Name: 19 Day Grand Colombian Odyssey and Adventure
Brand: TripRover
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Price: 12760 USD
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Rating: 5.0 (1 reviews)

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I loved this trip . The Tucano is a great little ship, and if the weather's good you can eat out on the top deck and watch the river and rain forest go by. The guides were terrific -- they knew the area well, and could tell you about the use of medicinal plants or even take you piranha fishing.  There were plenty of opportunities to go on shore  and occasionally we'd visit an isolated village. My only disappointment was that it's hard to spot wildlife, though we did see some of the famous pink dolphins, heard plenty of howler monkeys, and, at night, spotted some sloths in the tree by spotlight.

Amazon Nature Tours

Voyage to the Heart of the Amazon

Exodus Adventure Travels

Across South America

TripRover

ROW Adventures

Southern Explorations

Naturetrek

National Geographic Expeditions

Destination Ecuador

Kuoda Travel

International Expeditions

SouthAmerica.travel

Machu Travel Peru

Fantastic trip!  Great itinerary, great leader and wonderful country.  
Everything was beyond expectations.  A busy and well organised adventure that 
highlighted the diversity of Peru.
Many wonderful moments.  Flying over the Nasca lines was a highlight, having 
studied pre-Hispanic South American history decades ago and finally seeing 
them.  The condors at Colca Canyon were amazing.  On of our free days, we 
visited Rainbow Mountains;  a surreal landscape that was breathtaking.


Excellent leader.  Knowledgable, passionate, very calm and relaxed.  Very 
hard working and kept everything running smoothly, organising many activities 
for the diverse group.  Amazing organisational skills. I've done a number of 
small group tours (Intrepid, Geckos) and Reynaldi is one the best tour 
leaders I've known. Outstanding.


Plenty of sunscreen.  If hiking, take good equipment, although some can be 
hired before trekking.  Take layers of clothing, as weather ranges from very 
cold to very hot.


If you wish to visit museums on the itinerary, check that they are open on 
the day that you visit.  I was looking forward to visiting the Ica Museum, 
but it was closed on the day we were there. Unfortunately, that wasn't 
mentioned in the trip notes. I think it would be good if Exodus mentions 
museum closures in the trip notes.

Peru Explorer

This trip was fabulous, there was just so much to see and do it really was 
amazing how much we crammed in. If you want a trip that shows you all of Peru 
then this is the one for you as you truly explore all of it.

Its a long trip and i absolutely loved it!
For me the most inspirational part was walking the Inca Trail and arriving 
into Macchu Picchu. The hiking really felt like I was in deepest darkest 
Peru, I kept thinking I would bump into Paddington Bear around the next 
corner.

There's loads to see along the trail and I never got bored, I even enjoyed 
the steps!


Ollie was superb, very knowledgeable and constantly organising the next part 
of the trip, when people on the trip were suffering from altitude sickness he 
was so kind and caring and really supported those that suffered, he really 
earned his tip!

Ollie totally knew his stuff and was happy to answer any questions or help 
any time at all. He was also very patient and level headed when he needed to 
be.

A superb leader, i'd like to nominate him for an award!


This trip is full on and if you are planning to do the Inca Trail do not 
under estimate the difficulty of the hiking. Whilst this is perfectly doable 
even if you have some difficulties physically you really do need to train 
properly in order to get the most out of the walk for you and your fellow 
members of the group. I strongly recommend that you follow the training plan 
on the exodus website and work to the level 4 plan not level 3. Its the 
altitude that makes it harder.

Make sure you take enough clothes to keep you warm on this trip as i was cold 
for most of it (particularly at night) :(


I loved this trip, I've wanted to go for 8 years so to finally get to visit 
and see everything I wanted to was amazing. Macchu Picchu is so special and 
quite amazing to see, if its on your bucket list don't hesitate.

As described, the itinerary encompasses a tremendous range of activities, 
venues and experiences which provided insights into the country's culture, 
history and heritage. We met many interesting people along the way and had 
great fun with fellow travellers and guides. As usual with Exodus trips there 
were many early mornings and some long journeys, but these are necessary for 
the trip to achieve the stated aims! Hotels were comfortable and all had 
suitable amenities. Food - and drink - was plentiful and tasty and generally 
good quality. The route was well planned and enabled us to fully acclimatise 
before attempting the focal activity for us - the Inca Trail. It also put the 
trail and Machu Picchu into a broader context so that we appreciated it all 
even more. Support on the Inca Trail, from our guide and 'porters' was 
exceptional. We had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed (almost) every 
minute.
Walking the trail, arriving at and visiting Machu Picchu was the real 
culmination as that was our main objective, but was heightened as a result of 
what we had experienced on the trip beforehand. There was magnificent scenery 
in many places, but especially at sunset and sunrise on the trail. Condors 
soaring overhead in Colca Canyon were also awe inspiring.


Mike was exceptional. His knowledge enthusiasm and passion for his country 
and its cultural heritage added a whole extra and very special dimension to 
the trip. He ensured that everything was very well organized and he managed 
individual needs particularly well - especially on the Inca Trail. He also 
ensured that we got full benefit from other local guides and anyone else 
supporting the trip, such as porters and drivers. There was a real feeling of 
one team dedicated to helping us to get the most from the trip. He also 
engendered a real sense of 'family' for us trippers. All this with a 'wicked' 
sense of humour!


Money - we didn't have any need for US dollars. Credit cards were usable in 
most restaurants. Credit and debit cards gave a far better exchange rate than 
cash in the UK - especially if you have a fee free card.
Climate / Weather - didn't really get a feel for the temperature range from 
the trip notes and most towns got colder earlier than anticipated.
Inca Trail - the packing list for the trail possibly over complicated 
requirements. Also trip notes were not clear that you need stuff for six days 
allowing for the night in Ollantaytambo before (as well as the night in Aguas 
Calientes after) - but you can leave things in the lodge at Ollantaytambo and 
pick up on return. It is worth doing aerobic activity beforehand as the 
altitude on day 2 had experienced walkers puffing!


Other companies often have a different schedule for the 4 day Inca Trail. The 
Exodus model suited us perfectly and we often had the trail seemingly to 
ourselves. If you are thinking about doing it - just go for it!

A very special and well coordinated trip,  crammed full with different places 
and experiences - from amazing and varied scenery, plants and wildlife to 
interesting Inca and pre-Inca history, plus the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu  
experience.
Our hard-working porters who amazed us everyday by setting off after us on 
the trail, carrying  their enormous packs and by the time we finally arrived, 
not only clapped us in, but had warm drinks and tasty meals ready, and our 
tents all set up!

In terms of what we experienced - amazing condors soaring on the thermals in 
Colca Canyon; the huge numbers of breeding Peruvian boobies and pelicans on 
and around the Ballestas Islands (not to forget the penguins); tarantulas and 
ghost spiders in the jungle, and brightly coloured  humming birds in so many 
places - and finally the brilliant clear night sky in Nazca!


Renaldi (Reny) was informative and helpful throughout and mindful of group 
members' different needs, particularly on e.g. long travel days where travel 
sickness affected some of the group.

He gave us interesting insights to Peruvian life and culture and brought 
alive what we were seeing  day to day in the countryside, villages and towns, 
as well as describing the challenges of a society in transition from a 
largely rural way of life to an urban one.

He worked well with local guides, and all the guides we had were personable 
and well informed and made the places come alive.


It's not really a holiday more an experience!
Read the trip notes carefully - this holiday calls for stamina and resilience 
because of the early starts, long road journeys and the altitude changes. 
Once at altitude pace yourself - it's surprising how quickly you get out of 
breath!
The Inca Trail length is moderate but the altitude make it tougher, plus Peru 
weather is  more variable than it used to be. For example, although dry 
season, we had two days of rain on the Inca Trail. So go prepared for all 
seasons and seek your guide's advice on what's expected for the days you're 
walking.


Generally having a briefing each evening for the following day, (along with a 
quick note of the start time for the day after that) worked well. The 
exception was arriving in Cuzco after a long day on the coach, complicated by 
the need to decant into a minibus to negotiate the narrow streets.  It then 
came as a big surprise to find that we would in effect have to pack for the 
Inca Trail by breakfast time next morning.
This generated more questions from the group than all the other briefings 
combined, before we got to a clear understanding about the logistics i.e. 
that we would need to pack an overnight bag for the hotel in Ollantaytambo  
as well as stuff for the trail, and have both of these on the bus for the day 
in the Sacred Valley.
Ideally the trip notes would contain a clear bullet point summary to read in 
advance, or a handout given earlier on the trip, to make it clear that we 
leave the  main luggage a day earlier than everyone anticipated.

We went on this trip in July which is the Peruvian winter.
This tour lasts for around 3 weeks and for the majority is packed with a full 
itinerary.  You start at Lima, known locally as 'Donkey Belly' because it is 
always cloudy due to the local topography and weather systems. To be honest 
Lima is OK but a typical capital city with usual buildings of interest and 
you really don't need to spend much time there. We did however get our first 
sample of the local Peruvian alcoholic drink - Pisco Sour. A brandy based 
drink made from the skin of grapes. It is one of Peru's best kept secrets. 
You must try it! Hotel clean and functional.
 From Lima we were driven in a coach that had more room than needed for our 
party of 14 which would see us all the way through to Cuzco. We needed space 
as the trips can be long and some folks felt a bit nauseous. The two drivers 
were lovely chaps and couldn't do enough for us. Exodus always provide large 
boxes of water for each leg of the journey and is always needed. From Lima 
you then head off down the coast on day 3 to visit Pachacamac Fortress an 
Inca coastal settlement. . Interesting enough and a good place to take photos 
of the settlement which is dry and dusty. This a good taste of the first of 
many Inca sites throughout the trip. Afterwards on to the coastal resort of 
Pucusana where we had lunch and a boat trip around the bay photographing the 
numerous pelicans. The food at the restaurants here and throughout the trip 
was of a high standard and most enjoyable. The hotel here was pretty basic 
and the rooms small.
The following day we headed for another harbour for a high speed boat ride to 
the Ballestas Islands, which we understand has more sea birds per square 
metre than anywhere else in the world. If you have a telephoto lens then take 
it as the variety of birds is fantastic, including penguins. You can't get 
too close due to the rough sea and rocks but this excursion is truly 
spectacular. Can imagine folks could feel a bit nauseous if the sea is too 
rough, so keep looking at the horizon. Later we visit the Nazca lines from 
watch towers which is really needed to gauge the perspective of these unusual 
markings.
The next day is pretty arduous as we travel inland across dry and sometimes 
windy uneven roads to Arequipa. A number of our party felt or were ill due to 
travel sickness on this 10 hour drive. We have a few short stops along the 
way which are greatly needed. The following day we discover this old city and 
are rewarded with some great photos of the surrounding dormant volcanoes and 
one live one. The city is very interesting and gives visitors a much better 
insight in to local Peruvian life and culture. The trip to the convent is 
very interesting. The hotel was very quaint but lovely with a huge atrium. 
The city square is well worth a visit for supplies and at night is pretty 
lively.
On day 7 we visit the Colca Canyon, a spectacular drive along the edge of the 
valley.  The famous Condors are the treat at the end! We leave fairly early 
after breakfast and are lucky as the thermals are starting just as we 
arrived. We saw these wonderful graceful birds in all their glory soaring 
time and time again. Use that telephoto if you have it. They are not the only 
birds as we also saw lots of other smaller varieties including the South 
American Large Hummingbird. This spectacular place was surreal, although if 
the weather is against you (as it was the day after) the Condors won't come 
out to play.  The drive here to Chivay climbs high through the mountains and  
very bendy but had spectacular views.

The hotel at Chivay was more basic but reasonable enough. Wifi here was poor 
and can be patchy at many of the hotels. Exploring the town here and the 
local market is relaxing way to spend the evening. Our guide as always will 
recommend places to eat. We didn't sample the hot springs but many of our 
party did and thoroughly enjoyed it. We had been put off by previous reports 
of lack of cleanliness but our group didn't notice anything untoward.
The additional local tour guides that are picked up at each stage along the 
way add immensely to the enjoyment with them imparting their specialist 
insight to the region we visit. We rated all of them, all of whom had an 
excellent command of English.
The next part of the trip was to travel to Puno on the edge of Lake Titicaca. 
We are climbing it seems all the time but stop regularly at view points and 
to see the wild Vicuna and Alpacas roaming the high plains. Puno is a 
thriving bustling City we plenty of sights and local amenities. The hotel and 
food here was very good with the central plaza a very popular place to spend 
some time. The next day we visit the Lake and board a boat that takes us to 
the Reed People who literally spend their lives floating on the lake on the 
reeds. Full of local tradition and colour you will be invited to spend some 
time with these people with ample photography opportunities. You finish off 
by taking a trip around the reed village in their own boats which would look 
more at home on a pleasure park, but great fun nonetheless.

As you travel higher some travellers may start to feel the effects of 
altitude. We did take the recommended medication for this part of the journey 
and all the way through to Machu Picchu. We felt more fatigued than normal, 
so a more relaxed pace and plenty of fluids is the best solution.

Another long coach journey but with more stops and less bendy all the way to 
the Inca capital of Cusco. We spend more time at Cusco than anywhere else but 
the hotel is ok but fairly basic. Maybe Exodus should look at an upgrade. My 
friend didn't do the Inca Trail and spent even more time there. If you are on 
the ground floor then there seems to be a lot of noise from staff and guests.

Cusco however is a lovely City full of history and tradition. As always the 
central plaza is the main focus of the locals and truly worth an evening 
visit. The restaurants were also very good and you can try local dishes such 
as Alpaca or Guinea Pig. We visited the spectacular Sacred Valley and the 
fortress at Ollantaytambo, and a vibrant local market was well worth a visit 
. Take care not to take photos of the locals unless they are happy for you to 
do so. Many will ask for a Soles or two.

The next part if the trip is the Inca Trail. Everyone will have wonderful 
memories of this but here is what we experienced. You start off early to get 
on the trial so the weather is chilly. You climb for most of the first 2 days 
then descend for the rest. We travelled in winter and at night it does get 
very cold and you are under canvas. We chose to take our own sleeping bags 
but I the ones you can get from Exodus are perfectly good with a warm liner. 
Unfortunately it did also rain for a couple of the days, which can drench you 
all the way through. Fortunately we had decent quality ponchos bought in the 
UK (you need them). The paths can get slippery so robust good quality hiking 
boots or shoes are a must. Walking Poles, I would thoroughly recommend for 
steadiness on uneven parts. The tents are waterproof enough although the ends 
did get wet and although the ground for the most part only had a slight 
incline you did slip down the tent during the night. Wear dry clothes at 
night (I wore thermals) especially if your day clothes are damp. You climb as 
high as 16,000 ft across Dead Woman's Pass (another group photo).

The walk is a reasonable pace but due to the altitude a slow pace is best and 
the guides will keep this steady pace. The Porters and they were probably 25 
of them just for our group, did an absolutely fabulous job, packing and 
unpacking each day, cooking really amazing food and just about seeing to 
everything. All the water is boiled and therefore clean, make sure you drink 
plenty. We took small bottles of concentrated juice from home as this helped 
mask the taste of boiled water. Just remember, you will get wet, you will get 
cold, you will get hot, so you need to pack for everything but the Porters 
will only carry 7kg of your kit. The rest is up to you and your day bag, so 
only take stuff absolutely necessary. All of your other luggage and suitcase 
will be waiting for you at hotel at the end of the trek. You get an enormous 
sense of achievement doing this walk but you will get out of breath 
especially on the way up. Along the way you visit some amazing Inca sites and 
you have regular stops for rest and refreshments. Exodus plan this very 
carefully. Although the trail is only about 26 miles, don't forget it's up 
and down all the time. The travel toilets are as you would expect basic, and 
only at camp. There are some loos along the way but not many. A trip to the 
bushes maybe called for but you must take you own paper and you cannot leave 
it in the bushes. Doggy poo bags probably good to take along.

The night before the final day you stay very high up overlooking the 
mountains that lead to Machu Picchu. We had a lot of mist and cloud but when 
it cleared the spectacular scenery is breathtaking. On the final morning you 
say goodbye to the Porters who earn every Soles you tip them. They carry 
around 25kg each on their back and speed past you as they go the next site, 
sometimes wearing just sandals in the rain.

As you cross the Sun Gate Machu Picchu comes into view in the distance. 
Nothing prepares you for this awe inspiring site. Forget the photos you've 
seen, this leaves you speechless. The group gather together for the usual 
group photo then proceed downhill to this famous Inca phenomenon. You spend  
quite a bit of time at the site taking photos but don't go in to the main 
part which is the plan for the next day. As you leave the site weary, smelly 
but elated you go on a switch back coach ride to Machu Picchu town. After 
being fairly remote walking in the mountains you are faced with a loud and 
huge swarm of day trippers. You have to queue for the bus which took us about 
20 minutes.

The hotel in Machu Picchu was fairly good although some in our group 
complained they had no hot water, which after 4 days under canvas would have 
been an extreme disappointment.

The following day our Exodus guide Renaldi (Renny) took us on amazing 
historic guide of the Machi Picchu site. You just can't get enough photos of 
such an extraordinary and magical place. Nothing really prepares you for what 
you see.

In a way everything is sort of an anti-climax after Machu Picchu but you 
still wonder at the marvelous scenery of this geographically varied country. 
The train back to Ollantaytambo through the deep valley was an excellent way 
to leave Machu Picchu. We then catch a minibus back to Cusco, a bit crampt as 
all the seats were taken up by the group. The next few days we 'come down' 
with a few more days in Cusco and visiting other Inca sites.

The final part of the tour is a short flight from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado 
in the Amazon. You stay in lodges built on stilts and sleep under mosquito 
nets with no hot water (cold shower), but of course you expect this. After 
the dryness of the west coast and the elevation of the trek, the Amazon seems 
to be out of place in Peru. Whilst there we enjoyed the high speed river 
journeys, the late night Cayman spotting, the night trek in search of wild 
like and the boat trip on the lake catching Piranhas. Great sunsets along the 
river and the trek to the lake was very enjoyable. Saw some monkeys and 
plenty of birds but I guess we were hoping to see more wildlife.

Just a final point of caution. On our flight back we landed in Cusco to pick 
up more passengers for onward to Lima. However at Cusco, the airline company 
Avianca in their wisdom, decide that the air conditions (too hot) would 
affect lift off and they offloaded some of the suitcases, some of which were 
from our party. It took some nearly 2 weeks to be reunited with their baggage 
with Avianca hopelessly not interested. It didn't detract however from a 
wonderful and memorable holiday.
Lots, but of course the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu itself. The Inca sites 
generally were breathtaking. Loved the boat trip to the Ballestas Islands. 
Colca Canyon and the Condors. The Reed People and the trip into the Amazon.


Renaldi (Renny) was a fantastic group leader, caring, considerate and 
compassionate. Everything worked like clockwork, with him on the phone at 
every point to ensure we would be met without hold-up. His knowledge was 
phenomenal especially concerning the Incas, Cusco and Machu Picchu. He had 
such a vast knowledge about everything Peru. He is a credit to his industry.


Weather: be prepared for everything from wet to hot to cold. Take layers for 
the trek that can be taken off. Wear good rainproof hiking shoes or boots. 
You need to grip. I slipped over a number of times on the descent even with 
good boots. Take a quality poncho. Walking poles a must. Take a good quality 
waterproof jacket to suit the season. It gets very cold at night on the hike.
Cameras and phones can't be charged for 4 days on the hike, so take a spare 
battery or large battery charger. Caution, all batteries must be carried in 
hand luggage including from phones and cameras otherwise Avianca may offload 
your luggage.
Headtorch a must for hike and Amazon
Altitude sickness tablets
Refillable water bottle
Hat and sun screen - due to altitude very easy to get sun burn (I did)
Sunglasses


The group we had ranged from 50-over 70 years of age. If you are reasonably 
fit with no health problems you can do the trek. You will get out of breath 
on the way up, but so did everybody. The Amazon part of the journey didn't 
add that much to the trip. Maybe suggest going deeper in to the amazon where 
we may see more wildlife.

Make no mistake, this is not a holiday as such but a full-on early morning to 
evening priceless adventure and experience. If you are doing the Inca trail 
you will probably find yourselves with only a couple of half days spare. Not 
one moment of this will you ever regret - we can honestly say that it was of 
the best experiences in 40 plus years of travel.
Every day was well organised and went as smoothly as any holiday as diverse 
as this one could do.
The hotels were of a good standard, particularly for a third World country.
As far as the Inca trail is concerned, we are in our mid sixties, reasonably 
fit and had no real problems completing it. The porters are just incredible 
and ran past us as we laboured up and down hills!
The food on the trek was amazingly good and we all ate well.
Too many to list!


Our group leader was Renaldi Chacca. After all our years of travelling we can 
honestly say that Rennie, as we called him, was the best we have ever known. 
This was a sentiment shared by everyone else in our group. His depth of 
knowledge about the history, culture, politics and all things Peruvian was 
truly amazing. He was by turns kind, sympathetic, humorous, efficient but 
firm when the situation required it. We felt that we were saying goodbye to a 
friend at the end of the trip.


In July it snowed on the Inca Trail so go prepared for all conditions.

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A memorable trip