globus for a land tour of Machu Picchu before we board our Cruise on April 11. Glad to read that you enjoyed the tour. We are looking at Legacy of the Incas which looks like the one you (Slotl)took. Thanks again to everyone for all the help.

Frank

 

You certainly don't need an organized tour for MP. VERY easy to do yourself-hotels easily bookable online, the train to MP is bookable online, and there are "day tours" to the Sacred Valley offered in Cusco EVERY DAY for about $20.00. An organized tour to MP often leaves many wishing they had done it on their own-you are RUSHED through the ruins. There is nothing more peaceful than either climbing to the top of the "guard house" and just sitting a while wondering about life or sitting in the middle of MP and enjoying the resident llamas. You won't be able to do that on an organized tour.

 

Save your money, do it yourself and you will have a MUCH better experience. The "tours" organized from the US cram WAAAAY too much into a short time frame-a VERY good way to get altitude sickness. And they often miss the most fun things in the area-the zig-zag out of Cusco (going 30MPH on a train in reverse is a total rush), sitting at Norton's Rat Tavern and enjoying the Plaza de Armas on a nice night, and going to get your tickets for the train to MP-a VERY Peruvian experience.

[tropicalsunset]

great information here....!!

we are booked for Statendam Jan 2009.... right now we are booked on a 5 day precruise to Machu Picchu... mainly because we don't want to miss the ship...if it were at the end of sailing maybe we would do it on our own...

has anyone done this precruise package??

 

again, thanks for all the information on this thread..!!

[lizf]

Gosh but this thread is mind-bending to us. So very much information and we can only see that we will be doing all of the must-don'ts to see MP.

We are booked for the '09 Statendam Ft. Lauderdale to San Diego on Jan. 10, 2009. Our only option is to do one of the the VERY expensive HAL tour from Salaverry to Cuzco/MP, and catch the ship again in Lima/Callao three days later. There are two trips, one 3k+ and the other 4k+. The more expensive does the Hiram Bingham train and feeds you well and you get to stay for a few hours after the earlier train leaves MP. Oh, the hotel in Cuzco is a 5 star and the cheaper (if you will) trip is a 4 star. We cannot risk booking a trip ourselves and I know we will be rushed, rushed, rushed on the ship's trip but if I am to see MP, this is the time to do it. We are in our 70s and healthy and active at about 1,000 feet above sea level. It is scary to me to even think of booking such a tour ourselves and I am thrilled this thread was here for us to read.

 

Slotl, your trip was incredible and had me on the edge of my chair the whole time. I wish we could see just one tenth of what you have seen, but this will have to do. Thanks for your report.

 

And thanks to Greatam for the many great posts I see on these threads. I have printed a ream of stuff from your information.

 

Anyone care to comment on our dilemma? Do we take the more expensive trip to MP or the standard one? Do we skip MP and do other things at Salaverry and Lima? There are a bunch of other tours but I think I would always regret missing even a rushed trip to MP. Thanks if you will comment. Liz

[greatam]

Gosh but this thread is mind-bending to us. So very much information and we can only see that we will be doing all of the must-don'ts to see MP.

We are booked for the '09 Statendam Ft. Lauderdale to San Diego on Jan. 10, 2009. Our only option is to do one of the the VERY expensive HAL tour from Salaverry to Cuzco/MP, and catch the ship again in Lima/Callao three days later. There are two trips, one 3k+ and the other 4k+. The more expensive does the Hiram Bingham train and feeds you well and you get to stay for a few hours after the earlier train leaves MP. Oh, the hotel in Cuzco is a 5 star and the cheaper (if you will) trip is a 4 star. We cannot risk booking a trip ourselves and I know we will be rushed, rushed, rushed on the ship's trip but if I am to see MP, this is the time to do it. We are in our 70s and healthy and active at about 1,000 feet above sea level. It is scary to me to even think of booking such a tour ourselves and I am thrilled this thread was here for us to read.

 

Slotl, your trip was incredible and had me on the edge of my chair the whole time. I wish we could see just one tenth of what you have seen, but this will have to do. Thanks for your report.

 

And thanks to Greatam for the many great posts I see on these threads. I have printed a ream of stuff from your information.

 

Anyone care to comment on our dilemma? Do we take the more expensive trip to MP or the standard one? Do we skip MP and do other things at Salaverry and Lima? There are a bunch of other tours but I think I would always regret missing even a rushed trip to MP. Thanks if you will comment. Liz

 

Two suggestions and then I will answer your question.

 

1. Unless you have never been to Mexico or just want the additional cruise time, I would get off the ship in Lima, go to MP (take about 5 days) and you even have time to go to the Galapagos. Flights every day out of Guayaquil, Lima and Quito to the USA. Easy to book, not too expensive.

 

There TRULY is NOT much to see northbound out of Lima. Manta and Guayaquil are usually big disappointments to cruise pax (there truly is not a lot to do and they are both dirty little port towns). I have never been to Puerto Caldera Costa Rica, but I have been to San Jose, which is the closest city. I have spent quite a bit of time on the Mexican coast. If you have been there once, you have probably seen it all.

 

Just a thought. You could do both MP and Galapagos for what you are going to spend just for MP. You don't need a cruise ship for the Galapagos. There are many, many ships that have fantastic tours in the Galapagos. If you need recommendations for a Galapagos cruise, please post.

 

2. Get off the ship on Jan 24 in Lima. Fly to Cusco. Go see MP. Then fly to Guayaquil on the 26th OR better yet, fly to SJO (San Jose, Costa Rica) on the 29th. Reboard the ship on the 29th. You would have a nice time in MP-not be so rushed that you may get AMS.

 

I will be glad to help you plan either of these adventures.

 

To answer your question: The Hiram Bingham train is NOT worth the extra money. I am sure they will put you up at the Monasterio on the more expensive trip. Very nice hotel, but both of these are not worth $2000 for 2 days. And I am sure they will bus you to Ollay, instead of having the great experience of the zig-zag out of Cusco. And you are really going to have to watch AMS. Those short tours just cram too much stuff in a very short time and the possibility of getting AMS is greater. It would be a shame to go all the way to MP and spend your time in a hotel breathing oxygen. It is a big complaint of mine about those packaged tours-they put you into hotels that have oxygen. So when you are out and about and breathing the thin air, you have never really acclimated.

 

You can always go to Mexico on another cruise. But you sure can't see MP or the Galapagos without spending a lot of money to get there from the USA. If it was my trip, I would forget the second half of the trip and go see South America. My help is here if you need it.

[vickie_bernie]

I must say that after reading this thread we changed our plans for 2010.

 

Originally we were going to do similar to the above poster, take the "around the horn" cruise then do ship excursion to MP then catch ship back in Lima for northbound repo. All with Princess

 

But after seeing the prices for this excursion and especially after reading this board we have altered our plans.

 

We are still doing the "around the horn" with Princess but when we arrive in santiago we are getting off and doing Lima for 2 nights, Cusco for 3 nights, 2 nights in Machu Picchu and then back to Cusco for one and then back to Lima then Santiago. In all we will tour the area for 11 nights!!! And we are figuring these 11 nights will only cost us $3500 for both! We will then board a different ship that is sailing back to the US on a repo for the same price that the airfare would cost us. However it will be with NCL, who we have never tried but we are open to anything.

 

Thanks Greatam for opening our eyes to what we can experience. I will be drawing on your expertise when we start nailing down more definate plans.

[marazul]

You don't need a cruise ship for the Galapagos. There are many, many ships that have fantastic tours in the Galapagos. If you need recommendations for a Galapagos cruise, please post.

 

Hi greatam,

can I take you up on your offer for recommendations on the Galapagos? Always interested on your travel suggestions.

Thanks again,

M

[greatam]

You don't need a cruise ship for the Galapagos. There are many, many ships that have fantastic tours in the Galapagos. If you need recommendations for a Galapagos cruise, please post.

 

Hi greatam,

can I take you up on your offer for recommendations on the Galapagos? Always interested on your travel suggestions.

Thanks again,

M

 

Please give me a rough idea of what you want. Luxury, yacht experience, sailboat, high adventure (mostly dive boats, but some with reef experiences on jet skis), etc. etc. How many days, when, where in the Galapagos you want to embark (IIRC, there is only on flight per day to San Cristobal)??? Do you want a boat experience only or do you want a boat that gets you to the various islands, but you stay on land at night (much as slotl did). Give me as many particulars as you can think of. .

[marazul]

Greatam,

 

we would be going with a couple of friends who are scuba divers, we are just snorkelers. The idea of staying at a hotel and taking daily trips to different islands is very appealing. On the other hand, a small cruise or sailboat might let us get to more places. A stay of 5-7 days would be just right. Luxury is not a requirement, but nice accomodations and good food are ideal. We are definitely not the camping, roughing it types.

 

We are beginning to plan for the Galapagos and do not have any preconceived ideas of what to do. However, I do like your travel style and would like to know your take on the GI. So far, all I have seen are fairly similar cruises, whether Linblad, Explorer or others.

 

Next year's trip will be Chile, Easter Island, cruise to BA, Iguazu and Colonia. All do-it-ourselves, except the cruise, of course. We will combine the Galapagos, Quito and Macchu Pichu later next year or early 2010. We are fluent in Spanish and very much independent travelers.

 

Any ideas would be really welcome.

Thanks! Really appreciate your help.

 

M

[lizf]

Thanks Greatam- I have looked over your reply and I thank you for taking the time to help us. First of all, this is a cruise for us. We never get off the ship in Mexico. We cruise for the ship and our love of cruising. On the other hand, we have made 10 overland trips to Africa, that we planned and booked and did on our own. We aren't novices to this kind of thing. But we are now older. And we like to have assistance to avoid panic feelings when in strange settings. With that in mind, I have two possible options for us. This is using the same time we started with. We leave the ship at Salaverry/Trujillo. We fly Lima/Cusco and spend a quiet afternoon at our hotel and drink the Coca tea (lots). We have an early dinner and turn in. The next morning we have a breakfast buffet at 5am when they open, and leave at 5:35am to catch the Vistadome train from Cusco, including the zig zag portion, to Machu Pichu. We have a buffet lunch at the Sanctuary and tour Machu Pichu. Return to the hotel by train. Have dinner at the Main Square somewhere that evening and catch the first flight in the morning for Lima/Callao and our ship. We can do this for $1630pp using a 4 star hotel, or for $1365pp using a 3 star hotel.

 

This is an escorted trip for us. We feel comfortable that way. I think I remember that you thought one could do it for under $900.00pp by booking it all yourself. We cannot do this. We've never been to Peru before, and in the beginning I'm sure you did different options than you feel you can do now. We went through similar feelings in our travel on safaris in Africa.

 

We cannot spend any more time there nor is that the main purpose of the trip. I have to plan our trips carefully now because of conditions as one ages. I started out thinking we just couldn't do Machu Pichu, and I really feel that we can if we do it this way.

 

I would appreciate your comments about our two plans. The 4 star hotel has the option of oxygen which may be needed, but by not doing a tour in Cusco and bustling around, I think we may not need it. But I like having that option.

[greatam]

Greatam,

 

we would be going with a couple of friends who are scuba divers, we are just snorkelers. The idea of staying at a hotel and taking daily trips to different islands is very appealing. On the other hand, a small cruise or sailboat might let us get to more places. A stay of 5-7 days would be just right. Luxury is not a requirement, but nice accomodations and good food are ideal. We are definitely not the camping, roughing it types.

 

We are beginning to plan for the Galapagos and do not have any preconceived ideas of what to do. However, I do like your travel style and would like to know your take on the GI. So far, all I have seen are fairly similar cruises, whether Linblad, Explorer or others.

 

Next year's trip will be Chile, Easter Island, cruise to BA, Iguazu and Colonia. All do-it-ourselves, except the cruise, of course. We will combine the Galapagos, Quito and Macchu Pichu later next year or early 2010. We are fluent in Spanish and very much independent travelers.

 

Any ideas would be really welcome.

Thanks! Really appreciate your help.

 

M

 

1st choice-Lammer Law

Trimaran, private baths and AC, 18 people

 

This is the boat I booked for my brother and his friends on a dive charter. They said the dive master and guides (you MUST have a guide in the Galapagos) were first class.

 

2nd Choice-Alta

Sailboat, private baths and AC, 16 people. Class III (the best) guides

 

3rd choice-Sky Dancer

Luxury yacht, private baths and AC, 16 people

 

This boat may or may not have diving, depending on the passenger mix. When I talked them a couple years ago, IF more than 1/2 the pax requested diving, they would put a divemaster on board. This boat also goes to some of the more remote islands, which is a different trip. The guy who owns all the Dancer boats world wide is a diver. So the chance of going diving are pretty great.

 

These three boats are 8 day/7 night cruises. Average price pp is $3500 (and climbing rapidly). They are intimate experiences.

 

For a more cruise ship like experience (more organized stuff to do, more people)-Galapagos Explorer-100 people, different levels of cabins (including suites), diving available, 8 and 5 night cruises.

 

There are quite a few luxury or first class boats touring the Galapagos which have either 5 or 8 day cruises. Obviously, the shorter cruises cost less. AND they have high season and low season-so check. Their "seasons" are NOT what you think. Most boats designate Jan 8-14, May 1-June 15 and Nov 15-Dec 15 as low season. But not all. But a low season tour takes off about $6-800pp.

 

I found this website when I was booking the dive cruise. http://www.galapaguide.com/cruises_deluxe.htm

 

 

An immense amount of info, but can be confusing. At least you can look at all the boats. Stick to the smaller boats, luxury or first class, make sure they have AC and private baths. Then decide which islands you want to go to. Then how many days. You can fly TAME out of Guayaquil unless you are already in Quito. The TAME flights from Quito (except for the cruise ship charters) all stop in Guayaquil anyhow.

 

If I can answer any other questions, please post.

[marazul]

Greatam,

excellent suggestions. I'll share them with our friends and start getting organized for the trip. I have also clipped all your MP hints since we want to go there before or after the Galapagos.

 

I'm sure I'll take you up on your kind offer to answer more questions in the future. Thank you again for all your help.

 

M

[greatam]

This is using the same time we started with. We leave the ship at Salaverry/Trujillo. We fly Lima/Cusco and spend a quiet afternoon at our hotel and drink the Coca tea (lots). We have an early dinner and turn in. The next morning we have a breakfast buffet at 5am when they open, and leave at 5:35am to catch the Vistadome train from Cusco, including the zig zag portion, to Machu Pichu. We have a buffet lunch at the Sanctuary and tour Machu Pichu. Return to the hotel by train. Have dinner at the Main Square somewhere that evening and catch the first flight in the morning for Lima/Callao and our ship. We can do this for $1630pp using a 4 star hotel, or for $1365pp using a 3 star hotel.

 

This sounds like a workable option. My only questions: What hotels were you offered? And please be aware-there is only only one scheduled flight per day from Trujillo airport. The commercial routing is Trujillo/Lima/Cusco. The Lima/Cusco flight leaves Lima at 1:25PM, arrives Cusco at 2:40PM. PLEASE be aware that Lima/Cusco flights are OFTEN canceled after 10-11PM. The fog/clouds roll in to the valley and pilots cannot land or take off from Cusco. This is strictly a weather thing, but there is a slight possibility you may not make it to Cusco. If you are flying a charter, this info may not be applicable.

 

Otherwise, sounds like your plans fill all your needs at a much cheaper price. I personally would still worry about AMS, but you sound like you are making provisions. And MP is almost 1500 feet lower than Cusco, so hopefully, you won't be affected.

 

 

We've never been to Peru before, and in the beginning I'm sure you did different options than you feel you can do now. We went through similar feelings in our travel on safaris in Africa.

 

Geez, maybe I will escort you. I am in Chile/Peru every year in November, December, January and either February or March. I own an international logistics business and we ship grapes, other fruit and wine out of the area.

 

And no, I didn't use other options. When I first got the Chilean/Peruvian contracts, I just got on a plane bound for Santiago, booked a seat to Lima after I got to Santiago, booked a flight to Cusco at the Lima airport and went on about my business. Made some mistakes, but I VERY rarely book a tour or use a TA anyplace in the world. I do use a TA for drivers and interpretors in Asia, especially in Vietnam and Cambodia. Language can be a REAL problem there.

 

But hotel bookings, sightseeing and food is still to this day, hit or miss. I stayed in all the "Americanized" hotels world wide when I first started expanding my business (late 1990's). Then I got smart and found the little off the wall hotels, places to eat, and things to see that make my trips special.

 

I thoroughly understand wanting an escorted trip. But a $4000pp escorted trip was just a bit much. Your plan sounds very workable. Enjoy!!!!

[lizf]

Greatam-

I requested the Monasterio for 4 star because of the oxygen if we need it. The 3 star they said was Novotel. (I've asked for other choices in 3 star.) The flight Trujillo/Lima is at 1055am. Flight from Lima/Cusco is 2:20 PM arriving at 3:45PM. Afternoon free, early dinner (4-5PM) then bed early. The Greens (vegetarian/mediterranean restaurant) looks good, have you been there? We depart on the first flight in the morning after MP, Cusco/Callao 7:45am, arriving 9am. I asked for the earliest flight so we would have more chances to make it. But could go later if we were sure about the weather.

 

When I say escorted, I mean a driver (taxi, I assume), will pick us up from the ship and take us to the Trujillo Airport. We will be met in Cusco and taken to the hotel we choose. Then the next morning we will be picked up and taken to the train and again when the train gets in we are met and taken to the hotel (or dropped off by a bus if that is what they arrange). Then last day a driver picks us up and takes us to the airport. Upon arrival in Lima/Callao we are met and taken to the ship. I would be happy to use your services if you are available to see we make it to all the places we need to be. If I knew someone there, I would have had them arrange this but with a TA the insurance can get confirmation they need in case of a slip up or weather problem. We could fly Cusco/Guayaquil if we couldn't make it to Lima in time. That would be our fall back position.

 

By checking the internet I see we could book this much cheaper still, but because of our ship transportation, we cannot risk missing one of the connections. I agree that the offer from the ship for the trip is way out there and I doubt many will opt for it. Their attraction is that they will hold the ship for you if you're late. They won't for us. Thanks again. Oh, do you think we safe walking from our hotel near the Plaza, to the restaurant early evening? Liz

[lizf]

Oops. I'm off a star in each mention above. The Novotel is 4 star and the other is 5 star. Liz

[marazul]

Greatam,

I thought a way to reduce altitude sickness would be to fly to Cusco after a couple of days in Quito. Do you know if there are any direct flights between UIO and CUZ? I haven't been able to find any.

Thanks again.

M

[greatam]

Greatam-

I requested the Monasterio for 4 star because of the oxygen if we need it. The 3 star they said was Novotel. (I've asked for other choices in 3 star.) The flight Trujillo/Lima is at 1055am. Flight from Lima/Cusco is 2:20 PM arriving at 3:45PM. Afternoon free, early dinner (4-5PM) then bed early. The Greens (vegetarian/mediterranean restaurant) looks good, have you been there? We depart on the first flight in the morning after MP, Cusco/Callao 7:45am, arriving 9am. I asked for the earliest flight so we would have more chances to make it. But could go later if we were sure about the weather.

 

When I say escorted, I mean a driver (taxi, I assume), will pick us up from the ship and take us to the Trujillo Airport. We will be met in Cusco and taken to the hotel we choose. Then the next morning we will be picked up and taken to the train and again when the train gets in we are met and taken to the hotel (or dropped off by a bus if that is what they arrange). Then last day a driver picks us up and takesou us to the airport. Upon arrival in Lima/Callao we are met and taken to the ship. I would be happy to use your services if you are available to see we make it to all the places we need to be. If I knew someone there, I would have had them arrange this but with a TA the insurance can get confirmation they need in case of a slip up or weather problem. We could fly Cusco/Guayaquil if we couldn't make it to Lima in time. That would be our fall back position.

 

By checking the internet I see we could book this much cheaper still, but because of our ship transportation, we cannot risk missing one of the connections. I agree that the offer from the ship for the trip is way out there and I doubt many will opt for it. Their attraction is that they will hold the ship for you if you're late. They won't for us. Thanks again. Oh, do you think we safe walking from our hotel near the Plaza, to the restaurant early evening? Liz

 

Just a couple of things:

 

ALL hotels (even the backpacker hostels) provide pickup service from the airport to your hotel and return to the airport. They just need your flight numbers. Some charge, but most are free.

 

Any decent hotel in Cusco has a taxi driver either on staff or on call to get you to the train station/return or any place else you want to go in the area. So if you are paying extra through a TA for these services, you are getting ripped. ESPECIALLY staying at the Monasterio (or any of the better hotels).

 

DO NOT get into just any taxi in Cusco. Always have your hotel make arrangements. Even if you are out sightseeing or eating and don't feel like walking, I always call my hotel and have them send a car to pick me up.

 

While I really like the Monasterio (except for the price), one real problem I find-ALL the rooms have oxygenated air. So you never really acclimatize.

 

You may want to look at the Casa Andina Private Collection. Suite accommodations are $572.00 (2 nights) + $12.00 private transfer fee from the airport. Or you can take the shared transfer for free. Casa Andina has oxygen ON DEMAND. Which allows you to acclimatize much better than constant oxygen.

 

Do NOT stay at the Novotel. They have no individual heat (unless they put it in since I was in Cusco in February). There are quite a few hotels in Cusco that DO NOT have heat. Natural gas is just being put into Cusco. Electricity rates are VERY high, so quite a few of the hotels have no heat. They have these little electric heaters (looks like a radiator). Those heaters generally DO NOT keep you warm. MAKE SURE any hotel you stay at has in room heat with controls. There is NOTHING worse than having AMS symptoms where you can't sleep anyhow and then be cold.

 

I also like the Sonesta La Posada hotel. The suite room overlooks the cathederal on Plaza de Armas.

 

The package tour to MP-Vistadome train, food on the train, bus to the ruins, ruins entry fee, short guided tour of the ruins and Sanctuary lunch, etc is $310.00pp booked through the travel agent in Cusco.

 

Airfare is $543.80 on LAN Peru-TRU/CUZ, return CUZ/LIM. And INSIST that whoever is booking your air-get you on the 1:25 flight (LP 35) out of Lima instead of the 2:20PM flight (LP 41). The airport in Lima is not the best place and the domestic terminal can be just plain nasty. No sense sitting around in Lima any longer than you have to AND as I posted before, the later in the day it gets, the more chance of canceled flights due to the fog/clouds.

 

I have a person who can pick you up at the LIma airport and get you to the ship. $30.00 for two.

 

So the only thing you would have to figure out is how to get from the ship to the airport in Trujillo. By my calculations, if you can figure out how to get to the airport in Trujillo, you can save at least $200 more dollars per person.

 

Other than my warnings, you trip looks fine.

[greatam]

Greatam,

I thought a way to reduce altitude sickness would be to fly to Cusco after a couple of days in Quito. Do you know if there are any direct flights between UIO and CUZ? I haven't been able to find any.

Thanks again.

M

 

ALL CUZ flights (except for a couple to Juliaca and Arequipa-wrong direction) fly through Lima.

 

Really check the prices-it is sometimes cheaper to book RT LIM/CUZ and a separate one way ticket to UIO than to try an open jaw-LIM/CUZ/UIO (which will go back through Lima anyhow). Avianca is the usually the cheapest getting to UIO from Peru, but most flights connect through Bogota. TACA and LAN fly nonstop LIM/UIO.

[marazul]

Just a couple of things:

The package tour to MP-Vistadome train, food on the train, bus to the ruins, ruins entry fee, short guided tour of the ruins and Sanctuary lunch, etc is $310.00pp booked through the travel agent in Cusco.

 

Greatam,

do you have a specific travel agent in Cusco for booking that package trip to MP? I know it can be booked on the spot, but I rather have it set a few days ahead of time so I don't have to spend time doing it after arrival.

Thanks again,

M

[drebo]

What a great source of information. My sister and I want to visit MP--but because I am a teacher, travel dates are limited to June-Aug. I've been checking temperature charts for past years and it appears the average is high 60s to low 70s. Has anyone been there during those months? We have been checking on possible cruises, but they are scarce, I suppose due to the time of year. I was very surprised at the cost of either pre or post cruise packages to MP and would love to put together our own journey--but I would need a lot of help! Thanks to anyone who has information to share.