"PERU: OUR NEW VISION "

With these new services we are developing, we aim to give additional information that the people may want about the normal destinations and tours to the most famous cities in the country but mainly, we are developing diferent tours that help, in a direct way, the people in remote communities. Of course the development process is slow because we are trying not to cause a negative impact in their normal lives or the lives of the villagers around. So, at last we have finished our first tour through the mysticism, culture, history, traditions, beliefs and the day-by-day activities of the people from the Andes .

INKA TOUR (COLCA CANYON RESIDENCIAL) - 1 WEEK

According to the latest migratory statistics, in 6 years 7 of the 12 comunities that live in the Colca Canyon will disappear, people are abandoning the countryside and going to look for opportunities in the cities, mostly because the young people want a different life than their ancestors, and later on taking the parents with them to experience the life in the cities. Of course they cannot be blaimed for looking for a better quality of life but in this way all the culture and traditions of the LAST DESCENDANTS OF THE INKAS will be lost forever. Now is the time to do something for them, share their amazing culture, help them to keep their traditions and give them the possibility to experiment with your culture in their own places.

With this tour we will...

• Improve the quality of life of the people living in remote communities
• Share their traditions and return value to their day by day activities
• Give our visitors a unique opportunity, the only one of its type, bringing an unforgettable experience

Tour description

1st DAY

• 8:30 am Bus: Arequipa - Chivay (3 hours), at midday we will visit the local market, were we will find all types of typical food of the Andes region, and we will experience the flavour of some traditional cuisine. Lunchtime at the restaurant called Urinsaya in Chivay (the best local restaurant) were we will be able to try at least 30 different dishes of our national cuisine. After lunch we will go to Cabanaconde by bus (2 hours), were we will eat dinner and rest early to save energy for the next day´s adventure.

2nd DAY

• 7:30 am Breakfast and start the trek at 8:30 am, 3 hours later we will arrive to Sangalle, a natural oasis in the bottom of the canyon. After resting and swimming at the springs and eating lunch we start the climbing to Malata, our base camp for the next 4 nights. We will visit the local museum there (to get familiar with the tools, and accessories we will be using in the next few days). Dinner at 7 with our guest family and early to bed.

3rd DAY

• 7:00 am Breakfast, 8:00 am go to the fields to learn about sowing seeds, working with the ground and paying mother nature for the favour of the food. After the "Taccllado" (which consists of mixing the soil by flipping it around using INKA tools), box lunch and drinking the famous Chicha (beverage made based on corn), and after all the normal traditions involved in this apparently simple activity, go back home for rest and go bed early for the long next day.
  

4th DAY

• 5:30 am Breakfast, 6 :15 am departure to Waruro waterfall, for this specific long day we will take mules because it´s a very long trek and also using mules is a very interesting experience so we can go on the mules and if you want to walk that will be up to you. Box lunch, rest, enjoy and go back home, return time estimate 7:00 pm. Dinner and bed.
• The other option in case you would like to stay at home and do another activity is also 5:30 am breakfast and at 6:30 am go to look for Cochinilla (insect who lives in the cactus and is used as the base for dyes for traditional fabric), and learn all the process of make clothes in a traditional way.

5th DAY

• 8:30 am. Breakfast, natural medicine lessons, (about rituals of the plants, science behind the physical world, Andean Philosophy, explanations about magic and nature spirits), lunch, rest and start the walking back to Cabanaconde town (4 1/2 hours approx), dinner in Cabanaconde and spend the night in a local hostel.
• On this day the use of mules is included in the price but whether you ride or walk is optional.

6th DAY

• 5:30 am. breakfast, 6:00 am bus from Cabanaconde to the "Cruz of the Condor" (40 minutes), here we will appreciate the majestic flight of the condors for about one hour (there are condors at this view point 73 % of the days of the year), then catch the bus to Chivay (1:30 hours), then go to the hot springs and then go for lunch. At 2:30 pm. we will begin the journey back to Arequipa (3 1/2 hours more or less),

7th DAY

• This is an optional extra day that can be used or not. You might want to use it on the first day if you prefer to stay in the oasis because it is an exceptionally beautiful place to be, or you can use this extra day at any other time. There are several things you could do with this extra day, basically it depends on the season you book the tour: dry, wet, fruit season, harvest time etc or you can take part in any other normal activity that people may be doing there at that time.

The price includes :

• Professional, bilingual guide (Spanish/English)
• Entrance ticket to the National Reserve
• Hotel in Cabanaconde (x2)
• Basic lodge in the canyon (x4)
• Buffet in Chivay (x2)
• Food in the Canyon (x6 days)
• Public transport (bus x2 )
• Mules (x2 days)
• Local guide in the canyon (x3 days)
• Transport and entrance for the Hot Springs in Chivay

The price does not include:

• Any type of clothes
• Water or snacks
• Drinks like sodas, beers, rum, pisco etc.
• Backpack
• Sleeping bag (recommended but not strictly neccessary)
• Sun cream and Insect repellent ( recommended in rainy season December to March)
• Torch/Head torch
• Tips (for local guide or professional guide)

The price of this tour is € 138 per person and there is no minimum group requirement.

The "Colca New Experience" tour includes a donation to Traveller Not Tourist project work which will be used to finance our projects working to relieve poverty.

OTHER TOUR OPTIONS AROUND PERU:

We are now working with a tour agency who we consider to be environmentally and socially responsible.

We will get 50% of the profits of any tour booked through this agency as long as you say that you heard about them from us.

It is really important that you tell them when booking that you came through Traveller Not Tourist.

To see the tours on offer, please visit their website at www.landadventures.net

Please remember to say that you heard about them through Traveller Not Tourist so that we can use 50% of the profits from your tour to help children living in poverty.