Chat on WhatsAppMy Machu Picchu adventure with 3 friends began with a bus journey to kilometer 82. We were greeted by our host, Juan Carlos at the hostel and were introduced to fellow hikers upon arrival.
I really enjoyed the trail. The second day was very challenging for me as we climbed to the highest point of the trail but with the encouragement of my friends, I made it to the summit. The inca sites we saw along the way were beautiful, especially on the third and fourth days.
Juan Carlos was very knowledgeable and explained the background of each of the sites to us. Both tour guides (Juan Carlos and Sergio) were very friendly and helpful.
We were treated to excellent meals throughout the whole trail. The menu was varied and tasted as good if not better than food we have had in local restaurants.
There was one area that I felt could be handled better in repsect of the Inca Trail , and that was the discussion of tipping for the porters and chef. Our guide suggested that we gather money together and distribute it accordingly between the porters and chef. He suggested that the chef should probably be entitled to a higher proportion as he acts as both a chef and porter and recommended amounts each person should tip.
I felt that this approach was not apporopriate and caused some debate among the group and made some hikers feel uncomfortable. It was not in the culture of some fellow hikers to tip and it was difficult to agree on an appropriate amount per person. The porters, chef and tour guides may have felt that they were not apropriately rewarded as a result. I believe that groups of friends/individuals should tip seapartely and directly the amount appropriate to them to avoid any conflict.
Overall, I had a great experience and would recommend the Inca Trail to my friends. Doing the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu makes you appreciate the beautiful scenery even more.
We also climbed the Machu Picchu mountain, which was tough after four days of hiking. Although it was quite cloudy/foggy from the summit, there were some excellent opportunities for photos along the way.
