Tourism can be both a blessing and a curse. As visitors, we are drawn to pristine environments populated by friendly locals who are falling over themselves to welcome us into their world. Adverts and articles paint a picture of perfection and convince us that somehow we’re being short changed if we accept anything less. Energy-guzzling air conditioning, food that’s travelled more miles than we have and towels that see more … [Read more...]
Sacred Valley Women’s Weaving Collective – a must visit
Awamaki is an organisation which connects Andean women in with international markets. It operates out of Ollantaytambo an amazing Inca village in the heart of the Sacred Valley in Peru. We had been told by someone else about this women's weaving collective, and were keen to do it - we had a spare day in Ollantaytambo and this was how we wanted to spend it. Read more about our stay in Ollantaytambo and we loved it and recommend staying … [Read more...]
Are you a Machu Picchu Woman
The stories women are sharing about the Wild Women Trek on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru are incredibly inspiring...this magical place seems to awaken something deep within us, long lost. Donna shared an amazing story about the impact this adventure had on her life, in the wake of surviving breast cancer. She wrote: Hiking through the ancient ruins, I felt surrounded by the ancestors and it was very comforting. I felt that … [Read more...]
Rafting the Urubamba River in the Sacred Valley
When I read the Lost City of the Inca’s, the Urubamba River was such a key element in the story of the Sacred Valley, that I set out to find a way to raft it. Some warned against ‘less than satisfactory’ safety and equipment on some trips, so we asked advice and found Apumayo.com offered a 2 hour rafting trip near Ollantaytambo. What a great trip – Luis our guide was fantastic, spoke great English, knew his plants and history. He … [Read more...]
Ollantaytambo, the best place to stay in the Sacred Valley
We arrived in Cusco, and headed directly to the Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley – the only Inca town that is still inhabited. Many people had recommended this as a way of dealing with altitude; the other benefit is that our first experience of Peru is this amazing Inca town. KB tours met us as arranged with a taxi at Cusco airport for transfer to Ollantaytambo (always a relief when an arrangement actually works!) Our driver stopped several … [Read more...]
