South America 2019
In June of 2019, Allan and I took Jacob, Jack, and Lawson to South America to celebrate Jacob’s graduation from high school. We met Jacob and Jack in Miami, where we boarded our flight for Peru. Lawson would join us later in Ecuador.
I believe in private. Private tours and private drivers. I want flexibility and control over my itinerary. It’s also about efficiency, comfort and avoiding crowds. However, there are also times, especially for young and solo travelers that “figuring it out as you go” is best for meeting friends.
This particular trip had less flexibility. Both destinations, Machu Picchu and the Galapagos are tightly controlled by their respective governments. Tight control is absolutely necessary to protect the environment. However, we did have private tours and transportation. For Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, we used Andina Travel. Our guides were outstanding! I would highly recommend Andina.
In the Galapagos, we used Galapagos Alternative. Again, our guides were outstanding. It was even suggested that Clifton marry one so we could keep her.
Our first stop was Lima. We only had one full day in Lima. We explored the Miraflores and Barranco areas and spent an evening at the Magic Water Circuit. Thanks for the recommendation, Tiffy Too!
The next week we spent exploring the Sacred Valley and Cusco and the boys trekked Machu Picchu. Allan and I would relax at Tambo del Inka, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, before meeting the boys at Machu Picchu. Then we spent 2 days “spa-ing” (Jacob coined the term) at Aranwa Sacred Valley Hotel & Wellness.
Our next stop was Quito, Ecuador where we met up with Clifton and Lawson and began our adventure in the Galapagos Islands. We visited three of the four inhabited islands, Santa Cruz, Isabella, and San Cristobal.