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This was a trip of a lifetime. From the magical lodge of Mashpi in the cloud forest to the beautiful Galápagos, every arrangement was catered to our wants and needs.

Allie Almario did not miss a beat. Traveling to another country is stressful enough, but through Allie we always had a friendly face greeting us and ready to transfer us to our next adventure. Our local guides were knowledgeable and proud of their country. The accommodations were top-notch and the suggestions she made were right on. My husband is a detailed-oriented man and Allie was always a step ahead of him to lower his anxiety. Mashpi was magical. The Elite yacht was perfect. The size was just what we wanted, very personalized and the boat was stable in the water. Allie suggested we do 4 nights on the cruise, and afterwards we agreed it was the perfect length of time. There was not a glitch in any of the transfers or accommodations. Allie is on top of it all.

Pertaining to the unrest in Ecuador: There was increased military presence in Quito, mainly around the presidential building. Other than that, the locals and tourists went about their usual activities. In speaking to the locals, they felt there was no danger to them. They said if anything, the cartel presence would be closer to the coastal cities. We actually felt safer with the increased police and military. We saw none of this on the Galápagos Islands. The locals felt that the media had exaggerated what was happening. There were no road closures. Thank you for a fabulous, memorable trip.

My granddaughter and I just returned from our latest adventure, this time in Peru.

This was our third New Year’s adventure organized by Allie Almario. Our other two experiences being the Galapagos Islands and Santiago/Easter Island, Chile. This trip’s primary objective was the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Allie did not disappoint. We had a great 11 days. We were greeted by our guide Nick and driver Eduardo at the Cusco Airport. The guide and driver were a perfect fit for us. We had been given a heads-up about our guide. It seemed as if we already knew Nick and had been friends in the past, he was very kind and knowledgeable.

We promptly departed to the Sacred Valley, where we spent the next 6 days. Our base in the Sacred Valley was the Sol y Luna Hotel. Could not have asked for better accommodations. We visited many Inca sites. Nick explained the purpose of each. We also had a day of white water rafting. The Urubamba market is open twice a week, so we took the opportunity to shop with the locals. Being the new year, the flowers were aplenty, yellow, a color of note to the Peruvians at New Year. The highlight of the trip was Machu Picchu citadel. Pictures do not do it justice. The vastness of the site in the clouds and the river far below. It was beautiful!

On New Year’s Eve we had good intentions on staying up to ring in the new year but Allie had other plans, gratefully and thankfully. The next morning we returned very early to the citadel. Allie was able to obtain tickets for Huayna Picchu. Tickets are in a limited number. We were very fortunate as many people are disappointed when they find out tickets are not available. Allie had procured ours well in advance. My granddaughter climbed Huayna Picchu, also known as “the stairs of death,” an experience she will never forget.

We returned to Cusco for a day, then it was off to the Amazon. Our flight was from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado, gateway to the Peruvian Amazon. That was followed by a 45-minute powered canoe ride to the Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica, an eco lodge and our home for the next three days. We had a riverside cabana on the Madre del Dias River. In the mornings, we could hear howler monkeys and other unknown critters. It was the rainy season, so we had rain and thunderstorms daily. The weather did not hamper our activities, actually the weather was part of the experience. Although we had a twilight boat excursion and jungle canopy walks, our highlight was fishing on Lake Valencia. An optional tour again arranged by Allie well in advance. We went Piranha fishing followed by a shore lunch. This wasn’t a typical fish trip shore lunch. In addition to the fresh fish we had a buffet of fruits, beef, veggies, salads and dessert.

Unfortunately, our time had run out, we had to get back to the States. One night in Lima and then a long day of traveling back home. I said earlier that this was our third New Year’s adventure organized by Allie, which was my favorite. All were unique, different experiences and introduced us to some great people. Before deciding on Peru, we had looked into going to Costa Rica, neither myself nor my granddaughter could get into any of the proposed itineraries, something was missing. At that point I said e-mail Allie! Let’s go to Peru! I am glad we did.

Travelers and a giant tortoise in the Galapagos.

Lauren Schor and family catch up with a giant tortoise in the Galapagos.

Allie did an amazing job planning our 13-day multi-generational family trip to Ecuador for Christmas 2023. We started planning almost a year in advance. Most accommodations are smaller with about 20 rooms total, and I would definitely suggest planning this trip well in advance as availability dictated the outline of our trip from the beginning of the planning process. And we LOVED all of the places we stayed! Allie suggested destinations she thought were right for us, based on our travel style and age range. We spent a day in Quito (that’s really all you need) before heading out to the Galapagos Islands. We opted for a land-based trip rather than a cruise, and although we didn’t get to see as many islands as we would have if we stayed on a boat, we were very happy with our choice. We spent four days in the Galapagos (two on land exploring Santa Cruz Island—so much to see and do) and two at sea exploring multiple islands in the archipelago. Allie even arranged for a private family photoshoot on the most beautiful beach! We felt like this was enough time in the Galapagos, though it would have been nice to have one day to just relax by the pool or hit one more island.

Next stop was in the Andes mountains back on the mainland at an amazing hacienda where we really got a feel for the culture of the country. After a couple of days here, it was time for the grand finale, the Amazon Rainforest. We all thought the Galapagos would be the main highlight of a trip to Ecuador, but the Amazon was just mind-blowing. Allie sent us to the most amazing eco-lodge in a very remote location where we spent three nights. Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Ecuador was very unique in that we were able to spend time in the Galapagos, the Andes Mountains and the Amazon all in one trip! Just be aware, we had a lot of very early mornings and very little downtime (naps during transit were common). Some of the excursions can be physically challenging if you don’t have great balance or stamina, especially combined with the strong equator sun. And there is a lot of moving around and time spent traveling from one place to another. However, it was all 100% worth it! Allie planned the trip of a lifetime for our family of eight!

Ecuador, Quito and the Galápagos Islands was our 4th trip using Wendy Perrin and her trusted local experts. This trip, like the previous, didn’t disappoint. Allie and her team dedicated to us were awesome start to finish. We had an excellent guide for Quito, Alejandra was really great. Allie recommended the Elite cruise for our 5-day tour in Galapagos—spot-on—everything was absolutely perfect! Thank you Wendy and Allie for an amazing, unforgettable experience.

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