Peru small group tour, Southern Peru

Environment

Tourism to Peru has boomed over the past few decades. For this reason there is even greater emphasis for tours to be carried out in a responsible and sustainable manner.

We have picked hotels specifically with this in mind: for example our beautifully located lodge just outside the Machu Picchu ruins is part of the eponymous Inkaterra hotel group, a leader in sustainable tourism in Peru. It is their mission to provide vacations to diverse exotic destinations in Peru, in a responsible manner that respects the culture and people who live here, in addition to preserving the environment.

One of the principle reasons for the National Reserve of Salinas and Aguada Blanca National Park near Arequipa being established is to preserve the diverse flora and fauna endemic to the region. In visiting the extraordinarily beautiful park on this trip, we provide financial support to schemes created to preserve communities of Vicuña, Guanaco (llama), Taruca (red deer) and flamingo. In addition, our accommodation for the two nights in the Colca Valley will be at the famous Colca Lodge, sensitively constructed using traditional Inca methods and materials typical of the region and look attractive with minimal impact on the surrounding area.

Community

Your tour leader, who is either from or spent a considerable amount of time living in Peru, will encourage interaction with the local communities at every stage. This includes trips to local markets in Cusco, the Sacred Valley and villages in the Colca Valley. Also included is a trip out to the Uros Islands in Lake Titicaca, where a selection of remote, traditional communities have turned to tourism to diversify their livelihoods and welcome visitors to their extraordinary islands, entirely made of the local totora reed. A wonderful opportunity to experience the fascinating indigenous way of life.