After 5-6 hours of flying over the Pacific Ocean, you are rewarded with your first glimpse of Easter Island. Maps help give an idea of the distance between Easter Island and South America, but without setting foot there, it is hard to understand its true seclusion. As your plane touches down at Mataveri International Airport, and you walk across the tarmac to the small terminal, you begin to grasp how remote and special this place is. The near treeless landscape alludes to the island’s history of deforestation and allows for sweeping views dotted with moai (famous monolithic “Easter Island heads”, which are actually full bodies) in many directions. These views also hint at the ecological crises the island suffered in the past.
I have always said that guides can make or break your trip. This is even more true when it’s an experiential adventure in Peru! Group tours can be a great fit for some, but especially in a country like Peru with its long and complex history and intricate culture, traveling with a private specialty guide is definitely the way to go when there are more than 5000 archeological sites to potentially explore during your Peru Tour!
Ecuador is all about history, fascinating indigenous cultures, slow winding rivers and lush tropical forests, spectacular snow capped volcanoes and some of the most exciting wildlife on earth. Prior to diving deep into the rest of the country, the place to start any Ecuador vacation is in Colonial Quito: a city of narrow cobblestone streets lined with whitewashed walls which rise above the steeples and cupolas of the city's many spectacularly decorated historic churches.
