Chat on WhatsAppJonathan Waltz, San Diego USA, 4 day, 3 night trek from 9/5 to 9/9
Hotel
We booked the hostel Hotel Inkari through Inca Trail Reservations . The hotel was amazing. It was clean, had nice shower, restroom, comfortable beds, and television. They served breakfast every morning, which was better than any hostel I have stayed at. It included coffee, bread, eggs (fried or scrambled) and yogurt. Delicious. The staff provided laundry service for a very descent rate, and also allowed us to keep our bags there (for free) while we trekked around Cusco and on the Inca Trail , which was key.
Highlights of the Trek
The 8 people in our group, the guide and the porter made for one exceptional experience. Our guide Victor was an all-star that kept the moral up and even in the most difficult part of the trail on the second day. He was of Quechua descent, and provided a very authentic perspective on all of the ruins along the way. He taught us several Quechua phrase including Hakuchu (Lets Go) and Thank you, which only added to the uniqueness of this trip.
The highlight from the treks that real stand out in my mind was on the third day when we went up to the terraces of Wiñayhuayna. We the only group up there and the view of the back side of the Machu Picchu Mountain and the river valley provided a surreal experience.
The food was excellent, and was way more and better than I could have expected. Victor always had a surprise up his sleeve, where it being chocolate pudding, pizza, or jello. The ‘traditional’ soup, as Victor called it, in particular with dinner was always fantastic, and welcomed after a long day of hiking.
Machu Picchu
We woke up early on the 4 day which allowed us to be one of the first groups in line. The Gringo Killer almost got, but it was the final hurdle on the long trek which made the view of from the Sun Gate of Machu Picchu all that more worth it.
Our guide Victor provided an excellent hour and a half tour of the site, and should us the sun and water temples, the sacred stone. We were exhausted, but Victor kept things lively and went into detail and answered every question we had. The description of the chacana the Andean cross by Victor I thought was really informative, because it explained so much about the Inca culture.
Recommendations
I would hands down recommend Inca Trail Reservations if you plan to hike. The guides, porters, and office were all very professional and courteous. They definitely provided a unique experience and one that I will remember for the rest of my life.
Name: Chad Monfort Home: San Diego, USA Date: 9/9/2011
My brother, two friends and I just got back from the 4 day/ 3 night trek with Inca Trail s. We're all still sore from the hiking, but it was well worth the effort. The archeological sites and scenery we saw during the trek were on a scale unlike anything I've ever seen. The icing on the cake was getting to spend an afternoon with perfect weather at Machu Picchu. The guide was extremely informative, the service provided by the porters was excellent (the food made me forget I was camping), and the staff even helped to make reservations for the rest of our visit here in Cusco. I'd absolutely recommend Inca Trail Reservations to anyone thinking about hiking to Machu Picchu.
