When our guests return from an Aracari adventure with memories and reflections to last a lifetime, we know our job as pioneers of extraordinary travel experiences, has been done right.

This was the case for Tom Cohen and his wife, a couple from San Diego, USA, who travelled to Peru with Aracari just a few months before the pandemic hit. Having never visited South America, Tom was keen to work closely with our expert Travel Designers, to ensure their trip would be aligned to their personal interests and passions.

From there, the partnership between Aracari and our guests flourished. The couple enjoyed a one-of-a-kind adventure in Peru. Traversing rainforest and rocky valleys, their trip encountered some of the most spectacular sites in the country, incorporating luxury every step of the way. From a first-class train ticket to Machu Picchu, to a lodge hidden in the forest canopy.

Fast forward 12-months on from then, and sadly many of us are still experiencing restrictions on international travel. Pining for adventure, Tom and his wife began reminiscing on their personal journey with Aracari, collating photographs and videos from their experience. And it’s this nostalgic recollecting, that resulted in an Aracari first.

Tom generously opened an invite to the Aracari community. Inviting our friends into their home, to join them at a unique virtual travel event, as they look back on treasured memories of a wonderful trip. The couple also reached out to two of the Aracari guides who made their experience whilst in Peru even more memorable: Alberto in Lima and Ruben in Cusco.

Hoping to reconnect with both guides, who became great friends during their time in South America, Tom asked if Alberto and Ruben would join them as co-hosts of their virtual showcase. Of course, our experts were more than happy to oblige, resulting in a cross-continent celebration of travel and culture.

For those lucky enough to be local to San Diego, of which there were three within our community, we had another way of making Peru feel a little closer to home. Monica Szepesy, the owner of Peruvian restaurant Q‘ero in Encinitas and one of our newly integrated luxury Travel Designers, personally prepared a special Taste of Peru menu to accompany our virtual travel event.

Over 180 of our friends from across the globe registered for this unique travel event, with 64 logging in on the night to watch live. The evening flowed from North to South America, as both Tom and his wife, and Alberto and Ruben, talked guests through their trip and answered any questions from those curious about planning their own Aracari adventure. All of the tips, insights and knowledge shared from both parties made this a fantastic resource for anyone considering a trip to Peru.

If that sounds like you, and you didn’t get chance to register for the event in time – then don’t worry, we have recorded the stream so that you can access it on-demand here, at a time to suit you.

For Marisol and our team, it was a privilege to witness first-hand the power travel can have, even in a time when everything remains virtual. The friends one meets along the way, the connections, communities and cultures discovered, can come to truly define significant moments in a person’s life.

A huge thank you to Tom and his wife, to Albert and Ruben, to Monica, and to everyone who joined the live stream. The enthusiasm and passion of our friends and clients really is what makes Aracari such a unique and special community.

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If you’re a friend of Aracari, perhaps with your own memories to share, then please get in touch – we’d love to hear from you.