Aidan1150’s Andes & Altiplano tour

Loving this and while I have most of 2027 already planned, this is making me think again about a South American tour. Fantastic photos and the food looksRideADV amazing. Is this an all-inclusive tour with fuel, accommodation, meals included and are the extras proving expensive or reasonable? It sounds like your guide is doing you really proud at the moment, fair play to him. I’m also curious as to how good the alpaca tasted!
Thank you very much @Mongoose

Yes, this is an all-inclusive tour which includes all your accommodation, fuel and lunch on riding days. You pay for your own evening meal every day and your lunch and dinner on non-riding days. Your flights out and home are also on your own account.

I booked with the US company RideADV without knowing that Peru Motors would actually be delivering the tour. Geert the owner of Peru Motors has lived and worked in Peru for over 22 years and is a thoroughly decent man. He has really been challenged by this trip for reasons already covered.

There was no distinctive taste to the Alpaca I must say and sadly I have to say that I found it rather bland.

If you would like to know more about the trip you can call me when I get back and I'll be happy to go through it all with you.
 
Thank you very much @Mongoose

Yes, this is an all-inclusive tour which includes all your accommodation, fuel and lunch on riding days. You pay for your own evening meal every day and your lunch and dinner on non-riding days. Your flights out and home are also on your own account.

I booked with the US company RideADV without knowing that Peru Motors would actually be delivering the tour. Geert the owner of Peru Motors has lived and worked in Peru for over 22 years and is a thoroughly decent man. He has really been challenged by this trip for reasons already covered.

There was no distinctive taste to the Alpaca I must say and sadly I have to say that I found it rather bland.

If you would like to know more about the trip you can call me when I get back and I'll be happy to go through it all with you.
What’s the accommodation like ?
It’s a similar price and set up to our Himalayas trip though also included breakfast and dinner but not lunch .
Our accommodation ranged from very nice to extremely basic

IMG_5956.jpegIMG_5958.jpeg
 
What’s the accommodation like ?
It’s a similar price and set up to our Himalayas trip though also included breakfast and dinner but not lunch .
Our accommodation ranged from very nice to extremely basic
The accommodation is all good Martin with most of the hotels being at least three star. Certainly better than I was expecting.

The eco-lodge in Quince Mil was pretty basic but comfortable which I guess is what those type of places offer to their clientele.

The hotel I am in at the moment in Cusco is quite small, but clean and quite acceptable. Ordinarily we'd be in a bigger hotel nearby but because of our forced rescheduling it was all Geert could get. Cusco is fully booked this weekend.

All in all I am very happy with the accommodation and the grub everywhere has been very good. Sometimes different, but none the worse for that.
 
We had a pretty short run today from Cusco to Ollantaytambo.
Along the way we stopped in Chinchero to see how the local ladies dye and weave alpaca and Sheep's wool. They also farm guinea pigs for the table.

69738a28-ba4c-4756-b493-71938900977b.jpeg

PXL_20260824_145918933.MP.jpg

A few kms further and we stop at the Racchi viewpoint looking out over the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

PXL_20260824_155157657.MP.jpg

PXL_20260824_155225014.jpg

PXL_20260824_155328281.jpg

PXL_20260824_155524107.jpg

PXL_20260824_155131355.jpg

A short distance we turned down a dirt road which 5km later afforded us great views of the Salineras de Maras, over 2000 salt pits worked by ancient Pre-Inca people and is still producing salt today.

PXL_20260824_164042952.jpg

PXL_20260824_164100441.jpg

After a hearty lunch in Urubamba we arrived in Ollantaytambo in early afternoon. There are two huge forts to see here but they are high above the city. I'm saving my energy for Macchu Picchu tomorrow but I hope to be back in time tomorrow to visit at least one of them.

Ollantaytambo is a very old and beautiful mountain city so I had a bit of a wander around the place.

PXL_20260824_210406743.jpg

PXL_20260824_210515549.MP.jpg

PXL_20260824_210822361.MP.jpg

PXL_20260824_211708584.MP.jpg

PXL_20260824_212726627.jpg
 
Machu Picchu, like every other site in the Americas and in Egypt, had far better stonework the earlier the date!
The stonework deteriorated as time progressed, something no one can understand.

I wish I was there with you....One day I shall tread the same ground, enjoy it, soak it up, feel it....This is brilliant.
 
Machu Picchu, like every other site in the Americas and in Egypt, had far better stonework the earlier the date!
The stonework deteriorated as time progressed, something no one can understand.

I wish I was there with you....One day I shall tread the same ground, enjoy it, soak it up, feel it....This is brilliant.
We are very lucky in Ireland to have some of the earliest burial chambers in the western world. Brú na Bóinne (Newgrange) is 1000 years older than the pyramids of Egypt. Admittedly the stonework may not be as precise but still......

Indeed, we have a Court Cairn within minutes of my home that has been dated as being 3500 years BC. Maybe that is part of the reason that I am so interested in the Inca stories.
 


Back
Top Bottom