south america & antarctica
Inca Experience Tours Individual Tailor-made Tour Packages, Cruises & Treks all with Guaranteed Departures
CONTENTS
welcome to south america AT INCA TOURS WE HAVE OVER 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE ORGANISING AND LEADING FULLY ESCORTED SMALL GROUP TOURS TO VARIOUS PARTS OF THE WORLD. IMAGINE WHAT WE CAN DO FOR YOU !
CONTENTS The Highlights Why Inca Tours? Your Travel Options
Days Page 3 4 5
Popular Tour Packages 14 1 9 6
6 32 8 9
Popular Cruise Packages Antarctic Cruise 11 Galapagos Islands Cruise 7 Chilean Fjords Cruise 7 Amazon Nature Cruise 8
10 11 12 13
Lima to La Paz Tiahuanacu (ex-La Paz) Buenos Aires to Rio Carnival in Rio
Amazon Experiences The Amazon Basin & River Ceiba Tops Lodge, Peru 4 Sacha Lodge, Ecuador 5 Reserva Amazonica, Peru 3 Sandoval Lake Lodge, Peru 4 Manu National Park, Peru 5
rio de janeiro sunset
14 15 15 16 16 17
Ecuador Experiences igu assu
fall s
9 5
18 19
Nazca Lines & Arequipa 6 Lord of Sipan / Chan Chan 4 Inca Trail & Machu Picchu 5 Lares Trek & Machu Picchu 4
20 21 22 22
Ecuador Great Escape Chiva Express & Otavalo
Peru Experiences
uaman
h sacsay
Argentina & Chile Experiences Southern Lakes Crossing 4 23 Grand Patagonia Trek 14 24 Perito Moreno Glacier 4 26 Train to The Clouds 5 27 Atacama Desert 3 32 Brazil Experiences Beautiful Buzios Caiman Pantanal Lodge Araras Pantanal Lodge The Best of Brazil Amazon Explorer
4 4 5 9 6
28 29 29 30 31
Popular Pacific Stopovers Easter Island 4 33 Tahiti & French Polynesia 2 + 34 Inclusions & Exclusions 35
cas alpa
2 traditional weaving, peru
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
THE HIGHLIGHTS
The Real South America
Caracas
There are so many facets to this beautiful continent, it is difficult to describe. It is a place of excitement, abounding with adventure, intrigue, contrast, surprise and mystery, all combined with the laughter and music of the Latin American way of life. South America offers you an exceptional variety of scenery from the majestic Andes to vast steaming jungles. Smoking volcanoes, gigantic waterfalls that defy description, lakes like seas, barren windblown deserts and palm lined tropical beaches are just some of the contrasts you will witness. The Chimus, Mochicas and Tiahuanacus were the original inhabitants, all magnificent civilisations from over 2,000 years ago. During the 12th to the 14th Centuries the Incas built their incredible empire. The 15th Century brought Spanish and Portuguese invaders as well as African slaves. Along with recent immigrants, this has all created a unique, contrasting and extremely interesting blend of people and cultures. South America merges the treasures of lost civilisations, the Colonial Culture of yesterday and the modern societies of today. It is without doubt, one of the greatest destinations. Don’t be too late!
Venezuela Colombia
Quito
Bogota Neg r
Ecuador
Georgetown
Guyana Paramaribo Cayenne Suriname French Guiana Amazon
o Iquitos Tabatinga Manaus
Belem
Fortaleza Cuenca Chiclayo Trujillo Peru Brazil Lima Puerto Maldonado Machu Picchu Cuzco Cuiaba Brasilia Salvador Puno Lake Titicaca Paz La Arequipa Campo Belo Horizonte Potosi Bolivia Grande Sucre Ouro Preto Calama Paraguay Rio de Janeiro Salta Antofagasta Iguassu Falls Asuncion Pacific O cean Uruguay
Santiago
Argentina
Montevideo Buenos Aires
Chile
Puerto Montt Quitralco
Bariloche
Atla ntic O cean
Comodoro Rivadavia
The Highlights of South America Cuzco, Machu Picchu & the Sacred Valley This area is often the main reason people visit South America and for good reason. From the ambiance of Cuzco, the Inca capital, with its Inca and colonial Spanish past combining into the modern to the first breath taking view of Machu Picchu with its surrounding cloud forests and mountains—an unforgettable spiritual experience.
Buenos Aires, Iguassu Falls & Rio de Janeiro This popular area to visit gives a great immersion in Latin culture. The modern city of Buenos Aires, replete with historic buildings and once home to Eva Peron and birthplace of the Tango, contrasts well with Rio de Janeiro with its spectacular sights, legendary beaches and home of the Samba. Add to this the excitement of seeing the Iguassu Falls and you have a memorable holiday.
The Amazon Basin
Ushuaia
Patagonia & the Southern Lakes District Famous for being the backbone of South America with its jagged peaks and awe inspiring volcanoes, the Andean Patagonia provides some of the most spectacular scenery in South America. Although there are a few luxury options for visiting the area it is best done by undertaking an organised trek.
Bolivia & Chile’s Atacama Desert From the legendary Lake Titicaca, the origin of the Inca Empire, to the unusual Uyuni Salt Flats and the lunar like Atacama Desert; this arid area of the land holds many treasures just waiting to be explored.
The Amazon Basin covers an enormous area, from the source of the Amazon River in the Andes Mountains in Peru to its exit into the Atlantic Ocean at Belem in Brazil. It is legendary with its rainforest, native Indians and abundant but secretive wildlife. You have many choices, from visiting lodges deep in the jungle, undertaking walks on canopy walkways to nature expeditions with expert naturalists and cruises on the mighty river itself—the choices are endless.
Antarctica
Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands
Easter Island or Tahiti are great places to break the journey if flying from Australia or New Zealand. At present it is possible to incorporate a stop at one or both of them with no extra airline costs if flying with LAN Airlines. They can be visited both on the way to and from South America, although we recommend doing it on your return due to flight connections.
Made famous by the naturalist Charles Darwin, the Galapagos Islands are a popular cruise destination with its interesting scenery and unusual wildlife. Experiencing them before or after a visit to Ecuador, boasting spectacular mountain scenery, friendly natives and an interesting history, is a great way of seeing this intriguing area.
Also known as the “White Continent”, Antarctica is the ultimate adventure destination. The cruise takes you to some of the most remote and spectacular places on earth. Add to this the unusual wildlife and you have a cruise you will forever treasure.
Easter Island & Tahiti
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
3
THE COMPANY
why travel with inca tours? Planning
Strong Past Client Referral
In planning a visit to such a diverse region, one not only has to decide what to see and how much time to spend in each location, but just as importantly what to avoid. Tours must be sensibly organised to satisfy special interests, whether they be the majestic scenery, the dynamic cities of today, the monuments of past civilisations, the colourful people who call this land home, meeting new friends or just having a good time! We do all this and more, because our tours and private itineraries are planned and operated by people who really know and above all, love South America.
In most cases, regardless whether they travelled semi-independently or on a set departure tour, Inca Tours’ clients return with great memories and an appreciation for the smooth manner in which their holiday was conducted. They are normally so taken with the service that they volunteer to act as independent ambassadors for Inca Tours. This means that if you would like to talk to an independent person who has travelled with us on a similar itinerary to what you are interested in, please let us know and we will put you in contact with one of our valued past clients.
Experience
Local Representation
At Inca Tours we have over 30 years experience organising semiindependent and small group tours to various parts of the world. This means you can be assured we will suggest the very best your semi-independent holiday or group departure tour can offer. This will result in you returning having had a great experience and will remember your holiday for all the right reasons.
Inca Tours has representative offices in (Chile) Santiago, (Peru) Lima, Cuzco, Iquitos; (Bolivia) La Paz; (Argentina) Bariloche, Buenos Aires; (Brazil) Iguassu, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Manaus; (Ecuador) Quito and (Falkland Islands) Stanley. These offices are there to support you during your holiday and to give you piece of mind that help is close at hand should anything come up. This may be something as simple as “where is a good restaurant?” to any major incident that requires immediate assistance. They are also the bases from which our expert local guides operate.
Reliability We only use well established operators with a long track record, some for over 26 years. They are not the cheapest but they are the best. We use them because we know what standard of service they will deliver and that corners will not be cut to save money.
Accommodation All Inca Experience Package hotels and lodges retain the charm and character of South America. We avoid where possible, the chrome and glass hotels of major international chains, preferring to experience the culture and lifestyle first hand in properties with local character. All hotels, lodges, ships and trains are of Standard, Superior or Deluxe-class. We only use hotels which have been inspected by a member of the Inca Tours staff or one of our representative offices.
Destination Knowledge Inca Tours was a pioneer to South America, having identified and explored most of the routes followed currently by Inca Tours and other South American operators. All of our South American Sales Professionals have actually been to the continent and will therefore be giving you first hand knowledge, not information they have read in brochures or heard about from others. To ensure that you receive the most relevant and up-to-date knowledge of the destinations we are constantly updating our staff through visits to this vast continent.
Value for Money At Inca Tours we believe in clients getting value for money. Cheap tours normally result in dissatisfaction and a feeling that the experience was a waste of money. The reason being that on cheap tours most of what you wish to do and see is not included and requires extra cost, cost which you have not taken into account when you booked. This is how they keep the cost of the tour down! Had you taken all the costs into account then the so called cheap tours do not turn out to have been the cheapest option. For this reason, everything detailed in the itinerary for our tours or on your private tour itinerary is included in the cost unless it clearly states ‘optional’.
Photo courtesy Explora Atacama
From the Managing Director
4
I hope you can join us on one of our very special Experience or Private Itinerary Tours to South America. I’m certain you will find it an exciting, educational and enjoyable experience to this unique part of the world. Please contact me if you have any questions regarding our services in South America. Feliz viaje!
Mike Kuhl Managing Director
easter islander
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
YOUR TRAVEL OPTIONS
get the most from this brochure andes mountains family experience with inca tours
“This brochure is more about ideas and possibilities than fixed itineraries...” Points to Consider Some important items you need to research very well when choosing a Latin American itinerary: • Often descriptions in brochures look the same but vary in time and quality when experienced. • Our transfers, city and sightseeing tours are run on a ‘private’ basis—unless otherwise requested. The cheaper alternative is the ‘seat-in-coach’ basis that we do not recommend, as it involves lengthy delays while the transfer vehicle frequents one hotel after another. Additionally, the guide will not always be fluent in English but if he or she is, their English talk will be slotted in between Spanish, Portuguese, German or French. You will be a face in a crowd and there will be no real conversation or communication with you. • Our preferred hotel at Iguassu Falls is situated in the National Park on the Brazilian side directly overlooking the Falls. All other hotels are quite a distance away from the falls. • Our Iguassu Excursions include quality time on both the Brazil and Argentine sides of the Falls. • We include an overnight stay near Machu Picchu. The cheaper alternative is a 1-day visit from Cuzco but we do not recommend this, as it only allows approximately 2 hours at the ruins (when they are very crowded) to view them before the train returns. • We do not recommend that you fly into La Paz, Bolivia (4,060 metres above sea level), as most people will suffer with altitude sickness—it is wiser to train there slowly from Lima and Cuzco.
Comparative Costings We appreciate that you may be seeking comparative costings from other travel providers so we wish to stress the importance of comparing “apples with apples.” Our clients often ask us to comment on travel proposals they have obtained elsewhere. Because of our experience in South America we are able to identify subtle differences in the standard of services quoted, non-apparent optional extras and hidden exclusions. A good example of these are the so called 5-star hotels in Buenos Aires. Many appear to be a great bargain until you get there and discover they are no better than what you would consider a 3-star hotel to be. Because of this we grade hotels ourselves. Having said that, please allow us to make the following points. We do not necessarily contract the cheapest available ground services. By selecting services on reliability rather than price, we know the quality of our service is second to none. We simply pay more for higher quality, professional and reliable services. This dramatically increases the enjoyment of the tour for our clients. Please take the time to consider these issues before choosing your South American travel supplier as they sometimes make our tours appear more expensive. Rest assured that if you still want the cheaper options, we can offer them to you.
Costs on the enclosed Price Insert Most tours in this brochure depart with a minimum of two people on them. We also quote a single supplement but this supplement is not applicable if there is only one person on the departure. It relates to where there are two or more people on the departure and one or more of them are solo travellers.
Group versus Non-group travel If you are looking to travel as part of a group, you will need to look at our Sensations Tours or Gold Tours brochures or some of the shorter tours, which link into other group departures. Examples of these are the Galapagos Islands and Antarctic Cruises. These itineraries are not flexible so you will have to do them as they stand.
Private Tailor-made Tours If you do not necessarily want to travel as part of a group or you wish to travel with your own group of friends, then this is where this brochure really comes into its own. Anything you see in the itineraries can be modified and altered to suit what you would like to do. This means you can pick and choose any components from the different itineraries and make up your own unique tour to suit exactly what you wish to do. Almost anything is possible at Inca Tours! Inca Tours has a faultless reputation for organising group tours, but what most travellers do not realise is that the majority of clients who travel with us, do so on a Tailor-made private basis. Just tell us what you have in mind: the standard of accommodation; if you want private or seat-in-coach services; and one of our Travel Professionals will do the rest. You can expect a detailed itinerary with everything included that you requested, as well as a clear costing of your tour. All of the Travel Professionals at Inca Tours who handle the South American enquiries and bookings have actually been there. This will give you confidence in the advice they give when constructing your itinerary because their suggestions come from first hand experience, having visited most of the places they are recommending to you.
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
5
PERU TO BOLIVIA
14 days:
Peru Lima
Machu Picchu Cuzco Puno
Puerto Maldonado Lake Titicaca
La Paz
Bolivia
Inca Tours Exclusives • ‘Casa Aliaga’, Lima: home to Peru’s only remaining hereditary Count. • ‘Casa Orihuela’, Peru: a hacienda.
Experience Highlights • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Expert local guides in each location. Lima City & Gold Museum Tours. Sandoval Lake, Amazon Jungle, Peru. ‘Vistadome Train’ to Machu Picchu. Overnight & two Machu Picchu visits. The Sacred Valley of the Incas, Peru. Inca Fortress of Ollantaytambo. Pisac Markets, Sacred Valley, Peru. Cuzco, the original Inca Capital, Peru. Inca site of Sacsayhuaman. ‘Orient Express Train’, Cuzco to Puno. Two-day Lake Titicaca Crossing. Overnight Sun Island, Lake Titicaca. Views of Island of the Moon, Bolivia. La Paz City and Moon Valley Tour.
lima to la paz DAY 1
Monday Arrive Lima Your Experience Tour Package commences today on arrival into Lima, where you are met and taken to your hotel for two nights.
is possible to drift beneath ravenous redbellied macaws as they return for the night. You are returned to the lodge around dusk for dinner. Later you may wish to return to the river to spot large black caimans. (BLD)
DAY 2
DAY 4
Tuesday Lima This afternoon you are taken on a city tour of Greater Lima, which includes the three distinct historical periods of the city: pre-Colombian, Colonial and Modern. The tour also visits the Santo Domingo Convent and the Casa Aliaga (an Inca Tours exclusive!), one of South America’s oldest Spanish homes and still inhabited by direct descendants of the original family. You will stop at the Government Palace and the Plaza de Armas (Main Square), before driving through the elegant treelined avenues of San Isidro and Miraflores. At Parque del Amor you will enjoy spectacular views of the Pacific. (B)
DAY 3
Wednesday Lima / Amazon Jungle This morning you will be transferred to Lima Airport for your flight to Puerto Maldonado, deep in the Amazon Jungle. On arrival you are driven to the river dock. From here it’s a half hour canoe journey down the Madre de Dios River. On arrival at the lodge, you will be welcomed for your two-night stay.
After lunch and a siesta, you board your catamaran and set off to explore the waterways. Here, in the flooded forest it
Dining Experiences • The Experience Package includes many but not all meals, allowing you to eat where you like in your free time. • 22 superb meals are included: 13 Breakfasts, 6 Lunches & 3 Dinners.
Departures • Weekly, as a tailor-made tour package. • Can add Tiahuanacu tour on page 32. 6 • Combines with ‘BA to Rio’ on page 8. urban area, machu picchu, peru
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
Thursday Amazon Jungle
You have an early morning excursion on the river for a possible encounter with the resident giant otters. Most of the water birds around the river actively fish in the early morning as well, and you may see some prehistoric-looking hoatzins. After breakfast you will set off into the cool canopy of the tall virgin forest to see some towering wild Brazil Nut Trees and gain an insight into how the Indian community farm their land. (BLD)
DAY 5
Friday Amazon Jungle / Cuzco / Sacred Valley of the Incas This morning you are transferred back to Puerto Maldonado Airport for your flight to Cuzco, “The Inca Capital” as it was known. On arrival in Cuzco you will be met and driven to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, which is at a lower altitude than Cuzco. Upon reaching the valley you are taken to your hotel for two nights. (B)
DAY 6
Saturday Sacred Valley — Pisac Today you visit the famous and traditional Pisac Markets. Here you have ample time to bargain with the local Indians for their
PERU TO BOLIVIA lake titicaca, seen from the island of the sun, bolivia
fabulous artifacts and weavings. After lunch (at an Inca Tours exclusive estancia), you will be taken to the Inca Fortress city of Ollantaytambo. The remainder of the afternoon is at leisure to further enjoy your surroundings. (BL)
DAY 7
Sunday Sacred Valley / Machu Picchu After breakfast you are transferred to Ollanta Train Station for your two-day excursion to Machu Picchu. You follow the Urubamba River on one of the world’s ‘great train journeys’. Machu Picchu, also known as the “Lost City of the Incas” is undoubtedly the best known and the most spectacular archeological site on the continent and is a must for all visitors. Your lunch is provided at Machu Picchu and tonight you stay in the village of Aguas Calientes, a highlight in itself! (BL)
DAY 8
Monday Machu Picchu / Cuzco You have the morning free to further explore the ruins of Machu Picchu without the hassle of large crowds. After lunch you make your own way back to the train station for your return journey to Cuzco and transfer to your hotel for two nights.
Cuzco is the archeological capital of the Americas and the continent’s oldest continuously inhabited city. Massive Incabuilt stonewalls line most of Cuzco’s central streets to form the foundations of Colonial and modern buildings. The streets are stepped, narrow and filled with Quechuaspeaking descendants of the Incas. (B)
DAY 9
Tuesday Cuzco
Your day begins with a comprehensive city tour of Cuzco that includes the Main Cathedral, Plaza de Armas (Main Square), Koricancha (Temple of the Sun), as well as other city highlights. Your tour then visits three of the other important Inca ruins out of Cuzco: Kenko, Tambomachay and Sacsayhuaman. (B)
DAY 10 Wednesday Cuzco / Puno Today you will be transferred to the train station for your Orient Express rail journey across the Andes, over the La Raya Pass (the world’s highest rail pass) and on to
Puno, on Lake Titicaca. This journey takes about 10 hours and provides a wonderful insight into Indian life as it has been for hundreds of years. Enroute you experience some of the world’s most spectacular views. On arrival in Puno you are taken to your hotel for tonight. (BL)
DAY 11 Thursday Puno / Lake Titicaca This morning you travel firstly by road along Lake Titicaca’s shoreline, through the town of Juli and then on to Copacabana where the Church of the Virgin of the Lake is visited. Here you board your catamaran for your two-day Lake Titicaca crossing. You sail past the Island of the Moon and on to the Island of the Sun, where you berth for the night.
DAY 13 Saturday La Paz After breakfast you will be taken on a city tour of La Paz and the spectacular Moon Valley. You visit the Indian and Pagan sacrificial markets, Calle Jaen with its museums, San Francisco Church, Plaza Murillo, the National Congress, the Main Cathedral, Presidential Palace, the areas of Obrajes, Calacoto & the Moon Valley. (B)
DAY 14 Sunday Depart La Paz Your tour ends when you are transferred to La Paz Airport. There are good connections for flights home or to continue on with the Buenos Aires to Rio Experience Package. (B)
After lunch, you go ashore to see the Yumani Stone Steps, the Inca water-springs that are supposed to be a source of eternal youth. You will then be taken to the village of Challapampa. Here you experience the daily life of the locals, minding animals or building their unique reed boats. (BLD)
DAY 12 Friday Lake Titicaca / La Paz You awake to the sound of your catamaran departing Challapampa and travelling further along this vast lake. You will sail through the Straits of Tiquina where the Bolivian Navy is based. You continue on to Chua Port where you board your bus for La Paz. On arrival you are taken to your hotel for two nights. (B)
7 young peruvian & Mum, cuzco
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
ARGENTINA TO BRAZIL
9 days:
buenos Aires to rio iguassu falls, from brazil side
DAY 1
Brazil
Rio de Janeiro Iguassu Falls Argentina
Buenos Aires
Experience Highlights • • • • • • • •
Expert local guides in each location. Buenos Aires City Tour. Tango Show & Dinner. Iguassu Falls Argentina & Brazil sides. Boat ride to base of Iguassu Falls. Samba Show and Dinner, Rio. Corcovado & Statue of Christ, Rio. Sugar Loaf Mountain, Rio.
Dining Experiences • The Experience Package includes many but not all meals, allowing you to do what you want and eat where you like in your free time. • 10 superb meals are included: 8 Breakfasts & 2 Dinners.
Arrive Buenos Aires Your Experience Tour Package starts on arrival into Buenos Aires where you will be met and taken to your downtown city hotel for three fabulous nights.
DAY 2 Buenos Aires Buenos Aires is the Argentine Capital and the most fashionable city in South America, with many beautiful parks and plazas. “Portenos”, as the locals call themselves, are fun loving people who enjoy their city and music. Today you are taken on a tour taking in Government House, City Hall, House of Congress, Metropolitan Cathedral, Colon Theatre, Avenue 9th July (the world’s wildest street) and the La Boca District. Tonight you will be taken to dinner and one of the city’s best Tango Shows. (BD) DAY 3
Buenos Aires Today is at leisure in Buenos Aires. You may wish to take advantage of the wonderful shopping opportunities or perhaps visit the world famous, Colon Opera House. (B)
DAY 4
Buenos Aires / Iguassu Falls Following breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Iguassu Falls, where some 275 separate cascades fall in a wild array of spray over a winding three kilometre cliff frontage into a gorge sixty metres deep. You are met from your flight and taken on a walking tour of the Argentine side of the falls. You will then be transferred to the Brazil side of the falls to your hotel for two nights. (B)
Departures
DAY 5
Iguassu Falls This morning you are taken to the river where you board your powerful inflated boat for an incredibly spectacular ride up the Iguassu River to the base of the falls. (B)
DAY 6
Iguassu Falls / Rio de Janeiro Today you are transferred to the airport for your flight to Rio. On arrival you will be met and taken to your hotel located right in Copacabana for three nights. (B)
DAY 7
Rio de Janeiro After breakfast you are taken on a tour to the Sugar Loaf. It is reached by a 2-stage cable car that offers a spectacular look at the city and its beaches from a vantage point above Rio. Tonight you are taken to one of Rio’s most famous restaurants and then on to a spectacular Samba Show. (BD)
DAY 8 Rio de Janeiro
• Daily, as a tailor-made tour package. • This package can also be undertaken
Today you will be taken on a half day tour to Corcovado and the Statue of Christ. You pass by Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon to Cosme Velho, where you board a modern vehicular train for the 20 minute ride to the top of the 770 metre high Corcovado Mountain. The beach famous beach suburbs of Sao Conrado and Barra are visited on the return to your hotel. (B)
in the reverse order: from Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires. • Combines with ‘Lima to La Paz’ on page 6 or ‘Carnival in Rio’ on page 9 of this brochure.
DAY 9
Depart Rio de Janeiro This morning you are transferred to Rio Airport where your tour ends. There are good connections for flights home or to continue on with other tour packages. (B)
8 tango show, buenos aires
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
BRAZIL
6 days:
carnival in rio sambadrome & carnival parade, rio
Guanabara Bay City Centre
Statue of Christ Corcovado Bay of Sepetiba and Rocinha
DAY 1
Sugar Loaf Copacabana Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon
Arrive Rio de Janeiro
On arrival into Rio you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Copacabana for five nights. Rio sweeps 20 kilometres along the narrow alluvial strip between the mountains and the sea. Today is the first day of the Rio Carnival, a unique and unforgettable event. If Rio de Janeiro is known for one thing, that would have to be the Carnival. Rio’s Carnival has a mysterious hold over most visitors and is legendary the world over. It is also one of the few legends that lives up to its billing. Carnival now takes up the best part of a week and as a holiday period it is more important to the average Carioca (local of Rio) than Christmas or the New Year.
DAY 2
Rio – Sugar Loaf Tour This morning you are taken on a tour to The Sugar Loaf, located uniquely above the entrance to Guanabara Bay. It is reached by a spectacular 2-stage cable car ride that offers a beautiful look at the city and its beaches from a vantage point above.
DAY 5
Your afternoon is at leisure to prepare for the Carnival Parade tonight. Nowhere in the world is there a show as fascinating as Carnival. It is a mixture of street parades, featuring samba schools and a contagious revelry, which takes over the whole city. Seeing is believing at Rio Carnival! (B)
Rio – Favela Tour Following breakfast you are collected from your hotel to visit one of Rio’s famous favelas (poor communities). This favela is situated in the heart of the city between two up-market neighbourhoods. This illustrates the impressive social cohesion and contrast of Rio. You visit the sports centre of Rocinha, the Rocinha Samba School Balcony and walk through the highest part of the area. You are then taken to the commercial part of the favela, where you have the chance to mix with the locals and perhaps visit the favela’s school. (B)
DAY 3
DAY 6
Rio – Statue of Christ Tour This afternoon you will be taken on a tour to Corcovado, and the Statue of Christ. The tour passes by Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon to Cosme Velho, where the modern funicular train is boarded for a ride up to the top of Corcovado Mountain. The Christ the Redeemer statue is one of Rio’s most famous landmarks. It is 70 metres high, weighs1,100 tons and has 360 degree views of the entire area below. (B)
DAY 4
Rio – Tropical Islands Tour Today you undertake a tour to the tropical islands of Rio located in the Bay of Sepetiba. The tour takes you along the southern beaches, until you reach Itacurusa, a fishing village. Here you board a vessel for your cruise through the emerald green waters of Rio to one of its tropical islands, where lunch will be served. You return to your hotel later today. (BL) carnival dancer, rio
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
Depart Rio de Janeiro Today you are transferred back to Rio de Janeiro Airport for your onward flight. (B)
Carnival in Rio Package This package can easily be added to the end of the ‘Buenos Aires to Rio’ Experience Package on page 8 or the beginning of the ‘Best of Brazil’ Experience Package on page 30 of this brochure. It can also be combined with the ‘Beautiful Buzios’ Experience Package on page 28. Please enquire with us... Carnival dates differ from year to year. Please contact us for dates...
9
ANTARCTICA
11 days:
antarctic cruise ‘mv antarctic dream’
zodiac iceberg excursion
DAY 6
DAY 9-10 Drake Passage
Argentina Ushuaia
Chile Drake Passage
Petermann Island Cuverville Island
King George Island
Deception Island Antarctic Peninsula
DAY 1
Depart Ushuaia Today you board your cruise ship, where you are greeted by your Expedition Leader and staff and shown to your cabin. The ship will depart early evening. (D)
DAY 2-3 Drake Passage Wandering albatrosses, storm petrels and other seabirds escort the vessel as you sail south across the famous Drake Passage. You will continue towards the Antarctic Convergence, a biological barrier where cold polar waters sink beneath the warmer waters of the more temperate zone and on to the South Shetland Islands. (BLD)
DAY 4
King George Island King George Island gives you an early taste of what the Antarctic really is as you disembark in Potter Bay. In the afternoon you can disembark at Aitcho Island. You then continue with the crossing of the Bransfield and Gerlache Straits to enter Andvord and Neko Bays. (BLD)
DAY 5
10
Antarctica & Neko Bay Besides the magnificent mountains, snow and ice in Antarctica, you can expect to see a wide variety of the native wildlife. Marine mammals that you are likely to see include crab-eaters, seals, orcas, humpback and mink whales may be spotted at close range. The program includes your first landing on the White Continent (Neko Bay) and another on Port Lockroy (Gaudier Island) which is close to Wiencke Island off the Antarctic Peninsula. (BLD)
Pleneau / Petermann Island Today you sail south through the narrow Lemaire Channel with its high, sheer cliffs. Once through the channel, known as one of the most beautiful places in the world, and provided climate and ice conditions are good enough, you will be able to visit Petermann Island, the most southern landing point of your expedition. Here you disembark and see the most southern colony of gentoo penguins which nest near our landing spot. On this island you may also be able to see a colony of beautiful Adelei penguins, skuas and blue-eyed shags. At Pleneau you should have the opportunity to take a zodiac and get close to very impressive ice formations. (BLD)
On these final days you leave the Antarctic and head north back across the Drake Passage, allowing you time to dwell on the adventures of the past week. (BLD)
DAY 11 Arrive Ushuaia After breakfast you bid farewell to the ship’s crew and new-found friends as you disembark the ship in Ushuaia, thus ending an incredible and unique expedition. (B)
Please note that you should regard this itinerary as an approximate guide only. Your exact route and program varies according to the weather conditions you encounter and the subsequent decisions of the ship’s Caption.
DAY 7
Paradise Bay / Cuverville Island At this point you begin your return voyage and also visit Paradise Bay and Cuverville Island. Beside its dramatic scenery, it is home to one of the largest colonies of gentoo penguins and skuas. (BLD)
DAY 8 Deception Island / Livingstone Island Today you continue sailing to Deception Island, the largest active volcano in the area. During the morning you may disembark in Whaler’s Bay and Pendulum Cove, where you get the opportunity to experience swimming in the icy water. This afternoon you will disembark at Hannah Point (Livingstone Island). This is one of the best places in the Antarctic to see fauna. (BLD)
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
Cruise to Antarctica This ‘Antarctic Cruise’ Experience Package can easily be undertaken before the ‘Buenos Aires to Rio’ Experience Package on page 8 of this brochure. We have other shorter and longer Antarctica Cruise options. Please contact our office for further information regarding these or other cruises available in the South of Argentina or Chile...
ECUADOR
7 days:
galapagos cruise Genovesa
giant galapagos tortoise
Santiago Baltra
Fernandina Santa Cruz Isabela
Santa Fe
San Cristobal
Floreana Espanola
DAY 1 Arrive Quito On arrival in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, you will be met and taken to your hotel for tonight. Quito is officially a World Cultural Heritage site thus allowing its architectural, artistic and cultural treasures to be preserved. DAY 2
Quito / Galapagos Islands This morning you are taken to the airport for your flight to the Galapagos Islands where on arrival, you are met and assisted to board your cruise ship for your 5-day cruise of this paradise. Your journey begins on the Island of San Cristobal, a large island of 585 square kilometres, the capital of the Galapagos Archipelago and the only place you can observe both species of frigatebird nesting in the same colony. (BLD)
DAY 3
Espanola Island Today you will marvel at the beautiful white beach at Espanola Island and can snorkel off Gardner Bay if you wish. You will see its famous blowhole and one of the most impressive and varied seabird colonies on the archipelago. Here there are bluefooted and masked boobies, sea lions,
blue footed boobie
marine iguanas, waved albatross, Galapagos hawks, wood mockingbirds, oyster-catchers and the large cactus finch. (BLD)
DAY 4
Floreana Island Post Office Bay on Floreana Island is the location of one of the oldest “post offices” in the area. In the18th Century it became known for a barrel where sailors could leave letters which would be collected by passing ships and taken home. In addition to Post Office Bay, you also visit Punta Cormorant with its secluded olive-crystal beach. (BLD)
DAY 5
Isabela Island Isabela Island is the largest and also the most volcanically active of the Galapagos Islands. Here you visit Puerto Villamil, the turtle centre, Flamingo’s Lagoon as well as Shark Cove. (BLD)
DAY 6
Santa Cruz / Baltra / Quito This morning you are taken to visit the second largest and most populated of the islands, Santa Cruz, with its diverse landscape, vegetation, plant and animal life. Here you visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, a sanctuary for breeding giant tortoises and for scientific research. Following the visit you cruise to Baltra where you farewell the boat and its crew as you are taken to the airport for your return flight to Quito. On arrival you are met and taken to your hotel for the night. (BL)
DAY 7
Depart Quito This morning you are taken to the airport for your ongoing flight. (B) typical galapagos Cruise vessel
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
Galapagos Cruise It is possible to add extra nights at the beginning or end of this cruise or to take a longer or shorter cruise. This ‘Galapagos Cruise’ Experience Package can easily be added to the beginning of the ‘Ecuador Great Escape’ Experience Package on page 18 or the ‘Lima to La Paz’ Experience Package on page 6 of this brochure. Please note the order and choice of islands which you will visit during the cruise may vary according to the weather conditions or the suggestions of the ship’s Captain.
11
CHILE
7 days: Puerto Montt
chilean fjords cruise excursion among icebergs
Chiloe
Castro Queilen Quellon
Chile
Melinka
Puerto Aguirre Quitralco San Rafael Glacier
DAY 1
Depart Puerto Montt / Chiloe This morning you will board your cruise ship and set sail from Chinquihue, near Puerto Montt. You start by sailing through the Llanquihue Archipelago, the Gulf of Ancud and the Chiloe Archipelago, crossing the Gulf of Corcovado. (LD)
DAY 2
Chiloe / San Rafael Glacier Today your cruise vessel navigates its way through the Moraleda and Ferronave Channels, until you arrive at Puerto Aguirre, a remote fishing village. From here you sail through the Guaitecas Archipelago; the Ferronave and Pilcomayo Channels; the Costa Channel; and finally, the Elefantes Fjord where your cruise ship will drop anchors. (BLD)
DAY 3
San Rafael Glacier
This morning you travel through the San Rafael Bay, the Tempanos Channel and Lagoon, until you reach the large mass of glacial ice, which makes up San Rafael. From here you make excursions in smaller motorboats between the various multicoloured icebergs, which before crashing into the water, formed part of the San Rafael Glacier. Later in the day, your cruise vessel will move even closer to the almighty San Rafael Glacier, before a late departure for the Quitralco Fjord. (BLD)
DAY 4
Quitralco Fjord / Chiloe
Today your cruise vessel enters the Quitralco Fjord, where you have the opportunity to bathe in fantastic thermal pools. You also have the choice of activities such as walks and motorboat fjord excursions. In the evening your cruise vessel departs for Chiloe, sailing through the Moraleda and Perez Norte Channels. (BLD)
DAY 5
Chiloe / Castro
This morning you sail through the Leucayec Channel and see the Island of Melinka, in the Los Chonos Archipelago. Your cruise ship then crosses the Corcovado Gulf and hugs the eastern coast of Chiloe as it sails further north. Here you may make an optional landing at Queilen before sailing through the Yal Channel and up the Castro Estuary to port in the quaint little city of Castro. (BLD)
12 ‘mv skorpios II’
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
DAY 6
Castro / Chinquihue Castro was founded in1567 and is the capital of the island of Chiloe. Points worth visiting include the Cathedral, the museum and the native handicraft market. Your journey back to Puerto Montt takes you through the Channels of Lemuy, Dalcahue, Quicavi and Calbuco, all places of great historical and natural interest. Tonight, after arriving at Chinquihue, you will enjoy a Gala Dinner to celebrate the end of your Chilean Fjords Cruise. (BLD)
DAY 7
Chinquihue / Puerto Montt This morning after breakfast you will disembark and be transferred to your hotel in Puerto Montt or to the airport for your onward flight. (B)
Chilean Fjords (Skorpios) Cruise This 4-star ‘Chilean Fjords Skorpios Cruise’ Experience Package can easily be combined with most of the tour packages in this brochure, especially at the beginning of ‘The Southern Lakes Crossing & Bariloche’ Experience Package described on page 23 of this brochure. We also have a 5-star ‘Chilean Fjords Skorpios Cruise’ on board the deluxe ‘MV Skorpios III’. Please enquire with us...
BRAZIL
8 days:
amazon nature cruise ‘mv tucano’
amazon swimming
DAY 4
Around midday your vessel travels to the “Meeting of the Waters”, as it is known, a distinct several mile-long line, where the world’s two largest rivers, the Amazon and the Negro, join in a turbulent maelstrom. Here the dark water of the Negro runs beside the opaque brown water of the Amazon. In the afternoon you scout one of the hidden streams in the area to try to see more of the Amazon’s beautiful and bizarre creatures. Tonight there will be one last excursion looking for jungle life. (BLD)
Jau
pe ri
Brazil
gro Ne
Anavilhanas Archipelago
Novo Airao
Manaus
on Amaz
Amazon
Meeting of the Waters
DAY 1
Depart Manaus / Amazon
This morning you board your cruise boat in Manaus and depart upstream on the Negro River. During the morning you cruise through the Anavilhanas Archipelago. By mid-afternoon your vessel has gone beyond the frontier of settlement and entered the wilderness area. Though you never know what you may see, you have a good chance of observing pink river dolphins and you will certainly be treated to magnificent forest vistas. In the late afternoon you embark in a launch to search for wildlife. You may also go for a swim in the river’s refreshing waters. (LD)
DAY 2
Amazon Cruise Boat
Early this morning you explore the rainforest along the waters edge where you should hear and perhaps see howler monkeys along with a morning serenade of toucans. After breakfast you can go for a walk in the forest before your vessel gets underway. In the late afternoon you explore the forest in a launch and may hear the sunset chorus of birds and frogs. (BLD)
DAY 3
Amazon Cruise Boat
This morning there will be a visit to the waking forest, where you may be able to see monkeys. Your motor yacht will travel during the middle of the day and stop in the afternoon for an excursion. Tonight the vessel may travel a bit more as you marvel at the night sky crowded with the most brilliant of stars. (BLD)
Amazon Cruise Boat After this morning’s excursions your motor yacht navigates along the heavily forested shore, scouting for wildlife. You may stop for a visit at a settler’s home carved out of the forest. In the early afternoon you will be near an extraordinary river called the Rio Jauaperi. Here you see a kind of forest known as the “Varzea”. You scout along the shoreline for some of the extraordinary creatures found only in this unique environment. Weather permitting, you may undertake a night excursion to observe nocturnal creatures. (BLD)
DAY 5
Amazon Cruise Boat Today you depart the Jauaperi River and head downstream exploring a new collection of rainforest habitats. (BLD)
DAY 6
Amazon Cruise Boat Today you stop to visit the substantial boat building village of Novo Airao. As you walk through the streets you’ll marvel at how the 19th Century still thrives in this remote corner of the globe. Tonight your motor yacht goes downstream to arrive at daybreak near the confluence with the Amazon. As you glide through the darkness, you may like to celebrate with the national drink of Brazil, the Caipirinha! (BLD)
DAY 7
Amazon Cruise Boat This morning you explore the Lago Janauari Ecological Park, where seasonally the brown water of the Amazon flows swiftly through the forest.
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
DAY 8 Amazon Cruise Boat / Depart Manaus This morning you disembark in Manaus before being transferred to the airport for your onward flight. (B)
Amazon Nature Cruise It is possible to add extra nights at the beginning or end of this cruise package to extend the experience, at an extra cost. This package can easily be added to the end of the ‘Best of Brazil’ Experience Package on page 30 or to the beginning of the ‘Amazon Explorer’ Experience Package on page 31 of this brochure. Please enquire with us...
13
BRAZIL, PERU & ECUADOR
the amazing amazon spotting anaconda, reserva amazonica, puerto maldonado peru
Venezuela Guyana Colombia Quito
Coca
Negro
EcuadorNapo
zon Ama
Iquitos
Peru Lima
Cuzco
Ma
ira de
Amazon
Manaus
Brazil
Boca Manu Puerto Maldonado
Lake Titicaca
Bolivia
La Paz
THE AMAZON BASIN & RIVER
The Amazon Basin extends from Guyana and Venezuela in the north to Bolivia in the south and from the Atlantic in the east to the Andes of Peru in the west. It enters no less than nine countries but occupies more area in Brazil than all the other eight countries combined. The Amazon River at the heart of this catchment has more fresh water in it than any other river on earth. Other major rivers to be found in the basin are the Rio Negro, originating in Venezuela, the Rio Napo with its source in Ecuador and the Madre de Dios of Peru. These four rivers, with their various tributaries, drain the extensive rainforests of the Amazon Basin.
14
Rainforest originally covered the entire Amazon Basin but due to logging the total area remaining is much reduced and shrinking by the day. The undisturbed parts of the forest are still home to many wild animals including Jaguar, Sloth, Tapir and many species of monkeys. There is also an abundance of bird, butterfly and plant species to be found here. Having said this you need to be aware that finding birds and animals in the forest is very difficult: when you visit, it will not be like what you have seen in the wildlife documentaries. The likelihood of seeing more than a few species of monkey and birds is unlikely. Many visitors to the Amazon Basin come away disappointed in that they were expecting to see more wildlife. If you go there expecting what you have seen in TV documentaries you too will be disappointed. It is not a question of the wildlife not being there, it is just very, very difficult to see.
it makes for a very interesting sight. Due to the population density in Manaus, the area immediately around the city is devoid of a lot of forest and wildlife. For this reason we recommend venturing away from the city on the Amazon Nature Cruise to be found on page13 of this brochure. Peru offers a number of very good areas to access the forest. Iquitos is on the Amazon and has Ceiba Tops Lodge, which is the most luxurious lodge in the Amazon although still only 4-star. The area is spectacular but the wildlife is difficult to spot due to the frequency of villages and river traffic on the Amazon. See page15 for details. There are three very worthwhile lodges which can be accessed from Puerto Maldonado, only a short plane flight away from Cuzco.
The various points from which you can access the Amazon Basin all offer a very unique experience and a visit is well worth the time and effort because of the sheer magnificence of the rivers and the forest.
The most comfortable lodge here is Reserva Amazonica with its own canopy walkway. Sandoval Lake Lodge is quite rustic but is good for sighting wildlife. The best “jungle” experience is a visit to Manu National Park but this is also the most basic lodge and access is difficult, so you need a stay of four nights minimum. Packages for these lodges are found on pages16 & 17.
Brazil represents the greatest expanse of forest and is usually accessed from Manaus, a city of over two million people and the place where the Rio Negro and the Amazon River meet in what is known as the “Meeting of the Waters”. Due to the dark water of the Rio Negro flowing alongside the orange silt laden Amazon for a number of kilometres before they merge,
The last but by no means least option is to access the forest in Ecuador. This gives you the opportunity of combining the Amazon Basin with a visit to the Galapagos. We recommend Sacha Lodge, which is fairly basic (3-star), but its “jungle” experience is probably one of the best. Again, access takes a long time so a visit of three or more nights is suggested. Please see page15 for details.
amazon excursion, iquitos peru
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
ECUADOR & PERU
4 & 5 days: two amazon lodges Quito
Ecuador
Coca Na po
DAY 1
Am azo
Peru
n
Iquitos
Lima / Iquitos / Amazon This morning you board your flight to Iquitos. On arrival you are met and taken to the river, where you board your boat for Ceiba Tops. After lunch your jungle guide takes you walking into the primary forest with its lush canopy, festooned with epiphytes, orchids and bromeliads. You may also see monkeys and birds. (LD)
DAY 2
Lima
CEIBA TOPS LODGE, Peru 4-star resort-style lodge with pool, air conditioning & ensuite bathrooms Ceiba Tops Lodge is about 40 kms down the Amazon River from Iquitos. Ceiba Tops is the most comfortable lodge with a resort-style feel but being the Amazon, it is basic by beach resort standards. Ceiba Tops has a sister lodge, ExplorNapo near the junction of the Napo and Amazon Rivers. ExplorNapo is more like the typical Amazon lodge: no glass windows or airconditioning but an advantage is that it has an extensive canopy walkway. A visit to this part of the Amazon Basin should be more about experiencing the jungle and its people and not about seeing abundant wildlife.
Amazon Jungle Today you travel by boat to a small village to observe the lifestyle of the locals. Here you may be able to visit a small school as well as the town of Indiana. Originally a mission town, Indiana has grown into a large community with its own rice mill, high school and clinic. This afternoon you set out by boat in search of the Amazon’s quite rare pink dolphins and the giant Queen Victoria Water Lilies. (BLD)
DAY 3
Amazon Jungle Today you travel by river to ExplorNapo Lodge. Here you undertake a spectacular canopy walkway high in the trees. You also visit Re Nu Pe Ru Ethnobotanical Gardens where over 240 medicinal plants are grown by a shaman, who explains the nature of Amazonian healing and plant uses. (BLD)
DAY 4
Amazon / Iquitos / Lima This morning you travel back to Iquitos to connect with your return flight to Lima. (B) You can shorten or lengthen the number of nights you spend at this lodge. You may also add extra nights staying at ‘ExplorNapo’.
SACHA LODGE, Ecuador 3-star lodge with own canopy walkway, ceiling fans in rooms & ensuite bathrooms Deep in the Ecuadorian Amazon, located near the Rio Napo River, is Sacha Lodge. Designed to preserve the environment and rainforest ambience yet offer visitors a good standard of comfort, the cabins, with high thatched roofs and private shaded terraces, are constructed with traditional materials and nestle into the lush surroundings. All cabins have private bathrooms with a flushing toilet and hot shower, are screened against insects and contain ceiling fans. During free time, you may overlook the jungle from hammocks and guests often report seeing toucans, agoutis and monkeys right from their own cabin! You may also enjoy a scenic view of Lake Pilchicocha from a raised lookout. The bird life in the area of the lodge is superb with a parrot lick located in the adjacent national park. (LD)
DAY 1
Quito / Coca / Amazon Jungle Getting to the lodge is a journey in itself. It starts with a short flight from Quito Airport to Coca where you have lunch at a private house. Following lunch you are taken to the jetty to board the lodge’s private boat for the 2 hour trip down the river. This is followed by a walk through the forest to the lodge, where staff will have already transferred your luggage. (BLD)
DAY 2-4 Amazon Jungle Depending on the season, your interest and the weather, there are many different activities on offer to fill your days. They include bird watching, visiting the butterfly house, undertaking a canopy walk, a canoe ride to look for caiman, visit a parrot lick, forest walks and many other activities which your naturalist guides will suggest. (BLD)
DAY 5
Amazon Jungle / Coca / Quito Following breakfast you retrace your journey back to Coca where you are met and taken to the airfield for your flight to Quito where your tour package ends. (B) It is possible to increase or decrease the number of days spent at the lodge although we do not suggest you visit for less than 4 nights, as you will find you do not have enough time to do the most interesting activities on offer. Changes at different cost. ceiba tops jungle lodge, peru
room, sacha lodge, ecuador
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
15
PERU
3 & 4 days: more amazon lodges DAY 1
eD re d d a M
Lima Machu Picchu Cuzco
Peru
io s
Puerto Maldonado
Bolivia
Lima / P Maldonado / Amazon Early this morning you board your flight from Lima Airport via Cuzco, to Puerto Maldonado. On arrival you are met and taken from the airport to the river dock. A 60-minute journey down the Madre de Dios River by motor canoe brings you to the lodge, home for two nights. On arrival you are met by the local naturalist who will guide you for the next two days. (LD)
DAY 2
Amazon Jungle Your journey to Tambopata National Reserve offers a range of land and river excursions that introduce you to the magic of the Amazon rainforest. There are options to suite all interest. RESERVA AMAZONICA, Peru 4-star lodge with own canopy walkway, ceiling fans in rooms & ensuite bathrooms The Reserva Amazonica is a private ecological reserve and research centre which covers an area of10,000 hectares. It is located near the city of Puerto Maldonado in the Southern Amazon region of Tambopata of Peru. Puerto Maldonado is also the easiest part of the Amazon to access from Cuzco and Machu Picchu, being only a 35 minute flight from Cuzco. The lodge is ideally located on the banks of the Madre de Dios River. Built with natural materials it gives you a feeling of being part of the jungle but does not hold back on comfort.
The wildlife in the reserve is remarkable, from giant and colourful parrots, to toucans, macaws, tapirs, tamarins, owls and the beautiful Southern Amazon Red Squirrel. Additionally, there are thousands of species of butterflies, a large variety of monkeys, otters and four species of felines but to mention only some of what resides in this pristine environment. (BLD)
DAY 3
P Maldonado / Lima or Cuzco Early this morning you are taken to the airport for your flight to Lima, via Cuzco. On arrival in Lima your tour comes to an end. It is also possible to end in Cuzco. (B) This package certainly lends itself to adding extra nights to allow you to undertake many more of the exiting excursions on offer. All changes at a different cost.
SANDOVAL LAKE LODGE, Peru 3-star lodge on lake, ceiling fans in rooms & ensuite bathrooms Sandoval Lake Lodge is also easily accessed from the city of Puerto Maldonado via a short motorised boat transfer. Constructed almost entirely of ecologically-harvested “driftwood” mahogany trees collected from the floods that naturally carry logs down river out of Manu National Park. The lodge is one extended structure consisting of a large screened main dining / lounge room with 25 fully-screened double-occupancy rooms arranged in two wings. All rooms and communal areas have electricity, as well as kerosene lamps and candles.
DAY 1
Lima / P Maldonado / Amazon Early this morning you board your flight from Lima Airport via Cuzco, to Puerto Maldonado. On arrival you are met and taken to the river dock. A 25 minute journey down the Madre de Dios River by motor canoe brings you to the start of the trail to the lodge. This trail takes you past a flooded forest of 30 metre high Mauritia Palms. After lunch and a customary siesta, you board the catamaran and set off to explore the Sandoval Lake. Here, in the flooded forest it’s possible to drift beneath babbling red-bellied Macaws as they return for the night. After dinner you may wish to return to the catamaran to look for the large black Caiman found here. (LD)
DAY 2-3 Amazon Jungle Depending on the time of year you will be offered a variety of activities which may include a possible encounter with the lake’s giant otters or spotting some prehistoriclooking Hoatzins. These odd, leaf-eating birds are the size of chickens and sport bare blue faces, red eyes and punk rock crests! You can also explore the eastern part of Sandoval Lake where you may see scores of the various species of monkeys that live here. In these inland black-water lakes and swamps there is usually excellent bird watching and you may also see the giant Queen Victoria water lilies up close. (BLD)
DAY 4
P Maldonado / Lima or Cuzco Early this morning you are taken to the airport for your flight to Lima, via Cuzco. On arrival in Lima your tour comes to an end. It is also possible to end in Cuzco. (B)
16 reserva amazonica suite
palm forest, sandoval lake
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
PERU
5 days:
manu national park DAY 1
Ma
nu
Lodge Boca Manu Manu NP Madre de Dio s
Puerto Maldonado Private Forest Reserve Paucartambo Cuzco Colorado
Peru
Cuzco / Boca Manu / Amazon Early this morning you will be collected from your hotel and transferred to Cuzco Airport for your short flight to Boca Manu. On arrival you are transferred to the river and undertake an exciting motorised canoe trip to the Manu Wildlife Tented Camp near Cocha Salvador. Enroute you have the chance to see black caimans, capybaras and turtles. On arrival at the camp you check in for a memorable two-night stay. After a rest and freshening up you are taken, by local expert guides, to explore the area surrounding the lodge. You should see birds, monkeys and other wildlife. (LD)
DAY 2
MANU NATIONAL PARK, Peru This programme features two nights an the Manu Wildlife Tented Camp and a further two nights at Manu Wildlife Centre in a standard room. Manu Wildlife Tented Camp features screened, water proof, double-occupancy, walk-in tents with locking doors and wooden floors. Each tent is elevated above the ground on stilts. There is a separate complex of shared hot-water showers and flushing toilets. This itinerary is only one example of what is possible. You can go for longer or shorter to match your timeframe. Some packages allow you to avoid camping if you so wish and spend all the nights at Manu Wildlife Centre.
Amazon Jungle Today you visit Cocha Salvador where you take to the lake in canoes or on a catamaran in search of the famous endangered giant Otters. Your afternoon is spent exploring the many trails in search of monkeys. (BLD)
DAY 3
Amazon Jungle Very early this morning you travel down the Manu River to Boca Manu, to visit the local community and then board a motorised canoe for a ninety minute journey down the Madre de Dios River to the Manu Wildlife Centre. This afternoon you explore the trails around the lodge, with an excellent chance of encountering some of the twelve species of monkey which inhabit the forest. You have the choice of returning to the Manu Wildlife Centre for dinner or to take a boxed meal for a leisurely hike through the night forest to the Amazon’s largest known
Tapir clay lick. An observation platform above the ground is where you wait for the Tapirs to arrive, which is usually after 9.00pm, with their activity continuing to dawn. Strong torches are available for you to photograph the Tapirs in action. (BLD)
DAY 4
Amazon Jungle This morning you will be up before dawn to take a 25 minute boat journey downstream to the only large parrot and macaw clay lick in the Manu area. From behind a blind you are afforded excellent views and photographic opportunities of the medium and large parrots and the red and green macaws arriving to eat the clay. After lunch you continue by boat and by foot to the Blanco Oxbow Lake. This lake has populations of a variety of aquatic life and water birds, including the prehistoriclooking hoatzin and the possibility of seeing the resident family of giant otter. Tonight you have the opportunity to search for caiman along the riverbank. (BLD)
DAY 5
Amazon / Boca Manu / Cuzco After a pre-dawn breakfast you depart the lodge by motor canoe for the two hour return trip to Boca Manu Airstrip where you board your flight back to Cuzco. On arrival in Cuzco you will be met by our representative, who will return any luggage you may have left at the start of the trip. You then check in for your onward flight. (B)
Please note: the parrot clay lick activity reaches its peak from August to October and decreases during May and June.
Manu National Park It is possible to add extra nights to this package to extend your stay. This package can easily be added to the beginning of ‘Lima to La Paz’, to the end of the ‘Amazon Explorer’ or to the end of the ‘Ecuador Great Escape’ Experience Package in this brochure. It also combines with all tours in the Peru section of this brochure. Please enquire with us...
This tour departs Cuzco on a Saturday
17 expert local jungle guides
local fauna
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
ECUADOR
9 days:
ecuador great escape
Quito
Ecuador
Banos Riobamba
Guayaquil Ingapirca Cuenca
DAY 1
Tuesday Arrive Quito Your tour package starts on arrival into Quito, where you will be met and taken to your city hotel for two nights. Quito sits in a fertile valley 2,816 metres above sea level, surrounded by snow-capped volcanoes.
Founded in1534, this picturesque Colonial City has been declared by UNESCO part of the Cultural Heritage of Mankind due to the outstanding styles and beauty in its architecture (Baroque, Spanish, Flemish, Moorish and pre-Colombian). The city also has a special touch—the warmth and hospitality that only “Quitenos” can offer!
DAY 2
Wednesday Quito This morning you will be taken on a tour of Quito. The tour covers Quito’s two most important sectors: the Colonial section and the modern part. You begin with a drive through the elegant residential areas to the Camino de Orellana, passing the Legislative Palace and then crossing to the Colonial area. From there you visit the famous churches of San Francisco, La Compania and San Augustine. You also visit the Middle of the World Monument where you can stand with a foot in each hemisphere! (BL)
Cotapaxi, the world’s highest active volcano. On arrival in Banos you are taken to your hotel for two nights. Banos is situated in one of the most beautiful parts of the Andes at a height of 1,800 metres. Its population is only 16,000 people. (BL)
Later in the day you stop to visit Ingapirca, Ecuador’s most important Inca Ruins. Ingapirca is to Ecuador what Machu Picchu is to Peru, albeit on a less grand scale. On arrival in Cuenca, you are taken to your hotel for two relaxing nights. (BL)
DAY 4
DAY 7
Friday Banos Following breakfast you are taken on a sightseeing tour of “beautiful Banos”, as it is known. This includes much of the picturesque landscape for which the town is well known. You are taken by cable car up to the Banos Tarabita for spectacular views of the surrounding area. You also visit the Rio Verde (Green River), famous for its crystalline green waters and waterfalls. This afternoon is at leisure to further enjoy Banos, an easy town to explore. You may wish to walk into the countryside or just relax in the local hot thermal springs, which reportedly possess healing properties! (BL)
DAY 5
Saturday Banos / Riobamba This morning you depart Banos and are driven to the town of Riobamba, where you stay tonight. This afternoon you are taken on a tour of Colonial Riobamba. (BL)
DAY 6
Sunday Riobamba / Ingapirca / Cuenca Today you are transferred to Riobamba Train Station for the “Devil’s Nose Train” journey through the Andes. This train trip is a highlight in itself, taking you through some of Ecuador’s most beautiful scenery.
Cuenca, is the third largest city in Ecuador but has a population of about 300,000 people. It is a relatively safe, relaxed city to explore and a centre for students of Spanish from all parts of the world. (BL)
DAY 8
Tuesday Cuenca / Guayaquil This morning you are collected from your hotel and depart Cuenca by road for Guayaquil on the coast of Ecuador. You leave the Sierra (highlands) and head down towards the Pacific Ocean. On arrival into Guayaquil you will be taken to your hotel for tonight. (B)
DAY 9
Wednesday Depart Guayaquil Your tour ends today when you check out of your hotel. There are good connections for flights home or alternatively, you may undertake a Galapagos Islands Cruise. (B)
Ecuador Great Escape Package It is possible to add extra nights at the beginning or end of this package to extend the experience. It can easily be added to the end of the ‘Chiva Express & Otavalo’ Experience Package on page 19 of this brochure. It also combines well with the ‘Lord of Sipan & Chan Chan’ Experience Package on page 21 of this brochure.
DAY 3
18
Monday Cuenca This morning you are taken on a Cuenca city tour which includes the Cathedral, the Plaza de Armas and a number of other important historical buildings. After lunch you will be taken to visit a Panama Hat factory on the outskirts of the city.
Thursday Quito / Banos Today you are driven by private vehicle into the Andes for your journey to the picturesque town of Banos. Enroute and if the weather is clear, you will have views of
Please enquire with us...
cotapaxi volcano, ecuador
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
ECUADOR
5 days:
chiva express & OTAVALO ‘chiva express’ train, ecuador
Quito
Ecuador Riobamba Guayaquil
Alausi
DAY 1
Arrive Quito On arrival into Quito you will be met and transferred to your hotel for three nights.
DAY 2
Quito Today you are taken on a city tour of Quito. You visit the stone carved facade of the House of Congress, depicting scenes from Ecuador’s past, before continuing to Independence Square, the Presidential Palace and the Cathedral. You also visit the church of La Compana from1605, with its golden altars, the finest example of Baroque art in South America. After lunch you are taken to the Equatorial Monument out of Quito. It marks latitude 0 or the exact “Middle of the World”. Here you can stand with a foot in each hemisphere! (BL)
DAY 3
Quito — Otavalo Markets Today you travel north from Quito until you reach the “Awakening Valley” and Cayambe, famous for their small figurines made of bread-dough and other food specialties. You pass through the beautiful Andean landscape before reaching Otavalo, home of the Otavalo Indians, a prosperous and enterprising indigenous group. You spend the day at the Otavalo Markets discovering enticing products such as textiles, paintings, ceramics, leather goods, jewellry, tapestries and more. Lunch is enjoyed at a typical hacienda. (BL)
DAY 4
Quito / Riobamba This morning you will be driven from Quito to the neighbouring Valley of Sangolquí. From here the road advances up and down the slopes of Cotopaxi Volcano and into the fertile Valley of Latacunga. You continue to Urbina at the foot of the imposing Chimborazo Volcano. Here you will visit a Tagua Nut Farm and have the chance to warm up with a local liqueur by the fireplace! You continue on to Riobamba and to your hotel for tonight. (BLD)
DAY 5
Riobamba / Depart Guayaquil Following breakfast the real adventure starts with your transfer to the train station to board the Chiva Express Train, a colourful one coach train, like a bus on tracks. A highlight of this trip is to “ride the roof” with a panoramic view of this stunning Andean region of Ecuador. otavalo indians
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
You will enjoy the leisurely ever-changing scenery as the Chiva Express advances along the ancient tracks in an astonishing ride, twisting and turning over the Andes, along bridging ravines and river gorges. After a brief stop in Guamote, an Indian town, you continue on to Alausí and the “Devil’s Nose” switch backs, one of the world’s most impressive feats of rail engineering! From here you continue by vehicle to Guayaquil, as you descend from the Andes to the Pacific Coast. Along the way you will witness the transition from high altitude Andean ecosystems to lush tropical coastal vegetation spotted with wooden farm houses on stilts. On arrival into Guayaquil you will be taken to your city hotel or to the airport for your connecting flight. (BL)
Chiva Express Train & Otavalo Package It is possible to add additional nights at the beginning or the end of this package to extend the experience, at extra cost. This package can easily be combined with the ‘Ecuador Great Escape’ Experience Package on page 18, the ‘Lima to La Paz’ Experience Package on page 6 or the ‘Amazon Explorer’ Experience Package on page 31 of this brochure. Please enquire with us...
19
PERU
6 days:
nazca lines & Arequipa colonial building, arequipa
Lima Ballestas Islands Paracas
Peru Ica
Nazca Colca Canyon Arequipa
DAY 1
Arrive Lima
On arrival into Lima you will be met and transferred to your hotel for tonight. Lima, the City of the Kings, is a very beautiful city and still has many Colonial buildings.
DAY 2
Lima / Ica – Nazca Lines
The Nazca Lines are the most intriguing of the many remnants of civilisations that prospered along the coastline for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans. This morning you will be taken by road south of Lima on the Pan American Highway to Ica and Nazca. Here you board a plane and overfly the mysterious Nazca markings, the most famous of which are: the condor, hummingbird and monkey.
No one knows precisely why the inhabitants of these coastal valleys etched lines and figures in the desert some 2,000 years ago. The overflight will let you appreciate the scale of their work. On your return to Ica, the wine capital of Peru, you will be taken to your hotel for tonight. (B)
DAY 3
Ica / Paracas / Lima This morning you are taken to the Ica archeological Museum, which houses mummies, ceramics, textiles and skulls from the Paracas, Nazca and Inca Cultures. You then depart Ica on a short drive west to Paracas. Here you will board a boat to visit the Ballestas Islands with their interesting scenery, abundant birdlife and seal colonies. Later you are returned to your Lima hotel for the night. (B)
DAY 4
Lima / Arequipa This morning after breakfast you are transferred to Lima Airport for your flight to Arequipa, where on arrival you will be taken to your hotel for tonight. The city of Arequipa stands in a beautiful valley at the foot of El Misti Volcano, a snow capped, perfect cone, 5,822 metres high. The city has fine Spanish buildings and churches built of sillar, a pearly white volcanic material mainly used in the construction of Arequipa. This afternoon you will be taken on a city tour, visiting the Santa Catalina Convent, built in the16th Century, the Plaza de Armas, La Compania Cloisters and the suburbs of Cayma and Yanahuara, with views of El Misti. (B)
20 hummingbird, nazca lines
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
DAY 5
Arequipa / Colca Canyon Today you will be collected from your Arequipa hotel and driven to your hotel in the Colca Canyon for tonight. (B)
DAY 6
Colca C / Depart Arequipa This morning you will visit the Condor’s Cross observation point, where condors may be spotted. Here you will gain an appreciation of Colca Canyon’s size. The river is about 3,500 metres above sea level at Chivay, falling to 2,200 metres at Cabanaconde. The roads on either side of the canyon are at around 4,000 metres and Nevado Ambato, a short distance away, rises to 6,288 metres. Later in the day you are returned to Arequipa Airport for your onward flight. (B)
Nazca Lines & Arequipa It is possible to add extra nights at the beginning or end of this tour package to extend the experience. This package can easily be added to the beginning of the ‘Lima to La Paz’ Experience Package on page 6, the end of the ‘Amazon Explorer’ Experience Package on page 31 or to the end of the ‘Ecuador Great Escape’ Experience Package on page 18 of this brochure. It also combines well with the ‘Lord of Sipan & Chan Chan’ Experience Package on page 21. Please enquire with us...
PERU
lord of sipan & CHAN CHAN
4 days:
from the lord of sipan’s tomb
From here it is on to the Bruning Archeological Museum for an introduction to the Lambayeque Culture. The museum houses a very interesting collection of jewellry, ceramics and textiles from this period. You also visit the Tumbas Reales Museum, which contains the gold masks, sceptres, jewellry, and other objects of the royal tomb of the Lord of Sipan. Following the visit you will be returned to your hotel in Chiclayo. (B)
Peru Lambayeque Chiclayo
Huanchaco Chan Chan
DAY 3
Chiclayo / Trujillo After breakfast you are taken through the desert to Trujillo for a one-night stay. In the afternoon you undertake a tour of Trujillo that includes the Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral and some of Trujillo’s fine Colonial mansions. (B)
Trujillo
The pyramids of the Sun and Moon, just south of Trujillo, are the largest structures ever constructed in South America, and are second in size in the Western Hemisphere only to the Pyramid of Cholula, Mexico. They formed the spiritual centre of the Moche Empire, a highly sophisticated yet mysterious culture that pre-dated the Incas by nearly 1,000 years. It is quite certain that the Moche Indians had contact with other American cultures, and there is good reason to believe they may have also been influenced by Asian ocean-going voyagers. The Pyramid of the Moon contains a central, vaulted chamber and the mountain directly behind, Cerro Blanco, appears to have been shaped by humans into a pyramid form as well.
Despite their achievements in architecture, metal working, and ceramics, the Moche were very militaristic, and scenes from their pottery depict ritual bloodletting and torture. They may have evolved a system of black-magic that aided them in their conquests of neighbouring peoples. Huanchaco is a fishing town where reed boats are still used by the local inhabitants, who venture into the cold currents of the Pacific in these precarious-looking boats. This massive adobe city, really a series of royal compounds built by the Chimu, was a major source of gold for the Incas. Contacts between Chan Chan and the Asian continent have never been proven, but there are tantalising hints. Pottery figures depict Asiatic men with beards and turbans and even the name “Chan Chan” seems to be Chinese in origin. Don’t miss the famous ‘honeycombs’, where strange acoustic effects allow visitors to whisper to each other over long distances inside the intricate adobe structures!
DAY 1
Arrive Chiclayo On arrival into Chiclayo you will be met and taken to your hotel for two nights.
DAY 2
Chiclayo Today you visit the impressive necropolis of Huaca Rajada, where several tombs have been recently uncovered, the most famous being the Lord of Sipan, dating from the 5th Century. This tomb was only discovered in1988 and is considered to be of great significance. chan chan detail
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
DAY 4
Depart Trujillo This morning you visit the beautiful Moche Sun and Moon Temples, before continuing on to the beach for a relaxing lunch in the town of Huanchaco. Afterwards you will be taken to the capital of the Chimu Empire—Chan Chan. Built in the13th Century, this citadel is the world’s largest adobe city. In its splendour Chan-Chan measured 19 square kilometres with 250,000 inhabitants. It flourished until it was conquered by the Incas in1460. Late today you are transferred to Trujillo Airport for your onward flight. Your Lord of Sipan and Chan Chan Package comes to an end here. (BL)
Sipan & Chan Chan It is possible to add extra nights at the beginning or end of this package to extend the experience, at extra cost. This package can easily be added to the beginning of ‘Lima to La Paz’ on page 6, the end of ‘Amazon Explorer’ on page 31 or to the end of ‘Ecuador Great Escape’ on 18 of this brochure. There is a convenient flight from Arequipa to Lima and then on to Chiclayo where you can undertake this package from the ‘Nazca Lines & Arequipa’ Package, on page 20. Please enquire with us...
21
PERU
5 & 4 days: inca trail & lares trek Lares Trek Aguas Calientes Machu Picchu Quiswarani Inca Trail Patacancha Piscacucho Ollantaytambo Cuzco
Peru
Inca Trail Trek to Machu Picchu We recommend that before setting off on any Andean Trek, you have 2 or 3 nights in Cuzco. This time at leisure will allow you to acclimatise to the high altitude and ultimately make your trek more enjoyable. Porters carry your gear, so you walk with just a daypack and your camera. In these high valleys beneath towering peaks and icefields, you will see traditional Quechuan highlanders tending herds of alpacas. Lares Trek to Machu Picchu Take the relatively untouched trail to Machu Picchu! Avoid the busier Inca Trail Trek and experience the beauty of the Lares Trek. Be among the first in Australia to explore this remote Peruvian back country!
INCA TRAIL TREK TO MACHU PICCHU
LARES TREK TO MACHU PICCHU
DAY 1
DAY 1
Depart Cuzco / Inca Trail – Huayllabamba
This morning after breakfast you are collected from your Cuzco hotel and taken to the trailhead at Piscacucho, on the Vilcanota River. Porters will carry the heavy gear and you walk with only a day pack. Today you hike beneath the impressive snowcapped Nevado Veronica, past cactus gardens and fields of corn to the Inca ruins of Llactapata. You then continue up a valley to your camp in the picturesque hamlet of Huayllabamba. (LD)
DAY 2 Inca Trail – Pacaymayo You climb steeply up through fields and forest, then emerge above the tree line and reach Warmiwanusqa Pass. You will enjoy the magnificent views of Huaynay Range’s snowy peaks and ruins. You then descend to your camp in the valley’s base. (BLD) DAY 3
Inca Trail – Phuyopatamarka Today you cross a second pass, and follow a fine Inca Highway down to the exquisite ridge-top ruins of Sayaqmarka. Further on, you pass through a tunnel amid luxuriant cloud forest. Tonight you camp at the ruins overlooking the Vilcanota River. (BLD)
DAY 4
Inca Trail – Machu Picchu The Royal Highway descends steeply through orchid-rich cloud forest. The final part of the trail is stunningly beautiful. You emerge at the Gate of the Sun for your first view of Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas from high above the city. You stroll down the Royal Road and at last enter Machu Picchu. Tonight you camp by the Sacred River below the ruins. (BLD)
DAY 5
Machu Picchu / Arrive Cuzco This morning you will be taken on a walking tour of Machu Picchu, after which you can further explore these extensive ruins. This afternoon you join your train for the return journey to Cuzco, where on arrival you are met and taken to your hotel or hostel. Here your Inca Trail ends. (B)
We also offer an abbreviated, 1-day Inca Trail for those with limited time and for non-trekkers, we have a range of oneand two-day train excursions from Cuzco to Machu Picchu.
22 andes trekking
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
Cuzco / Lares Trek – Cuncani
This morning you will be collected from your Cuzco hotel and driven to the Sacred Valley passing through the beautiful Andean landscape. On arrival in Quiswarani you commence a climb to Qewña-Qocha. After lunch you continue via Hualcajasa Pass, to your first night’s camp at Cuncani. (LD)
DAY 2
Lares Trek – Cuncani / Ipsay Qocha Lake
Today you trek down to the Chancachaca Valley from where there are wonderful views of the Lares Valley. You continue on via Huacawasi, Chaqchapata and Ipsay Qasa Pass to the Ipsay Cocha Lake for your second night of Andean camping. (BLD)
DAY 3
Lares Trek – Ipsay Qocha Lake / Aguas Calientes
After breakfast you enjoy a soft descent to Patacancha and on to Ollantaytambo and Willoq. After lunch you board the train to Aguas Calientes, where on arrival you will check into your hostel for the night. (BLD)
DAY 4
Lares Trek – Aguas Calientes / Machu Picchu / Arrive Cuzco
Early this morning you bus up to Machu Picchu where you are taken on a guided tour of the ruins. After the tour you have free to to further explore the site before you make your own way down to the train station for your return rail journey to Cuzco. On arrival into Cuzco your Lares Trek will end. (BL)
Inca Trail Trek & Lares Trek to Machu Picchu Either of these treks can easily be added to the beginning of the ‘Lima to La Paz’ Experience Package on page 6 or to the end of the ‘Ecuador Great Escape’ Experience Package on page 18 of this brochure. They also combine well with all of the other Peru packages in this brochure. Please enquire with us...
CHILE TO ARGENTINA
4 days:
the lakes crossing osorno volcano, passed on the southern lakes crossing
Peulla
Bariloche
Puerto Varas Puerto Montt
Chile
Argentina
DAY 1
Arrive Puerto Montt / Puerto Varas (Chile) On arrival into Puerto Montt Airport, in the Southern Lakes District of Patagonia, you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Puerto Varas, a beautiful alp-like town on Lake Llanquihue. This area contains a series of magnificent lakes cutting through and strung along the foothills of the Andes Mountain Range. Your afternoon is at leisure.
DAY 2
Puerto Varas / Peulla / Bariloche (Argentina) This morning you are collected from your hotel and travel by coach around the shore of Lake Llanquihue. After entering the Vicente Perez Rosales National Park you
visit the famous Petrohue Falls and then cross Todos los Santos Lake (also known as “Esmeralda” or Emerald in English) seeing Margarita Island, Osorno Volcano, and the peaks of Puntiagudo Mountain and the Tronador Mountain. When you arrive in Peulla, you pause to complete Chilean Immigration procedures, before continuing on to the Peulla hotel on the lake’s edge for lunch. After lunch you continue on with your beautiful Southern Lakes Crossing. You will firstly cross the Vicente Perez Rosales Pass to the Argentine Immigration and Customs point. You then travel by catamaran across Frias Lake to Puerto Alegre where you again board a bus to take you via a very impressive Alerce forest, (the world’s oldest trees) to Puerto Blest. From Puerto Blest to Puerto Panuelo is again by boat, this time on the famous Nahuel Huapi Lake. After the ninety minute crossing you disembark at Puerto Panuelo, from where you will be taken by bus to your Bariloche hotel for two nights. (B)
DAY 3
Bariloche – Andes Tour Bariloche, situated on the shore of the beautiful Lake Nahuel Huapi is an internationally recognised ski resort with steep streets, wooden chalets perched Swiss fashion upon a glacial moraine at the foot of Cerro Otto, and without a doubt, the best centre for exploring the Nahuel Huapi National Park and surrounding areas. ‘el tronador’, from near peulla
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
Today’s tour follows the southern shore of the Lake Nahuel Huapi. On a good day, you may catch sight of the highest mountain of the area El Tronador, whose snow capped peaks rise up to 3,478 metres. You then follow the southern edge of Lake Moreno under the steep cliffs of Mount Lopez to the spectacular view point for a magnificent vista looking back towards the Andes that you have traversed. The breathtaking views include Lake Moreno, the famous Llao Llao Hotel & Resort and the northern arm of Lake Nahuel Huapi. (B)
DAY 4
Depart Bariloche You have the morning free to absorb this wonderful spot before being transferred to Bariloche Airport for your onward flight. (B)
The Southern Lakes Crossing & Bariloche It is possible to add extra nights at the beginning or the end of this package to extend the experience, at an extra cost. The ‘Southern Lakes Crossing’ can also be done in reverse. It also combines very well with the ‘Chilean Fjords (Skorpios) Cruise’ Experience Package on page 12 of this brochure. Please enquire with us...
23
ARGENTINA & CHILE
14 days:
grand patagonia trek grey glacier, torres del paine national park
Comodoro Rivadavia Los Antiguos
Chile
Lake Posadas
Mt Fitz Roy Argentina ▲ Chalten Perito Moreno Glacier El Calafate Photo courtesy Explora Patagonia
Torres del Paine
Tierra del Fuego Ushuaia
Patagonia was always described by early explorers as “a barren land without fresh water, without trees only brackish ponds and dwarf plants”. But hidden in the heart of this“inhospitable region” exist some of the most beautiful and amazing highlights in the world: from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean; from the desert to the most dense beech forest and the endless Andes Mountain range, the Continental Ice shelf and its glaciers, 3,400 metre granite pinnacles offer the visitor the most unforgettable adventure at the world’s end.
Tonight you will have a pre-tour briefing at your hotel, where you meet your tour leader and the other members of your trek.
DAY 2 Buenos Aires / Los Antiguos This morning you are collected from your hotel and transferred to the Domestic Airport for your flight south to Patagonia. On arrival at Comodoro Rivadavia Airport you are met and driven to the fascinating Petrified Forests of Colonia Sarmiento. After visiting the 70 million year old fossilised trees, you depart on the famous Number 40 National Road which takes you across one of the most unpopulated areas in the world. You will see herds of guanacos and nandus as you travel this amazing road journey. On arrival in the town of Los Antiguos, you are taken to your hotel for two nights. (BLD)
DAY 1
Arrive Buenos Aires On arrival into Buenos Aires you are met and transferred to your well-appointed downtown hotel for tonight.
Photo courtesy Explora Patagonia
DAY 3
24
Los Antiguos – Lake General Carrera Today you enter into Chile for the day and travel around the southern shores of Lake General Carrera, via the many picturesque villages on its edges. You will also experience the humid landscapes of the Valdiviana Jungle, contrasting with the vast Argentine desert plateau and offering dramatic views over the Andes Mountains. You return to Los Antiguos for tonight. (BLD)
DAY 4
Los Antiguos / Lake Posadas Village This morning you are driven south along a former Indian track, across the wide open
lake pehoe, torres del paine NP
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
pampas to the Pinturas River Canyon. This canyon is deep and very impressive, and well known for the spectacular 9,000 year old rock paintings in the Cuevas de las Manos (Caves of the Hands). After inspecting this site, you will be driven towards the Andes, arriving at the village on the shores of Lake Posadas. From here you have views of the snowcovered San Lorenzo Mountain, the highest in Southern Patagonia. You have two night’s accommodation here in the village. (BLD)
DAY 5
Lake Posadas — trekking Today you have a full-day of trekking and exploring the Posadas Lake shores. You will be able to watch at close range the native flora and fauna, with great views of the Patagonian Andes as shaped by the strongest glaciations, as your backdrop. You also have the opportunity to discover ancient rock paintings in the nearby caves. (BLD)
DAY 6
Lake Posadas / Chalten This morning involves an early start for your full-day drive to the Andean village of Chalten. You will be driven back along the Number 40 National Road, travelling along the shores of the beautiful Cardiel and Viedma Lakes. On arrival at Los Glaciers National Park you continue on to Chalten and to your lodge for tonight. (B)
DAY 7
Chalten / Fitz Roy Mount Today you have a full-day trek to Laguna de Los Tres. You cross dense forests, where you can observe most unusual hanging glaciers.
CHILE & ARGENTINA
extension torres del paine (Paine towers)
Finally, you will find yourself facing the impressive 3,375 metre high Fitz Roy Mountain! Here you are taken to your lodge for tonight. (B)
2-day
DAY 13 Estancia / Ushuaia
DAY 8 Fitz Roy / El Calafate
Photo courtesy Explora Patagonia
Today involves another full-day of trekking to Laguna Torre facing the vertical granite walls of the sharp Cerro Torre. This is one of the most difficult pinnacles in the world to climb, due to the weather conditions and its formational characteristics. Later today you depart for El Calafate where on arrival, you check into your hotel for two nights. (B)
DAY 9
El Calafate / Perito Moreno Glacier This morning, with the best light, you will depart on a full-day excursion to the spectacular Perito Moreno Glacier, declared World Nature Heritage in1978 by UNESCO.
TREK EXTENSION
You will spend all afternoon enjoying the sights and sounds of the ice cracking and falling off this colossal, 3 kilometre wide, 35 kilometre long, 60 metre high glacier. Later today you are driven back to your hotel in El Calafate for the night. (B)
Finally you arrive at Torres del Paine NP, declared World Biosphere Heritage by UNESCO. The park is alive with incredible fauna like guanacos, condors, pumas and several local animals. You can also see the beginning of the Continental Ice Shelf and the ever-present Paine Massif, which gives the feeling of being at the end of the world! You stay at a local hostel for two nights. (B)
DAY 10 El Calafate / Torres del Paine
DAY 11 Torres del Paine – trekking
National Park Today you are driven south to the Torres del Paine National Park, across the border in Chile. Once in Chile, you will notice that the landscape starts to change gradually: the fields and mountains become much greener and more lush.
Today you have a full day of trekking to the legendary Paine Towers. You trek along the Ascencio River Valley to reach one of the most magnificent views in Patagonia— the three great granite towers and Torres Lagoon. (B)
DAY 12 Torres del Paine / Estancia This morning you have the opportunity to visit the rest of the breathtaking highlights of Torres del Paine National Park, with a short trek to Laguna Verde. This afternoon you are driven south to a typical Patagonian estancia (property) near the Chilean border. Here you will spend the night and experience the fantastic local fare! (BD)
DAY 13 Estancia / Buenos Aires This morning is at leisure to enjoy the hidden treasures of the estancia before being transferred to El Calafate Airport for your flight to Buenos Aires. On arrival you are met and taken to your hotel for tonight. (B)
DAY 14 Depart Buenos Aires After check-out this morning your Grand Patagonia Trek experience ends. (B) torres del paine national park
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
This morning is at leisure to enjoy the estancia’s hidden treasures before being transferred to Calafate Airport for your flight to Ushuaia. On arrival you are taken to your hotel for tonight. The remainder of today is at leisure to explore the southernmost city in the world! You may like to make an optional visit to the World’s End Museum. (B)
DAY 14 Ushuaia – Tierra del Fuego NP Today you are driven into the Tierra del Fuego National Park for your final, full day of trekking. This is the only national park in Argentina which borders the sea and as a result, contains the richest flora and faun— a rare combination of sub-Antarctic forest and sea-ecosystem. You have the chance to walk along Lapataia Bay, with its great views of the Beagle Channel and the Darwin Ranges in Chile. Alternatively you may like to spend your final day visiting a typical Fuegian Glacier, where trekking on ice (with crampons) or ice climbing on a vertical wall (with a top rope) can be undertaken. (BL) DAY 15 Ushuaia / Buenos Aires This morning you may like to take an optional boat excursion through the mythical Beagle Channel. After lunch you are transferred to the airport for your flight to Buenos Aires, where on arrival you are met and taken to your hotel for tonight. (B)
DAY 16 Depart Buenos Aires This morning your Patagonia Trek ends. (B)
Grand Patagonia Trek It is possible to add extra nights at the beginning or the end of this trek to extend the experience, at an extra cost. This ‘Grand Patagonia Trek’ Experience Package can easily be undertaken before the ‘Buenos Aires to Rio’ Experience Package described on page 8 of this brochure. We also have shorter Patagonia treks and excursions available. Please enquire with us...
25
ARGENTINA
4 days:
perito moreno glacier perito Moreno glacier
Chile Argentina Upsala Glacier Lago Argentino
Perito Moreno Glacier
El Calafate
DAY 1
Arrive El Calafate On arrival into El Calafate you will be met and taken to your hotel for three nights. El Calafate is a small town of less than 10,000 residents located on the southern shore of Lake Argentino. Quiet streets, low houses and rose gardens make the scenery of this picturesque Patagonian village. From El Calafate you have access to the Los Glaciares National Park, only fifty kilometres away and sheltering more than 300 glaciers. The most famous of them is the Perito Moreno Glacier, declared “World Natural Heritage” by UNESCO. The national park is the second largest in Argentina, extending to 725,000 hectares. Forty per cent of it is made up of ice fields.
DAY 2
El Calafate – Perito Moreno Glacier Early this morning you will be collected from your hotel and head for the Perito Moreno Glacier for some “mini-trekking”. Your launch departs from the Bajo las Sombras dock from where you can see the Southern wall of the Perito Moreno glacier. On arrival on the opposite bank of Brazo Rico you begin your walk on the glacier with its peaks and inner blue lagoons. From here you have a marvellous view of the glacier wall and the lake. Late this afternoon you begin your return journey to your El Calafate hotel. A boxed lunch will be provided today. (BL)
DAY 3
El Calafate – Upsala Glacier Today you are driven to Puerto Bandera to board a comfortable boat which takes you along the Northern Arm of Lake Argentino, one of the most beautiful areas of the Los Glaciares National Park and only accessible by boat. From Puerto Bandera you navigate for about two hours among huge icebergs, some of them several times the size of the ship, towards the mighty Upsala Glacier. This glacier’s area is 595 square kilometres, three times the size of Buenos Aires City! It is sixty kilometres long, seven kilometres wide and its height varies from 60 to 80 metres. On arrival at the glacier your boat stops, allowing you to take in the spectacular and awesome scenery of the surrounding landscape.
26 up close to the glacier
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
Continuing on to Onelli Bay, you disembark to take a short walk through the forest for some spectacular views of Onelli Bay, almost completely covered by icebergs. It is here that three separate glaciers converge from their frozen peaks and form one glacier. You are then returned to Puerto Bandera by boat from where you continue on to your hotel in El Calafate by coach. (B)
DAY 4
Depart El Calafate This morning after breakfast you will be transferred to El Calafate Airport where your El Calafate tour package ends. There are convenient flights to Buenos Aires, Bariloche and other destination in Argentina. (B)
Perito Moreno Glacier Package It is possible to add extra nights at the beginning or the end of this tour package, at extra cost. This tour package can easily be undertaken before the ‘Buenos Aires to Rio’ Experience Package on page 8 of this brochure. It also combines well with the ‘Train to the Clouds & Salta’ Experience Package on page 27 of this brochure. Please enquire with us...
ARGENTINA
5 days:
train to the clouds la polvarilla viaduct
DAY 4
Salta—Train to the Clouds Early this morning you are taken to Salta Railway Station for your Train to the Clouds excursion. This is really a trip that will take you up into the sky. It is a full-day round trip, departing from Salta at 7.00 am.
Bolivia Argentina
Humahuaca
Chile San Antonio de los Cobres Salta
Tilcara Purmamarca San Salvador de Jujuy
At San Antonio de Los Cobres, your train climbs over 4,000 metres in a striking journey, flanked by an unforgettable landscape. There are stops along the way at small indigenous villages. The scenery varies greatly throughout the trip: from colourful mountains, to snowcapped peaks, to arid lunar landscapes devoid of much vegetation.
Cafayate
DAY 1
Arrive Salta On arrival into Salta in the North West of Argentina you will be met and transferred to your hotel for four nights. Salta City was founded in1582 and is located in the Lerma Valley, a mountainous and strikingly beautiful district. The main highlight of this area is the Train to The Clouds—“Tren a las Nubes”—journey, a monumental engineering work by Ricardo Fontaine. This remarkable rail project was built in stages between1921and 1948, by which time developments in road transport had already reduced its transport importance. From the traveller’s point of view however, it is just as impressive as it was fifty years ago. The ride begins in Salta and takes you
via the La Polvarilla Viaduct, 224 metres long and 63 metres high, noted for its many curved sections.
DAY 2
Salta—Humahuaca Gorge This morning you will be collected from your hotel and driven north on a jungle road until you arrive at San Salvador de Jujuy City, with its Colonial Cathedral containing fine 18th Century imagery. You then continue your way along the Humahuaca Gorge, with its natural beauty and great variety of rock colours and giant cacti in the higher, drier parts. You also visit three very old Indian villages: colourful Purmamarca, Tilcara, and Humahuaca. Purmamarca is a picturesque town overlooking a mountain of wonderful colours, distinguishable in the rock strata. Tilcara boasts an authentic reconstruction of an Inca fortified village and botanical gardens, containing only high altitude and puna plants. Humahuaca village has always been an important trading centre for the Indian population. You are returned to your Salta hotel late this afternoon. (B)
DAY 3 Salta—Rio Las Conchas Valley Today you head south along Las Conchas River Valley with its fascinating rock formations of El Sapo, El Fraile and El Obelisco. You will also visit the quiet village of Cafayate, lying between the two ranges of Andes and surrounded by vineyards. Founded in1840, it is a centre for wine production and silver-smithing. Later today you will return to Salta. (B) colonial architecture, salta
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
Along your journey of 214 kilometres you will encounter 21 tunnels,13 viaducts, 31 bridges, 2 loops and 2 switch-backs. The experience culminates at the gigantic Viaducto La Polvorilla structure, where you literally touch the clouds! The Train to the Clouds does not cross into Chile but commences its return journey back down to Salta before reaching the border of Argentina and Chile. It returns you to Salta tonight, where you will be met and taken back to your hotel. The train is of good Tourist-class standard. It has comfortable seats and a restaurant and bar on board. Other services include bilingual tour guides; a folkloric musical group and telephone and post facilities. (B)
DAY 5
Depart Salta Today is at leisure until you are transferred to the airport for your onward flight. (B)
The Train to the Clouds & Salta Package It is possible to add extra nights to this package, at extra cost. This package can be undertaken before the ‘Buenos Aires to Rio’ Experience Package on page 8 of this brochure or in conjunction with the ‘Perito Moreno Glacier’ Experience Package on page 26 of this brochure. Please enquire with us...
27
BRAZIL
4 days:
beautiful buzios
Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
Buzios
Búzios Búzios is situated on the coast 176 kms north of Rio de Janeiro, in a region appropriately called the “Sun Coast”. The Peninsula of Búzios has more than 20 magnificent beaches and crystalclear water, which contrasts with the exuberantly sculptured landscape and exotic vegetation. Originally settled by European pirates and slave traders in 1740, the area prospered and became a picturesque fishing village. It gained international attention in 1964 when Brigite Bardot was photographed strolling barefoot on the beach and has since been elected one of the ten most beautiful areas in the world. Búzios is famous for its unique combination of rustic charm, architectural harmony and incredible beauty. It’s sophisticated boutiques and restaurants are frequented by visitors who come from all over the world to savour it’s magic. Búzios is alive almost 24 hours a day. In the early morning the fishing boats depart for the ocean and return later full of fish. In the evenings the streets are full of people enjoying the restaurants, bars and nightlife.
DAY 1
sunset, buzios
Arrive Rio de Janeiro / Búzios On arrival into Rio you are met and taken by road to the coastal resort of Búzios, just a pleasant 3-hour drive away. On arrival you will check-in to your hotel or pousada for a relaxing three-night stay. Your time in Buzios is completely at leisure to enjoy your surroundings. Alternatively, you may like to organise some optional tours as described.
DAY 2
Buzios This morning you may like to undertake an optional half day cultural and historical tour of Búzios. During this tour you visit the last traditional fishing village in Búzios, where you will observe the fishermen making their own equipment. You are then driven to Orla Bardot, a promenade where you will find sculptures of Brigite Bardot, local fishermen and Kubtischeck, an ex-president of Brazil who had a summer house in Buzios. The tour ends at the Santana Church, a small chapel high on a hill with wonderful views of Armação and Ossos Beaches. This afternoon is at leisure to further enjoy Búzios. (B)
DAY 3
Buzios Today you may like to undertake another optional half day tour, this time to Arraial do Cabo and Cabo Frio. For this tour you will be collected from your hotel and driven to Arraial do Cabo, a small village with marvellous beaches. Here you will board a schooner to visit various beaches and the famous Blue Grotto. Later you will lunch at Cabo Frio, followed by a visit to Forte Beach and Bikinis Street, with its concentration of well-priced bikinis stores! Your afternoon is also at leisure. (B)
DAY 4
Depart Buzios / Rio de Janeiro Today after check-out you will be met and driven back to Rio de Janeiro International Airport or to your Rio hotel. Here your Beautiful Buzios Package ends. (B)
Beautiful Buzios Package It is possible to have additional nights in Buzios, at extra cost. This package can easily be undertaken after the ‘Buenos Aires to Rio’ Experience Package on page 8 of this brochure or before the ‘Best of Brazil’ Experience Package on page 30 of this brochure. Please enquire with us...
28 local, buzios
view from the buzios pier
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
BRAZIL
4 & 5 days: two pantanal lodges Cuiaba
Brasilia Rondonopolis
Pantanal & Mato Grosso do Sul Wildlife Experience
The Pantanal is the largest contiguous wetland on the planet. Declared a World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, it is South America’s primary wildlife sanctuary. With a total area of approximately 150,000 square km and located in the centre of the continent, the Pantanal is a biogeographic mixing bowl containing elements of the Amazonian Forest, the Brazilian Savannah and the Atlantic Rainforest. This fantastic biodiversity includes many species of mammals, fishes, reptiles and an enormous variety of native birds. The Pantanal is the very best place in South America for flora and fauna.
Brazil
Corumba Miranda Campo Grande Bonito Jardim Sao Paulo
Climate of the Pantanal
Iguassu Falls
Parana
The Pantanal’s landscape is ever-changing. The summers are hot, with an average maximum of 32 oC and in the winter, it is usually dry and cool, with an average maximum of 21 oC.
The Wet Season is from December to March. As a result of the summer rains, parts of the Pantanal becomes submerged with water, the flora and fauna are rejuvenated and the Pantanal enters some of its most exuberant annual periods. The Receding Waters Season is April to June. In April, the rains stop and the water levels begin to recede, forming small lakes and ponds. Thousands of fish become trapped in these reservoirs, creating a virtual buffet for various species of aquatic birds. The Dry Season is from July to November. This is the best time to observe the wildlife. As the lagoons shrink the drying fields provide excellent grazing areas, attracting animals in search of food, while the drying ponds provide a source of water. Around August the trees begin to flower and they intensify, as the dry season progresses, into November. CAIMAN PANTANAL LODGE, Brazil 4-star with pool & private bathrooms Thursday & Sunday departures
ARARAS PANTANAL LODGE, Brazil 4-star with private bathrooms Daily departures
DAY 1
DAY 1
Campo Grande / Pantanal On arrival into Campo Grande you are met and transferred to your lodge, the Caiman Ecological Reserve in the heart of the Pantanal, for a fabulous three-night stay. (LD)
DAY 2
Pantanal After breakfast you will be taken out on your first excursion. The excursions vary according to the season in which you visit. They include nature walks, photographic and nocturnal safaris, horseback riding, canoeing and culture tours to meet the “pantaneiros” (stockmen). In the late afternoon you again head out on another exciting Pantanal adventure. (BLD)
pantanal wetlands
Photo courtesy Haroldo Palo Junior
DAY 3
Pantanal Today’s activities will follow the same pattern as yesterday’s except different excursions will be undertaken in consultation with you. (BLD)
Cuiabá / Pantanal Lowlands
On arrival at Cuiabá Airport you are met and taken to the Araras Pantanal Lodge, located in the Pantanal Lowlands for a fabulous four-night stay. (D)
DAY 2-4 Pantanal Lowlands Depending on the season you will be kept busy each day with various activities. They are selected to give you a good overview of the area from its varied wildlife to the colourful local stockmen who manage the cattle herds. (BLD)
DAY 5
Pantanal Lowlands / Cuiabá
Following breakfast you are transferred back to Cuiabá Airport where your Pantanal tour package ends. (B)
DAY 4
Pantanal / Campo Grande After breakfast you bid farewell to the Pantanal when you depart the lodge and are taken back to Campo Grande. Here your Pantanal tour package ends. (B)
29 macaw
caiman ecological reserve
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
BRAZIL
9 days:
the best of brazil salvador
DAY 4
Salvador Today is entirely at leisure in Salvador, which not only has a rich cultural and historical heritage, but also natural resources, tropical beaches and the most varied ecosystems and landscapes. (B) Manaus
Fortaleza
Brazil Salvador
Belo Horizonte Ouro Preto
DAY 1
Arrive Belo Horizonte / Ouro Preto Your tour package starts on arrival into Belo Horizonte Airport, where you will be met and transferred by road to your hotel in Ouro Preto for two nights. Ouro Preto is a city that showcases history while maintaining modern world relevance. It is considered the most important historical city in Brazil. Some of its historical features include the Casa dos Contos, 13 Colonial churches, the Palace of the Governors and the School of Engineering.
DAY 2
Ouro Preto This morning you are taken on a city and sightseeing tour of Ouro Preto, a place of numerous attractions, its history and culture touching and charming all those who visit. The locals here perpetuate the meaning of hospitality with the same ardour that they protect their past! (B)
DAY 5
Salvador / Fortaleza This morning you are transferred to Salvador Airport for your flight to Fortaleza, where on arrival you will be met and taken to your hotel for two nights. Later in the day you are taken to see the most important sights of Fortaleza, colonised in 1612 by the Portuguese and officially founded in 1826. The tour visits Sao Sebastiao, the small Portuguese fort as well as a number of squares, monuments and buildings which trace the history of the city. The tour also visits the Mausoleum of ex-President Castelo Branco. (B)
DAY 6
Fortaleza Today is entirely at leisure to enjoy some of the many attractions of Fortaleza. (B)
DAY 7
Fortaleza / Manaus This morning you fly to Manaus, deep in the Amazon Basin. On arrival into this “jungle city” and the capital of the State of Amazonas, you are met and taken to your hotel for a two-night stay. Manaus is located in the centre of the Amazon Jungle and at the end of the 19th Century, was considered the world’s most cut-off and remote city because it could only be reached by boat!
DAY 8 Manaus Today you are taken on a full-day excursion to witness the “Meeting of the Waters”, as it is known. You sail to where the Rio Negro’s waters, which are blue-black and the Amazon’s, yellow-brown flood waters meet and then run side by side for six kilometres before their different waters combine. (BL)
DAY 9
Depart Manaus Today you are transferred to the airport where your tour package ends. (B)
The Best of Brazil Package It is possible to add extra nights at the beginning or the end of this tour package, at extra cost.
DAY 3
Ouro Preto / Belo Horizonte / Salvador This morning you are returned to Belo Horizonte Airport for your flight to Salvador (Brazil) where on arrival you are met and taken to your hotel for two nights.
30
Later you will enjoy a tour including the Opera House (Teatro Amazonas), bearing witness to a remarkable, not-so-distant Colonial past. You also see Customs House, made from stone brought from Portugal. (B)
This package can easily be undertaken before the ‘Buenos Aires to Rio’ Experience Package on page 8 of this brochure.
This afternoon you undertake a city tour of Salvador (often simply referred to as “Bahia”), an enchanted land where the sun, the beaches and the coconut groves create a balance in scenery. It is one of the most popular destinations for Brazilians and foreigners alike. (B)
It can also be undertaken before and easily connected with the ‘Amazon Explorer’ Experience Package on page 31of this brochure. Please enquire with us... vendor, fortaleza
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
BRAZIL TO PERU
6 days:
amazon explorer sunset from your cruise boat
DAY 3
Iquitos
Manaus Tabatinga
Brazil Peru Lima
DAY 1
Tuesday Depart Manaus / Tabatinga
Your tour package commences at Manaus Airport when you board your flight to Tabatinga. On arrival into Tabatinga you are met and taken to your hotel for tonight. The rest of your day is at leisure.
DAY 2
Wednesday Tabatinga / Amazon Cruise This morning is also at leisure. Around midday you will be transferred from your hotel to Santa Rosa Island in Peru, where you board your ‘Amazon Cruiser’ for your four-day adventure. If time permits, your vessel will stop for a late afternoon or early evening shore excursion. (BD)
Thursday Amazon Cruise Today you have the chance to hike in the jungle of the Chimbote Area, where you may observe a wide variety of flora and fauna. Early this afternoon, you visit the river village of San Pablo. After dinner, you travel by launch up the Peruate River to listen to the sounds of the jungle and spot Amazon Caiman. (BLD)
DAY 4
Friday Amazon Cruise This morning your vessel stops to allow for a visit to a Yagua Indian Village. Here you have the opportunity to purchase some native handicrafts. Late today you have another shore excursion, this time on the Apayacu River to observe its beautiful black water and lakes. (BLD)
local river transport
DAY 5
Saturday Amazon / Iquitos / Lima Following breakfast you arrive into Iquitos where you disembark. You have the day at leisure to explore this quaint, yet bustling Amazon city. This afternoon you are transferred to the airport for your flight to Lima where on arrival, you will be met and taken to your hotel for tonight. (B)
DAY 6
Sunday Depart Lima Your package comes to an end today when you check out of your hotel. There are good connections for flights home or alternatively, to continue on with the Lima to La Paz Experience Package on page 6. (B)
Amazon Explorer Package It is possible to add extra nights at the beginning or the end of this tour package, at extra cost. This package can easily be undertaken after the ‘Best of Brazil’ Experience Package on page 30 of this brochure. It can also be undertaken before the ‘Lima to La Paz’ Experience Package on page 6 of this brochure. Please enquire with us...
31 little indian boy, manaus
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
1 day: 3 days: BOLIVIA & CHILE tiahuanacu atacama desert DAY 2
Peru
Bolivia
Bolivia
Calama San Pedro de Atacama
Lake Titicaca
Antofagasta
Tiahuanacu Ruins
Chile
La Paz
DAY 1
La Paz / Tiahuanacu Ruins / La Paz Following breakfast you will be collected from your La Paz hotel and driven out of the city to the famous Bolivian Ruins of Tiahuanacu. Tiahuanacu was the former capital of a civilisation that rose to its peak around 700 AD. During its splendour, the capital of Tiahuanacu was the largest in the world and considered to be “The Cradle of the American Civilisation”. On arrival at the Ruins of Tiahuanacu, you are firstly taken on a guided tour through the very contemporary museum situated there. Here the history, culture and mystery of the ruins is explained in detail.
San Pedro — Toconao & Atacama Salt Desert This morning you are taken to visit the Archeological Museum of Padre le Paige. The museum’s collection consists of a impressive series of artifacts, well organised to illustrate the development of the preHispanic Atacameno Society.
Atacama Salt Desert
The local church of San Pedro dates from the 17th Century and its roof is made out of the cactus plant! Nearby on the plaza, you will see the Casa Incaica, the oldest construction in San Pedro.
Argentina
In the afternoon you will be taken to see the Atacama Salt Desert, visiting the small town of Toconao on the way. The houses and the 18th Century church in this picturesque village are built of a white volcanic stone (called “sillar”), which gives the town its most unique appearance. After Toconao you arrive at the world’s largest salt lake: the fabulous “Salar de Atacama”. This lake is very rich in minerals and is home to various species of birds including the bright pink flamingo. In the evening you return to your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama. (B)
DAY 1
Arrive Calama / San Pedro de Atacama On arrival into Calama you will be met and transferred by road to your hotel in the small town of San Pedro de Atacama. Enroute you have the most spectacular views of the Cordillera de la Sal. Around dusk you set out from your hotel to the Valley of the Moon to watch the sun set in this bizarre, almost lunar landscape, formed by the erosion of salt mountains. Strange rock formations in the middle of the desert, with the Lincancabur Volcano in the background, make for a particularly rare experience.
DAY 3
San Pedro de Atacama / Depart Calama This morning you will be taken by road to Calama, originally a staging post on the Spanish “silver route” between Potosi and Cobija. On arrival into Calama you are transferred to the airport for your onward flight. Your tour package ends here. (B)
After sunset you are returned to your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama.
You are then taken on a walking tour through the main monuments and the ‘underground’ temples. You also see the Gate of the Sun, the Gate of the Moon and a number of very large monoliths.
Atacama Desert Package It is possible to add additional nights to this package, at an extra cost. Additionally, this package can easily be combined with most of the Chile or Peru tours in this brochure.
After your guided tour, you have lunch at a local restaurant before being returned to your hotel in La Paz for tonight. (L)
Photo courtesy Explora Atacama
Tiahuanacu Ruins This tour package can easily be added to the end of the ‘Lima to La Paz’ Experience Package on page 6 of this brochure. Please enquire with us...
32 salar de tara, atacama desert
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
We also have the luxurious and all-inclusive ‘Explora Atacama Hotel’ available. For further information, please enquire with us...
CHILE’S PACIFIC ISLAND
4 days:
easter island stopover moai statues, easter island
Anakena Beach Terevaka Hill 507 m
Rano Raraku Volcano
Mataveri Orongo
Ahu Tongariki
Hanga Roa Hanga Piko
Ana Kai Tangata
Vinapu
Akahanga Vaihu
Rano Kao Volcano
Motu Nui Island
Easter Island
At present, if flying on a LAN Airlines ticket from Australia or New Zealand, it is possible to fly back from Santiago via Easter Island and Tahiti at no extra cost. This package is designed to make use of this opportunity. If you wish to visit both places, it is possible to combine Easter Island with the French Polynesian Stopover described on the next page of this brochure. 4,000 km from Chile, the most remote place in the world is an island which still holds a special mystery and magic. Rapa Nui, as the natives called it, was discovered on Easter Sunday 1722 and thus to this day, is still referred to as Easter Island. This isolated place, entirely volcanic in origin, is a vast outdoor museum dotted with over 600 giant statues that have intrigued the world for centuries.
DAY 1
Arrive Easter Island On arrival on Easter Island this evening you will be met and taken to your centrally located hotel where you stay for three relaxing nights.
DAY 2
Easter Island After an early breakfast you are taken on a full-day tour along the Moais Route passing by Vaihu, an area surrounded by many statues lying face down on the ground. From here you are taken to the Akahanga Ruins, close to the southern coast, where the first king of the island was buried. The tour then continues to Rano Raraku Volcano, the “Factory of the Moais” where hundreds of Moais are still affixed to a huge rock wall. Other archeological sites are visited, the most important of which is Ahu Tongariki, the largest archeological site with15 Moais each weighing about 50 tons. At Anakena Beach, you have lunch and a swim in the warm waters of the Pacific. (BL)
DAY 3
Easter Island This morning you are taken on a tour firstly visiting the Rano Kao Volcano, whose deep crater contains a lake surrounded by exuberant vegetation. You then continue to Orongo, a ceremonial village where the competition to elect the chief started. More than100 petroglyphs can also be seen here, representing symbols of Rapa Nui culture. You proceed to Ana Kai Tangata Cave, used as a shelter during war time and then on to Vinapu, where the architecture resembles that of the Incas. Afternoon is at leisure. (B)
DAY 4
Depart Easter Island Today is also at leisure to further explore the island. This evening you are transferred to the airport for your onward flight. (B)
Easter Island Pacific Stopover It is usually possible to add (or deduct) nights from this package to lengthen (or shorten) the experience. Various Easter Is accommodation options are available, from budget locally run guesthouses through to the relatively new, luxury and allinclusive ‘Explora Rapa Nui Hotel’. For further information, please contact us...
33 view from rano kao volcano
bar area, explora easter island
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
PACIFIC ISLANDS STOPOVERS
2-7 days:
french polynesia Tahiti & French Polynesia
Bora Bora Tahaa
Huahine
Raiatea Papeete
Moorea Tahiti
bora bora pearl beach resort
moorea pearl resort & spa
le taha’a private island & spa
At present, if flying on a LAN Airlines ticket from Australia or New Zealand, it is possible to fly back from Santiago via Easter Is and Tahiti at no extra cost. This package is therefore designed to make use of this option. It is also possible to combine this stopover with the Easter Island one on the previous page if you wish to stop there as well. Depending on your length of stay we suggest you only visit one or two of the islands but for stays of a week, a third can be considered. The Polynesian Islands of the Pacific stretch over an area the size of Europe. Made up of five distinct archipelagos the travel options are numerous and the temptation is therefore to try and visit them all. This results in lots of time doing transfers and little time doing what you really want to do, relax. We have therefore chosen to concentrate on only one, the Society Archipelago. It contains the most well known islands of Tahiti and Bora Bora which conjure up images of sun drenched tropical paradise set amidst blue lagoons. Tahiti Two volcanoes emerging from an emerald sea gave birth to the myth of this paradise known today as Tahiti, the largest of the Polynesian Islands. Steep cloud-draped mountains, deep valleys, luxuriant ferns, swift rivers and black sand beaches await you on this “Island of Love”, as it is known. More than just an international point of arrival for the other fabulous nearby islands, Papeete, the capital of Tahiti, offers numerous treasures: the colourful market, art and history museums, botanical and flower gardens, animated nightlife and cultural exhibitions such as the traditional ‘Heiva” which provides a lively change of scenery full of folklore, dancing, singing, colours and fragrances. Of the numerous accommodation options, Inca Tours recommends the conveniently located Sheraton Hotel Tahiti. Bora Bora Bora Bora is probably one of the best known island paradises in the world. “The Pearl of the Pacific”, as Captain Cook baptised it, bears the magic of the most beautiful Polynesian island. This ancient
34 raiatea hawaiki nui hotel
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
stretched volcano shows its two peaks whose green colours stand out against the jade, turquoise and sapphire lagoon. Known as the most beautiful in the world, the lagoon, linked to the ocean is a natural swimming pool offering a big choice of water pleasures. Of the numerous accommodation options, Inca Tours recommends the superbly located Bora Bora Pearl Beach Resort with its overwater bungalows stretching into the lagoon like a string of pearls. Moorea Only five minutes by air from Tahiti, Moorea resembles a vast star-shaped garden branching out into eight valleys. This island has one of the most beautiful lagoons in the Pacific. Its turquoise waters reflect the harmony of the underwater world where divers might meet turtles, leopard rays and tropical fish. Of the numerous accommodation options, Inca Tours recommends the conveniently located Moorea Pearl Resort & Spa. Tahaa This enchanted paradise, endowed with a magnificent turquoise lagoon, which it shares with Raiatea, is surrounded by ‘motus’, islets of superb white sand beaches and is an ancient volcano. Tahaa is renowned for its quiet bays protected from trade winds, its archeological sites and its lagoon dotted with pearl farms. The only hotel on the island recommended by Inca Tours is Le Taha’a Private Island & Spa. This magnificent ‘Relais & Chateaux Hotel’ is world renowned for its service and spa treatments. Raiatea Raiatea, the sacred island, offers the magical atmosphere of a place rich in legend. From the Faaroa Crater, passing over numerous waterfalls to the summit of its highest peak, various excursions let you cross the majestic mountains which divide the island. Raiatea also offers divers the pleasure of exploring her marvellous underwater gardens near the coral reef. On Raiatea, Inca Tours recommends the quaint Raiatea Hawaiki Nui Hotel, a great alternative for the more budget conscious traveller.
THE FINE PRINT
inclusions & exclusions Your Experience Package includes • Economy-class group airfares as described in the tour package. • Accommodation in Tourist-class (3star), Superior-class (4-star) or Deluxeclass (5-star) hotels & private facilities. • A “meet and greet” transfer service. • All tours and excursions with English speaking specialist local guides. • All admission fees on such tours. • Mostly private transfers and tours. • Meals throughout as indicated: (B = breakfast L = lunch D = dinner). • All transportation as described.
How to reserve your place on an Experience Package... • Please contact the agent who gave you this brochure or contact Inca Tours to reserve your place on one of our fixed departure tours or to request a customised itinerary. If you will be working through an agent you need to inform Inca Tours of this at the time of making your first direct enquiry with Inca Tours. • We will send you, or your agent, our official Booking Form & Booking Conditions for the tour. Please complete this form and return it with your per person part tour payment of 20% of the tour cost. We will also send you our recommended travel insurance brochure. • On receipt of your deposit and completed booking form, we will send you our extensive Pre-departure Information Booklet regarding visas, medical issues and much more. • Payment of the balance is then required 60 days prior to your tour’s departure date. There are some exceptions where a greater deposit is required or the payment date for the full payment is more than 60 days prior to departure.
Not included • Airfares to the starting point and from the ending point of the tours. • South America departure & entry taxes. • Non-ticketed airport departure taxes. • Items of a personal nature. • Passport and visa fees. • Travel insurance. • Excess baggage. • Porterage. • Tipping. Terms & Conditions • Inca Tours does not own any of the hotels, lodges or service providers utilised in making up the tours in this brochure. As a result Inca Tours is only acting as an agent for the operators and as such does not accept responsibility for any negligence, omissions, errors or differences in standard experienced by passengers when utilising the operators’ products or services. • Please Note: for additional booking Terms & Conditions please see the back of our Booking Form and this brochure’s latest Price Insert.
guest room, explora easter island hotel
‘Inca Gold Tours’ (5-star) & ‘Inca Sensations Tours’ (4-star) Inca Tours are well known for their Inca Gold Tour of South America, Luxury-class (5-star), 34-day, almost-all-inclusive, small group tours offering what the discerning traveller is looking for. They cover the highlights of five varied and interesting countries: Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Brazil & Peru. We also have our South America Sensations Tours, shorter and more moderately priced than the Inca Gold Tour. They utilise Superior-class (4-star) hotels, have guaranteed departures and a guaranteed tour escort. If the South America Experience Packages described in this brochure do not suit you, just tell us what parts of the region you’d like to see, when you want to travel and we’ll construct a Tailor-made Tour to mirror your interests, your timeframe and your budget: long, short, budget or luxury. Additionally, for information on our various class tours to Africa, Egypt, India or Scandinavia, please contact us. You won’t be disappointed! *Prices subject to change until tour deposit received.
Thank you for choosing Inca Tours and Feliz viaje!
35 you will be made to feel at home
INCA TOURS ~ EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
“But package tours are just not for me...” Fair enough... We also specialise in designing tailormade South America tours for personalised travel. If the Experience Tour Packages described in this brochure do not suit you, just tell us what parts of South America you would like to see, when you want to travel and we’ll construct an itinerary to mirror your interests, your timeframe and your budget. Additionally, for details of our 4-star Sensations Tours or 5-star Gold Tours to South America, Central America, Africa or India, please contact us. EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL
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YOUR TRAVEL AGENT
INCA TOURS 68 Pacific Highway, Wyong NSW 2259 Australia Tel + 61 2 4351 2133 Fax + 61 2 4351 2526 Toll free from within Australia 1800 024 955 Email sales@incatours.net Web www.incatours.net Licenced Travel Agent No 2TA5698 ABN 28 112 971 838