TIPS ON: Choosing a Personal Guide

First of all, why choose a personal guide over joining a group?  Below are the benefits:
1. You are able to tell them when you want to go
2. You are able to tell them where you want to go
3. You can tell them your main interests and goals
4. You are able to constantly make changes to the itenerary
5. You are able to make changes to lower costs
6. You are able to determine the length of the trip, (i.e. 1 day trip, 2 nights, full day, half-day etc.)
7. You can negotiate the costs
8. Most importantly, you'll have the full attention of the personal guide and you are able to soak in so much more knowledge

Here are the drawbacks:
1. The price will be much higher, especially if you're just 1 person



So the question is, 'Where do I find a guide?!'.  A simple web search of "Personal Guides Cusco'' is the best way to go.  You'll have to specify which town in the country you're looking to start out from.   Just because your destination may be 'Ollantaytambo' for example, don't search 'Tour Guide Ollantaytambo'. Search the nearest major town or city where the homebase is for a lot of the tour guides.   You can also search travel forums such as 'Yahoo Travel' or 'Tripadvisor' or 'VirtualTourist' or 'LonelyPlanet'.  Some sites will have listings of guides.  At other times, you'll have to type in 'personal guide cusco' in their search tool to see if anyone already asked and people answered.  And lastly, you can sign up and post a message in the forum asking for recommendations.  Let the people on the forum know what your interests are.  (i.e. I want to go to Puerto Maldonado and do an ecotour in the Peruvian Amazon or I want to visit the most fantastic constructions by the Incas).  OR you could go here where I have listed a few all on one page for your convenience.  If you found this helpful or any other posts, please comment and let me know: http://peru101.blogspot.com/2011/06/cusco-personal-tour-guides.html

One of the main questions is, "What do I look for in a guide?!"  You may think years of experience as a tour guide is number one. For Peru, a lot of the tour guides are indigenous to the area; Quechua. Especially in Cusco.  They are from the rural communities.  In addition, they went to school to get tourism degrees.  They know the language of the land: Quechua, Spanish and some English.   It may seem silly, but having YEARS of experience is not the number one factor, because they often know their region like the back of their hand.  They may not have years of tour guide experience, but they have lived-experience.  What is more important, is their knowledge.  After all, that is what you are going for; to learn.  You may ask them why they are interested in the topic or location you are interested in, just to see if they are as passionate as you are.  Further, don't always opt to choose the older guides over the young adults.  The younger they are, the more they're able to manage the terrain and at the same time support you.  If you're visiting Quechua or indigeneous communities, it iuseful to ask if the guide has visited the community and has a friendly relationship with them.  Once I was taken to a community but never interacted with the locals because the guide was of an ethnicity that historically was at war with the ethnicity of the village I entered.  So this time around, when I was looking for communities that were not often visited by tourists (and thereby tour guides), I asked the tour guide if they've ever visited with the community they suggested and what their relationship with the people has been like.

Next question, "How do I get a rate I can afford?!" Once you get some contacts, you can send out a bunch of emails and see what they have to say.  Also let them know you are getting quotes from other guides.  Once they reply, respond and low ball them (that means quote a much lower price so ideally they will meet you in the middle).  Although you don't know their intentions, a number of people assume you got money comin' out the wazoo (like our friend Antoine George who proved that in his emails) because you're from a developed country.  So a lot of the time, guides will high ball you and expect you to think that's a completely normal rate.  This is when you write another email low-balling them with a fake quote from another guide.  If the guide is sincere, they may stick to their original rate.  If they were charging you a bit too much, they may bring it down a bit.  When I was searching for a guide for Q'eros, one guide said $500 for two nights.  I got him to come down to $400 for one night.  I cross referenced with about two other guides.  Their rates for 2 nights were around $700 or $800, so I knew I was getting a good deal with the first person.  This is the usefulness of cross-checking.

Once you're more interested in a specific guide, you might wonder, "How can I renegotiate the rate even further?!".  Here are some ways to lower the rate:
1. If possible, ask if the rate can be lowered by using public transportation instead of a rented car
2. Offer to buy local food rather than having the guide prepare a lunch or hiring a cook
3. Offer the guide to leave an excellent review on a travel forum or travel blog and to recommend them to others, and email them the link after.
4. Decrease the number of hours
With one guide, he wanted to do a day trip with a private car, go to various sites, and do a religious ceremony with a shaman.  The day trip (usually ranging from 7am-6pm) would have cost me $250 with a private car and an extra $150 for a ceremony with a shaman.  That money doesnt even go to the 'shaman'.  When I told him we could take a taxi and I don't need the session with the shaman, the rate came down to $150.  With another guide, he wanted a full day session to learn about traditional Quechua music for $150.00  I told him we could do a half day, maybe 4 hrs, for $50.00  He accepted.

If you're wondering if you're getting the 'best bang for your buck', you would might ask, "How do I know the guide is making the best itinerary for my needs?!".  From my experience, if you're looking for something off the beaten path, as it were, then you need to:
1. Google the destination they mention (i.e. Salkantay for trekking, Huacahuasi for Quechua communities etc)
2. Read about the site in the guide books and see if it's really concerning your interest
3. Ask on travel forums if people have visited the site and they learned a lot
4. Ask other tour guides what sites they might recommend for your interests and quote the sites your tour guide suggested; see if they agree those locations are fitting.  (Don't tell them you've selected a guide already)
For example, I was interested in visiting various Incan religious sites.  The tour guide suggested a number of religious sites.  I then googled those sites to see what their main purpose was and what the main religious sites are listed as.  I was able to email him to make other suggestions.  He was very agreeable.

You may ask for my recommendations for a guide.  I will review all my guides once I get back.

Take-home tips:
1. Low-ball
2. Ask them about their experience and knowledge-base and passion
3. Cross-reference their quote and recommendations for the itinerary with other guides
4. Feel free to make the changes I suggested to reduce costs

Review of Antoine George of Transhumancias

"I wish you a very bad trip Mr ***** and a very bad experience, we will do all what we can with the (q'eros) community so that it be so.
Worst regards"
-Antoine George of Transhumancias

It is important to be vigilant and be careful of those you work with.  Ensure the tour guide is experienced, and is not exploiting the communities or you.  Check for reviews.


Be aware of tour guides, like the one below, who will insult indigenous tour guides and say their services are not safe just because they are giving a better/reasonable rate.
I contacted 'Transhumancias', for which there were '0' reviews, and asked for his pricing. He said for two days I could reach Q'eros.  Every other suggests at least 3-7 nights are required.  This is an example of why it is necessary to contact other honest tour guides.  You should always cross-check info with other guides to ensure tour guides are telling you the truth and giving you the best itinerary. 


Below is an example of tour guides out there that 1. Don't have much respect for tourists, 2. Will try to humiliate other tour guides to get your business and 3. Put you down if you try to question their reliability. 


You have the right to be treated with dignity.
You have the right to explore other options.
You have the right, and should in fact, ask as many questions as possible to verify their reliability.

Lucky for you, there are bloggers and travellers like me who will warn you and post reviews.
He has given me permission (as you will see in his email) to post his emails.  I'll allow you to draw your own conclusions about him from his emails.  Feel free to comment.

ps I never told him my sex, or my travel experience, intentions or which country I am from.


I've bolded his interesting comments for those who don't have the patience to read everything.


Enjoy!






His email:
This people are considered as the "last incas" and their shamans are considered as the best of the Andes. They almost never receive tourist, or very seldomly and very few.

The cost for this small trip on your own including 4x4 vehicle for 2 days, intercultural/translator guide for 2 days, night in the community with food, shaman and ceremony is USD 689 (this is the minimum price). The price doesn't include any insurance and you go there at your own risk, Transhumancias cannot be considered liable for any health problem that can occur to you during the program.

NB: I don't give any information on this communities in order not to risk people to contract other operators who don't know them as I do and who usually exploit this communities. I have been working for 12 years with them on a sustainable tourism project so that they can avoid exploitation and I am the only one who have explored their whole territory. You can understand I cannot take any risk, sorry. (except he discloses everything minutes later in an email reply)

My response:
You don't want to exploit the communities. That is nice. Aside from the car rental and your service, how much of that $689 is going to the community to support them?
Thanks

Antoine George's response:
Sorry this is a confidential information between our agency and Q'ero community. usually apart from payments to local community guide (we are the only agency to train and hire them on a fair fee basis) and payments to families for food and accomodation calculated and agreed upon with the community (once again we are the only agency to work this way with these communities as other prefer to camp) we dedicate a percentage as donation to community authorities for collective use. The percentage depends on our profit margin which varies depending on the number of participants. When there is only one participant this percentage is higher.
What costs most on your trip is vehicle and translator / guide.

My response:
Gracias
I got an offer for $475 two nights Q'eros
but I was interested in something closer but it looks like that is not your specialty.
Thank you for your help.

His response:
The service I proposed you was with a private 4x4 and a private guide. At the price they offer you can be sure the guide is exploited, I really don't know which transportation you will have but it doesn't seem very safe to me and I am 100% sure there is no contribution to the community. I really wonder why you asked me about contribution to the community when your main preocupation is the price. My struggle has been against this kinf of toruism practice and I really hope I can stop it. I will call my friend in the community so that they can be aware that once again they want to exploit them. Any way hope you have a good trip Mr ******.

My response:
You are very impressive.  I didn't mention anything about the vehicle and you already know that it is not safe.   The vehicle is only to the base, the rest is hiking.
If he can offer $475 for two nights, it means that people who charge $700 for 1 night are really making money off the community of Q'eros.  The more you charge than what is needed, the more money you make.

You do not know what is in the hearts of people, and you do not know whether a person is going to Q'eros for fun, or to learn or to research so it is not wise to say a person is engaging in bad tourism or does not care.
As you know there are many guides going there for many years and have a very close relationship with Q'eros, and I don't think its very professional or respectful that you are saying they are  exploiting them.  You don't know the people, you should not say mean things about them.

I'm sorry I dont want to do business with you.

His response:
I don't want either Mr *****. This what we would have paid for your trip, compare with what they offer you and ask how much they contribute to the community.

Private 4X4 on a return trip costs USD 300, which includes one night and food for the driver there. 
We pay our guide the established official price USD 80 / day
We pay local Q'ero spanish speaking guide USD 40 / day
We make a donation of USD 50 to the community to contribute to their development fund.
We pay for accomodation and food USD 50 for one night for you and the guide.
The rest : USD 89 for the agency (communication, taxes, organisation, ...)


I don't see how more transparent I could be with you and I cannot see how it can be less than this without paying less for transportation, less for the guide,
less for the Q'ero and for 2 nights. Let me laugh Mr ******!!!



Q'ero people to struggle against this kind of tour operator who cheap trips exploiting them and they will be informed of your arrival. I don't tell you this to convince you Mr ****** as I am not either interested to work with people like you who are not really interested in culture but in a kind of curiosity with only "female guides". Once again Mr ***** let me laugh !!
You don't know what is in the heart of this indigenous people  and you might learn it in a not very agreable way.
I wish you a very bad trip Mr ***** and a very bad experience, we will do all what we can with the community so that it be so.

Worst regards

(Note he turned from 'Best regards' to 'Worst regards'. Note that he said the information was confidential and cared so much about the community so as not to disclose their name, but allowed his ego to get in the way and disclosed the name of community more than three times and the breakdown of costs.  Also note that he behaved in the beginning like Q'eros is an isolated community not really known by tourists.  Yet, google Q'eros, you will see how many websites and tourist blogs are about them.)


My response:
You assumed I'm a male. I'm a female, that's why I preferred to trek with a female.
I will leave a review for you. You should be careful of your words.
It is not very good to wish people to have bad experiences. That is a very black heart.

His response:
Black heart is who don't care about ethics when going to communities and thinking only about the money they pay and not what is done with this money. I fight black hearts with the black part of my heart because against westerners evil like you who stay in their same evil mentality there is no way. My struggle for 12 years is to protect Q'ero people from people like you and I don't see why I should be nice to evil people. So sorry if I don't care my words, make your review as you wish, write everything you can on me and my agency I don't care.
Don Quichotte: "dogs are barking Sancho, means that we are progressing"
So to end it I just want to say to you the last not nice words: FUCK YOU YOU AND YOUR FAT ASS.

My response:
Thats not very nice at all.
You're offended because I asked how much goes to the community.
What makes you think I come from the West? By the way, Peru is Western.

His response:
I don't care where you come from, you have a real westerner mentality, only thinking of paying the lowest price not thinking of what it implies, the same mentality that make people buy low price products made by children in Asia for exemple and not caring about it. Why should I be nice to you. I know the reality of Q'ero better than many who exploit them...
I will not let anybody tell me what you told me and if I can fight against black hearts I will do with all my strength and by all means.
Peru is western ? Why then do you want to go to these "westerner" communities that are so traditionnal, you don't even know what you say yourself.
This a good experience this kind of exchange with you, makes me not forgetting against what evil and who I have decided to fight in my life and for what and who I do so.
Don't worry we will take care that your journey be as pleasant as possible hahahahahahaha !!!!!

My response:
Its because of mentality like yours, where people view a whole nation of others as evil, is where there is so much war, instead of creating understanding and respect. 
You want ethical tourism, you should be happy I asked how much goes to the community.  And I know enough about Q'eros that you can't get very far in 2 days, 1 night.
You are not being honest.

His response:
let me laugh ! Who is not being honest ? Don't transfer to me your consciousness problems and go fucking yourself. Go wherever you want, anyway what you do is your problem and you will have to suffer the consequence yourself.
It's because of people with your kind of mentality that there is war and that some other people have to fight against you. Do you think you will achieve peace with the way you only selfishly think about yourself and your little money and your pocket not thinking about the consequence of your acts on other people that might be exploited thanks to you ? Finally you don't care your only preocupation is to keep a good image of yourself justifying yourself for all what you do. You are soooo good !!!!

My response:
Yes, you achieve peace by meeting people you don't know and learn from them.  Not judge them.

END

In case he wants to claim this is all a fake, I invite you to view the following screen capture from my email inbox:

TIPS ON: Safely Carrying A LOT of Cash

Issues around Safety and Wisely Handling Money in Peru

Actually for the past few days as I've pondered my trip and continue to read blogs and sites online, I start to feel more and more nervous about my trip.

Why? Well I have never, in all of my travels, read so many warnings about being pickpocketed and robbed while still being in the taxi on the way to your destination!!!  Sure I've heard of being pickpocketed in crowd, but actually having your taxi window smashed in and having your bags taken?!  Maybe they're rare occassions, but honestly - the warnings are stronger than I've ever seen them in any travel guides for the various countries I've been to (including Vancouver, Thailand, China, New York, Hawaii, Guyana, etc.).  Most guides say 'just have your wits about you' (be smart and do no expose your money and valuables) or 'exercise caution', but these warnings are more like 'Do not travel at night', 'Be careful of your taxi driver', 'keep your bag between your feet in the taxi' and 'beware of people trying to distract you from your belongings'. 

Add to this having second thoughts about taking cash off my credit card when I need it so as to avoid carrying too much cash.  I've decided that even though I am carrying two different credit cards from two different credit card companies, if both don't work for any reason - I am stuck. 

Last time I was in Thailand and China, my VISA wouldnt work because of the asshole representative over the phone. I told him my pin wasn't working before I went and he insisted it's working fine, it was just the cashier I was at before I left that had a problem.  I went overseas, and the VISA didn't work at all. I had to use all my cash.  I spent hundreds of dollars calling VISA so they could send me a replacement VISA, and I had to have someone transfer me money so I could stay at my hotels.

So to avoid this potential trouble, I am going to at least take enough to cover the hotels, tours, taxi and food and some souveniers.  When I get to an ATM is Cusco, I'll take out more money to cover food and tours, and hopefully the credit cards will work.  If not, someone will have to wire me some money through Western Union. Sometimes you can get a Travel-VISA that works like a prepaid card.  You put the money on and just take the money out of that out of machines.  That should save you on some fees.

Also, be aware of fees when using your credit card abroad.You will get charged 3 Fees for using your credit card abroad.
1. $5.00 (approximately) for every time you take money out of the ATM
2. 2.5%  the credit card company will keep for fun for themselves of whatever amount you take out. Say you take out $1,000, they'll keep $25.00 of that for themselves for fun.
3. 2.5% DAILY interest will  be charged on whatever amount you take out.  If you took out $1,000, isn't that $25 a day?  That is f****d up to the 195th power!



ESSENTIAL Travel Safety, Cash and Credit Card TIPS:

1. Get your hotel to send a taxi for you to the airport or bus station, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT.  It is worth the extra money. Believe it or not, some taxi drivers and unregistered taxis make arrangements with thieves to jump you.  They have a system. Go with someone the hotel does business with and trusts.

2. In your taxi, keep your valuables on the ground/out of plain sight so no one is tempted to smash your window or open your door real quick and grab your bags. This tip is based on reported occurrances.

3. Test and ensure your credit cards are working before you go, including checking them at chip-pin intervals.  Ensure you can withdraw from your credit card before you go.  Get their international number in case they freeze the credit card because of suspicious activity.

4. Fill out a form to give authorization to someone you trust to help with your bank account just in case the credit card stops working and you can't get a hold of the company yourself from your international location.  That way they can call and have the credit card reactivated or have a new one sent to your hotel.

5. Inform your credit card company where you are going and for how long so they don't flag the international transactions as fraudulent.

6. At least take enough cash to cover taxis and all hotels and some food, then you can try the ATM to cover more food and tours and souveniers.  Shelter, safety and food is first.  You can worry about money for tours after.   (why do I suggest not carrying all your cash?  well you don't want to get robbed of all your hard earned money via pick pocket or hotel staff or violent robbery or even getting the cash lost)

7. Stash sums of money in different places. If someone jumps you (robs you), then maybe there's a stash of cash somewhere else they won't get their hands on; same case if you lose it - you'll have your remaining stashes.

8. When you're going out, stuff your cash deep down inside your bag and only keep small change in your pocket.  Keep it in your bag, inside a zipper-compartment if possible, or buried under a water bottle or something.  In your pocket, stuff your cash in first, and then your hankerchief or something on top. Always place the lower denomination bills facing on the outside and hide higher denomination bills under the rest.  I practice that even when I come out of the bank in Canada or go shopping in New York. "Think I took out big bucks? Nope, that's just a few $5.00 bills. Just pocket change.  Not worth your effort of jumping me!"

The small pocket you see on top is a zipper pocket within a main zippered pocket

of the purse. It is difficult to get access to.

Also, you'll notice my underwear in the second last pocket - a good barriar between
your money and quick hands. I'll put that over my money.

11. Make money rolls that are easy to tuck in your underwear or socks when you're travelling long distances in public or by taxi and especially when you're arriving (when you have your most money).

There is $1,000 in that litte roll.
I've first folded each bill in half (as you can see with the $50)

and then each folded bill was piled on top of each other and then rolled,

with a rubber band around



TIPS ON: Packing for Various Climates in Peru

The City, The Desert, The Village, The Mountains.

Preparing a mini suitcase for various atmospheres over a course of 20 days.

Now by this point I have travelled to Europe with two bags.  I had been to Thailand and China with one huge roller duffle bag and a backpack; and even that time around the plan was to travel light.  This time around, I refuse to have the blood circulation cutting off in my hand from carrying around these heavy suitcases.

This time - no, I'm going to challenge myself to travel as 'minimal' as possible, PLUS leave space for lots of indigenous souveniers. 

I'm going to Peru for 20 days, in four different atmospheres: Lima (warm and sunny), Nazca (dry and hot), Cusco (cool and windy), the Andes (cold and colder).  How will I manage to cram everything in this suitcase for nearly three weeks of travel in a suitcase that was meant for three days at most?! 

Now that is a travel challenge. (yes, it's nothing compared to losing your passport, but still...)

I haven't started yet because I'm not going for another 3 weeks and in the meantime I'll be using most of the clothes I would pack, but we'll see how it goes.

Tips to come soon as I've figured out some tricks.