Bigger isn't always better.

Peru has been on my personal bucket list for years. I decided that staring at pictures of Machu Picchu on Instagram were no longer fulfilling my wanderlust itch so I planned a trip to Peru. I partnered with a Peruvian tour operator, Apumayo Expediciones,  that also affiliates with the Adventure Travel Trade Association so I knew that I could trust them to be a quality partner in my planning. I designed this 12 day trip to Peru to reflect all that is important to me as well as to my business, Viva la Vida Travel. I wanted enriching experiences that brought us closer to the people, the gastronomy, it's culture and of course it's landscape. What we wound up with as a final itinerary was beyond my expectations.

There were five of us travelers total. If I were all about making a huge profit, I would have pushed to "sell" more spots on the trip, but that's not what I'm all about. I've traveled enough with travel agents in mass to know that trying to embrace the destination and the experience in a personal way is close to impossible when traveling with 15 plus people. I kept the group small for a reason. I wanted each and every traveler to feel like this was their own personalized journey.

At every leg of our trip, we were hand guided by our very attentive guides. We were greeted daily with hugs and kisses on the cheek and in less than a couple of days, we felt more like family than tourists. Communicating in a foreign country can be stressful so it was important for me to have bilingual guides.  Our guides spoke the native dialect of Quechua as well as Spanish so we were able to freely communicate and have quality conversations with our local hosts. 

 

As we drove to Machu Picchu, we saw gigantic tour busses climbing the steep mountain sides. We saw 45 plus people pour out of one tour bus and flood the entrance. Everyone on the tours looked frazzled and stressed but not us. We pulled up in our little van and the five us of rolled out, with smiles on our faces, our own guide and new best friend and were ready to explore.

When I look for a tour operator to run a trip, I look for one who understands that the personal experience of EACH traveler matters and that I am looking to provide a one of a kind experience for my travelers. Nothing canned. Nothing run of the mill. Everything personal. When traveling in a herd of people there is little room for introspection, reflection or meaningful interaction. 

Imagine it. All yours. 

On our trip to Peru, we had a personalized picnic on the high planes in the Andes mountains. We arrived and  a tent was set up with a prepared table complete with bottled water and wine. Our meal was hand crafted by a popular restaurant chef in Cusco and everything was divine and it was just us.

Upon hiking to the top of Machu Picchu, tired from the altitude change and overwhelmed by the scenery, our guide honored our request to meditate in a quiet corner at the top of the mountain. We did not have a big agenda to complete so time was on our side and he understood the magnitude of emotion that experiencing Machu Picchu has on a person. He more than accommodated our request. In fact, he shared with us the ritual of blessing and giving thanks to Pacha Mama a.k.a Mother Earth by offering up three coca leaves to her. We all sat together yet separate, with our coca leaves and prayed to Pacha Mama. Each of us in our own sacred mental space and asked for guidance and gave our thanks. There would be no time to do such a thing in a large group of travelers. 

The Machu Picchu meditation.

Understanding the culture of the Quechua people and their ways of living was important for me to experience and share with travelers. In our little, easily navigable van, we climbed the steep and windy roads covered in quinuoa, corn and potato's of the Sacred Valley until we reached our next experience in agritourism. We were greeted by the elders of the community and as they beat their drum and played their flutes, they welcomed us, and only us into their world. We helped them shuck corn and strip quinoa, we learned of their planting methods and cycles of their crops as well as the importance of  farming on their livelihood.  The women of the community prepared us a meal grown and caught on their land and bid us fare well by asking us to dance, and we did. Each of us had a dance partner and no one was left out. By the end of our time with the Quechua group, we'd exchanged hugs and heart to heart conversations about the importance of maintaining their culture. We felt connected. I cried upon leaving this experience because I had gained such respect for what they do and how they live and I was able to work the earth along side them. My travelers couldn't stop talking about how "amazing" that experience was for them.

There were so many special moments on our trip to Peru that reinforced my mission to provide small group experiences in travel that allow people to really get to know the people and the culture of the destination. 

The patriarch of the family,Martin, aka "Alaska" with his granddaughter, Claralupe.

We visited Lake Titicaca in the south of Peru. One of the big tourist attractions on Lake Titcaca are the floating islands. There are several islands to choose to visit but our guide had befriended and earned the trust of a local family that was NOT on the tourist route. This is where we went. Our guide knew this family personally. We sat amongst them, hugged their children, shared cookies with everyone, took a boat ride and learned more about what they love about their home, on the floating island. They love their home on the island yet they do need more tourist visitors, but would allow them  only through our guide that they  have learned to trust. They need tourists to come and experience their way of life and to buy their crafts so that they can continue to maintain their home on the island. I would have never been able to have that in-depth of a conversation with a local had I been bombarded with many other tourists wanting do the same. Small group travel makes for deeper and more authentic connections with fellow travelers as well as with the culture.

"Our"family on the floating islands of Lake Titcaca.

Meet Claralupe. 

There's so much magic that happens when one travels. Traveling in and of itself is an adventure but when it's done right, it can be life changing; not only for you, but for those who

 you come into contact with on your travels. If you're traveling alone and want to join a group that allows you to be a part of something organized, safe, and secure in your adventure and still want a personal experience, join me on my next journey.

The Viva la Vida arms held high in Cusco, Peru!