Cusco Adventure
Peru
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Oct 16 - Oct 19, 2024
We had 3 days in Cusco before we joined our yoga retreat and decided to work with KimKim to come up with an itinerary for us. We have used KimKim twice before and have always had excellent customer service as well as a great itinerary! Anne Godoy was wonderful and didn't mind the many questions I had or the changes that we made. She responded promptly to our inquiries, made excellent suggestions, and was always available to chat via WhatsApp when we needed it. KimKim is the best! Anne booked a local company in Cusco to set up our excursions and we couldn't have asked for a better time. It's great to have locals because they know the city, the people, and the history. Our amazing guide, Julio Quispe Fernandez, was the best. He was right there to meet us at the airport and took us to our hotel where check in was super easy. Then we were off. We went on a walking tour of some of the city and his knowledge of the city and it's history was so impressive and interesting. He was so enthusiastic. We later met with Seledonia, who owns Mama Seledonia's restaurant, and we went shopping in a local market to select ingredients for the dinner we would be cooking later at her restaurant. What an experience! All the vegetables, fruits, meats, spices, potatoes on display--it was incredible, and beautiful. We made a delicious dinner and Pisco Sours (yum!) and had the best time with Seledonia and Julio at dinner. We even took several of our yoga group back on Friday night for dinner--and it was even more delicious! The next day we went kayaking on Lake Piuray and had a fabulous lunch all cooked in a clay fired oven outside by some local women. After lunch, we rode a bit and then took ATVs to the Inca Experimental Agricultural Lab in Moray and then we visited the Maras salt flats and learned about the past and present operation of those. So incredible. Our final full day was spent riding bikes along the Urubamba River (approximately 20 miles). The weather was perfect, the scenery gorgeous. We were thoroughly pleased with all of our excursions and the level of detail that was taken to make sure we were picked up at the right times, had knowledgeable guides and responsible drivers, given water and lunch, and then returned to our hotel. We also felt safe the entire time. KimKim has always been great about providing you with excellent guides and very detailed and efficient itineraries and they will work with you to the level of "adventure" that you are looking for. Highly recommend and we will be using them for all of our travel needs.
Hotel Review
This hotel was a jewel. It's tucked in a narrow street and you don't know how beautiful it is until you go through the door. The patio is the first thing you see and it's so pretty-lots of seating and firepits for cool nights. The restaurant is right off the rear and the bar as well, both of which are great. Our room was perfect for us. A comfortable king size bed, several bottles of water throughout the room, space for our clothes, and coffee/tea if we wanted it. The room was very clean and the waters were replaced several times each day and there is also a filtered water fountain in the lobby. Everyone was very friendly and personable. We had a spa treatment our last day (massage and then they hyperbaric chamber--so great!) and that was wonderful. The lobby has a neat little room off to the side that has waters, teas, and coffee for you. The restaurant was great too--we ate breakfast there each morning which included a delicious buffet with fruits, oatmeal, breads, salads, fresh juices, and coffee or you could order from the menu. They also served lunch and dinner, and everything we ate was yummy. The bar staff was so friendly and made drink recommendations for us. We loved sitting at the open window at the bar and watching the activity on the patio. The location was great--within walking distance of so many restaurants, shops, market places. The entire vibe was wonderful and we would definitely stay there again.
Activity Reviews
This was one of the best things we did. Seledonia was so much fun and although she couldn't speak much English and we couldn't speak Spanish, we could communicate wonderfully through smiles, laughter and gestures. She took us, along with our guide, to a local market that was incredible. All the vegetables, fruits, spices, meats, potatoes--it was mind blowing. And so beautiful!! We picked out the items we needed to make our dinner and then walked to her restaurant, Mama Seledonia's. We chopped and diced and had a grand time. We also got to make Pisco Sours, a delightful cocktail that was delicious. We had so much fun shaking those and dancing around. Our first course was a lamb stew that percolated on the stove while we chopped more veggies and spiced our filets for the main course, a delicious Peruvian-Asian fusion dish served with rice. We sauteed all that up on an open flame and didn't burn the place down. For dessert we had fresh fruit, fresh cheeses, and this amazing bread that we dipped in some sort of magical melted chocolate drink. The whole experience was absolutely incredible. We laughed and hugged and had the absolute best time. Her whole staff was so friendly, even though you know we were in their way (the restaurant was open for business). We met her husband and 2 of her children and they were delightful as well. We loved it so much, that later that week when we met up with some of our retreat group members, we all went to dinner at Mama Seledonia's and it was by far one of the best meals we had while in Peru. I highly recommend you do the cooking class.
The lake was so pretty and our guide was a very passionate young man who loved the outdoors and taking us on our kayak journey. We were given wetsuits and taken to the water to start paddling. It was a very quiet lake, we were the only people on it for the longest time. Our guide told us about all the mountain ranges, the different birds that are there, some of the history, and at the end I jumped off and went swimming. The water was so refreshing! Oh, we also so flamingos. It was a great trip. Not very strenuous at all. After kayaking, we went back to shore and showered (they have a rudimentary outdoor shower) and were given a wonderful lunch cooked totally outdoors in a clay oven. It was so good, along with fresh fruits. Again, the people there were so kind and friendly. We were lucky and the weather was perfect!
This was a lot of fun--ATVs are a great way to get around! We had a little "training" session first before heading out and then we followed out guide off to Moray to see the Incan Experimental Lab. There wasn't much traffic and he went slowly so we didn't have to worry about keeping up. He gave signals to us when to change gears and when to slow down/stop. We were able to stop and take photos and ask questions. The Experimental Lab was incredible to see--the ingenuity of the Incans is mind blowing. We were there for about 15 minutes and then we went back the way we came and dropped the ATVs off. The whole ATV experience was probably 1.5-2 hours. We definitely enjoyed it. We then got back in our van and went to the Maras salt flats. There weren't many people there as it was late in the afternoon, so that was nice. The salt flats are beautiful, and the reflection of the sun just enhanced their beauty. Julio, our trusty guide, filled us in on the history, past and present, and it was fascinating. We saw some women actually scraping the salt into piles to let it dry. On the way out, we bought some salt to bring home with us. Definitely worth visiting.
Dear Graham & Patrick
I have not many words to express how happy I was when reading your review, and mostly that you had such a great time while you were traveling with us, and also for taking the time to review each experience. Julito sends his regards, he and Antigua Casona San Blas make such a good and personal experience, I wish all our travelers could experience.
Thank you for kind words, it was very nice crafting the best trip for you two. If you every come back to Peru, please let us know.
I wish you the best on your future trips!