Divided by powerful rivers, home to some of the earth's last isolated indigenous tribes, and filled with 10% of the world's species, the awe-inspiring Amazon rainforest is a natural wonder unlike any other. Aracari has personally explored the planet's oldest jungle to handpick the best luxury Amazon lodges Peru, taking into account their guiding expertise, sustainability efforts, comfort and service. Read on for a round-up of our top picks, or contact us to start planning a tailormade trip Peru. The Best Luxury Amazon Lodges Peru BEST FOR WILDLIFE: TAMBOPATA RESEARCH CENTER Tambopata Research Center: Located around eight hours upriver from the city of Puerto Maldonado, Tambopata Research Center (TRC) is the most remote Amazon lodge in Peru and the only lodge within Tambopata National Reserve. Its secluded location deep in the heart of the jungle provides guests unrivaled opportunity for wildlife watching evidenced by the 25% of guests that see jaguars and the colorful spectacle of Macaw clay licks located mere meters from the lodge. Highlights of a trip to Tambopata Research Center also include the chance to participate in authentic wildlife investigations through the citizen's science project Wired Amazon and rooms that offer private decks or outdoor living rooms. Read about Marisol’s (Aracari’s Founder and CEO) experience at Tambopata Research Center. BEST FOR FAMILIES: REFUGIO AMAZONAS Refugio Amazonas: Our top pick for those traveling with children is Refugio Amazonas. Four hours from Puerto Maldonado, this lodge offers the only attraction especially made for kids in the Peruvian Amazon: the Children’s Rainforest Trail. Along with the trail, a special program for teens and a variety of other kid-friendly adventures make Refugio Amazonas one of the best luxury Amazon lodges Peru for families. BEST FOR PRIVACY: AMAZON VILLA Amazon Villa: For the utmost privacy look no further than this cozy Amazon villa located 15 minutes from Refugio Amazonas. With pristine jungle as the backdrop,
Divided by powerful rivers, home to some of the earth’s last isolated indigenous tribes, and filled with 10% of the world’s species, the awe-inspiring Amazon rainforest is a natural wonder unlike any other. Aracari has personally explored the planet’s oldest jungle to handpick the best luxury Amazon lodges Peru, taking into account their guiding…
Get over the winter blues and start planing your exotic, far-flung trips in 2018! If you're thinking about traveling to South America, Peru has it all. Tick Machu Picchu off your bucket list, dine in the world's top restaurants and discover stunning landscapes from the depths of the Amazon to the shores of Lake Titicaca. Here we share our handpicked round-up of some of the top trips to Peru in 2018. 5 trips to Peru to Inspire your 2018 travels These top trips to Peru can all be tailored according to your interests, travel dates and budget by Aracari - the local experts in private tailormade travel to Peru. 1. Classic Luxury Peru Let's kick off with the ultimate must-see destinations of Peru in this classic one-week route taking you to Lima, Cusco and Machu Picchu. staying in luxury hand-picked accommodation with a distinct sense of style and place. Visit Lima with a specialist guide for an in-depth insight into life in the capital – past and present. Savor Peru's booming gastronomic scene by dining in the world's top restaurants in Lima and learning to cook in the private home of a professional chef. Fly to Cusco and drive straight to the stunning Sacred Valley to acclimatize and explore Incan ruins. Travel in serious style aboard the spectacular Belmond Hiram Bingham train to Machu Picchu to marvel at this archaeological wonder. Round off the week soaking up the beguiling colonial streets of Cusco. Read the complete itinerary. 2. Peru with Flavor Peru is the perfect destination for foodies seeking out a world-class gastronomic travel experience. Lima's food scene has exploded, with 10 restaurants currently in Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants list and trail-blazing chefs grabbing the world's attention. This 10-day itinerary takes your taste buds on an incredible journey. From fine dining at Central, the number four restaurant in the world, to browsing
Get over the winter blues and start planing your exotic, far-flung trips in 2018! If you’re thinking about traveling to South America, Peru has it all. Tick Machu Picchu off your bucket list, dine in the world’s top restaurants and discover stunning landscapes from the depths of the Amazon to the…
Peruvian cuisine has been in the spotlight for sometime now, winning awards, inspiring new restaurants in Peru and abroad, and building a reputation that it earnestly deserves. This is in part thanks to the sheer diversity of spectacular ingredients the country boasts - and one of the finest is chocolate, with cocoa beans grown in Peru's tropical regions. There's no better way to sample this food than with a hands-on chocolate workshop Peru at the Choco Museo. Choco Museo's Chocolate Workshop Peru Earlier this week, we went to visit the Chocolate Museum in Lima - or La Casa del Chocolate as its sign announces - to learn more about the treats and workshops that it has to offer. With a branch already in Cusco, as well as Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua, Choco Museo offers more than just your standard museum tour. A Guided Chocolate Tour The master chocolatiers here take you on a journey through time, giving you insight into the ancient history of cocoa in Peru and delivering you to the current understanding of this incredible plant in all of its varieties. Learn about the complex biology necessary to grow and maintain the plant, along with the production process of their organic fair-trade cocoa products sourced from Cusco’s nearby jungle region. Bean to Bar Workshop You can also join the chocolatiers for one of several hands-on experiences, including truffle-making, chocolate sculptures, and "Bean-to-Bar" workshops. Each workshop, perfect for groups of all sizes, comes with personalized instruction and an opportunity to create your own delicious Peruvian chocolates and treats using a plethora of add-ins of your choice. Even better, you can take them home with you (if you can resist eating them right there on the spot, that is). The bean to bar chocolate making workshop is an
Peruvian cuisine has been in the spotlight for sometime now, winning awards, inspiring new restaurants in Peru and abroad, and building a reputation that it earnestly deserves. This is in part thanks to the sheer diversity of spectacular ingredients the country boasts – and one of the finest is chocolate,…
Setting travel resolutions and dreaming about where you'll explore in 2018? As the year draws close, we've put together a rundown of one-of-a-kind inspiring experiences in Peru, Bolivia, and the Galapagos we think should make your 2018 travel bucket list. 2018 Travel Bucket List Inspiration 1. Travel on South America’s First Luxury Sleeper Train Hop aboard the Belmond Andean Explorer, South America's first luxury sleeper train. Of their four routes, we particularly recommend the 3 day / 2 night trip from Cusco, the capital of the Inca empire, to Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca, and onwards to 'The White City' of Arequipa. Launched mid-2017, our team tested out the first class service and came back raving that it was one of the most attentive and accommodating services available in Peru. If you're interested in train travel, check out this Luxury Peru by Rail itinerary. 2. Discover a New Specie in the Amazon Jungle Venture into the heart of one of the richest and most bio-diverse regions on the planet, the Tambopata National Reserve. Here you can stay at the most remote Amazon Lodge in Peru, Tambopata Research Center, and participate in the incredible conservation initiative Wired Amazon. This citizen's science project allows you to tiptoe through the Amazon Jungle with professional scientists, collecting insects and identifying new species. The project discovers about one new species per month, and the traveler who discovers it, gets to name it too! 3. Stargaze on the Salar de Uyuni Salt Flats Located at altitude and almost no light pollution thanks to a sparse population, the Salar de Uyuni salt flat in Bolivia is one of the best places to stargaze in South America. Head out onto the Salar come nightfall with an expert astronomer who will point out planets and the likes of constellations of the southern hemisphere and distant galaxies, seen both with the
Setting travel resolutions and dreaming about where you’ll explore in 2018? As the year draws close, we’ve put together a rundown of one-of-a-kind inspiring experiences in Peru, Bolivia, and the Galapagos we think should make your 2018 travel bucket list. 2018 Travel Bucket List Inspiration 1. Travel on South America’s First…
Once overlooked by tourists as just a stepping stone between Cusco and Machu Picchu, nowadays the Sacred Valley Peru is truly a destination in its own right. Chock-full of activities for all types of travelers, you can hike to little-visited Incan ruins, make friends with the locals in traditional weaving villages, and photograph sweeping, imposing landscapes - all before kicking back in style at the best luxury hotels. The Sacred Valley is only a one and a half hour drive from Cusco and at a lower altitude than Cusco, making it the ideal base to explore the best of the region. The Highlights of the Sacred Valley The Sacred Valley Peru is scattered with Inca ruins and historic sites. Their impressive natural backdrops means they'll easily appeal to avid explorers and history buffs alike. Not-to-miss highlights include Ollantaytambo, one of the most well-preserved Incan towns in Peru built into the hillside affording privileged views, and the Incan agricultural terraces of Moray, which are extraordinary rings of stone terraces built into natural depressions of the earth. The other most-visited Incan sites of the Sacred Valley are Pisac and Chinchero. The Salt Pans of Maras Another highlight of the Sacred Valley are the salt pans of Maras, often visited in combination with Moray. Maras is a stunning array of watered terraces that collect salt and have been in use since pre-Columbian times. These days it's a local cooperative, with a number of families all producing top-quality salt you'll see featured in Lima's top gourmet restaurants. Avoiding the Crowds One of the perks of traveling with Aracari to the area is that having planned tailormade tours for two decades we can ensure you follow the best crowd avoidance routes. Visit the likes of Pumamarca ruins where, despite being only a short drive from bustling Ollantaytambo by road, you can often have these
Once overlooked by tourists as just a stepping stone between Cusco and Machu Picchu, nowadays the Sacred Valley Peru is truly a destination in its own right. Chock-full of activities for all types of travelers, you can hike to little-visited Incan ruins, make friends with the locals in traditional weaving villages, and photograph…
Peru named the World's Leading Culinary Destination 2017 There has been much talk about Peru being the “gastronomic capital of South America” and an emerging destination for foodies and chefs alike. People from all over the world visit Peru to taste for themselves and see how the country’s culinary offerings stand up against those of other cities. World Travel Awards, a company that serves to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry, recently did just that. Up against countries like Thailand, Spain, and Japan, Peru was victorious and named the 2017 World's Leading Culinary Destination. Wealth of ingredients and climates This distinction is just further proof of one thing: the food in Peru is pretty darn good! The country is blessed with a myriad of natural resources perfect for cooking, ranging from the excellent seafood on the coast to the vegetables and potatoes of the highlands to the exquisite and unique ingredients found throughout the Amazon. In addition to the variety of ingredients, the fusion of cultures and styles of cooking throughout the country makes for a very interesting culinary landscape. Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and many other cultures have infused different flavors, ingredients, and styles into Peruvian cuisine resulting in wonderful mesh of flavors and dishes. Fusion cuisine The result of Peru’s combination of excellent ingredients and fusion of styles and flavors is a modern culinary scene that is gaining more and more recognition across the globe. This award and distinction just further exemplifies that. However, the only way to really experience this is with a visit to Peru. Read Aracari's Peru with Flavor Culinary trip Culinary Tour Peru Interested in a culinary travel to Peru? Aracari specializes in designing private, tailormade culinary tour Peru experiences. From visiting colorful markets with a top chef, to
Peru named the World’s Leading Culinary Destination 2017 There has been much talk about Peru being the “gastronomic capital of South America” and an emerging destination for foodies and chefs alike. People from all over the world visit Peru to taste for themselves and see how the country’s culinary offerings…
