Aracari are the best travel people for Peru and Ecuador. We were always impressed with the knowledge of the guides, the sites, transportation, the restaurants, the hotels, and shopping.
Lima's Country Club with breakfast was picture-perfect. Guide Maria Nunez took us to Saqra for lunch-fantastic and cocktails at Casa Aliaga should not be missed. This was when we were introduced to pisco sours, a favorite drink in Peru.
Cusco we stayed at Sol y Luna- a true flower show and well-appointed cottages. Our guide, Adriel Vilcas, is of Inca descent and was well versed in Inca history. He paced our group of 4 with moderate climbing to Sun Gate and eating. The stay at Machu Picchu Sanctuary was worth the 1 year planning with Cecile Fabre. The Hiram Bingham train ride to Cusco should not be missed.
In Cusco stayed at Casa Cartagena a wonderful boutique hotel with fantastic breakfast, tea time, & cocktail hour. We loved the whirlpool and steam room. Adriel took us to dine on guinea pig-delicious.
Quito's Swissotel is 5 * and eat at La Choza a block from the hotel with live music.
The Cormorant Catamaran in the Galapagos was roomy with 8 cabins and the staff was always ready to serve. Our cabin was cleaned before we came back from breakfast. They glued my shoe back together when I broke it onshore. Every excursion (2 a day) ended with a fresh fruit drink and a small bite of food. Duncan, the naturalist, would give a talk each evening about the animals we would see the next day. It was
another great adventure we will cherish due to Aracari's dedicated staff that made our trip exceptional.