Originally Posted by luxtrvlwrks

We did Peru this past November for two weeks. Haven't had a chance to write it up yet.

A few thoughts...rainy season impacts train schedules and also views, so a consideration for how many days at MP.

We did all Belmond (Miraflores, Rio Sagrado, Sanctuary, Nazarenes) plus Titilaka - in that order - and loved all of our hotels. Inserted a break in our trip in Cusco and we really enjoyed the city and the downtime. Lima didn't enchant me in the same way. It's a big city. The views are nice, and I am sure that we didn't scratch the surface, but we felt more at home in Cusco.

We also ate at MAP and it was lovely for a special meal, but we prefer simple food prepared amazingly well (much harder to do than it sounds). Pachapapa was the place for us. Hot pizza and cold beers outside in the shade. And I do mean hot temperature and spicy. They had some of the hottest peppers I have eaten in my life and we love habanero.

VistaDome up and HB back.

The point of the trip for us was to see MP per my husband's request, so we made sure not to lose focus on that. We didn't do Maras, and opted to zip-line and hike to waterfalls instead.

We had an awesome guide and driver who picked us up at the Cusco airport and stayed with us through the Sacred Valley, MP, and our first full day back in Cusco. Was awesome to have that relationship and uniformity. Truly enhanced our experience and took it to the next level.

I agree with DSI that next time I would hike the Inca Trail, with someone else carrying my pack

Originally Posted by QPRfan

We thought the Monasterio was a nice property, but the service was only average (though we were there six years ago). The Hiram Bingham train was fantastic, our highlight of Peru

Originally Posted by bhrubin

We loved Central and AyG. Central wasn't even on the top 50 list when we booked, but it debuted at 50 shortly before we went. I'd say both are amazing. AyG is the more traditional dining room, while Central is more modern in decor. Central is probably a bit more experimental, but we're splitting hairs here.

I agree Tambo being more corporate, but it is still a very unique property. But consider that even as SPG Plat, we stayed at Rio Sagrado. But to be honest, I don't think you can go wrong at one of Tambo, Belmond, or Inkaterra. It's about what you prioritize.

We are a rarity in that we stayed at the Sanctuary Lodge for 2 nights. But MP was the single biggest priority for our trip...so giving it just a single night seemed wrong. We VERY much appreciate that we spent 2 nights here, as it gave us TONS of time to (1) do a tour with the Belmond free afternoon, (2) walk around and explore on our own, (3) see the site with plenty of early mornings and late afternoons after the crowds dispersed. We have photos of MP that make it look like we were there alone, in fact...because we largely were for 30-45 min at those times. For us, that meant the world at one of the greatest sites in the world. Of course, we had 3 weeks total trip time!