Review: Family Vacation in Peru, Ecuador & The Galapagos Islands, Quito, Cusco, Lima, Machu Picchu, Cooking Lesson, Wildlife

There were plenty of highlights and hard to pick. The whole trip was enjoyable. We made plenty of memories, our best souvenirs! 

Spending time in Quito was good choice as a start of our vacation. The restaurant recommended by our guide was on point for authentic Ecuadorian meal. Going to middle of the world is a must. latitude 0’0”

Traveling to the Galapagos, the small cruise ship was an excellent choice (we generally do not like cruises). The cruise ship itself was an excellent experience. This allowed us to have more adventures at different islands. Our daughter said she was happy to see the animals in their natural habitat and not attached to chains or in a cage. The blue and red footed boobies with their babies on the trees and diving down 3 meters deep in water to get food and flying back up in the air. Frigates flying side by side with us at the cruise ship and seeing their inflated red chest like a balloon. Chest pumping lizard, yellow iguana, pink flamingoes in the wild, black marine iguana, sealions breastfeeding. Sharks, eagle rays swimming with their pods next to our zodiac.  We have learned so much about nature and the environment during this trip and how to make a difference when you get home. 

Flying to Quito at the beginning of the trip then to Lima only for 1 night before flying to Cusco helped us quite a bit to avoid the earful altitude sickness, besides for mild headaches and minimal swelling which all improved after the next day. Our travel agent’s itinerary worked well to avoid this and he was right! 

Experience at Cusco is a great area not just the city but the Cusco region. In  Hacienda Sarapampa we learned about the inka corn and had an excellent lunch,  what a way to start our adventures in Peru.  Buying presents and of course the sweater at alpaca farm was nice. Salineras de Maras and Moray ruins were amazing, finding out how the Inca designed and use this place. Brought home some Sal de Rosada. It does taste different when you cook with it at home.

Our hotel staying in Valle Sagrado was surrounded by mountains and having hammocks and tea throughout the day in the premises.

Our guide picked us up at the hotel and orchestrating our bags to meet us at Aguas Client and the other bags to go to Cusco when we get there was amazing with the bags not lost and already waiting for us at our specified rooms was very efficient. We all took the train ride from Ollantaytambo to 104km to start the day 1 hike to MachuPicchu. our guide carried oxygen for us, though we didn’t need it. great to know it is there if needed. He constantly made sure we are okay throughout the trek. It was amazing to see different things that we would not have seen if we didn’t take the trek: a leaf that cooled us (gum tree), Winaywayna, wild tobacco leaf, Urubamba river curving the mountains, wild orchids that look like bamboos.

A packed lunch for each of us, accommodating a vegetarian meal, complete with drinks and desserts prepared for us and enjoying it in the middle of the mountain was awesome.

As we cross the sungate our guide waiting for us there, seemly like we have finished a marathon race. Our medal was the much awaited MachuPicchu peering its beauty and all of its glory for us to see was worth all the heat and sweat. It was all BREATHTAKING! we were all speechless even our 10 yr old daughter. We all sat there admired the view (after taking endless amount of pictures of course).

Our guide was excellent. He knew all the spots to take pictures and he even took it for us 

The citadel tour the next day and learning how the inca’s lived, even more surprised and amazed at what they had done.

The trek to the big waynaPicchu with its steep and difficult/technical climb was quite exhausting and more scary for us. doing this while you have a whooping sinus infection is even more tricky. Having our 10yr old daughter trek this mountain leading both myself and my husband without a guide was an unforgettable experience.

Taking the luxury train, Hiram Bingham with entertainment and 4 course dinner was a great reward after our MachuPicchu adventures. 

Glad to have stayed in Cusco for another 2 days in Cusco for cooking class and visit to the San Pedro market with our chef and bean to bar chocolate class .

Last leg of our trip was in Lima, the Ceviche was well worth waiting for. 

All in all, Had many adventures and a lifetime of memories that our travel agent made possible. Thank you!