My daughter and I have recently returned from a World Expeditions Best of Peru and Bolivia tour and I thought that I would give you our thoughts on the tour. The accommodation, meals, transport and organisation were excellent – the long-boat trips were just lovely.
After arriving at our accommodation in Cusco (the owner was such a nice woman) we met our main guide, Veronica Illa. There was nothing that Veronica didn’t know about this wonderful area around Cusco and she was willing to do anything for us. She is certainly a wonderful guide and we feel privileged that she was our tour leader. Once again the transport,drivers and attractions we visited were excellent. We were always picked up on time and our luggage was always taken care of. Everything ran very smoothly.
The ruins at Ollantaytambo were breathtaking and Veronica explained in detail, the Inca history. We loved our accommodation here! We started off on our 4 day Inca trek and at an early stage got to marvel at our wonderful porters. They are such hard working people who we admired greatly. The tents were always set up for us well before we arrived for meals and sleeping (and the toilet facilities).
But I think everyone was surprised by the quality and quantity of the food that was served up for each meal – piping hot and on time, every time. The gear pack and tents were all in very good condition and everything ran like clockwork. We were sad to see our porters leave us on Day 4.
The history of Machu Picchu was explained so well by Veronica and we had a lovely stay at Aguas Calientes before our trip back to Cusco.
Lake Titicaca is a magical place. The floating islands are amazing but the jewel in the crown on the lake was Taquile Island. We had such a wonderful time on this island with the homestay family. The family was very welcoming and we had a fun-filled time with their 3 little girls. They served us lovely food and we could have quite happily spent another night on this island to wander and discover a little more.
Our Bolivian guide, Sandro Diaz and our new driver took us to our lovely Hotel in La Paz.
We felt that Peru was so happy to welcome tourists to their wonderful country.
Overall,we had a wonderful experience in a different culture which we enjoyed immensely. I knew that I would love Peru but I just didn’t realise how much !! Thank you World Expeditions.
Variety the Children's Charity Vietnam by Bike Challenge

VARIETY THE CHILDREN'S CHARITY VIETNAM BY BIKE CHALLENGE 
Riding a mountain bike along the byways of Vietnam is without doubt the most rewarding way to expereince this rich and varied destination. Travelling by the same mode as the local people enables one to interact and gain a mutual respect that one would not normally encounter by alternate means. Travelling at a slower pace, we are able to better absorb the long and complex history of the country as well as enjoy the beautiful scenery of the coast, plains and highlands that have drawn so many traveller. Along our route we will be in contact with the real Vietnam and include a visit to a primary school and orphanage as we cycle through this fascinating country.
Call 0800 350 354 for further details




