Singles Travel Company - Peru-Lima, Cuzco, Machu Picchu, & Sacred Valley of the Incas April 2010

April 10-17/18, 2010
Add our Optional 2 nights in the Amazon Jungle! (April 10-19/20)

Come with us…on a journey to Peru, one of the treasures of South America. Vast in landscapes and diversity, you will see the unchanged culture and breathtaking beauty of the Andes, as well visit one of the world’s greatest mysteries- Machu Picchu-one of the Peru

7 wonders of the world, and the “Lost City of the Incas.” See the former capital of the Inca Empire “Cuzco” and experience the blend of Inca culture and Spanish colonial influence visible in the Cathedrals and the Indian ruins. Travel thru the “Sacred Valley” and enjoy spectacular views of mountain scenery, charming Inca villages and countryside and you’ll see the culture and lifestyle of the modern Andean people during a visit to Ollantaitambo. Enjoy the opportunity to interact with the locals and gain insight into their day-to-day life at a local market.
Join us for an unforgettable time of exploring & sightseeing through this stunning part of the world!
Extend your vacation to the Amazon Jungle for 2 nights!!

Itinerary

Day 1, Sat. Apr. 10 Leave USA
Your South American adventure begins as you depart from your hometown to Lima, Peru! Depending on your arrival time you can start exploring or relax. For those arriving in time, we’ll be meeting for a short welcome get together early evening at the hotel and then maybe enjoy dinner together.

Our Hotel: Los Girasoles Hotel -1 night
At our hotel you’ll feel at home and you’ll enjoy comfort, a pleasant atmosphere, and safety. The hotel is located in the residential neighborhood of Miraflores, the tourist district of Lima. Because of its convenient location you will find within walking distance the best of the City: excellent restaurants, shows, casinos, shops and a spectacular ocean views at Larcomar. The hotel has bright, clean and comfortable rooms. The rooms feature direct dial telephones, Cable TV, minibar, direct access WiFi, and hairdryers are provided upon request.

Day 2, Sun. Apr. 11 Lima
Today after breakfast, with our private guide, we’ll enjoy a half-day Lima city tour, which combines the highlights of modern and colonial Lima with a visit to the world-famous Museum of Anthropology and Archeology, where you will get an overview of Peru's pre-Incan and Incan cultures.
The rest of the day is at leisure to enjoy the other sights in Lima or to relax around the hotel. Maybe dinner tonight together to celebrate the beginning of a fun vacation adventure! (B)

Day 3, Mon. Apr 12 Lima to Cuzco to the Sacred Valley
Today we fly to Cuzco and are met at the airport for a full-day tour into the scenic Urubamba Valley, also known as the Sacred Valley of the Incas. You will drive out of the Cuzco Valley onto the Chincheros Plains, and then descend into the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The first stop will be at two little known sites: Maras, where the Incas gathered salt from steep terraces, and Moray, where they conducted agricultural experiments in unusual land formations.
Enjoy lunch at a charming country inn and continue on to visit the ruins of Ollantaitambo, the historically important stone city where Manco Inca led the last defense against the Spaniards. The town was named after the legendary rebel Inca General 0llantay. Both the design and foundations of most of the buildings date back to the original constructions (Llaqta) of the Inca Empire. The streets still have their Inca names from the time when the town was a strategic military, religious and agricultural center. The town's most salient characteristics are its cobbled streets and a church dedicated to the Apostle Santiago, built in 1620. (B,L)

Our hotel: Sonesta Posada del Inca -2 nights
Posada del Inca Yucay is housed in a beautiful 200-year old, colonial-style mansion located in the Inca village of Yucay in the Sacred Valley. This one-of-a-kind country inn was originally a hot-springs spa in Inca times, and later was a convent in colonial times. The antique building has been enlarged, and the addition blends seamlessly with the old. There are a total of 65 cozy rooms with central heating and private bathrooms. There are also two restaurants, a bar, laundry service, gift shop, chapel, and extensive gardens.

Day 4, Tues. Apr 13 Pisac Market Tour
After breakfast , we depart this morning for an excursion to the northern end of the scenic Urubamba Valley to visit the market at Pisac, where you can shop among hundreds of colorfully dressed Indians, who meet there to trade and socialize and you’ll have the opportunity to bargain with the natives for many different types of Peruvian handicrafts and jewelry. (B)

Day 5, Wed. Apr 14 Urubamba to Machu Picchu
Today you have a full day train excursion to the spectacular ruins of Machu Picchu. We’ll transfer to the station in Ollantaitambo for the train departure and in less than two hours we’ll arrive at the foot of Machu Picchu. Mini-buses take us up
a serpentine road to the dizzying heights of the ruins where we begin our walking tour of this fascinating Lost City of the Incas with a private, expert English-speaking guide.

Perched 8,200 feet above the valley, Machu Picchu was hidden by mountains and semi-tropical jungles for 400 years until discovered by Hiram Bingham of Yale University in 1911. Archaeologists believe that the Inca "Virgins of the Sun" took refuge from the Spanish Conquistadors here. Lunch is on your own and you have the afternoon for further explorations of the ruins on your own, or you can continue with your guide.
The gates to the ruins close in the early afternoon and the last bus back down the mountain departs shortly after that. When you get into the village of Aguas Calientes your guide will walk you to the hotel, where your luggage will already be waiting for you. (B)

Our Hotel: Presidente Hotel- 1 night
The three-star Hostal Presidente is located in the heart of Aguas Calientes, tucked between the mountain and the beautiful Vilcanota River. It is close to the train station and the Machu Picchu bus depot, with only a short one-mile ride to the Machu Picchu Sanctuary. The hotel is a two-story, low-rise building painted in yellow and terracotta with tiled roofing. The decor of the rooms is very basic with terracotta flooring in some and carpeting in others. All have modern furnishings. Room amenities include: Air-conditioning, satellite television and refrigerator. Hotel amenities feature: Bar-restaurant (open for breakfast, lunch and dinner), continental breakfast included, fax services, laundry service, luggage porters, and luggage rooms. The staff is very helpful and friendly.

Day 6, Thurs. Apr 15 Machu Picchu to Cuzco
We’ll enjoy another full day at Machu Picchu for exploration on your own. You can either visit the ruins again (at an extra charge) or just spend the day exploring your surrounding area. Sunrise from Machu Picchu is an amazing and spectacular event; you can make arrangements about getting back up to Machu Picchu. Also note there are less crowds at the ruins if you are there before the train of people come in from Cuzco.
Later we take an afternoon Vistadome train back to Ollantaitambo, where we’ll be met and transferred to Cuzco. NOTE: The round trip bus transfers to Machu Picchu and the admissions are not included this day. Dinner is at leisure. (B)

Our Hotel: Hotel Samay- 2 nights
Located in the heart of Cuzco, just one block from the Plaza de Armas, the Hotel Samay is an old house that was once part of Inca Garcilaso de la Vega’s (the first writer from Cuzco) residence and nowadays is the Museum of Cuzco. The hotel has 70 heated, carpeted rooms with private bathrooms, cable TV, and access to the internet for a fee. The staff is pleasant and accommodating, and the bar and restaurant are popular places for people in Cuzco to gather.

Day 7, Fri. Apr 16 Cuzco
Enjoy a leisurely morning before your tour of Colonial Cuzco including the Temple of the Sun, Cathedral, Plaza de Armas, and other landmarks. Continue on to the ruins outside of Cuzco. We’ll ascend into the hills surrounding the city to visit the Incan ruins of Kenko, Pucapucara, Tambo Machay, and the great stone fortress of Sacsayhuaman.
The afternoon is free for exploring or shopping and our farewell dinner is tonight! (B,D)

Day 8, Sat. Apr 17 Cuzco to Lima-Fly Out Tonight
Morning transfer to the airport for the return flight to Lima. You will be met and transferred back to Los Girasoles Hotel where we’ll be provided with dayroom accommodations for the rest of the day. Later this evening we’ll be transferred to the airport for our overnight flights home. (B)

Day 9, Sun. Apr 18 Arrive Home Today
Arrive home today after a wonderful Peruvian vacation!

Optional 2 Night Extension to the Amazon Jungle
Our Jungle accommodations-------POSADA AMAZONAS

Day 8, Sat. Apr 17 Cuzco to Puerto Maldonado
Instead of heading to Lima and home you’ll transfer to the Cuzco Airport for the short 55-minute flight to Puerto Maldonado. You’ll be met by a guide and then be driven ten minutes to the Puerto Maldonado headquarters. While enjoying your first taste of the forest in tropical gardens you will be asked to pack only the necessary gear for the next few days, and leave the rest at the safe deposit- this helps us keep the boats and cargo light.
Skirting Puerto Maldonado, you’ll drive 20 kilometers to the Tambopata River Port, entering the Native Community of Infierno. The port is a communal business. Then a forty-five minute boat ride takes you from the Tambopata Port to Posada Amazonas and into the Community’s Primary Forest Private Reserve. All the boats are 20-foot long, roofed canoes with 55 hp outboard motors. On arrival, the lodge manager will welcome you and brief you with important navigation and security tips.
After getting settled and exploring our lodge, take a 20 minute walk from our lodge to the 30-meter scaffolding canopy tower. A banistered staircase running through the middle provides safe access to the platforms above. At the top expect spectacular views of the vast expanses of forest cut by the Tambopata River winding through the middle. Now and then toucans, parrots or macaws are seen flying against the horizon, or flocks of mixed species will land in the treetop next to you.
After our included dinner tonight an ecotourism lecture on the Infierno ecotourism project is held by a staff member. (B, Boxed L, D)
Overnight in Posada Amazonas.

Day 9, Sun. Apr 18 Jungle Stay
On early rising you’ll hear some great jungle sounds…. After breakfast we head to Tres Chimbadas and Oxbow Lake which is thirty minutes by boat and forty five minutes hiking from Posada Amazonas. Once there you’ll paddle around the lake in a catamaran, searching for the resident family of nine giant river otters and other lakeside wildlife such as caiman, hoatzin and horned screamers.
Today also visit the Parrot clay lick- this clay lick is a twenty-minute walk from Posada Amazonas. From a blind located about twenty meters away you will see dozens of parrots and parakeets descend on most clear mornings to ingest the clay on a riverbank. Species such as Mealy and Yellow- headed Amazon, Blue-headed Parrot and Dusky headed Parakeet descend at this clay lick. The clay lick is most active at dawn and during the late mornings and mid-afternoons.
After lunch we take an Ethnobotanical Tour-a twenty-minute boat ride downriver leading you to a trail designed by the staff of the Centro Ñape. The Centro Ñape is a communal organization that produces medicines out of forest plants and administers them to patients who choose their little clinic. Discover the medicinal (and other) uses of selected plants.
After dinner we take a night walk which gives you the option of hiking out at night, when most of the mammals are active but rarely seen. Much easier to find are frogs with shapes and sounds as bizarre as their natural histories. (B, L, D)

Overnight in Posada Amazonas

Day 10, Mon. Apr 19 Posada Amazonas to Puerto Maldonado Airport to Lima
After breakfast we head back by boat transfer to Tambopata River Port, to Puerto Maldonado Headquarters and then to the Puerto Maldonado airport for your flight to Lima. You’ll be met in Lima upon arrival and transferred to the hotel where you are provided with dayroom accommodations until transfer back out to the airport at night for your flight home. (B)

Day 11, Tue. Apr 20 Arrive Home
Arrive home today after a wonderful Peruvian vacation!

Price---Optional 2 Night Extension-to the Amazon Jungle
$575 -per person based on double occupancy. $159-for a room by yourself
Price Includes: airfare Cuzco to Puerto Maldonado to Lima; all airport taxes and fees; transfers Puerto Maldonado/lodge/Puerto Maldonado/Lima to hotel; 2 nights accommodations at jungle lodge; all meals at lodge-7 total (3 Breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners); all excursions listed in itinerary.

Price
$1899.00 Land only, per person, double occupancy (we can assign a roommate)
$ 399.00 want a room to yourself?-add to above rate- (Very limited availability!)

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Price---Optional 2 Night Extension-to the Amazon Jungle
$575 -per person based on double occupancy.
$159-for a room by yourself

Price Includes: airfare Cuzco to Puerto Maldonado to Lima; all airport taxes and fees; transfers Puerto Maldonado/lodge/Puerto Maldonado/Lima to hotel; 2 nights accommodations at jungle lodge; all meals at lodge-7 total (3 Breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners); all excursions listed in itinerary.

Airfare: International airfare is not included. You fly into and out of Lima. We can try and coordinate flights together depending on where you are flying from.

PLEASE NOTE –IMPORTANT AIR FLIGHT INFORMATION:
You can arrive anytime on April 10 into Lima airport. HOWEVER, for your return flight out of Lima book your flight on a late night flight Saturday night, April 17- most flights leave around midnight for the states arriving home on April 18.
Flights if taking the optional post jungle extension: book your departure flight out of Lima on a late night flight, Monday, April 19 arriving home April 20. If any questions…please call or email us.

Airport Transfers: $20 each way ($40 roundtrip). Please make sure we have your air schedules asap. Transfers at this price available only on days of travel dates of trip.

Travel/TripCancellation Insurance: is highly recommended for many reasons-i.e. travel to a third world country and it is an adventure trip- so please consider the purchase of it carefully as it covers a lot of important & unforeseeable issues that may arise before & during your trip-i.e. illness with you or a family member prior to or during your trip, lost luggage, medical problems that may arise during your trip, also, if needed, it includes important assistance while you are overseas. Please inquire when signing up for the trip. A travel insurance pamphlet with all prices and insurance information will be sent to you with your trip invoice receipt for your deposit. Please review it carefully and call the insurance company directly to sign up.

Vaccinations/Immunizations: We are traveling to Cuzco, Machu Picchu (and to the Amazon Jungle in Peru if doing the extension). No shots are required for travel, however, you must consult with your health care provider before traveling to make sure that your vaccinations are up-to-date and/or to see what your medical provider recommends for medication/immunizations for travel. You may also want to consult the Center for Disease Control’s website, which has extensive and easy-to-use information on Travelers’ Health for specific destinations: www.cdc.gov/travel. A list of travel clinics is also provided by the International Society of Travel Medicine at their website: www.istm.org.
In the Andes altitude sickness (or Soroche as it is known in Peru) can be a common problem. Please consult with your MD as high altitude sickness can affect anyone; there are medicines that can help with the high altitude, so please follow the advice of your physician. Acclimating yourself to the altitude is advised- take it easy on the first day you arrive in a high altitude area; meals should be light, avoid alcohol and all strenuous exercise. Another way to combat altitude sickness is by drinking mate de coca, a Peruvian tea made from the coca plant. In the Andes – mate de coca is available everywhere.

Price does not include items of a personal nature- i.e. phone calls, laundry, alcoholic & other beverages not offered with included meals, meals not included, tips to guides & drivers, travel insurance, and Peruvian airport departure taxes approx.$30. Please keep in mind that these prices are subject to change.

Passport: For U.S. citizens current passports are required to enter Peru, a visa is not required. Please make sure your passport name matches exactly with the name you give us. Also, your passport has to be still valid up to 6 months after the end date of this trip. Non U.S. citizens must check with their consulate for required documents to enter Peru. It is completely the travelers’ responsibility to make sure they have the correct documentation to enter Peru and that their name is as it shows on their
passport. Failure to carry proper proof of citizenship may lead to a denial of entry to the aircraft or foreign country and no refunds will be made. No refunds will be made if improper documentation results in denied boarding or entry.
From our tour operator: Due to the travel requirements to Peru, we must request that the following information be obtained from each passenger prior to traveling: EXACT PASSPORT NAME, PASSPORT NUMBER, EXPIRATION DATE, DATE OF BIRTH, AND NATIONALITY. This information will only be shared with the appropriate agency and/or government office requiring the information.
Airline tickets and travel vouchers cannot be released without prior receipt of this information.

Activity Level: This is an adventure trip! There will be lots of walking, hiking and activities. Also high altitudes will be encountered, for example-Cuzco (11,000 feet), Machu Picchu (8,000 feet), so you should discuss the trip with your personal physician prior to departing the United States. Travel to high altitudes could pose a serious risk of illness. If you are doing the jungle extension you must be active and aware that it is in the jungle where it is humid and conditions might be as you expect but that adds to the excitement of staying in the jungle!

Fine Print –Peru-Lima, Cuzco, Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley of the Incas-April 10-18, 2010
& The Amazon Jungle 2 Night Extension
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY.   Your payment for a reservation on this trip constitutes consent and acknowledgement of all the provisions in this Fine Print listed below and in the Singles Travel Company General Terms and Conditions. Make sure you read both of these important pieces of information and call us with any questions. Please fax/mail us the Reservation Form found on our website with your reservation.
Payments        A deposit of $300 is due with your booking. $100 deposit for the Amazon Jungle Extension.
Final payments are due 70 days prior to the trip. Payment by credit card or check (payable to Travel Advisors).
IMPORTANT from our tour operator:   there may be a charge of $25 on any reservations made within 21 days of departure as a special handling fee to cover the costs associated with expedited processing of the booking. After deposit, a $25.00 fee will be applied for each revision.
Cancellation Fee and Refunds     All cancellations must be in writing. Cancellations 91 days or more prior to the trip will receive a full refund of your deposit, less a $50 cancellation fee applied to your credit card. Any cancellations 90 days or less before date of departure, no refund will be provided. No refund on unused portions of the trip.
Travel/Trip Cancellation insurance is highly recommended.

Peruvian Facts
Population: approximately 24 million inhabitants .Capital: Lima, founded 1535. Population approximately 8½ million.
Official languages: Spanish, Quechua and Aymara. (Aymara is spoken in some areas of the Puno department.) Many other dialects exist in the Amazon region. English is usually spoken in major tourist areas.
Principal Exports: minerals, petroleum, fish products, coffee, cotton and wool.
Time: Local time coincides with Eastern Standard Time in the U.S.A. and is five hours behind Greenwich Mean Time.
Electric Current: 220 volts, 60 cycles. Luxury hotels have special 110-volt outlets.
Political Geography: Peru is divided into 23 departments (like states) with each department broken down into many provinces.
Weather: The Andean Highlands have two typical seasons: wet and dry. From May to October rain is sporadic and sunshine fills the sky daily. It is often very pleasant in the Andes during this season. The lowland jungle region is very tropical and has a warm and humid climate throughout the year with the dry season running from April through to October.

Enjoy the mysteries of Peru……..from Lima to Cuzco to Machu Picchu to the Sacred Valley of the Incas....then take our optional Amazon Jungle extension!
You’ll love this adventure!

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