VACATION SPECIALS For more information, or to make your reservation, contact our Vacation Specialists! INKATERRA Brings PERU to Your Doorstep Lovely Lima with Globus and A&K For more information, click on Latin America Adventures Galapagos Expeditions South American
Vacations are also available from INKATERRA BRINGS PERU TO YOUR DOORSTEP INKATERRA wears a coat of many colors: as a tour operator delivering INKATERRA EXPERIENCES; as the owner of the deluxe MACHU PICCHU PUEBLO HOTEL at the foot of Peru's most famous archaeological site in the Andean highlands as well as of the RESERVA AMAZONICA LODGE on the banks of the Madre de Dios River in Amazonia; and as a pioneer in projects to conserve the environment and enrich local communities in both locations, all financed by sustainable tourism revenues. This Peru-based company is one of South America's ecotourism success stories. The year, Travel & Leisure voted the Machu Pichu Pueblo Hotel as the property offering "Best Value for the Money" in all of Latin America; in 2005, the hotel also appeared in the publication, this time on the Top 25 hotel list for Mexico, Central and South America. Further, recognizing Inkaterra's pioneering conservation efforts, the World Bank and the National Geographic Society financed the loan to the nonprofit Inkaterra Association to build the first Canopy Walk adjoining the Reserva Amazonica; economic benefits from theis attraction are used to finance conservation and social development projects. "Inkaterra prides itself in being able to deliver authentic and memorable Peruvian experiences," says the company's director of international sales, Claire Andre, "using our hotels and all the special extra that come with them. For instance, she points out that the Machu Picchu citadel is now eight hours closer to the U.S. when arriving aboard Inkaterra's new and exclusive 5-passenger helicopter service for the 30-minute flight from Cusco to the landing pad near the Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. "Clients can take 1-day Heliexplorer excursions from Cusco," adds Andre, "but most will opt for the 2- and 3-night schedules that permit taking advantage of the optional and new overland trip to the recently uncovered Incan site of Choquequirao, 30 miles soutgthwest of Machu Picchu." One-day Heliexplorer programs are available daily, except Sunday, and the $895 per person rate includes roundtrip air, private tour of the citadel, lunch at the hotel, a visit to the hotel's orchid garden, and airport transfers in Cusco. HOTELS Inkaterra's property in the Machu Picchu cloud forest is a complex of 85 luxurious rooms (suites, jr. suites and superior rooms) in whitewashed cottages that together resemble an Andean village. Miles of trails lace the grounds, winding past waterfalls and through the forest, habitat to 172 bird species and 111 butterfly species. The property is noted for its authentic cuisine, its Andean sauna and spa treatments, and its collection of orchids - the world's largest (372 species) - in their natural habitat. Rates at the Pueblo Hotel are $187 per person, double, for a superior room; $214.50 per person, double for a jr. suite $229,50 per person, double, for a suite. The recently opened Inkaterra Suite is priced at $340 per person, double, per night; costs include MAP meals, and guided eco-activities with the hotel grounds. Also new to Inkaterra's Machu Picchu offerings are two luxury hotel villas, one with two bedrooms (that is already available for reservations) and a second with three bedrooms being added next year. Both overlook the orchid garden and the Vilcanota River valley and feature such amenities as sitting rooms with a fireplace, two bathrooms, 24/7 butler service, private garden, heated pool, flat-screen TV and WiFi Internet access. For four people occupying a villa, the cost per person with breakfast and dinner is $675. Puerto Maldonado is the gateway to a second all-Inkaterra adventure: a stay in the rainforest lodge, Reserva Amazonica, a 45-minute boat ride down the Madre de Dios River in the heart of a 40-squaremile private reserve. All 34 of the jungle camp's rather rustically elegant cabanas - ranging from superior rooms to suites and built in the native style - are illuminated by lanterns with flashlights on hand, beds are canopied with mosquito netting, the porches have hammocks and baths are private with hot water and eco-friendly toiletries. The central pavilion houses the reception, the restaurant and bar, and the second floor offers seating areas with porches for conversation and birdwatching. Guests spend their time exploring the rainforest either along the lodge's trail system, on the river during night trips, by boat to the birding wonderland of Lake Sandoval, or on visits to local farms and native communities, including Rolin Island where the Inkaterra Association: promotes education and conservation. One must-see attration is the Canopy Walk, a 1,135-foot-long complex of seven hanging bridges, six treetop observation platforms and two 95-footobservation towers, all woven through the crowns of the tallest trees. Following a chancee to glimpse unusual flora and fauna from up high, canopy walkers adjourn to the ground-level Interpretation Center that is packed with information on the rainforest and its ecology. A 2-night stay seems the absolute minimum for Reserva Amazonica. It is priced at $345 per person, double, for a superior room and $395 per person, double, for a suite and includes airport assistance, river transport to and from the lodge, all meals with anon-alcoholic housemade drinks, bilingual guides for a choice of daily activities and basic equipment for each excursion. TOUR PROGRAMS Acccording to Andre, "We have introduced a selection of new Inkaterra Experiences, focused not only on our cloud forest and rainforest lodges - which, by the way, are included in the tour programs of many U.S. operators - but adding our own all-inclusive themed journeys throughout Peru." These tours reach out to Arequipa and Colca Canyon; Puno and lake titicaca; and the archaeological wonder of the Nasca lines as well as those recently discovered in the northern desert such as the tomb of Lord of Sipan. The "Experiences" come in "Five Flavors," which range from Body & Soul with a focus on Andean cosmology, as well as yoga, spa and meditation, to Romance & Mystery, planned just for two and including the chance to participate in the Andean Spiritual Ceremony. Other options include Nature & Geography, from desert to mountain to rainforest with walking, hiking, camping and trekking. Culture & Art, featuring access to private museums and collections, with curators and artists as guides, and Family & Children, with special activities and guides for all generations. Of note, however, is that clients need go no further than the Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel to find a quintessential family excursion. Here, families can visit the Spectacled Andean Bear project on the hotel grounds where rescued bears are given homes in optimum conditions while recovering and readapting to their natural habitat. The project is sponsored buy the Inkaterra Association and the Bear Rescue Foundation of the U.K. SAMPLING INKATERRA While the
Inkaterra product is customized vacations, the company offers a suggested 7-night
vacations, combining its two properties. On day four, travelers fly directly to Cusco, switching to the Vistadome train service for the scenic ride to the Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel for a 3-night stay. Here, various scheduled eco-activities are available on the hotel grounds and a guided visit is included to the Machu Picchu citadel. On day seven, travelers return to Cusco for a 3-hour tour of the ancient Inca capital and overnight at the Hotel Monasterio or Hotel Libertador. On day eight, guests return to Lima for the return flight home or on-bound travel within Peru. The cost of this program is $1,998 per person, double, using the Country Club Hotel in Lima and the Monasterio in Cusco, or $666 per person, double,using the Sonesta Posada del Inca in Lima and the Libertador in Cusco. Prices include accommodations, most meals and all hotel activities and excursions, private transfers and overland transport, International and domestic air is no included, and there is a $75 charge for each reservation For more information, contact our South America Specialists. *Prices are per person, land only. Space is subject to availability. Other restrictions may apply. Ski Rental available upon request. Additional services as well as airfare are available; please inquire. The
Wild South Some of the world's wildest landscapes are in Patagonia where the Andes stretch south toward Antarctica. This is a land shaped by water wind and ice, past and present. Glaciers calve into mountain lakes and narrow fjords, waterfalls murmur and roar and winds sculpt trees to their will. INCA travelers experience the essence of Patogonia on several active 12- and 16-day adventures, each of which culminates in a 5-day/4-night stay at the stunning Explora Lodge in Torres del Paine Park, a unique outpost of elegance in the remote wilderness. Patagonia with INCA is active and educational. You will learn about the history, culture, geology, wildlife, cuisine and wines of the region in comfort and style. We hike mountain trails, ride horseback and find guanacos at Torres del Paine National Park. We cruise the Straits of Magellan, the glacial fjords of Tierro del Fuego and see whales and thousands of penguins. We cross the lakes of Chile and trek Perito Moreno Glacier. This is Patagonian magic, INCA style. Fall in
the Southern Andes 16 Days - Nov., 2006 - from $6,995 Also ask about INCA's Atacama Visit and Chilean Wine Country extensions
RUNAWAY
TO BRAZIL WITH LATOUR Rio De Janeiro & Florianopolis from $1,795
Air & Land Daily Departures - Through Jun. 24, 08 INCLUDES: HOTEL IN FLORIANOPOLIS Costao do
Santinho Resort & Spa Costao do
Santinho Resort & Spa Additional nights and additional services available upon request.
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