South America Countryside village visits Trips

This trip was excellent. The itinerary was well thought out. I could not have imagined that Trafalgar had done such a unique job……. Special mention to the Tour Director Herman Rojas. He was a great part of what made this trip so good. He is a asset to Trafalgar.

This tour operator organized a cultural, spiritual and community immersion for me, my husband, my adult daughter and her boyfriend for 16 days in late February/early March of 2023. It was the most exciting trip I’ve taken. This is saying a lot considering I have spent a lifetime of travel, both personal and professional, focusing on Latin America. Everything ran smoothly, even with chaotic settings and complex logistics. A big part of this was by providing us with amazing guides, starting with Jahel Amaru, who met us at the La Paz airport to whisk us across the altiplano to Oruro for its truly spectacular Carnival. Jahel is knowledgeable, patient, down-to-earth, smart patient, funny, and an extremely enjoyable person to spend time with. She guided us through the hectic Oruro Carnaval during its culminating weekend - with boundless energy and contagious enthusiasm. We had the time of our lives cheering on the colorful characters as they paraded and danced thanks to Jahel knowing exactly where to go, when, and providing invaluable context. Community tourism (where visitors are connected with everyday Bolivians to learn about their lives) - has started to blossom in Bolivia, and this company is one of its pioneers. We got to experience it in Potosi, where we had another excellent guide, Marlene Quispe. She took us through Cerro Rico mine, which was the world’s leading supplier of silver. Marlene has close ties to mining: her brothers, parents and even she has worked there. As we ventured deeper into the earth, we learned from her about the mining process and cooperatives involved with it. She also introduced us to one of the mine's “tios” (“uncles” who are believed to protect miners), to whom she made an offering as she explained his importance. Marlene took us to the Quechua community of Phuto Phuto, one of several in the rural district Cabanias that welcomes visitors as part of its community tourism program. Families take turns showing visitors their homes and traditions, including cooking huts with steaming pots, whose contents you later share for lunch. Marlene and one of the family members we met then led us on a beautiful hike to a spot where they invited us to participate in a ritual offering to Pacha Mama (Mother Earth). It was an incredible day I will always remember. Another wonderful community tourism experience was in the majestic Cordillera Real (Central Andean range), where we appreciated both the nature and culture of the region by staying near the town of Tuni with the multi-generational Quispe family (not related to Marlene). Family members share with guests Aymara traditions like placing fishing nets, spinning yarn, making quinoa flour, and shearing alpaca fleece. Patriarch Jaime is a charismatic host and a certified mountain guide who along with his adult son Denys, also a certified mountain guide, have expertise leading visitors of different ages and abilities. We loved staying with them! There are a few other places that stood out on our trip: Hostal Las Olas in Copacabana on the shore of Lake Titicaca with gorgeous, artistic “cabins” and lovely views Templo del Retiro Espiritual Cruz Andina (the Andean Cross Spiritual Retreat Center), in Tiwanaku steps from the ruins and owned by spiritual and cultural guide Rosse Mary Vargas Vilela. It’s filled with cats and crystals and offers delicious vegetarian meals. This is not a stop for everyone, but worth visiting or staying in if you are interested in mindfulness, ancient healing, and/or new age spirituality.

"This was our first trip to South America and my relatives were apprehensive. So I decided to call on this tour operator and I have absolutely no regrets. Emmeline, with her professionalism and kindness, was the pillar of the realization of my travel project, thanks to all her recommendations (activities or places). Her agency was incredibly responsive and attentive (always reachable and on the lookout for flight delays or other things). The guides were passionate and very kind as well as really knowledgeable, making every step of my trip unforgettable. Thanks again to Emmeline and the entire team for transforming my project into an unforgettable travel experience in the best possible conditions."

Everything was smoothly organised. Every guide/driver who were there to pick us up, was on time. Communication with the tour agency via WhatsApp was easy. Highly recommended. They did a top job!!

What a wonderful trip with a wide variety of experiences! We traveled all over Bolivia and were able to see and learn about the very diverse parts of the country, from Lake Titicaca to the salt flats and La Paz to Sucre. We had great guides and the trip truly exceeded our expectations.

We have just returned from 17 days in Colombia organized by this tour company and everything was perfect from start to finish. The choice of route, the pace, the hotels, the guides, everything corresponded exactly to our wishes. They were able to answer our questions and advise us perfectly so that this trip met our expectations. Excellent daily follow-up on site. They even have restaurant recommendations on site which were perfect. 100% recommended