SAN FRANCISCO, CA, Mar. 4, 2013 – Andean trekking specialist Llama Expeditions
http://www.llamaexpeditions.com/ can now offer guests guided trips on horseback through some of the world’s most dramatic high alpine terrain over 12 days passing through Cusco and into Peru’s Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu.
The per person (double) rate is from $6,025 for the trip that begins and ends in Lima. The tour is inclusive of deluxe accommodations (non camping), some meals (all breakfasts), airport transfers, carbon-offsetting for domestic flights, English-speaking guides, entrance fees for scheduled tours and archeological sites and transportation including by horseback. The trips are offered in April and May and again in September and October. See:
http://www.llamaexpeditions.com/peru-sightseeing-tours/peru-horseback-tours/
Owner/founder Diane Valenti researched carefully to find fit and well-cared-for horses to accommodate guests during the trail portion of the trip.
“These horses are amazing. The ones in the Sacred Valley are Peruvian Pasos. Riding them is a joy because they have that four-beat gait that’s so easy on the rider. Their stalls are kept so clean that you could practically eat off the floor. The horses eat organic food grown especially for them. I think they might eat better than their caretakers,” she said. This breed is exchanged later in the trip for heartier horses from Uruguay that cross the 15,213-foot Salkantay Pass. “These are also amazing steeds for their high altitude endurance. Their trainer seems like a bit of a horse whisperer. He talks to them really softly in Quechua and they pay close attention.”
After an overnight in Lima, guests travel to the Colonial city of Cusco where they begin exploring historic Spanish and Inca sites while acclimatizing to higher altitudes. Day three brings guests to their horses for up to eight hours of riding through Inca ruins, followed on day four by a tour of colonial Cusco and lunch at lunch at Aldea Yanapay, a playful restaurant that support various social projects, including an alternative after-school program for local children.
Day five guests meet their new mounts for the journey to Salkantay Lodge. On the Salkantay route guests may purchase jams and hand-woven textiles made available through Yanapana Peru, an independent, nongovernmental, nonprofit association that helps to reduce poverty through sustainable community development.
Over the next four days, guests experience riding at the top of the world surrounded by snow-capped peaks, descending into a cloud forest and then lower into the Amazon rainforest until the first glimpse of Machu Picchu comes into view after a three hour hike over Llactapata Pass. The next day is spent exploring Machu Picchu followed by rail and van return to Cusco on day 11.
On departure day 12, guests fly back to Lima early in time for a cooking class in the art of making ceviche, followed by lunch and a tour of Casa Aliaga, one of the oldest colonial mansions in Lima and the only one continuously inhabited by 17 generations of descendents of its original owner. International flights home depart that evening.
Llama Expeditions offers a range of
guided tours through Peru, from sightseeing and surfing to multi-day hikes along the Inca Trail. In addition to taking in the iconic scenery and experiencing the history of the Inca, these tours also allow travelers to make a personal connection to the country and its people.
“The company fills the spot between responsible tourism and voluntourism,” said Valenti. “This is a real vacation for people who work hard and want a chance to relax. But it’s also a chance for culturally curious travelers to make a meaningful connection with the people and the land of Peru.” Guests are encouraged to “pay-it-forward” by contributing to a variety of local community development organizations. See:
http://www.llamaexpeditions.com/inspiration.
About Llama Expeditions
Entrepreneur and outdoorswoman Diane Valenti hatched the idea for her company in 2008 over a home-cooked chicken dinner at close to 14,000 feet in the Peruvian Andes. She has been able to apply her over 20 years as a business consultant working with clients such as Genentech, Nike, and Starbucks Coffee Company to her enterprise that goes beyond just ordinary tourism.
Llama Expeditions tours offer full cultural immersion giving guests the opportunity to see how Peruvians live—to talk with them about their dreams and accomplishments and to learn about the challenges they face. Interactions with nonprofit and grassroots organizations are also woven into the itinerary when possible giving participants the chance to experience the difference gifts of healthy food, school supplies, clothing, or sunglasses can make in the lives of some of the world’s poorest people.
Llama Expeditions is a member of the Adventure Travel Trade Association and the International Ecotourism Society. For more information email
info@llamaexpeditions.com or call (415) 553-7731.
