Luisa prepares lunch for us on Amantani IslandFriday, August 29, 2003
It's the same story every time we set off on vacation - in order to get things reasonably tied up at work so you can go away with a clear conscience, the last week or two of work is just insane. This time was no exception. And packing for this trip seemed more complicated than usual. Because we will be camping at high altitudes, we need a variety of clothes and some supplies we don't typically bring, like sleeping bags, pack towels, headlamps, and Diamox (a medicine to prevent altitude sickness). Bob bought a money belt to wear under his shirt. Anyway, after all our preparations the duffel bags are packed, our backpacks are stuffed, we've left the office behind, and we've claimed our free seats on the flight to Lima.
I actually napped quite a bit on the plane, and we arrived early in Lima at about 9:30 PM their time, 10:30 PM our time. We are in the same time zone, but Peru doesn't go on daylight savings time.
A tour company driver picked us up and brought us to our hotel, a drive of about half an hour. We pulled into a less commercial area, and, with many twists and turns, we arrived at a building with a nondescript facade and a small entry with an iron barred gate. Inside the gate was a lovely courtyard with decorative tile floors and many
plants. Off the courtyard were the lobby and our room, among others. The room is modest, though attractive, but there is no heat whatsoever! It's not that the heat is turned off; it is that no heat exists. So I jumped into my long underwear and under the covers as quickly as I could, shivering until body heat warmed us up.
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
1 month 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
2 months 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
3 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.