zagy

I booked a trip to this hotel a couple of months ago but now having some second thoughts on the itinerary I've put together, so would really appreciate some feedback.

Here's the trip (my first time in this part of the world):

1. fly MEX-LIM
2. overnight in Lima with a bit of walking around the Miraflores area
3. flight to CUZ at 4PM, arrive in CUZ at about 5.30PM
4. go straight to TdI
5. 5 night booked there at a really good (BRG) rate
6. we want to explore SV and MP
7. after that 1 night booked in Cuzco
8. flight back to LIM the following afternoon (5PM) (and onwards towards IPC)

There current rates for TdI are now much higher for the same dates at about 300$.

Here's what I'm "worried" about:

1. Reading the entire thread, I'm getting the feeling 5 nights might be too much here and I should have booked some
2. I see some of you have spent the night at MP. Do you think it's a good idea to just "forget" one night here and book another room near MP? E.g. night 3?
3. Is 5PM too late to be flying into CUZ in terms of getting to the hotel very late? Would it be better to get an earlier flight to CUZ?


Thanks for the help!

slocouple

iahphx

Yeah. it sometimes does take them a few days to get back to you via email. I've noticed that response rate from some other guides in the area, too. Not sure if it's the culture or their access to internet. In any event, my experience with DUP was satisfactory a few years ago, so I've hired them again. Some other recommended drivers/guides were twice the price. FWIW, guide costs have really skyrocketed in the area in recent years. Somebody told me that there's been a significant increase in gasoline cost in Peru, but I don't know if that's the reason.

iahphx

A $130 rate atn the Tambo is fantastic: I sure wish somebody could tell me how to get that. I stayed here the last time, but the rates (and reward level) is now so high that I'm staying at the Sonesta (less than half the price and a well-regarded hotel).

I don't normally recommend folks day-tripping to MP, but at the rate you're paying, it might be worthwhile. As far as Aguas Calientes being "groody," I'd say it's no garden spot, but it seems to be getting nicer (and more expensive). It's main value is in convenience: in general, I think it's a good idea to arrive the night before, have a meal at the "Happy Indian," and beat the rest of the tourists to MP. Then take an evening train back to the Sacred Valley.

travelswithmyself

Quick comment about not taking the train back to TdI. I ended up spending an almost equivalent amount of time stuck in traffic getting out of Ollanta, then driving back to TdI. This was at about the time of the afternoon train to TdI.

Was at the end of a tiring day and frankly would have been more comfortable in the train rather than in the van I booked. But that's me.

As for DUP he never got back to me. Just saying.

zagy

I got a BRG a couple of months ago. Didn't realize at the time that the rate was so good

What about arranging a driver to take us very early in the morning to be in MP before sunrise? How long of a drive is that anyway?

Sunrise at MP is one of the very few "requirements" that my wife has for the entire 3 week trip

captain_starwood

1. Reading the entire thread, I'm getting the feeling 5 nights might be too much here and I should have booked some

I would spend one more night Cuzco, which is much larger and has a lot to offer.

2. I see some of you have spent the night at MP. Do you think it's a good idea to just "forget" one night here and book another room near MP? E.g. night 3?

Concur with previous posters. Better to keep your rate and take the late train back to OT.

3. Is 5PM too late to be flying into CUZ in terms of getting to the hotel very late? Would it be better to get an earlier flight to CUZ?

Not too late at all, although it's nicer to land in Cuzco in the morning, IMHO.

iahphx

You know you have to take a train to MP, right? And get a ticket. Both can be arranged over the internet. Therewardsboss has a good post on navigating the confusing MP ticket website. And seat61 has the lowdown on the train.

You'll need a taxi to get from the Tambo to the train station in Ollanta. Taxi fares are negotiable. I'd guess it's a 20 minute ride. You might want to see what folks are paying these days. If the hotel arranges it, I'm sure it will be at 2x.

andreirublev

You can actually book the train directly from the hotel's train station on your own from Perurail w/o the hotel arranging it. It's train # 601 which, while listed as Ollanta-"Machu Piccu" (actually Aguascalienties), is the one that includes the extra spur to the hotel. Train # 304 is the return. My price a year ago was about $150 for the round trip.

margarita girl

Does the hotel have some train seats blocked off from Urubamba Stn? I'm asking because there is no availability on the dates I will be there (3 mths from now) yet the hotel says they can sell me tickets as part of their (overinflated) packages.

Thunderroad

Lots of good advice here for you already. To add my two cents:

1. No, five nights is fine. That's just four full days. You can easily spend two longish half-days exploring the SV and of course MP will be a full, tiring day. TdI is such a nice hotel and the setting so pretty that I'd recommend a couple of afternoons there just relaxing after exploring the SV until, say, 2 p.m., and a day just to hang out there (ideally the day after MP) and walking into town for lunch and dinner. Remember that the air is thin throughout the SV, so don't overdo it in terms of planning you activities and even be prepared for the possibility of altitude sickness. You're not just driving around from place to place there. You're getting out of the car, wandering around the sites, perhaps handicraft shopping, getting lunch, etc.
2. This is a tough call, as MP really is unique but breaking up your trip with a night there will make for a less relaxing vacation (if that's a priority). For ease of access to MP, we splurged to stay at the Sanctuary Lodge (right near the gates of MP) getting a "discounted" B and B rate, which appears on its website from time to time, but it still was easily the most expensive hotel we've ever been to. But staying in AC would be fine; it's not the most charming of towns, certainly, but it's really not bad. In our few hours there it actually was a bit nicer than we'd expected (given our low expectations). Perhaps one way to decide is to consider whether you just want to wander around the site itself (for which a day trip would be adequate) or whether you'd also want to tack on something like the hike up and down Wayna Picchu (sp?), which really would require your staying on an extra day. If you do opt to stay overnight at AC, be aware that you could conceivably lose the great rate you've gotten at TdI as Starwood might simply do a new booking for you. Ask the Starwood Plat customer service rep you talk to whether s/he can get the hotel to preserve that rate even if you drop a night in the middle of the stay.
3. Nothing wrong with getting into CUZ that late, per se, but I'd still recommend getting in earlier. With your current plan of arriving at 5:30 p.m., you'd be going through the beautiful Sacred Valley (for the 80-90 minute drive) at dusk or even in the dark, missing some very pretty views. Plus the later you fly day, the greater chance of delays due to the normal back-ups that can occur anywhere or the weather certain times of year there. Plus LIM just isn't worth the extra hours, compared to getting to CUZ earlier. We found Miraflores underwhelming, though actually the outdoor shopping mall perched on the cliff was kind of nice for the views there (including from a few restaurants). If you arrive in LIM early enough from MEX, you could spend a little while wandering around that afternoon, have a very good meal at one of the fine restaurants in LIM (though book ahead), then fly out however early you feel up for departing the next day.

Come to think of it, at the risk of complicating your planning you might consider a couple of variations on this theme:

a. Fly into CUZ fairly early and have your driver take you through some nice SV sites on the way to TdI.
b. If you get to LIM early enough, connect on to CUZ the same day (though build in a cushion of at least a few hours between flights). An extra day at TdI (if the higher rate is affordable or if you have some SPG points to burn on an all-points or C+P stay) and/or an overnight at AC would be far preferable to LIM, IMHO.

Someone had recommended cutting short your stay at TdI in favor of an extra night in CUZ at the end of your trip. It's another judgement call. We did really like CUZ, but again we loved TdI so much that I'd say you'd be better off just going on to CUZ early so you could spend a full day there before flying out the next day. (Or again, as a variation on the theme, get to TDI a day earlier due to skipping LIM and leave there for CUZ a day earlier.) In any event, be prepared for the fact that CUZ is at an appreciably higher altitude than TdI or MP for that matter, so the air will be thinner. The two things I'd recommend in CUZ are definitely getting up to Sacsyhuman (sp???), the second most impressive site after MP, and simply wandering around the central of town and having a pisco sour in one of the restaurants overlooking the busy central square.

green09000

Iahphx,
When did you book with DUP? I arranged service with them a few months ago for our upcoming trip in a few weeks and have emailed numerous times in the past couple weeks to try and confirm everything and make sure they get our flight number in case of delays and have gotten no response. Have you spoke to them recently? Starting to get worried there won't be someone there for me at the airport.

iahphx

If they don't respond, send them another email like 2 days later and mark it "resend". You should then get a response.

I have found their services quite satisfactory in the past but, like you, I'm bothered by their erratic email response. It might actually have been enough to get me to book someplace else, but they were significantly cheaper than other recommended drivers, and since I had a completely satisfactory experience before, I stuck with them. Send me a PM in about 10 days and I can give you a first-hand update!

BTW, there's some nonsense going on with Machu Picchu ticketing (the official site shows tickets sold out when they're apparently not), and Karina at DUP was willing and able to get me MP tickets in advance without surcharge (it did take a couple emails!). That's definitely a useful service.

Thunderroad

While my experience with DUP tours was fine except for the delay in replying to emails, I can understand your concern and frustration. A bit of a hassle, but if you have a phone number for DUP tours you can try skyping them to get through and request an email confirmation to nail things down.

green09000

Thanks for the reply. You as well Thunderroad. I have replied a couple times but will try putting "resend" in the header and see if that works. If not I may try skype. And we already have our Machu Picchu tickets so we are good with that thank goodness.

10 days. Are you about to leave on your trip then? We fly into Cuzco on 9/1. Have fun and tell DUP to email me back! Lol