Haku Expeditions

A little more guidance as to what is needed each day. A better time line ahead of time. Boxed lunches for Manchu Picchu were heavy and unnecessary since they couldn't be eaten while at the ruins. Did a good job knowing time we needed to acclimate. Great trip- we loved our guide, Ruben. Nicole was very helpful in addition details for my trip to Bolivia Well done. We would recommend to my friends

Great experience in the Sacred Valley with Nicole and her team...they easily redirected a plan that turned out to be too ambitious, into one that was the highlight of our trip, a hike along an old Inka trail down the mountains through the Pisac ruins. the drivers and guides were wonderful. Scott

We had a truly amazing trip! We spent 16 days in Peru and visited Cusco, the Amazon, Lima, sacred valley and Lake Titicaca. Despite the complexity of the trip, everything was like clock-work! It was a great combination of hiking, exploring, experiencing the local culture and city visits. Nicole did a great job of staying in touch with us throughout the trip and making sure we were well taken care of. Our guides were superb! They were all very knowledgeable and friendly. Especially our sacred valley guide Rubin did an amazing job!

Thank you!
Ayca

We hiked the 5-day Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu in mid-May, 2018. Our guide, Ruben, was really wonderful - very friendly, enthusiastic, and kind, good English, a font of information about local cultures and the natural world, and just great company. Nicole was patient, helpful, and responsive in the trip selection and preparation. The trek itself was really beautiful and rewarding - it turned out to be a great choice and we're really glad we did it. We LOVED the small-group format (max. 5 people) - and ended up being the only ones on the trip so Ruben was our private guide! We were very appreciate of having warm beds to sleep in (in modest lodging) because it got REALLY cold at night, below freezing at the highest elevation (bring many layers!!!). The food was quite yummy, sufficient, and we appreciated the local flavors. And in case you're wondering, the trip is a great value - you definitely get your money's worth!

A few caveats: we are in our 50's/60's and in good shape (we hike/work out regularly but are not "hard core fitness buffs". This hike was the hardest physical endeavor we've done - thank goodness we had beautiful, sunny, dry weather! We heard tales of misery about doing the hike in the rain (very muddy and slippery trails) and overcast skies - so I'd advise avoiding this trip during the rainy season November - April. There are a lot of loose rocks in many sections of the trail (though few steps, which we were thankful for) and several steep inclines/descents so hiking poles are a must! We had originally thought of also doing a bike trip, but are REALLY glad we decided not to, because we were worn out after the trek (diarrhea/sore bodies happen!) - we opted for cultural/historical tours through another great outfit, Unique Peru Tours. Oh, and make SURE you acclimate to the high altitude for at least 3 days before you attempt the hike, no matter how young and fit you are!

Thank you, Nicole and Ruben, for making this a wonderful, memorable trip!

We had already booked our flights to Peru, so we had very specific dates to plan our trip to Machu Picchu around. Nicole asked us what we wanted to do and worked around our dates to create a great itinerary. Each day of our trip was planned out for us, including accommodations and most meals. We were able to see Machu Picchu and even got to hike to the top of Huayna Picchu!

Nicole made sure that all of our last minute needs were met and even gave us recommendations for our time in Lima after our tour with KimKim.

They were extremely helpful when any traveling issues arose such as forgetting my passport or extending my stay in ollantaytambo and our guide was very knowledgeable about the Incan civilization and was able to tell us all about the places we were hiking through. The only thing I would have wished was different was that we could have spent more time touring macho picchu with the guide before getting to hike up the mountains.

My husband and I have travelled much of the world and we would put this as one of our top trips. The country was beautiful, the people were amazing.
Nicole helped arrange everything for us and it was a perfect combination of trekking and learning about the local people and their cultures.
Our guide Ruben was fantastic!! He catered to us and went above and beyond to help us and to make our experience as memorable as possible. As an experienced guide, we slowed him down but he waited patiently for us with a smile! All of the people we met along the way seemed very comfortable with Ruben and were very welcoming to us.
When we left Toronto to head to Peru both of us were a bit scared as to what was ahead of us for a trek, but we made it and Ruben helped us every step of the way.

I have suggested to my friends and family to do the same trek, it is a trip we will always remember and cherish.
thanks to Nicole and Ruben!!

Thank you, Haku, for arranging this wonderful trip. All aspects of the Salkantay trek were excellent. Our guide, Rubin, was knowledgeable about all of the logistics and provided us with lots of information on local culture and customs, and plants and history.

Our first evening accommodation at the refuge at Soray Pamp was a great start. We were served a delicious lunch and the refuge was rustic but lovely. We could see Mount Salkantay in the distance. We took a day hike to Glacial Lake Humantay which was spectacular. We were welcomed back with a delicious dinner cooked by the gentleman who ran the lodge.

The day 2 hike over the Salkantay pass to Chalullay was grueling but satisfying. We arrived at Chalullay in the late afternoon. Accommodations were a bit chilly but beds were comfortable. Day 3 we hiked through rainforest cloud, a more gentle up and down hike with lush vegetation and views of the river. The evening at the Coffee plantation was a highlight. Fredy the owner and his family were wonderful hosts and the accommodations were very nice. We enjoyed the warmer climate at this elevation. With our guide translating, Fredy showed us the step by step process from growing and harvesting the coffee beans to roasting them for our breakfast. From here we started on an Inca trail with a long but not as challenging hike.

Highlights were the ruins of Llactapata and lunch with views to Machu Picchu. At the end, we took a short train ride to Aquas Caliente and Macchu Picchu. We were very glad to have the opportunity to climb Huayna Picchu on our visit to Macchu Picchu. At Nicole's recommendation, we added an evening in Ollantaytambo where we enjoyed the lively town square, local activity, and the ruins. On our return trip to Cusco by car, we explored the salt mines and a village were weaving and knitted goods were produced and sold. The knitted goods in Peru are beautiful.

We also booked 3 days in the Amazon rainforest in Puerto Maldonado, also arranged by Nicole and Haku. Our guide Efraim was excellent-- extremely knowledgeable and helpful. And Freddy, the local contact who picked us up by boat, cooked us lunch and carried our luggage through the jungle had endless energy. Our stay at Lake Sandoval lodge was memorable. Great food and service and the setting, overlooking the lake was memorable. The lake was full of otters, caiman, and fish, and at the water's edge, we enjoyed the monkeys and variety of birds.

We would highly recommend Haku to plan a custom itinerary for a Cusco based travel adventure.

Nicole was incredible, and took the time to figure out what kind of trip I wanted, then helped me adjust last-minute when I needed to make some emergency changes.

I plan to recommend Nicole to anyone I hear is going to Peru—whether they ask for recommendations or not :)
She was available, helpful, knowledge, and lovely.

We had a good guide, Joise. To improve, it would have been great if we had more communication from the travel agent.

Everything was good. Had a good driver and perfect guide. Would have liked to have more communication