Sandoval Lake lodgeI have been looking forward to this day since we booked the trip – whitewater rafting! Cory seems to have recovered fully, and we both have a good laugh recounting the night’s (mis)adventures to Juan when he picks us up at the hotel. The drive to the Sacred Valley is gorgeous, and I’m thrilled when we arrive at the launch pad for our raft. As Cory and I slip into our wetsuits, Juan assures us we’re only going to be riding “baby” rapids, but our two hour trip down the Urubamba is enough to get me hooked on the sport. More white water rafting, please! Lunch is at a little restaurant along the river – a true local establishment. It’s just us and Juan and some of the other river guides…and once again we’re loving the authenticity of this trip.
That afternoon we travel to Ollantaytambo and are given the chance to explore some more Inca ruins. These are the most elaborate we’ve toured yet, and give us a nice preview of Machu Picchu. There is lots of climbing and Cory and I get out of breath much more quickly than we would normally…the altitude makes everything a little bit more difficult. But Juan is patient and walks slow, and I’ve noticed that whenever we start breathing particularly hard he always stops to talk to us about what we’re seeing so that we can recover without embarrassment. He’s so good. Later on he mentions that Paul Simon, one of my all-time favorites, spent some time studying music in Ollantaytambo, and that makes me fall a bit more in love with this magical town.
That evening Cory buys a simple, beautiful sketch from a local artist that will look great in our apartment back home. We share a bottle of beer and watch the sun set from the balcony of a nearby bar and later venture out for a romantic dinner by candlelight.
Today is the best of the trip so far, and there is a part of me that wishes I could freeze time and just stay here in Ollantaytambo forever.
We've used Adventure Life for several trips in the past and have always been very pleased with them. The staff is personable and professional at the same time. Erin put this trip together for us in just a few days, and it has everything we were looking for! I recommend them without hesitation.
benn
3 weeks ago
I served as the person responsible for planning a trip to Galapagos and Machu Picchu for a group of 14 people. Jane with Adventure Life was very helpful throughout the process. Making suggestions, offering insight, and in the end helped me overhaul an initial plan into something even better. Also, Jane makes all the plans including the flights within and between Peru and Ecuador. Thanks to her this is going to be a stress-free adventure. After making the final decision about the trip, Jane gathered the contact information for all the travelers and sent out the details to each traveler individually with links to pay deposits, upload passport info, and personal preferences. She also ensured a group email was sent out to the entire group welcoming us to the trip preparation process. Our trip is a year from now and we are excited to make this once in a life time trek. I am happy to have organized things through Adventure Life. However, two small issues came up that were a little off putting. First, Adventure Life adds $50 per person to the cost for each traveler as a donation to a Galapagos conservation fund. I think this should he offered as something that can be added at each traveler’s discretion. Instead, it is automatically added, and each person must ask to have it removed if they do not want it included. Second, although the trip deposit may be paid with a credit card without incurring an additional fee, the balance must be paid in another way to avoid a 3% credit card fee. Maybe this is standard with all travel agencies. In the end I would definitely go through Adventure Life for the next big trip.
Brenda Nielsen
1 month ago
I think it was very helpful that Franny and I spoke on the phone. I think she had a better idea of what we were looking for, and she planned a great itinerary for us!
Elizabeth
2 months ago
My representative Kevin was very responsive generally and in crafting our itinerary to our specific priorities.
Rocco Labella
3 months ago
Easy.
Great work on the follow up and details by Waru.