Machu Picchu - Lake
Titicaca
(11
days/10 nights)
Machu Picchu - Lake
Titicaca
(12 days/11 nights)
Machu Picchu - Lake
Titicaca
(14 days/13 nights)
Colca Canyon - Machu
Picchu
Lake Titicaca
(16 days/15 nights)
Archaeological & Ecological
Treasures
Galapagos - Machu Picchu
Lake Titicaca (or Amazon)
(18 days/17
nights)
Colca Canyon - Amazon
Machu Picchu - Lake Titicaca
(22 days/21 nights)
Machu Picchu
(10
days/9 nights)
Machu Picchu
(13 days/12 nights)
Machu Picchu - Galapagos
(15 days/14 nights)
Galapagos - Machu Picchu
(18 days/17 nights)
Manu National Park
(8 days/7 nights)
Enchanted Isles of the Galapagos
Galapagos
(11
days/10 nights)
Galapagos & the Kingdom of Quito
Galapagos - Andes
(16 days/15 nights)
Galapagos - Amazon
(16 days/15 nights)
Historic Haciendas of the Andes
Cotopaxi - Antisana
- Otavalo
(7 days/6 nights)
© 2008
Inka's Empire Corporation.
All rights reserved.
For an abbreviated version, see Quotes from Our Guests
The domain name of the e-mail address has been omitted to maintain our guests' privacy. For references, please inquire.
A million thanks...
-- Alison Frater & Mary Simpson
From: "Alison Frater" <alisonf@....net.au>
To: "Martin Haggland" <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: Travel report
Date: Mon, Nov 10, 2008, 11:58 PMHi Martin,
Report time!!:
Attached is my news letter -- feel free to read it -- not compulsory!!!
Comments:
Firstly re Quito 'missed flight'. An event neither Mary or I can believe happened. We are both used to airlines co-flying with different companies/flight numbers etc. On this day, when being given our boarding pass, we were told the scheduled 11.30 am departure time was delayed and the new time was still to be determined. Through security to Gate 1 as per Boarding Pass -- the board had 11.30 am next to our flight number -- I misinterpretted this as the original dep. time, and it did not change.
This was our first domestic flight with no bi-lingual signs and any English announcements were basically impossible to hear/understand. The flight was announced in Spanish (of course) and people went to Gate 2 and we thought we heard in English a different Flight No. and Company -- probably the destination of Guayaquil (whose pronounciation at that time we would not have recognised). There were still plenty of people in the waiting room and no action at Gate 1. The rest is history.
On to the trip -- Hotels: In preface, Mary and I are equally comfortable in 5 star establisments, as in lesser accommodations, so our evaluations would not necessarily concur with others. (And Mary's report may differ significantly to mine).
Quito: Villa Colonna - a stunning facility in a stunning location. View from the roof terrace day and night worth the visit alone. Rudy and Ric's hospitality could not have been surpassed -- we got treated like long lost friends on return and Rudy acutally ran a considerable distance back to Villa on our last day when we picked up cases, to see us. Breakfast -- far far too much to eat, but delicious. The one critisism -- although they were more than happy to mind our excess luggage whilst away, we thought $7/d a bit steep i.e. $49/week x 2 weeks.
Quasar: Sure there was a mixup with the boats, but we could not have been looked after better on the Evolution (including the open bar all week) and after our missed flight they sorted us out very professionally, and without taking blame, kept on apologising for the problem. I think as a company they may be struggling. Meanwhile our berth was the biggest I have had whilst sailing anywhere and food/service was par excellance.
Napo Eco Resort -- food was delicious -- too much. Waiters in dining room trained to the tee and could run rings around others in even 'good' restaurants. Our accommodation was more than comfortable - I heard no compalints from anyone. Our bums (i.e. bottoms for you yanks) did get a bit 'sat on' after a few hours in the canoes, but would do it all again tomorrow. Daily tours excellent. NB read my comments about our night away from Resort in news letter. We had a ball. It was a highlight, but I think some clients would die, but suspect our team had sussed we would adapt. So given that, probably 5 days would be adequate to see all, but Mary disagrees.
Hotel Orly: A boutique facility as you said, in a delightful area. The rooms are small, which certainly would not suit everyone -- but friendly service and safe to walk around area day and night. No complaints. Their restaurant had a wide range of med. priced meals, and they accepted our previously arranged vouchers without queiry.
Miraflores Park Hotel: 5star+ -- would be a good view if that mist/smog/clouds cleared! No, seriously, excellent with all the luxuries to pamper ourselves with. Early b'fast to room for early departures.
Hotel Libertador Palacio del Inka -- Cusco. Excellent. Large suite with fruit and coffee making facilities which we used for early departure. I think it was located well for walkers (which we didn't have time for) but with all the one way streets, didn't get around to orientating myself properly.
Hotel Libertador, Puno: Large suite with marvellous lake view. Welcome Pisca sour, but the hotel lacked atmosphere -- it reflected the hussle/bussle of quick turn overs -- our 4 night stop over was unusual. Food in the dining room was o.k., but unexciting. (I might add at this point, because our guides were SO GOOD, they in most hotels, checked us in etc. and in Puno in particular, the hotel staff didn't have the opportunity to explain their facilities -- we found areas on our last day we didn't know about -- eg. pool, net etc.
Hotel Awasi: Well what can I say -- a fabulous experience from the moment we walked in the front gate to the farewell as we left. Everything was magical. You must visit!
Hotel Petrohue: Great location with marvellous view up lake and surrounding mountains. Lovely building with atmosphere+ and friendly people. Food fine.
Hotel Cabanas del Lago - Puerto Varas: again lovely location/lake and town views. Friendly welcome. Large with lots of comings and goings. Room expected high standard. Dining -- forget this place to eat at. Our set menu was basic and my meat was unedible -- Mary's pasta dry and boring. Got woken up by waiter, to sign the wine account!
Hosteria Las Torres: At the far end of the Park from the direction we entered, but the drive along the length of Park (that we did 3 times) was amazing and so glad we had that opportunity. The hosteria according to our guide, is under new management, and probably they have cut down on staff. Food was good, but service very slow. We were in a very recently opened block which was basic and probably had been opened in a hurry -- had that 'not quite finished yet' look. Warm and comfortable - no furniture, wardrobes etc. It reflected, but achieved its 3 star status.
Hotel CostAustralis - Puerto Natales. Back to luxury and lake views. Welcome drink and room/facilities/food excellent.
Dining out. Well where do I start. The variation in locations and eating styles ensured a feast of sensations. We had not realised that wine would be included in all our special nights out - a pleasant surprise.
Astrid & Gaston -- Santiago. What a welcome to a new country. That night we learnt how to eat and enjoy wines -- the experience was more memorable than the food, and that's saying something, as the food was unbelievably fantastic, even if I did eat a dish I wouldn't have ordered given the choice. Rated No. 1 of all our dining, by Mary and I.
Chef Rafel Osterlicht's Blu -- Quito: Great atmosphere and service. Food fine, but not comparable with the previous night, which is not a fair criticism. We got to eat there again on our last night in Quito. We'd gotten back from Galapagos too late to eat at Chez Jerome as planned, so instead of going to Cafe Tianquez, we went back here and given an al a carte menu and bottle of wine -- presumably to make up for the missed meal. The food chosen by us was excellent and better than our first night. (We did not indulge in dessert).
Napo -- I've alluded to already. We were surprised by the excellence and range of foods available -- fresh fruit and fresh fruit juices to die for. Ecuador everywhere has fruit and vegies that taste like fruit used to taste like.
Hotel Monasterio restaurant. Food fine. Water $14 (and reluctant to give change despite tip already given). The effort of driving from hotel to hotel was lengthy and time consuming with all the one way streets - I'm sure the food at Liderator would have been fine -- menu looked ok anyhow.
Huaca Pucllana restaurant - Lima. The site was astounding -- food was fine, but not exciting, but a must place to visit for the atmosphere. No. 2 for position.
Cafe del Museo - Lima - Again a fun and interesting setting and good food -- too much food.
20th Oct. Santiago -- both lunch and dinner were at different places to what you had previously chosen -- their names I have not kept, but lunch (owned by a NZ woman)particularly was excellent+ and dinner at a tapas/wine bar was fun.
Restaurant Club de Yates -- Puerto Varas: Again, a great setting over the lake with especially excellent food and fine service. Rated No. 2 by me, for food and service.
San Cristobal -- Santiago. No. 1 for position. Food and service excellent. We were lucky with a clear clear evening and we arrived by chance, as the distant snow capped mountains reflected the setting sun, a delightful (almost) last night out in Sth. America.
Guides/drivers. Am not going to identify anyone. Without exception they were all excellent, friendly, informative and we felt as 'family' with them all. Some had better grasp of English than others, but NO communication problems.
Tours: Can't think of any criticisms/suggestions to make. They all exceeded our expectations and each day it seemed Mary or I would say "this is so different to anything we've seen so far". The variety within each tour, not to mention tour to tour was expansive. We were dog tired at the end of each day, but ready to go out and dine and back up for more again the next day. You can't take credit for the weather, but except for the last 2 days down south, we were so lucky.
Well -- I've done my homework -- can I get back to my photo editing?
Martin again - a million thanks for your input and help with all the planning. Will talk again I'm sure. Alison
We toasted your expertise and advice on many occasions...
-- Alison Frater & Mary Simpson
From: "Alison Frater" <alisonf@aapt.net.au>
To: "Martin Haggland" <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: Alison and Mary home
Date: Thu, Nov 6, 2008, 4:50 PMHi Martin,
We have been 'home' for about 12 hours. I am still in someone else's time zone, but just a quick note to let you know we had a fabulous time. Will go into more detail later, but briefly NO hitches or problems. We survived everything much better than I'd hoped and without exception everywhere was amazing and we toasted your expertise and advice on many occasions.
Bye, Alison
All of the hotels... restaurants... guides were first rate...
-- Ken & Joan Frankel
From: "JOAN FRANKEL" <jfrankel02@....com>
To: "Martin Haggland" <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: Re: INKA'S EMPIRE TOURS: TOUR DOCUMENTS
Date: Wed, Oct 15, 2008, 10:12 PMHi Martin,
First: All the good points.
1. All the Hotels in Lima, Cusco, Machu Pichu and Quito were first rate.
2. All the restaurants were first rate.
3. All the guides were first rate with good English skills.
4. We liked the Villa Elizabeth. The bed was a double, smaller than we would prefer. Berta, our housekeeper and cook, was super. She could not speak English, which gave us a chance to practice our Spanish. We could see this as a challenge to some people, even though Francisco, the manager, had good English skills. The villa has no screens on the windows. When open for ventilation, bugs and mosquitoes get in. We thought this added to the rustic quality of the villa but could see how this would be a challenge for other visitors. Overall, I would recommend this to future guests as long as they understood the limitations mentioned above.
Second: Our disappointment with the Coral I.
The Coral I did not meet our expectaions of a luxury yacht experience...Joan and I want to thank you for planning our trip in such detail. We also want to thank you for inquiring about our satisfaction throughout our journey.
You may recommend us as guests who have a high regard for your personal service and who were extremely satisfied with the land portion of our tour. We could only recommend the Coral I as a utilitarian way to see the Galapagos Islands.
We hope these comments are helpful.
Thank you, Martin, and all the best of luck to you --
Ken and Joan Frankel
This has tied for the best vacation that I have been on...
-- Chuck & Angela Nacos
From: angela@....com
To: "Martin Haggland" <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: RE: INKA'S: YOUR COMMENTS/ANOTHER COUPLE OF QUESTIONS
Date: Fri, Oct 31, 2008, 10:17 AMMartin,
Thank you for following up...
I must tell you though that Chuck has taken me all over the world, and n (I have a special fondness for Bhutan, even though the accommodations will never be as good as yours) -- I am looking forward to our next trip planned by you -- do you have excursions in Argentina? I would love to visit some of the wineries there -- if not this year hopefully next --
Angela
All of the hotels were wonderful and our guide was great...
-- Chuck & Angela Nacos
From: angela@....com
To: tours@inkas.com
Subject: Nacos Chile tour
Date: Tue, Oct 7, 2008, 5:16 PMMartin,
Thanks for working on our behalf --
My impression of the Hotel Explora as compared to the Alto Atacama is that even if the Explora were not under construction, I would have preferred the Alto Atacama. I thought the staff at the Alto Atacama were so much more professional, the guides were clean, prepared, professional -- the hotel itself is in a beautiful canyon-like setting and the grounds were lovely. I myself felt the Alto was much nicer then the Explora. Our experience with the Explora staff was sub-par -- one day on our hike the van was an hour late in picking us up (the Alto Atacama van was there to pick up its people, coincidence).
If your guests need a lap pool, that is one thing the Alto does not have -- they have 5 or 6 small individual pools, good for plunging and hanging, but not for exercise -- but, of course, not sure what the Explora pools are like, they look like beautiful lap pools.
As far as the rest of the Chile trip, I only wish I had more time to spend there -- all of the hotels were wonderful and our guide was great -- wish we had more time (days) to visit wineries.
I personally did not like the train to Puno, was too long for me, but I think the others enjoyed it. The other thing is that on our second day excursion from Puno to visit the ruins, we back-tracked quite a bit (over 2 hours van ride one way) to an area the train passed thru. I think an option for those not wanting the train would be to drive to Puno and catch some of the ruins along the way as I believe the drive is only 6 or 7 hours max.
I had a great trip -- my only regret is that I think we did too much and didn't get to enjoy the wonderful hotels as we often got back to the hotel just in time to get ready for dinner and then we left early mornings. We should have (and certainly could have) had a little more say in planning the next day's events (we figured it out around week 3).
Thanks,
Angela Nacos
Way too much fabulous food...
-- Janet & Thomas Lundy
From: JaneL25@....com
To: tours@inkas.com
Subject: Re: INKA'S: HOPED-FOR DETAILS ABOUT A FEW THINGS...
Date: Wed, Jul 30, 2008, 1:13 PMMartin... Here are some of Tom's and my thoughts on our trip. I warn you this is long!
Miraflores Park Hotel... wonderful, very large room, beautiful ocean view (and, yes, we saw it everyday very clearly), plenty of space for your clothes, lots of reading light and a large bathroom with a great tub and large shower. Plenty of thick towels, and linens seemed fine. Breakfast is on the top floor, and when the elevator opens up you see a gorgeous swimming pool, ocean and sky... breakfast was good, they will make you whatever you want in addition to the buffet... The service in the hotel is A+. They couldn't have been more accommodating... especially on our return July 23/24. We drove them crazy with our flight changes and they more than handled everything with kindness and competency... they even opened the business center at 3 am to help us out... Box dinner for plane delicious chicken sandwich... only had lunch in the Poissonniere Restaurant, and we barely ate due to the change in flight, but what we did eat was very, very good and the service perfect, lovely maitre d' who recommended his favorites... just delightful... as you can tell, it is most certainly 5 stars.
July 17: El Huacatay... wonderful... charming place... Sheyla helped us order and guided us in what was good for us to eat on our first day at such elevation... Food was nicely prepared... very good tasting... keep going there.
July 18: 3 Keros... way too much fabulous food... my husband missed this one due to being sick... owner was lovely, explained everything... a charming place... keep going there, also.
July 22: Pachapapa Restaurant... great setting and the food was good, but the service was very, very slow... there were other people in larger groups there, but they seemed to get served faster... never had time for dessert, since we were an hour behind schedule.and wanted to get to the sights. It was just one of those days... keep it... Everywhere we ate, including the museum in Lima, the staff was wonderful to us... We much appreciated being able to order off the menu, rather than have been limited to certain options.
A few other thoughts... really liked Sol y Luna. They were wonderful to my husband when we left him for the day... cleaned the room when needed, made toast, tea etc... liked the location also... room was very dark, but too tired to read anyway.
Machu Picchu... of course, the Sanctuary Lodge is very special... due to having to leave early, we only ate one lunch there. We fortunately changed things around and ate in the hotel dining room for lunch... The buffet was crowded and unpleasant looking... we would suggest that you let your guests eat both of their lunches in the dining room and skip the buffet.
We were due to leave Machu Picchu on the late afternoon train and arrive in Cusco around 8:30 pm... way too late to arrive in Cusco... due to Steven getting sick, we had to race out for the 10:30 am train. Sheyla was amazing in organizing this. We would recommend that you have your guests take a train no later than 2:30 in the afternoon to get to Cuscu at a reasonable hour... that gives a day and a half in Machu Picchu... Again... all of the above arrest our thoughts
Please let the people in Lima and Cusco know what a terrific time we had and that we appreciate all that they did for us, sickness, delayed planes and just every little thing that we asked of them they did for us. Can't wait for you to plan our next adventure.
Also, the letter I sent you yesterday about Sheyla and Jose Carlos, I would like you to forward to the Cusco office... Hope this wasn't too wordy... Best Regards... Jane and Tom
We couldn't have asked for a better 8 days...
-- Jane and Thomas Lundy
From: JaneL25@....com
To: reservascus@inkanatura.com.pe Cc: tours@inkas.com
Subject: Florin Lundy trip 7/15-7/24
Date: Tue, Jul 29, 2008, 12:52 PMNow that we are back home in New York, we wanted to take the opportunity to let you know what an amzing time we had in Peru. We couldn't have asked for a better 8 days. Everyone from Lima to Cusco went above and beyond to make this a trip we will long remember. We wanted to make special mention of our fantastic guide, Sheyla Robles, and driver, Jose Carlos Ordonez. Sheyla had so much information, but beyond that took such good care of us... especially when one by one we were getting sick. She truly is an Inca treasure. Jose Carlos was charming and an excellent driver. We always felt safe as he drove up and down your steep and winding roads. Yours is a very professional organization and we will recommend you highly to our friends. We look forward to planning another trip in the future with our contact, Martin, in New York. Warmest regards to everyone in your Cusco office especially Sheyla, Jose Carlos and Maria.
There are not enough words to say how fantastic the trip was...
-- Jane & Thomas Lundy
From: JaneL25@....com
To: tours@inkas.com
Subject: Re: INKA'S EMPIRE TOURS: BIENVENIDOS!
Date: Sun, Jul 27, 2008, 7:17 PMThere are not enough words to say how fantastic the trip was... this week I promise to sit down and write in detail about everything, including a very, very few suggestions... Can't thank all of you enough for making this an experience we will cherish forever... your staff throughout Peru is outstanding... especially Shelia and our wonderful driver Juan Carlos... both were amazing... until later in the week.... Thanks so very much.
Jane and Tommy
Above and beyond the call of duty...
-- Steve & Roberta Florin
From: sflorin33@....com
To: tours@inkas.com
Subject: fast update
Date: Thu, Jul 24, 2008, 12:15 PMOur flight was cancelled last night due to mechanical problems.
We called Ofelia -- she meet us at the airport (well, well after midnight) and made arrangements for a driver to pick us up and take us back to the Miraflores Park Hotel. She was with us all the time!!! Never once did she feel this was an inconvenience. She only wanted to tend to our needs. She went above and beyond the call of duty.
The Miraflores Park Hotel could not have been more accommodating and understanding. They arranged for a late check out -- 4 pm -- and then went even further and changed the late check out from 4 to 6 pm. They certainly did not have to and we did not ask -- they just did it. this hotel gives the entire hospitality industry an A plus, and they stand at the apex of the industry. I humbly suggest that all of your clients should stay here!!
Thanks
Steve
You have always been more than accommodating to our needs
and have always acted with our best interests in mind...
-- Steve & Roberta Florin
From: sflorin33@....com
To: tours@inkas.com
Subject: Re: INKA'S: A LA CARTE MEALS
Date: Wed, Jul 16, 2008, 6:55 PMMartin,
Greatly appreciated. You have always been more than accommodating to our needs and have always acted with our best interests in mind.
Take care,
Steve
A sensually delightful and mentally stimulating journey...
-- Jenny and Trevor Tomkins
From: "Jenny Tomkins" <jtomkins@....net>
To: "Martin Haggland" <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: Our Peruvian Journey
Date: Sun, Jun 29, 2008, 2:42 PMDear Martin,
It has taken us a few days to get our feet back on the ground and ourselves into gear again after our engrossing and delightful travels in Peru.
We have already completed the in-country survey but wanted to drop you a line too -- to thank you for all the thought and planning that went into making our travels so smooth and enjoyable.
Machu Picchu was, of course, a highlight -- the site itself and its spectacular mountain setting. Another favorite place was Sillustani, for its total serenity, though we were distressed that the Peruvian government is not adequately protecting the site, which is somewhat vandalized.
We were also distressed by the poverty and environmental degradation we witnessed in Juliaca; clearly Peru still faces major social challenges. (Indeed, we felt that it was barely recovering from the Spanish invasion!! I am sure that Inca society would be difficult adjustment for a highly individualistic Westerner to make, but Trevor and I ended up very much admiring much about that society and mourning its destruction. In particular, we admired their amazing agricultural know-how, their dedication to feeding and caring for all the people of their empire, whether Inca or not. And, of course, we were over-awed by their architectural accomplishments. Spanish churches did not thrill us so much...
For me, another highlight was the museums we visited in Lima. I was entranced by the pottery and by the textiles.
Our guides were all excellent in their different ways. We particularly appreciated Efrain's extensive knowledge of Peru's history and culture (all were well-informed, but we felt he stood out in this respect); we enjoyed Edison's lively personality and knowledge of the topography around Machu Picchu; and we appreciated Angel's thoughfulness. The transfer staff were excellent too; we enjoyed meeting Maria and Ofelia -- we were sorry to have to drag her out of bed so early on the last day and would have been pleased to get ourselves to the airport by taxi to avoid that.
The hotels were all first class. Indeed the Monastario may have spoiled us for life. We were so impressed by the ambiance, the breakfasts, and the excellence of the staff.
We have only one slight and very personal criticism. We both felt a little "force fed". Trevor and I both love to eat and consider ourselves to be very knowledgeable about food. We loved the breakfasts but would have much preferred to have a very light meal at midday. It was impossible to do justice to three large meals daily. I would have liked some bread, cheese and fruit at lunch or dinner each day. Sadly I never felt hungy enough to enjoy the food, except, as I said, for the wonderful breakfasts. (By the time we reached Puno, we had all resorted to ordering plain spaghetti for dinner each evening.) I also began to feel by the end of the trip that the seasonings and menu offerings were beginning to be a little too "familiar".
One other very minor annoyance was that at the Libertador we had a "tourist menu" unceremoniously thrust at us when we sat down to dinner the first evening. This offering was visually unappealiing and didn't have anything on it that we particularly wanted to eat (i.e., no spaghetti!;-)). A first the maitre d protested when we asked for the full menu but, in his defense, after that meal they always brought us the full menu and didn't charge extra for our nightly pasta -- no doubt well under our daily dining allowance!
As I said, that is a minor quibble. Overall, we had a sensually delightful and mentally stimulating journey and we offer everyone at Inka's Empire Tours our thanks.
Sincerely,
Jenny and Trevor Tomkins
Far and away better than anything that Abercrombie & Kent can offer...
-- Dr. Walter & Sharon Davisson
From: "Walter/Sharon Davisson" <srdjpw@....net>
To: "Martin Haggland" <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: Re: INKA'S: MY THANKS...
Date: Mon, Jun 23, 2008, 1:31 PMDear Martin,
I am down at my Sarasota home and am catching up on email. I will respond to your question comparing your operation to A&K.
Your personalized approach is far and away better than anything that A&K can offer because of their large size and corporate mentality.
Your prices and flexibility are far better.
Your concern for tour inadequacies are genuine and rapidly rectified.
Your choices of accommodations, restaurants, tour stops, and in-country agencies are better.
Your personalization of tours for customers cannot be matched by A&K.
I would be happy to serve as a positive voice for you if any future customers have doubts or questions that they would like answered by a third party.
Regards,
Walter
It is the ultimate bonding experience. We will never forget it...
-- Michael, Lisa, Charles & Anne Coleman
From: Lisa Coleman <lisacoleman@....com>
To: Martin Haggland <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: Re: INKA'S: CHOQUEQUIRAO TREK?
Date: Sat, Jun 21, 2008, 10:41 AM
Oh my gosh!!! That defies description! The trek was definitely challenging; far more strenuous than we had imagined, but we rose to the challenge and were unbelievably pleased with ourselves for making it through every day and even arriving earlier than our guide thought we would. Edison said we surprised him that we pushed ourselves as much as we did. Our kids had NO problems, though they said it was tough, too. The days were happily exhausting; the scenery was beyond imagination; the food and service were unbelievable; the tents, sleeping bags, equipment was top drawer.
Two regrets: never saw a condor and the mosquitoes!
I would definitely tell future guests to bring STRONG insect repellent and perhaps encourage them to take B6/B12 complex before visiting to try to deflect the little buggers.
What else can I tell you? All the Inca sites were amazing. As you know, once we returned to Lima we felt we had had our fill of antiquities once you see the ruins in person, museum visits pale by comparison. So we opted to take a tour of modern Peru and drive through the commercial district and the colonial part of town. Nelida was an AMAZING, flexible, knowledgeable guide. She knows EVERYTHING about Peruvian history. This was the perfect counterpoint to the 5-day idyll of our trek.
I will send you a couple of photos, so you can see what we look like! Please let me know what else I can provide. The trip was almost sensory overload and it just now is sinking in HOW MUCH we really saw, did, experienced. And, the most special part of the trip has to be the time our family spent together just talking, laughing, teasing, challenging one another. Our children are 17 and 19 not too many more years where just the 4 of us can be together. This was the PERFECT experience to share. I have told this to ALL my friends who have children at these ages. It is the ultimate bonding experience.
We will never forget it.
L.
We cannot trust A&K to do what they say they will do...
-- Sharon Davisson
From: "Walter/Sharon Davisson" <srdjpw@....net>
To: "Martin Haggland" <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: Re: INKA'S: MY THANKS...
Date: Thu, Jun 19, 2008, 9:52 AMMartin -- my reply -- We cannot trust A&K to do what they say they will do, even tho it is part of the itinerary. We will not deal with them in the future.
Your tour was as promised -- no stress or anxiety about sticking to the plan. I did tell the guides that I needed 1/2 hr or 1 hr at a marketplace and they were very accommodating.
And thank you for the suggestion that I buy a sweater early on. I lived in that sweater.
I liked our guide in Quito (Sheyla). She was young, very accommodating, didn't know the amt of rainfall per year in Quito but was overall very acceptable.
I thought the Hotel Monasterio was wonderful and would not have wanted to stay anywhere else. I trust you have been there.
Maria came back to walk us across the street to the museum for dinner. That was unnecessary but impressive.
I don't know what was romantic about the Alta. It was a good boat and we were well taken care of. I thought the A&K boat was going to the same places we were -- it was much bigger and looked very modern. Didn't have an opportunity to talk to any of the A&K passengers. Our boat was fun -- we were the only "Yanks".
Did you know Quasar was chartering flights for the Galapagos? That was the reason for the time changes for our flights to/from the island.
It seemed that the info itinerary was not as precise in Quito as in Peru. Karla thought the carriage ride was in the day, your itinerary said it was after dinner. No big deal but imprecise. Actually, we didn't want to wait the 20 minutes or so for the carriage ride as weather was cold and it had rained.
Onto the important stuff -- Do you arrange trips to BA or other places in SA?
Sharon
The tour overall was a great experience. I would highly recommend it...
-- Dr. Walter Davisson
From: "srdjpw" <srdjpw@....net>
To: "Martin Haggland" <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: Re: INKA'S EMPIRE TOURS: BIENVENIDOS!
Date: Tue, Jun 10, 2008, 11:16 AMBuenos Dias Martin,
The trip went fine. I have all my notes available with my ratings and impressions of all tour arrangements. I will be happy to discuss the trip with you at your convenience....
Walter
We have so many wonderful memories...
-- Nancy & Joseph Costa
From: "Nancy M. Costa" <ncosta@....>
To: "Martin Haggland" <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: RE: OUR INKA EMPIRE TOUR
Date: Sun, May 4, 2008, 1:42 PMMartin -- we are just back from our Inka's Empire tour and I wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed the trip -- it exceeded our expectations in every way -- the accommodations, the meals, the tours. Most of all, the personal service we received by everyone was outstanding.
We completed a comprehensive feedback form before we left Lima and gave the trip an overall rating of A+.
I would like to specifically mention the guides we had -- they were each unique and made our experiences very special -- Cesar in Lima, Raul in Arequipa, Sheyla in Cusco and Felix in Puno. Raul is a very impressive bird watcher and helped Joe identify many species of birds. We saw seven condors at Colca Canyon -- Raul knew just where to stand to get the best views of the birds. Sheyla made Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley and Cusco magical places. Joe will never forget his 60th birthday at Machu Piccho -- we saw a double rainbow and an incredible sunset. The boat cruise with Felix on Lake Titicaca was a perfect day. Our final lunch with Cesar at Astrid y Gaston was so delicious.
I would also like to mention our transfer agents who really took great care -- Ofelia in Lima, Gladys in Arequipa and Maria in Cusco. Gladys was very helpful when Joe did not feel well and helped us adjust our itinerary. Maria arranged a "royal" welcome for us at the Monastario -- we were received in the Chapel, not the hotel lobby. We felt so special.
I could go on and on about all of our adventures and experiences. We have so many wonderful memories thanks to you and Inka's Empire Tours. Please pass this note on to your local Peruvian tour operators, with our sincere thanks for all they did for us.
We will absolutely recommend Inka's to our friends and hope to be a repeat customer in the future when we visit the Amazon and the Galapagos...Nancy and Joseph Costa
It was truly a trip of a lifetime for our family...
-- Mark & Nancy Jaffe
From: "Nancy Jaffe" <vtjaffe@....com>
To: "'Martin Haggland'" <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: RE: INKA'S -- RESPONSES & QUESTIONS FOR YOU...
Date: Thu, Mar 13, 2008, 4:03 PMMartin, Ive tried to answer everything for you!
This was the first time we have ever had help planning a trip, and I am so glad I did choose to go with you and Inka's. We got so much more out of the trip than we would have had Mark and I tried to do the driving and the daily planning and the restaurant choices, etc. It was truly a trip of a lifetime for our family, which is just what I wanted. It didn't hurt the boys to be bored a bit, by things that they will always remember and may someday appreciate having seen, and on the last day, when Nate said that his brain was on over-load and he just needed to go home, I knew that was true and I was glad he had taken so much in!
Thanks again, Martin, for the fruit, chocolates, and flowers in our rooms, for our Pisco Sours at each meal, and for all the thought you put into trip planning. There wasn't a bad hotel room or a bad meal in two weeks! Well done!
-- Nancy
I can't praise the guides enough...
-- Mark & Nancy Jaffe
From: "Nancy Jaffe" <vtjaffe@....com>
To: "'Martin Haggland'" <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: RE: INKA'S: HOW DID IT GO?
Date: Sun, Mar 9, 2008, 1:18 PMMartin,
The trip was fabulous. No complaints, except we could have used more time in the Galapagos, as you suggested. Thank goodness we made the effort to get there for the whole 4 days of the cruise...
We loved the Coral I and our naturalist, John, and the other passengers were great. We were so sad to leave after 4 days. I had read somewhere that the boat is musty and old; we found it very nice, and the crew was excellent. No wish went ungranted, and we had lots of excursions...
Thanks, Martin, for everything. Although it was expensive I can't imagine doing this trip any other way. We saved so much time having the guides and the routes all planned out, the tickets purchased and the parking taken care of. You can't put a value on having someone watch your things while you are off taking pictures or taking a hike. I would not hesitate to recommend Inka's to anybody, especially families with teenagers.
Best,
Nancy
We had a great week here in Peru...
-- Sabine & Peter Bommeli
From: Sabine Bommeli-Jakovickis <bommelis@....com>
To: Martin Haggland <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: Re: INKA'S: REFUND SENT
Date: Sun, Mar 9, 2008, 9:18 AMHi Martin,
we are sitting in the Country Club in Lima, ready to leave for Buenos Aires. We had a great week here in Peru -- outstanding tour guides, and with the Monasterio and the Country Club two excellent hotels. If you would like to, we'll will send you some more impressions about our days here.
Thank you for your great organization!
Sabine & Peter Bommeli
The trip exceeded our expectations in almost every respect...
-- Andrew & Maggie Lund
From: "Andrew Lund" <andrewjlund@....com>
To: "Martin Haggland" <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: Re: INKA'S: BON VOYAGE...
Date: Mon, Feb 25, 2008, 1:05 PMHello Martin
I promised to give you more feedback once we got home. I'm sorry it has taken a while -- there's a lot to do after a five weeks absence!
As I said to you earlier, the trip exceeded our expectations in almost every respect. We were particularly impressed by the logistics -- all the pickups were bang on time, and all the people we met were very attentive. We were impressed to receive several phone calls checking that all was well, which indeed it was. I asked for help with online check-in for a flight which you hadn't arranged for us, and your people couldn't have been more helpful, even though they needn't have gotten involved with that aspect.
The people in Cusco were especially good. They clearly understood how AMS can affect us lowland dwellers. Their concern for our health was most reassuring, and their remedies really worked. Manuel, our outstandingly good guide, took particularly good care of us and was very sensitive to our needs at all times. He worked at the relationship with great skill over the five days he was with us, and we had a great time. The guy is a real gem.
This is not to detract in any way from any of the others who served us. We couldn't have asked for more. There was very little to criticise, but I know you are a perfectionist, so i will just mention a couple of points.
- Inka Grill in Cusco was a disappointment. Dowdy surroundings and a poor choice of menu.
- We thought the included menus in the hotel restaurants were below average. The staff couldn't seem to understand the concept of upgrading. Why not give a monetary allowance for each meal which the client could set against the actual cost. This would make it possible to select from the full menu if the set choices were not acceptable.
I would struggle to find fault with anything else. Many thanks and congratulations for a job well done. Peru is a delightful country. We thoroughly enjoyed pretty well everything about the place.
With best regards
Andrew
Our guides and drivers were very pleasant, helpful and informative...
-- Helen & Morton Fleshler
From: "Helen Fleshler" <hfleshler@....com>
To: "Martin Haggland" <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: Our Trip to Peru
Date: Mon, Feb 18, 2008, 9:37 PM
Dear Martin: We arrived home on Thursday after our 15 day trip to Peru. We were very pleased with our accommodations throughout our trip and found the food to be too plentiful and excellent in its quality and presentation. Our guides and drivers were very pleasant, helpful and informative and those who met us at the airport were also very helpful and pleasant. We were fortunate in that although it is the rainy season we actually saw very little rain. I have one major recommendation which I think is a very important one. Going from sea level (Lima) to Cusco by plane is a difficult transition because of the altitude. But to then have to tour on the day we arrive in Cusco to heights of 12, 500 ft. was not very pleasant and actually caused some illness that evening. Luckily it passed by the next day, but I believe it would be more advisable to go to the Sacred Valley which is actually lower than Cusco rather than to Chinchero. I also think that exerting effort in touring on that day is definitely not a good plan. Other than that, everything went very smoothly and we definitely enjoyed the trip. I wish to thank you for helping us to plan a very comprehensive trip to such a beautiful country.
Sincerely,
Helen Fleshler
It was absolutely brilliant...
-- Linda & Elhanan Streit
From: Linda Streit <lstreit@....net.il>
To: tours@inkas.com
Subject: RE: INKA'S EMPIRE TOURS: BIENVENIDOS!
Date: Sat, Feb 9, 2008, 8:53 PMDear Martin, It was absolutely brilliant, but I want to give you a real blow-by-blow account, which I'll do when I'm back home. Fantastic trip, exceeded all my expectations, thanks for organising a great holiday... too many highlights to tell you about!
All the best, Linda
Everything was amazing...
Edwin Upson & Jessica Sklute
From: "J. Edwin Upson" <jupson_us@....com>
To: "'Martin Haggland'" <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: RE: INKA'S EMPIRE TOURS: BIENVENIDOS!
Date: Wed, Jan 9, 2008, 6:36 PMHI Martin;
Everything was amazing. I will reply in the next day or so with some details for you
Thanks again;
Edwin
We'll never forget the dedicated service you gave us...
-- Roni Berger, PhD
From: Roni Berger" <BERGER@....edu>
To: <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: Re: 'Tis the Season...
Date: Thu, Dec 20, 2007, 10:23 PMThank you Martin; you too. We'll never forget the dedicated service you gave us. Hope to organize more trips with your help.
Roni Berger, PhD LCSW
Absolutely terrific!! It could not have been better!
-- Renée Addison
From: renée addison <radish1@....ca>
To: Martin Haggland <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: Re: 'Tis the Season...
Date: Thu, Dec 20, 2007, 11:59 PMHi Martin
Feliz Navidad to you as well and a very happy New Year.
I was extremely remiss in not emailing when I returned from Peru last winter but I hope its not too late to tell you that the short 3-day stay you arranged for me at the Country Club of Lima was absolutely terrific!! It could not have been better! Many Thanks!
Cheers
Renée Addison
I absolutely loved Napo Wildlife Center...
-- Bonnie Pelnar
From: Under Watercolours <bpelnar@....com>
To: "Martin Haggland" <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: Re: INKA'S EMPIRE TOURS: BIENVENIDOS!
Date: Sat, Dec 15, 2007, 7:32 PMHi Martin,
I'm back. We had a fantastic trip. I absolutely loved Napo Wildlife Center and I'm hoping to lead some bird watching trips there in the future. What a wonderful place! Our guide Andres was absolutely fantastic and really made the trip for us. I got some great shots!
I'll be writing up a trip report for my website when I have time.
Bonnie
Our guide was knowledgeable... we enjoyed him immensely.
-- Jeanne & Bill Downey
From: travelexpert@....net
To: "Martin Haggland" <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: Re: INKA'S EMPIRE TOURS: BIENVENIDOS!
Date: Fri, Dec 14, 2007, 7:27 PMHi Martin,
We're sitting in Houston waiting for our final flight home. Enjoyed Napo much more than we thought we would. Wasn't so sure about the 2 hr. dugout canoe ride, especially when we found out we had to get up at 4:30 am the next morning and do it again on the way to the parrot clay lick, but the more we did it, the more enjoyable it became. Saw both parrot clay licks, 2 kinds of monkeys close up, caymans, lots of birds, a tapir, heard marching wasps (freaky!), army ants, etc. Our guide, Andreas, was knowledgeable and a very good guide--we enjoyed him immensely. The center is beautiful, especially looking at it from the water. Sixto (?), the native guide, was also very good, he was amused when our interpretations of what we thought he was telling us were totally off base. My husband and I did this tour to push our envelope a bit, and that's what happened in a very positive way. We also enjoyed the dinner at the restaurant the evening of our return to Quito, something we weren't expecting to be included. I will be writing a positive for Trip Advisor about NWC. Thanks for setting everything up.
Jeanne & Bill Downey
FANTASTIC!!!
-- K. Ebel & S. Root
From: K. Ebel...
To: Martin Haggland <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: FANTASTICO!
Date: Thu, Nov 29, 2007, 11:17 AMHi Martin,
We're back and our trip was FANTASTIC!!! I have to get settled here, but we can chat maybe early next week. I know you still have to get back home again from California. We LOVED the Explora(s) so, SO much! I am so glad we went there. They're fabulous and we met so many wonderful people. Honestly, I am glad the Awasi didn't work out -- half the fun was doing the "explorations" with the different guides and the guests.
Mom said she spoke with you yesterday. Thanks for chatting with her! Believe it or not, our flight from Santiago was 2 hours delayed, we got into JFK late and we missed the return flight to Boston, too. We ended up getting on a 2:20 flight, so we never got home here till after 6pm.
Hope you had fun in California.
K. Ebel & S. Root
I have to commend you in your meticulous organization of the trip...
-- Marcia & Debra Shuwarger
From: Marshu26@....com
To: tours@inkas.com
Subject: our galapagos vacation
Date: Fri, Nov 9, 2007, 7:18 PMHi Martin, Sorry it's taken so long to get back to you regarding our wonderful trip to the Galapagos. We had a great time and it exceeded our expectations. The boat was quaint and had a lot of character. We met up with a group that had been traveling on the boat for a week who were from England. They were a fun group and made the trip very interesting. The downside of meeting them after they had been traveling around the islands for a week was that we did not visit sides of island that they had already been to. We did not go to the Darwin Center as well as the first night on the boat we traveled almost 12 hours straight to get to the other side of the Galapagos. That was a very difficult initiation to sailing and the water was really rough. The crew on the boat was friendly but only the guide spoke English. With his broken accent, it was a little difficult understanding him. But the crew was outstanding, the food decent, and the ship was kept clean. We knew ahead of time that the accommodations were small but we managed. I highly recommend this company and crew for future tourists who want to visit the Galapagos on a small boat.
As far as our experiences in Quito, the guide and driver provided to us were terrific. The guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and willing to help in all ways. The driver was on time and helpful to us getting around the city. From beginning to end, we felt safe in their hands. Both were flexible in adhering to our itinerary and showed us a great time.
Our accommodations were very comfortable. We enjoyed Villa Colona and the gentlemen who run it. We wish we had more time to enjoy their beautiful bed and breakfast. You already know that there was a mix up in our documents at the beginning of the trip but Toppsa took care of it seamlessly. I have to commend you in your meticulous organization of the trip and that every detail was considered. I felt that you took every precaution you could with two women traveling alone and we felt at ease everywhere we went. We ate at some fabulous restaurants in Quito and have no hesitation recommending them to your future clients.
Thanks again for providing our family with another wonderful vacation. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Maybe one of these days we can meet when we're visiting Ryan in New York. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Marcia Shuwarger
The hotels were absolutely wonderful...
-- Gregg & Ellen Hardy
From: "the Hardys" <hardyunc@....net>
To: "Martin Haggland" <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: Re: INKA'S EMPIRE TOURS: BIENVENIDOS!
Date: Tue, Oct 30, 2007, 10:44 AMMartin, Thanks for keeping in close touch about our trip. We did, indeed, have a wonderful time.
Gregg rarely gets sick at home and we have been most fortunate not to be ill on trips -- but he was sick for parts of this adventure.
I must say that we only missed one afternoon at Machu Picchu because he could not go much more. Sheila was absolutely wonderful. She was very kind and understanding and felt bad for him, as I did. She had an excellent knowledge of the ruins, the plant life and all the surroundings.
Ofelia, in Lima, was also very good with us. She knew the city and was great taking us shopping (for me) the last day. We thought the restaurant Fusion was going to be too heavy at lunch, but it was delicious.
I am sorry about the misunderstanding about dinner the last night. We were not sure if we had time to eat in the restaurant, with it opening at 7:30 and we had to leave for the airporet at 9:00 pm. We did not know about room service for dinner. Thank you for any compensation.
The hotels were absolutely wonderful. Being in such a third world country, the hotels you chose were beautiful and some of the best we have ever experienced.
We think the Machu Picchu Pueblo was such a better place to stay than the Sanctuary. It would have been nice to stay at the Sanctuary, if sunrise would not have been cloudy, but the grounds at the Pueblo were so fantastic with all the tropical plant life. I did go on a short orchid walk while Gregg was resting. (I loved it!!) We enjoyed the hummingbird "fights" on the feeders outside our room.
The Monasterio in Cuzco was fabulous. Such a beautiful hotel. We did not have altitude headaches, only GI problems. We did take Diamox, and probably that helped us.
The Sol y Luna was a beautiful setting, we needed more time to enjoy it's grounds.
The Country Lima was also very elegant. The room and bathroom were very spacious and the hotel was beauriful.
Gregg could not fully enjoy the food, but it was delicious when we could eat.
We also enjoyed Eduardo in Puno. He was very unique. He knew all the locals, their family and even their dogs. He was a very good guide and we really enjoyed him. All of the drivers were extremely polite and courteous and could not have nicer. It was great not to have to figure out road maps or have to find taxis.
The ten hour train ride from Cuzco to Puno was long and somewhat boring. The experience of the train was fun, but long. It was nicer the last day to take the shorter plane ride thru Cuzco back to Lima.
In all, it was a wonderful, unforgettable trip, made especially easy by being met at each destination by a kind, knowledgeable guide and driver.
Thank you so much for such good planning and making the experience easy and effortless on our part. We were indeed spoiled.
Gregg and Ellen Hardy
We felt well taken care of, pampered...
-- Ursula & Chris Ekren
From: thomas ekren <ekrent@....com>
To: Martin Haggland <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: RE: INKA'S EMPIRE TOURS: BIENVENIDOS!
Date: Tue, Oct 9, 2007, 9:23 PMHello Martin! Thank you for your welcome greeting. I only looked at it tonight. The Wednesday after our return one of my dogs became ill, and on Friday I had to take him for an emergency surgery to Oklahoma City -- superior surgeon, very good facilities. My rascal dog is back again, as naughty as ever.
Thank you for all your planning! Everything went very well. We liked our hotels. At the Country Club the staff was attentive, friendly. The setting of the Pakaritampu was beautiful, our rooms spacious, quiet. In Cajamarca, the Posada is a lovely, peaceful place. We had a large room with a gorgeous view; there were three Old English Sheepdogs guarding sheep, flowers, a meadow. No horses. I am glad that we opted for the mountain view rooms at Machu Picchu. The Monasterio is special; again, attentive staff, beautiful flowers.
We found Cajamarca and the countryside very interesting; the drive to Cumbe Mayo, watching farmers at work. You had to search for tourists. At the posada there was only one other couple, and our guide mentioned that she had had four tours only during this season.
As you had stated, Pachacamac is all a ruin, with the one reconstraction as an exception. And yet. If you know its history and use imagination, the ruin can come to life. You walk up that pile of sand and there is the green-grey ocean, the niches, benches. For us it was a worthwhile experience. As was the whole trip.
You can see photos, but you do not realize the scale. Scale, in particular, applies to Machu Picchu.
About our guides. The lady in Lima was the best. Kika. Her English was excellent. She was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Ofelia met us at the airport and took us back; she was not the guide; however, Ofelia knows her archaeology and was helpful in warning me that at the National Museum a gallery was closed that exhibited the textiles. So we skipped that museum and went to Barranco. Our guide in Cajamarca, Fany, I believe, tried very hard and was patient with me on our walk to Cumbe Mayor. We were not sure whether she always understood our conversation at lunch. No criticism of her, though. To be perfect in a foreign language you must use it all the time.
I liked the two ladies in Cusco. I cannot recall their names at this moment. We had a great dinner conversation the last evening with Mary, your representative. In Cusco, Chris did not feel well and developed altitude sickness in the afternoon; he just slept. He had been all right previously, except for one minor headache episode. Perhaps we should not have had oxygen at night? It is a theory mentioned by someone we met. Durng daytime your body adjusts to a certain oxygen level. Then at night readjustment. Next day less oxygen.? In Lima, Chris was fine again.
Chris did not take any medication against altitude sickness; I did after Cajamarca because when walking toward Cumbe Mayor, I did not have enough energy and my head felt strange. I decided not to walk up Ollantaytambo so I would not develop any problems, and I did not want to slow Chris down.
The Chinchero weavers. I did not care for their colors nor the stripe patterns. I am sorry. The sweaters were of poor quality. I purchased a small runner, shades of light brown; not expensive; it was meant as a token, something for their economy. Now, I found a more interesting weaver in Ollantaytambo, in the narrow street on the way to somebody's home. This weaver copies old patterns. I recognized a Wari design near the door. Her prices were around three hundred dollars for a square yard. I mention this if you should arrange a trip for someone who collects textiles. I am not a collector.
Let me know if you have specific questions. The drivers were very good, careful. The restaurants. The first day in Lima, the lunch near the ruins, in the ruins. A very good chef. Also the dinner that night. The tasting menu for lunch the last day in Lima was a disappointment. Appetizers, ok. The fish, very good. The breast of duck, no way. Strawberry preserves with it and a mixture with no flavor. It so happened that I had ordered breast of duck at Primo (check Zagat) in Rockland, or Rockport, in Maine -- now, that was superb! Let someone from InkaNatura try it. It was an interestng lunch because of the ambiance. Minimal decor, white walls.
I must stop now. Any particular questions, let me know. If someone would like a recommendation, I would be glad to talk to them, and it would be nothing but excellent, don't worry, go and stay longer! I never worried about pickpockets.
Thank you very much for everything. The execution was perfect, as promised. Do excuse my typos. Tell future travellers that we felt well taken care of, pampered; everything was thought out and taken care of.
Thank you! Ursula Ekren
I could not praise enough the bio program in Manu and our guide...
-- Dr. Roni Berger
From: "Roni Berger" <BERGER@....edu>
To: "Martin Haggland" <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: Re: INKA'S: IT'S TRUE...
Date: Wed, Sep 5, 2007, 3:27 PMMartin,
Thank you for all your help with organizing an unforgettable trip and adjusting to all the changes. Once we got there, the trip was great. Our guide was nice, knowledgeable, fluent in English and very flexible and responsive to all our requests. She was a very intense young woman, so this was a match made in heaven. I cannot praise her enough, and we are very grateful to you. The plan was rich -- a lot of hiking, birding, boating, animal observation, good accomodation, excellent food -- in short -- I could not praise enough the bio program in Manu and our guide. The meal in Cusco was AMAZING. Thank you!!! It was a nice and generous surprise after the challenge presented by getting there.
Roni Berger, PhD LCSW
Thank you for organizing such a wonderful trip for us...
-- Dan Berger
From: "Dan Berger" <dan@....com>
To: "Martin Haggland" <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: RE: INKA'S EMPIRE TOURS: BIENVENIDOS!
Date: Sun, Aug 26, 2007, 4:33 PMMartin, thank you for organizing such a wonderful trip for us.
I have placed some of the many pictures I took online. You can view them here:
http://www.flickr.com/gp/24258156@N00/0c160u
Dan
Had a great time...
-- Jane & Caroline King
From: janeking43@....com
To: tours@inkas.com
Subject: Re: INKA'S EMPIRE TOURS: BIENVENIDOS!
Date: Wed, Aug 1, 2007, 9:06 PMDear Martin - had a great time - details to follow - and thanks! Best - Jane and Caroline
Diving with hammer sharks was sublime...
-- Marc LeBel & Aurélie Papillon
From: "marclebel" <marclebel@....ca>
To: "'Martin Haggland'" <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: RE: INKA'S: HOW DID IT GO?
Date: Mon, Jul 16, 2007, 7:00 PMHi Martin,
Galapagos were fabulous. Anahi was superb! Caso Asilo was also excellent.
Diving with hammer sharks was sublime.
thanksMarc
Our tour was a to die for trip...
-- Marcia Strouss
From: "Marcia Strouss" <river.view@....net>
To: "'Martin Haggland" <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: RE: INKA'S EMPIRE TOURS: BIENVENIDOS!
Date: Fri, Mar 30, 2007, 12:03 PMHi Martin:
Overall, our tour was a to die for trip. Napo Wildlife was flawless. The hotel in Quito was great! The little Italian restaurant around the corner was real nice too (La Briciola). Patricio and Alex from Toppsa were very helpful. The Coral I was nice. Crew and guides were real nice. Food was ok and accommodations a bit tired (bathrooms smelled). Yet, we loved the smallness and things like jumping off the boat. The excursions were great! After comparing the excursions from Coral I and what we could do out of the Royal Palm, I feel the boat is the way to do it. It is difficult getting onto an island unless you are from a cruise boat that has pangas and permission. The Royal Palm had an exquisite setting and the accommodations were first class. Wait staff and reception staff were very helpful...
Marcia
PS I will try to forward you a few pictures when I have worked out the bugs on my software.
Thanks again. I have given your name to a friend who is interested in the Galapagos next March.
We truly loved the experiences that we had in Ecuador and in Peru...
-- Julie Miller-Soros, Michael Soros & Joshua Soros
From: "Julie Miller-Soros" <jmsoros@....com>
To: tours@inkas.com
Subject: Re: INKA'S EMPIRE TOURS: BIENVENIDOS!
Date: Mon, Mar 26, 2007, 11:06 AMThank you Martin. Also, my husband was mistaken about the tips during the trip! I did read your tip guide, but I chose to tip more because the guides and drivers were so good and I know how they struggle to survive. I wanteed to overtip so it really was not a problem! Please know that we truly loved the experiences that we had in Ecuador and in Peru. Thank you again for all your help and concern and thank you for actually listening to our comments!
Julie
Service, people, hotels and choices were good...
-- Michael Soros
Notes from a telephone conversation with Michael Soros on 26 March 2007:
"Great trip! You anticipated everything. Loved Casa Aliso and Gonzalo, our guide in Quito. Service, people, hotels and choices were good..."
The tour was fabulous and we absolutely loved everything...
-- Julie Miller-Soros, Michael Soros & Joshua Soros
From: "Julie Miller-Soros" <jmsoros@....com>
To: tours@inkas.com
Subject: RE: INKA'S EMPIRE TOURS: BIENVENIDOS!
Date: Sat, Mar 24, 2007, 3:41 PMHi Martin,
The tour was fabulous! We all had a wonderful time, but we/I am exhausted from the trip!!!! I think we may have been a little too busy and we didn't have enough down time to rest! BUT, the tour was fabulous and we absolutely loved everything.
Feedback: I'll go place by place -
Quito - Guide (Gonzolo) and driver (Patricio) were great and we enjoyed the tours and the museums, and the equator, etc.... Lunches were fine, but the dinners were only mediocre. Casa Aliso was a wonderful hotel and I'm glad we stayed there.
Airport transfer from Quito to Guayaquil - fine - it went well.
Galapagos Explorer II - good - our suite was perfect and the boat was fine. All excursions and activities were interesting and good. Food was okay: breakfast and lunch buffets okay and dinners were better.
Guayaquil to Lima - transfer from boat was fine and person who met us in Guayaquil airport was helpful and good.
Arrival in Lima - Mariella met us at the airport. She is NOT good! She is not helpful enough and she is not as warm as any of the other guides, drivers, or people. This is a second job for her and it shows that she is not trained for it and she doesn't care enough about the job. She was not good as she was not helpful or warm or sensitive to our needs. The other guide (Alberto) and the driver (Alberto) in Lima were great - fine and we enjoyed the Country Club Hotel and everything we visited in Lima. But, we did too much: we could have left out the Japanese museum of artifacts and weavings because we saw everything in the earlier museum and it was tireing to go to another museum late afternoon. Meals were all good in Lima.
Lima to Cuzco - again Mariella was not a good person to do the airport transfer, but everything else was fine.
Cuzco - guide (Maria and Sheila) and driver were EXCELLENT. Maria, Sheila and the driver were great. They were all very sensitive to our needs and how we felt in the altitude, etc.... We loved them and we loved being in Cuzco, the Sacred Valley, Pisaq, the weaving demonstration, etc....and the Sol y Luna was wonderful. All meals were good and we really enjoyed ourselves.
Machu Picchu - GREAT and very glad that we still had the same guide: Sheila. She was wonderful and she was very flexible and accomodating of our needs. Our son truly enjoyed that Sheila was willing to take him on a difficult hike in the early morning. Sanctuary Lodge was wonderful and meals were great.
Back to Cuzco - Still with Sheila - Great. Also, Maria met us and she was great too. Maria even accomodated Josh so he could photograph inside the museum early in the morning before it even opened! We were all very happy with the great treatment we received here. Meals in Cuzco were very good especially the Incanto Restaurant. We were not very impressed with the last night buffet meal and folklore show at Tunupa Restaurant as it was too touristy for us and we were very tired by then. Also, we're just not very fond of buffets, but it was okay. We loved everything we saw and experienced in Cuzco though and we loved the Monasterio Hotel. This was a great choice and we needed the oxygen in the room!
Cuzco back to Lima - airport transfer was fine. All went well. Alberto picked us up in Lima and showed us a little more on our way to the hotel. We were tired and chose to rest in Lima instead of touring. Lunch and dinner were good and it was great to have a room at the hotel for the day!
Again, Mariella was not very good when she took us to dinner and to the airport to leave. She just isn't right for the job. Sorry, but I know you would want to know this so...............
Anyway, all in all, our trip was fabulous and we loved it. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU DID. Your efforts showed as our experience was great. Thanks.
Julie
Positively memorable...
-- Brian Bernier
From: "" <BBernier@....com>
To: "Martin Haggland" <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: RE: INKA'S: ¡BUEN VIAJE!
Date: Sat, Mar 17, 2007, 11:29 PMHi Martin- I just returned home safely with Wes, Troy and Caroline, Marcia and Sam are at Royal Palm. I wanted to tell you that we had an extraordinary time in Quito and the Galapagos. Your efforts over the past several months made out trip easy and therefore positively memorable. Simply stated, "we had a wonderful time". We are determined to return and when we do I am sure we will be getting in touch with you.
Thanks,
Brian
We truly had a wonderful trip...
-- Thomas, Beverly & Elizabeth Marlow
From: Tamarlow@....com
To: tours@inkas.com
Subject: Re: INKA'S EMPIRE TOURS: BIENVENIDOS!
Date: Fri, Feb 23, 2007, 6:23 PMMartin Hello --
Thanks so much for all the arrangements you made. Every step was as planned. Sabrina was an outstanding representative of the Rapa Nui community. We truly had a wonderful trip and learned a lot. The tour length was perfect -- we did everything we wanted to do -- and it was more than one could do in a day or two.
Thanks again, be sure that we will recommend your organization to anyone interested in Easter Island.
Tom
I had a marvelous visit to Santiago and Easter Island...
-- Prudence Noon
From: Prudy <pnoon7@....net>
To: Martin Haggland <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: Re: INKA'S EMPIRE TOURS: BIENVENIDOS!
Date: Wed, Feb 21, 2007, 9:58 PM
Dear Martin,
Just to let you know that the Marlows and I had a marvelous visit to Santiago and Easter Island. All of the conections were very prompt and the guides were knowledgeable, affable, accommodating, and reliable. We decided to cancel the horseback ride because of potential rainfall, but our tour was just as enjoyable without that addition. Thank you for all of your capable assistance.
Sincerely,
Prudence
Your company is wonderfully organized, professional and punctual!
-- Renée Addison
January 18, 2007
Ofelia was a superb guide! I was especially pleased to see her waiting right at the front of the crowd with my name in big letters when I arrived in Lima at 4:00 in the morning after a long flight! Manuel is a superb driver, especially in the crazy Lima traffic! The transportation was excellent and exceptionally comfortable! Your company is wonderfully organized, professional and punctual!
Renée Addison
It was truly an exciting and enjoyable vacation...
-- Fred & Gail Hooper
January 7, 2007
Hi Martin,
We are sharing these experiences with you because you had been so helpful and insightful in setting up the trip for us that we thought we would let you know where everything was perfect and as expected and where things are a bit different than what we expected. Again, we had a wonderful time and felt well taken care of because of your extensive planning.
Sincerely,
Fred & Gail Hooper
Many Kisses...
-- Cristina & Vincenzo Ferrigno
From: "cristina.ferrigno1@virgilio.it" <cristina.ferrigno1@....it>
To: <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: Honeymoon
Date: Tue, Jan 9, 2007, 10:04 AM
Dear Martin,
I am in Italy.......!!! The trip was fantastic....all o.k. But the tour in Galapagos was different than your description and in Quito two restaurants were closed, and we went to others.
So, thank you for this beautiful trip.
The next time in Peru.
Many Kisses,
Cristina
One of our best trips ever...
-- Ed & Linda Hagen, Vincent & Carol Sideli
From: "Edward Hagen" <elhagen55@....com>
To: tours@inkas.com
Subject: RE: INKA'S EMPIRE TOURS: BIENVENIDOS!
Date: Sat, Nov 18, 2006, 9:43 AMHi Martin
The trip went very well and we were quite pleased. We especially enjoyed Peru and the expert and enthusiastic guides we had there.
The Alta provided high quality service but was noisy with much vibration in transit. Not always comfortable.
The suggested tip on the Alta was $120 per person for the crew - higher than anticipated. If you do not have sufficient cash to tip and/or pay for the extras, they take credit cards, but charge an additional 12%!! You need to alert participants to this fact.
In summary, one of our best trips ever.
Ed Hagen
Jim and I have discussed at length the wonderful time we had in Peru...
-- Kristen & James Policy
From: "Kristen Policy" <kpolicy@....net>
To: "Martin Haggland" <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: Re: INKA'S EMPIRE TOURS: BIENVENIDOS!
Date: Mon, Nov 6, 2006, 12:48 PMHi Martin!
I am very sorry I've been out of touch. Life has been insane! Since returning from Peru, we decided to try to work the current state of the real estate market in our favor and have sold our house, moved into a rental house, and begun the hunt for a new, larger house. Moving is never easy, but doing it with 2 very young boys has bordered on insane. Hopefully, it will all work out as we planned. The sale certainly went our way -- indicating that we sold at the right time. Now we just have to wait for things to bottom out here in San Francisco and begin making offers.
Jim and I have discussed at length the wonderful time we had in Peru and have many thoughts to share with you. I will work on compiling them in a coherent manner and email them to you as soon as that's complete.
In the meantime, we have been discussing making another trip with Jim's family- this time adding either the Chilean or Argentinean wine regions. Is this something you'd be able to/interested in helping us with?
Cheers,
Kristen
Today we head home with many great memories and lots of new friends...
-- Rick Miller & Cherie Fuzzell
From: "Miller, Rick" <RMiller@....com>
To: <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: Heading Home
Date: Sat, Nov 4, 2006, 7:58 AMMartin: today we head home with many great memories and lots of new friends. Thanks for all your efforts on our behalf. The highlight was clearly the Inka Trail but the Titicaca boat tour with Eduardo was a clear second... M
We wouldn't have swapped our guides with any others we saw...
-- Grahame & Marilyn Turk
From: "grahame turk" <turkey@....com.au>
To: "Martin Haggland" <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: Re: INKA'S: GET SOME REST!
Date: Sun, Oct 22, 2006, 4:09 AMHi Martin
The trip was just great with arrangements working like a well-oiled machine! The guides were polite, helpful, informative, had good English, etc. Jose Bardejo was exceptionally knowledgable (history, animals, plants, geography) and Kerry Chirinos was just delightful to be with. We wouldn't have swapped our guides with any others we saw...
We were pleased to have gone to La Paz and the Tiwanaku visit was an unexpected highlight.
To finish at Explora Atacama- wow! The service there is second to none.
Hope these comments are helpful and thanks again for putting it all together so professionally.
Best regards
Grahame and Marilyn Turk
The Amaro Museum was a definite highlight...
-- Haresh Kirpalani
From: "Kirpalani, Haresh" <kirpalan@....ca>
To: "Schmidt, Barbara" <schmidt@....ca>, "Martin Haggland" <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: RE: INKA'S: CAN WE TAKE YOU OUT TO DINNER?
Date: Sat, Oct 21, 2006, 3:39 PMMartin:
1) Your advice to take along as much art materials as possible was very valuable. Thank you.
2) The Amaro Museum was a definite highlight -- thanks for putting that on the agenda. The guide for Lima -- Claudia Ruiz -- was also excellent.
3) In La Paz: There was an outstanding folkloric night. I think some of your future guests might even wonder if it were possible to have such a night in Lima and or Cuzco.
4) Finally: I am just wondering if you do facilitate hiking trips from Cuzco to Maccu Piccu; and whether or not other parts of South America you cover with hiking trips?
With Best Regards, and thanks for helping us have a memorable holiday.
Yours,
Haresh Kirpalani
Accommodations, restaurants, guides were all fabulous...
-- Barbara Schmidt
From: "Barbara Schmidt" <schmidt@....ca>
To: "Martin Haggland" <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: Re: INKA'S EMPIRE TOURS: BIENVENIDOS!
Date: Fri, Oct 20, 2006, 3:02 PMDear Martin,
We only returned this week from our travels in South America -- hence the delayed response.
We thoroughly enjoyed all of the tour -- accommodations, restaurants, guides were all fabulous. We are not sexist, but we both think that the 2 female guides were even better than the 3 male guides, though all 5 were good.
Best wishes and regards
Barbara and Haresh
We were very lucky to find you!
-- Dr. Lori Volkers & Taylor Poole
9/30/06
Dear Martin,
Thank you again for arranging a wonderful tour for us. The fact you are in contact with us two years later is certainly a testament to your dedication. We were very lucky to find you!
Best Regards,
Lori Volkers & Taylor Poole
We landed after flying over Inka ruins and temples and the Andes...
-- Monika & Kurt Jensen
From: "Monika B. Jensen" <mjensen@a....ca>
To: "Martin Haggland" <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: Update from Peru
Date: Wed, Sep 20, 2006, 10:34 AMHi guys; the update from Peru
We spent the first few days in Lima, under cloudy skies even though the Internet said sunny!! We had a great tour of the city and ate in some wonderful restaurants...one we are recommending to everyone we meet is La Gloria...the waiter there was the best...ordering for us. And of course Pisco Sours everywhere, all the time!!!
[Thus begins one of three detailed letters describing their experiences on the Grand Tour of the Inca Empire with their friends Giselle Baretto and Marco Pedro.]
I loved the mummy bundles: creepy, but pretty amazing...
-- Giselle Barretto & Marco Pedro
From: Giselle Barretto <gisellemb@....ca>
To: "'Martin Haggland'" <tours@inkas.com>
Subject: First report from Peru
Date: Wed, Sep 13