Aracari prides itself in unveiling the most authentic aspects of Peruvian culture and it has always been important for us to establish close links with organisations that support local communities in the regions that our guests travel to as part of our responsible travel ethos. We want to shine a spotlight on Living Heart NGO knowing that our guests look to give back too, and to help raise awareness around some of the issues facing Andean communities. Living Heart NGO in Peru We came to know of Sonia Newhouse and her charity Living Heart in 2010 through a friend in the Urubamba Valley. After various trips to meet her, we were humbled, inspired and thoroughly impressed by the work she was doing. Above all, we felt reassured that Sonia and Living Heart were having a genuine impact upon the communities where they work. From their core work of providing nutritional food for younger children, establishing greenhouses in schools to make vegetable cultivation sustainable and, providing much needed vitamins, to working with small-scale water purification and elimination of risk from water-borne parasites, and even organizing volunteer art teachers and theatre classes for children, they utilise every penny of the money that they receive to have the most lasting impact in improving people's lives. Living Heart have not only given us a sense of the scale of impoverishment in the Andes, but they have also made it very clear to us how much needs to be done. As of May 2013, there is a very serious situation in all of the communities that are supported with a Nutrition Program. Their greenhouse initiative has allowed them to plant enough food to eventually provide a mass of wonderful vegetables for the school and community, yet as they wait for the new sprouts to grow,
Aracari prides itself in unveiling the most authentic aspects of Peruvian culture and it has always been important for us to establish close links with organisations that support local communities in the regions that our guests travel to as part of our responsible travel ethos. We want to shine a…
Restaurant Magazine's annual San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants were announced a few days ago, and we were very excited (though not surprised) to see two Lima establishments make the list. Lima now has as many restaurants on the list as London! The highly-regarded rankings are an annual snapshot of the opinions and experiences of over 800 international restaurant industry experts, and spots on the list are highly-coveted. With two restaurants on the list, Peru continues to receive recognition as one of the world's leading culinary destinations and inspires new Peruvian restaurants across the globe - giving the country and all of its culinary fans reason to celebrate both here and abroad. The first featured Lima restaurant was none other than Gastón Acurio’s namesake restaurant, Astrid y Gastón, making its third straight appearance on the San Pelligrino Top 50 restaurants annual list. Jumping 21 places from last year’s list to number 14 in the world, Astrid y Gastón also received the Highest Climber award, given to the restaurant with the most improved ranking from the previous year. Gastón has been unstoppable as of late, his restaurant empire continues to expand domestically as well as internationally. He recently announced plans for opening a culinary institute here in Lima, and his original, signature eatery continues to receive worldwide recognition and acclaim. Offering inventive variations of traditional cuisine, Astrid y Gastón takes Peruvian haute cuisine to another level, and epitomizes the philosophy behind Gaston’s ever-expanding fine-dining empire. The other Lima representative was Virgilio Martinez’s Central, breaking into the Top 50 for the first time this year. Since its opening in 2009, this high-end Lima eatery has earned the reputation of being a world-class restaurant and certainly one of the best in the city, as was reported by the Business Times in Singapore. With molecular gastronomic influences, creative
Restaurant Magazine’s annual San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants were announced a few days ago, and we were very excited (though not surprised) to see two Lima establishments make the list. Lima now has as many restaurants on the list as London! The highly-regarded rankings are an annual snapshot of…
Last week, James, Simon, and I were privileged to canvas the stalls of Lima’s very first international art exposition, Art Lima, with Aracari's esteemed friend Mariano Ugalde. Owner of Salar Galeria de Arte in La Paz, Bolivia and professional art dealer, Mariano’s career requires him to promote the work of talented artists around the globe, providing him with fantastic and extensive insight into the contemporary art scene. On this such occasion, Mariano was invited to showcase his artists’ work, along with 30 other different galleries that were represented at the show. The exhibition was held at one of the magnificent buildings of the Military School in Chorrillos, and the galleries themselves were sectioned off along the interior walls and within the courtyard area. We meandered from gallery to gallery inspecting the wide variety of artwork, from psychedelic and evocative oil paintings, to sculptural pieces that had cosmic and aquatic characteristics. Many galleries had representatives present to talk about the work, to answer questions, and to assist in any sales transactions, a task fulfilled by Mariano as well. However, what made this visit compelling was the passion for and knowledge about his particular artists, providing us with biographical information, award histories, and extensive explanations that still left much to the viewer’s imagination. Sara Modiano, a Jewish-Colombian woman whose work was not fully realized until her arrival to and acceptance in the New York art community, had a diverse yet interconnected body of work represented at the show. Her work was introspective, ranging from a celebratory piece called “Orgasmic Shrine,” which consisted of wire building blocks imposed with images of the artist’s face in ecstasy, to the pieces that portrayed the intense angst she felt during her battle against cancer. In these latter images, Modiano appears with a shaved head. In one,
Last week, James, Simon, and I were privileged to canvas the stalls of Lima’s very first international art exposition, Art Lima, with Aracari’s esteemed friend Mariano Ugalde. Owner of Salar Galeria de Arte in La Paz, Bolivia and professional art dealer, Mariano’s career requires him to promote the work of…
Amongst the contemporary art galleries and stylish ateliers in the airy boulevard of Saenz Peña in Barranco, there sits a majestic, pillared mansion. Built in 1916 by a wealthy Limeñan, this stately home was somewhat neglected, passing from hand to hand and inevitably falling into disrepair. That is until a few years ago, when the proprietors of the sumptous Titilaka hotel discovered this dilapidated beauty and envisioned its potential for greatness. After two full years and countless hours of painstaking planning and restoration, this grand old building is now finally on the brink of being unveiled to the world. Ever curious (and desperately eager to see a hotel that since 2011 has had us waiting at the edge of our seats in the sheer anticipation of being able to offer it), those of us at Aracari have been privileged enough to pay Hotel B a visit (or five) in the final stages of its development. Based on what we've seen so far, we think that this hotel is not only very beautiful, but that it will be totally unique to Lima as the only upscale boutique hotel in the city. It's stylish and elegant, but in a discreet manner, and we expect it to be very much "a-la-mode"... a sentiment that How to Spend it has already voiced. We're very confident that it will be an ideal hotel for Aracari guests. Much like its original design intended, the home is a sanctuary in the heart of Lima's bohemian district by the sea. Yet its function has a different purpose, as it is now transformed into a historic-meets-modern, luxury boutique hotel. The story goes that it belonged to a sixty-something Limeñan woman who left Peru to live in Europe, and that the hotel guests are in fact visiting her home . This
Amongst the contemporary art galleries and stylish ateliers in the airy boulevard of Saenz Peña in Barranco, there sits a majestic, pillared mansion. Built in 1916 by a wealthy Limeñan, this stately home was somewhat neglected, passing from hand to hand and inevitably falling into disrepair. That is until a…
Last week I was lucky enough to be invited aboard Inca Rail’s top-of-the-line Presidential Class (previously called the Inca Princess) carriage for a luxurious journey to Machu Picchu. As a Peru travel expert with over two decades of experience I had taken several different trains and services in the past, but I certainly found this trip to be a unique one! As soon as I stepped onto the train, I immediately noticed how beautifully decorated the carriage was, with nice wood finishing, artwork, a marble bar, and relaxing ambient music playing in the background. I was greeted with ice cold champagne, wet hand towels, and even an assortment of chocolates before getting settled in one of the rotating and spacious seats. We pulled out of the station and soon after, the gourmet, multi-course meal began. In between delicious courses served on what I was pleasantly surprised to hear was tableware from Jallpa Nina ceramics workshop, I even had the chance to enjoy the picturesque views from outside on the Presidential’s private balcony. Aside from all these lovely details, what makes Presidential Class service so special and unique is that it is the only option for a private group of up to ten passengers who are looking to travel to Machu Picchu in total privacy. This isn’t possible on the luxurious Hiram Bingham (or on any other train service for that matter). Even if you were to splash out and charter the entire dining carriage of the Hiram Bingham (which has room for 42 passengers), the observation cart - which includes the bar and the lounge - is always shared… unless you were to charter the entire train that is! On the whole, after my experience aboard Presidential Class, I think it is an excellent alternative for guests looking for the highest quality
Last week I was lucky enough to be invited aboard Inca Rail’s top-of-the-line Presidential Class (previously called the Inca Princess) carriage for a luxurious journey to Machu Picchu. As a Peru travel expert with over two decades of experience I had taken several different trains and services in the past, but…
A transient and brilliant rainbow spanning across the commanding andean mountain range...majestic pink dolphins skimming through the waters of the Amazon...the intricate tattoos blanketing the mummy arm of the only known female Inca priestess...gently lapping waves along the shores of a private-island retreat... Inspiration comes in many forms and in our recent discussion with Peruvian-artist Grimanesa Amorós, we discussed her work and how a trip with Aracari through her homeland can be a source of inspiration for new ideas. An interdisciplinary artist, Grimanesa makes use of various mediums including sculpture, video, and lighting, Grimanesa to complement her diverse areas of interest in social history, scientific research and critical history. During her absence from Peru for formal training and to showcase her professional work, Grimanesa sourced and continues to source her inspiration from the fascinating and diverse aspects of her home country. Grimanesa began studying at the Art Students League of New York, where she explored painting and printmaking for several years before realizing that her true calling was working with light instead of paint. Despite moving at a relatively young age to pursue her career as an artist, Grimanesa has always had a deep connection with her homeland. In our recent interview with her, Grimanesa said she “was exposed at an early age to the colors, the variation of the landscape - coast, sierra and jungle along with all the tropical fruits that Peru has to offer.” She often found herself having deja vu moments when natural landscapes and breathtaking phenomenons reminded her of home. Trips back to her Peru were particularly moving for Grimanesa and provided her with inspiration for several of her projects. Among these was a trip to the Uros reed islands in Lake Titicaca. These unique floating islets, situated in the world’s highest navigable lake, are
A transient and brilliant rainbow spanning across the commanding andean mountain range…majestic pink dolphins skimming through the waters of the Amazon…the intricate tattoos blanketing the mummy arm of the only known female Inca priestess…gently lapping waves along the shores of a private-island retreat… Inspiration comes in many forms and in…
