PRACTICAL INFO - TRAVEL

Travelling in Peru

HOW DO ECOTRIBAL GROUPS TRAVEL TO THE ASHANINKA FROM LIMA?

We usually take a public bus service over the Andes, either all the way to Satipo, or changing to taxis from La Merced (most of the best buses don't go all the way to Satipo).  The buses are good quality (often better than those in the UK), usually with luxury seats downstairs and more ordinary seats and bigger views upstairs.  The descent from Tarma to la Merced is zigzag with some steep cliffs, but it was tarmacked all the way from Lima to Satipo about 15 years ago, so it's all in pretty good shape.  We sometimes do this journey by night, but of course, we miss the scenery this way.  Normally, the journey takes about 10 to 12 hours.

WHAT DOMESTIC FLIGHTS ARE INVOLVED?

Many tours involve internal flights, usually to Cusco.  These are covered in the cost of your tour or expedition.  Some of our tours and expeditions to the Ashaninka fly in and or out of the Ashaninka village we use as base camp; this is always an option, but we prefer to travel in and out by river in a large canoe.

WHAT KIND OF CANOES CAN WE EXPECT?

The canoes we use to travel into Ashaninka territory from Puerto Ocopa, at the end of the road from Lima, are around 30 to 40 feet long, with seats, life-jackets, a roof against sun and rain,
a boatsman who operates the outboard motor, and a puntero (who sits at front to scout and indicate best route along the ever changing Rio Ene).

Sometimes we use an inflatable canoe as part of our fleet returning down the Rio Cutivireni on trips to the Parijaro waterfall.
 

WHAT KIND OF RIVER-RAFTING CAN PARTICIPANTS EXPECT TO EXPERIENCE?

Rafting for us is a fun form of getting from A to B rather than a high-adrenaline white-knuckle ride.  We raft for three main reasons: 

a) most people are a bit tired or have sore feet after trekking, so it is an easier option for getting back downstream and avoids repeating much of the walk
b) it's the only way to see the pongo (a beautiful enclosed river canyon) on the Cutivireni
c) it's a safe and fast way to complete this leg of the journey

We issue life jackets and helmets.  We have 2 inflatable boats (a canoe and a kataraft) and also use locally made and very stable balsa wood rafts.  Ashaninka guides operate the rafts to get us safely down the river.  Our strategy includes walking the rafts around particularly dangerous stretches of the river. 

WILL WE USE ANY TRAINS IN PERU?

The only train journey on Ecotribal Tours to Peru is the return journey from Cusco to Machu Picchu.  We usually travel in the Backpacker Class, but an upgrade can be obtained for participants willing to cover the additional cost.

WHAT ARE THE TAXIS LIKE IN PERU?

There are taxis everywhere in the towns and cities of Peru.  This is at least partly because anyone who wants to just puts a taxi sticker on their front window and picks up the first passenger from any street corner.  When necessary and convenient, Ecotribal Tours and expeditions make use of several taxis to move groups around when minibuses or colectivos
(a collective taxi) are not available.