Meet our team

Deidre, The Shaws and we returned to the U.S. last Saturday after one of the most marvelous vacations that any of us has experienced. Carlos of Rutas told us that our engagement was the first one that you had arranged through his firm; if so, you and your clients have been missing an outstanding experience.From the time our plane set down in Lima until we embarked on the plane for back home, we were constantly catered to and enlightened by a group of the most knowledgeable and friendly agents we have ever encountered.

Let me give you a description:

Carlos from Rutas met us at 2 a.m., when we arrived in Lima and took us to our hotel, which was entirely satisfactory (probably ranked at a 3+). He made certain we were comfortable for a few hours' sleep and then returned in the afternoon to transport us to the Lima museum -- which is an excellent facility, fairly comparable to the Mexico City Museum. AND, he personally escorted us through this exhibition and demonstrated both his knowledge and his enthusiasm for the pre-Columbian cultures of Peru, including those that predated the Incas.

He then suggested several restaurants; we selected one of his choices that resulted in a completely relaxing and enjoyable introduction to the Peruvian cuisine.Carlos again met us the following morning and escorted us to the airport, where he shepherded us through the check-in process and assured that we were to be on board for the flight to Cusco.At Cusco, we were met by another real gentlemen, Raul, who transported us to a really wonderful hotel just across the street from the Temple of the Sun, where we enjoyed our first, but not our last, taste of coca tea! Next morning, we met a truly wonderful man; he has ancestral roots in the Incas, if not before (his last name is Chavin). For the next four days, he was our constant companion, who not only escorted us to, but instructed us in the most enthusiastic and knowledgeable ways upon, the past and present way of life in Peru; he was marvelous, both at "Sexy Woman", Machu Picchu, and the native village where he introduced us, first hand, to lamas, alpacas, vicunas, and native villagers (I had the pleasure of dancing with a lady while we both giggled).

Our facility at El Pueblo in Aguas Calientes were superb, and the grounds were large enough to allow 3 of us to go "birding" one morning.Upon our return to Cusco, we were met again by Raul, who delivered us to our hotel and picked us up the following morning for our flight to Iquitos. When we arrived at that city, we were met by a most enchanting fellow, Abelardo, who is only 26 and grew up in a Yaqua indian village on the Amazon, but who is now one of the most agreeable and knowledgeable guides any of us have encountered. For the next four days, until we were transported to the Iquitos airport four days later, Abelardo took care of both our creature comforts and our intellectual comforts. For 2 nights, we stayed at Ceipa Tops; we wanted to stay for a third night, but there was no "room at the inn," so we left for Explorama Lodge. We all had some trepidation about this abode, but it turned out to be very nice.During all this time, Abelardo shepherded us around; this included the skywalk, birding, and fishing for piranha. He knew not only the common names of every bird, mammal, and fish we encountered, but he also knew the scientific name of every bird we saw. He is, undoubtedly, a very, very, talented and personable young man! 

This long epistle, then, is to thank you for all your good services that you provided to us and to encourage you to make further use of Rutas. We, i.e., each of us, have never felt we spent our recreational money to better use.

J. Criswell

Our tour through the Imperial Cities was incredible. I enjoyed a small group of only 7 people, plus our amazing guide Sam who really made the trip enjoyable. While the souks were busy and there was a lot of hustle and bustle, I never felt ill at ease or in any danger. I’m a single gal who went on the trip by myself, and I was happy that I felt comfortable in all of the cities. The guys certainly are interested in talking to you and meeting you, and I’ve never had so many men want to say hello and chat! My highest offer for marriage was 5000 camels, but all of that is done in good humor. I’m friendly and outgoing, so I’d say hello and would keep moving, so I never had any problems. Also, once you’ve been in a place for a day, the shop keepers and locals recognize your face, so the amount of contact drops off.

P. Ganse

Hello!

I just wanted to thank you for all your help regarding our trip to Egypt. We had such a great time! Our tour guide, Lochie, was very nice and very well organised.

A. Fortier

Hi Deidre,
I am back from my trip! It was really fun.....totally exceeded my expectations. I am ready to do another one with Intrepid. I am being very serious! : ) In fact, I am planning to go to India in March and was thinking of using that trip (to visit my family) as a starting point for a short 1 week Intrepid trip. I was thinking that Nepal would be a fun place to visit and it is close to India. Are there any other trips which have starting points near India??

P. Raghavan