Make Your Next Trip Extraordinary

Mark planned an amazing 10-day trip for the four us (two couples) in Peru that spanned across Lima, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and Cusco. We ate at some excellent restaurants (Maido, Central, MIL), with very good local restaurants mixed in as well. Our guide Jonathan throughout the trip was one of the best we’ve ever had, immense knowledge and extremely friendly, he almost felt like a family member by the end of the trip!

Other than Machu Picchu, the highlight of the trip was the Hiram Bingham train from Machu Picchu to Cusco — what an incredible experience with dinner and entertainment that made the 3.5-hr journey fly by! We loved the unique experiences Mark arranged, such as the visit to the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco, where we learned about textile weaving from local women; MIL Immersion Experience where we spent 2-3 hrs walking through the native lands to learn about local ingredients from a farmer then ending with lunch; and an in-home cooking class with a local chef that started with a walk through the farmers’ market and ended with a delicious 3-course lunch atop the chef’s balcony.

Jessica and the in-country team were simply tremendous with their concierge support throughout our trip, as there were several instances where schedule/timings had to be changed, and especially at the end of our trip where our return flights home were cancelled/delayed twice. Overall, we had an awesome vacation and big thanks to Marisol’s team!

A woman weaving in Lamay, Peru.

A woman weaving in Lamay, Peru. Photo: Tim Triche

Despite a disastrous beginning due to airline travel delays and cancelled flights, Mark and Jessica rose to the occasion and successfully rearranged our itinerary so that despite over two lost days of travel we were nonetheless able to do almost everything that was originally scheduled. Kudos to them for dealing with a very difficult situation. The trip itinerary they arranged was truly exceptional; I have never had a better travel experience. They arranged all the things we requested and added many more that enriched our experience far beyond our expectations.

Our guides were absolutely top notch; Claudio in particular deserves a shout-out. He accompanied us for most of the trip and was the consummate travel guide—knowledgeable, engaging, experienced, and a truly nice guy. And, an accomplished photographer who identified some fantastic photo ops for us that resulted in many keepers that will enable us to remember this trip for years. I have done photography as a serious hobby for decades, and another shout-out to Adriana, the photographer who took us around Cusco at the end of our trip. I learned a great deal from her, and took some creative photos that would otherwise never have occurred to me. All in all, the trip couldn’t have been better, and my entire family will never forget the experience.

Everyone thinks of Machu Picchu when thinking of a trip to Peru, as we did, but we now realize it is much, more more than that. Cusco and the Sacred Valley were the heart of the Inca civilization; Machu Picchu just epitomizes that lost culture, but it lives on in many ways in the people you meet along the way. In contrast, Lima is a cosmopolitan urban city with fantastic food and art, and hotels to match, a delightful contrast to Cusco and the Sacred Valley. And lest you consider bypassing the Sanctuary Lodge at the entrance gate to Machu Picchu: don’t. It is worth every penny, and such a pleasure to simply walk to your hotel from the gates of Machu Picchu after hiking up and down all day long.

And a word to photographers: Be sure to use a polarizing filter on your camera; the light is harsh and unforgiving. And, a wide-angle lens is a must; many views in the cities and in Machu Picchu are in tight spaces or benefit from a wide-angle view of things, like street photography in the cities and the panoramic views from Huayna Picchu and Huchuy Picchu (the smaller of the two peaks overlooking Machu Picchu). And finally, a note about hotels: They were all great, but Sol y Luna in the Sacred Valley and Monasterio in Cusco were unforgettable; truly remarkable hotels. And worth noting: All of this was put together on rather short notice at high season by the folks in Marisol’s office. We couldn’t have been more pleased with our trip, thanks to their efforts.

There is something truly magical about watching the clouds part, on a misty rainy day high in the Andes, to reveal the dramatic mountain peaks of Machu Picchu & the extraordinary Incan ruins! We felt so very lucky to experience the mountains & this very spiritual site. From our trip to Machu Picchu, our travels through the Sacred Valley, our boat trip on the Amazon, & our Belmond train trip across the Andes’ high-altitude plateau, we can only offer gratitude & applause for everything Marisol’s team did to make our month long trip to Peru one of our best ever!

The weather didn’t always cooperate (we were travelling at the end of the rainy season in early March), but we had exceptional people experiences, & we really appreciated the knowledge & warm personalities of all the guides & drivers Marisol’s office selected for us. The detailed pre-planning with Mark Green, the beautiful boutique hotel choices (& many much-appreciated room upgrades), & incredibly fast communication with the team while we were on the ground in Peru all contributed to make this an exceptional trip. We can’t recommend this company enough. So many standout experiences!

Besides Machu Picchu & exploring many other Incan sites, in the Sacred Valley we had a fabulous picnic organized by our guide Juan with a beautiful vista & great food from the highly rated Cicciolina restaurant in Cusco. A hike & lunch high in the Andes made for us by villagers from the Lamay community whose elders still wear their traditional dress. A 4-night small boat cruise (Delphina 1 with 4 cabins) on the Amazon River out of Iquitos where we not only got to visit several remote communities, we had the opportunity to develop new friendships on the boat.

We would definitely travel with Marisol’s office again! Very, very special & hardworking team!!!

After a false start with another firm, Mark Green put together a wonderful trip, answered all of our issues and did so quickly and without drama. Mark and his team managed reservations at spectacular dining locations, the guided tours were responsive to our interests and pace and responded well to minor disruptions. The TravelKey app was wonderful — all travel and contact info in one place, didn’t need to carry a folder of paper. The advice to stay at the Sanctuary Lodge in Machu Picchu was a highlight. Great hotel selections. We didn’t exactly know what to expect at local food adventure “Cusco Market Tour and Home Cooking Class,” but it too was a highlight. We would use Mark and his office again without hesitation.

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