The Nazca Lines of Peru are one of the most famous mysteries in the world. They are often featured in shows and documentaries of the ancient world, alien conspiracies and more. They were one sight I was most intrigued about prior to my trip. They were also, in all honesty, the most disappointing part.
The town of Nazca is not near any other city or sight in Peru that draws a lot of tourists, and therefore it is extremely difficult to get to. For budget reasons, we took the bus, which took 10 hours from Arequipa. The bus itself was nice, with TVs equipped with movies to stream in English, meals provided and a bathroom. However, 10 hours on a bus through barren desert is not really how I would envision spending my limited time abroad. But with no airports within less than a 3-hour drive, it’s what worked for us.
Tiny plane time (Karen DiGangi)
We didn’t get to see the town at all, so I can’t speak much of what there is to see and do or eat. Our flight for the day was scheduled for the morning, however, as happens almost daily, the fog caused a delay in the flight schedule with no known idea of when it would let up and flights would begin. For this reason, most travelers have to keep an open schedule for the day and even be prepared for the flights to not take place at all. When flights did open up, we still had no idea when we would actually fly, but we were required to be at the airport to check in and essentially stay on standby. We spent maybe 2 hours in the airport exploring the gift shops and learning the history of the lines while waiting before we finally took off.
Our plane held 16 passengers. It was comfortable enough, at first. I don’t often get motion sick, but it happens at times when I feel hot, claustrophobic or generally uncomfortable. Shortly after take-off, our guide, who sits next to the pilot, began describing our route. For each figure we passed, the plane would completely bank to each side so all passengers would get the chance to view them. While the lines were interesting, the extreme flight experience is one I would say is not worth it.
Rachel is nervous for the Nazca Line flight (Karen DiGangi)
At the end of the day, we had another 4-hour drive to our hotel for the next evening, Paracas, as there was no reason to stay another night in Nazca. From now on, I will be strongly advising our travelers that unless this is a true bucket list item, the travel and experience itself are just not worth it for your limited time in Peru. Perhaps on your second trip!
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.