Most Inspirational Moment
There were quite a few, but a clear highlight was walking through the sun lit Sun Gate then witnessing the majestic Machu Picchu hovering in the distance. After a hard few hours trekking on the Inca Trail, words fail to describe what it was like seeing it for the first time as you end up looking at it in stunned silence. No one was really talking, they were just looking at Machu Picchu, taking pictures but mostly just sitting trying to take it all in. Walking around Machu Picchu, seeing the scale of the construction throughout the valley and other Inca sites along the trail and around Cusco with its history, really helped put it in context. Kayaking through the mangroves to then have a friendly sea lion pop up, playfully swim around the boat - just as interested in me as I was of him. Being eyeball to "bright blue" eyeball with a flightless cormorant whilst on the rib, up close to Galapagos penguins on land and in the sea and snorkelling with thousands of fish, gigantic turtles and dragon-like marine iguanas - happily munching on seaweed under water.
Thoughts on Group Leader
In Peru we had Will, who was friendly, enthusiastic and keen to help us sample Peru in the short time we had there. We were only a small group of 5 people, it made for a great dynamic and fun time. In Machu Picchu, we had Tina as our guide on the Inca Trail and around the site itself for the second day. She was great fun, vast knowledge of Peru, wildlife and the history of Machu Picchu. In Ecuador, we had Raul who taught us the history of Ecuador and showed us the delights of the old town in Quito - highlight was the Basilica with its epic stained glass and views across the city. In the Galapagos our naturalist guide was Juan, extremely knowledgeable, enthusiastic, well organized and a please to talk too. He also does a good turn with the guitar! As always the guides were fantastic and really helped us understand their countries, helping us "experience" rather than just feel we were "just visiting".
Advice for Potential Travellers
When booking , ask to do the one day Inca Trail. It was a tough walk but seeing Winay Wayna on the way to Machu Picchu was great and physically experiencing the landscape really enforces the emotion you will feel seeing Machu Picchu for the first time. If you can do it, don't miss out! In September, if you want to snorkel, try to take your own mask for a good fit and basic wetsuit gloves and rash vest if suffer from cold. We did have wetsuits from the boat. Take ear plugs as the boat is not exactly quiet when chugging along (especially at night).