Peru
Crooked Trails

For a truly authentic and once-in-a-lifetime experience in Peru’s Andes, many adventurous travelers are opting to go on a responsible tourism trip that includes a homestay in rural mountain village, offering the chance to really experience how the villagers live (and eat!) and helping to support community development. Seattle based non-profit tour operator Crooked Trails is the innovative group that makes this cultural immersion possible. But this is not a trip for the faint of heart—it’s definitely roughing it.

"Vicos houses don't have heat, electricity…none of the comforts we take for granted,’’ says Suzanne Tedesko of Seattle, who visited the mountain village of Viscos with her husband. “We stayed in a very simple guest house that was located about 100 yards uphill from our Quechua host family's home. It consisted of one room with four single beds, a fireplace and a separate bathroom. We slept with all our clothes on as it was cold, and two fellow travelers, both college students, shared the room. The family prepared simple, authentic meals that included fancifully-shaped loaves of bread, baked in their brick oven, that we'd fashioned with our hosts earlier in the day. On our final day, the community prepared a pachamanca feast of potatoes, beans, chicken and meat that baked for several hours in an earthen pit heated with hot rocks. After the meal, we danced with 'Vicosinos' to music performed by local musicians. For my husband and me, it was a heart-warming experience which we thoroughly enjoyed, but it was very rustic, and for anyone with higher expectations of comfort, it might miss the mark.”

Michael Tull of San Diego, a retired Fortune 500 executive and a tri-athlete, also took advantage of this unique opportunity on three separate trips to Peru. “The trips are oriented towards healthy active, truly adventurous individuals that want to experience travel from the inside out. They are not for the traveler that is accustomed to having the experience delivered to them, while they ride the bus and drink Margaritas,” explains Tull. “Each trip provided an experience that was culturally rich and focused on the community, their culture and integrating into their daily living routines. I have stayed in Weavers villages camped in numerous mountain villages and experienced high altitude hiking and camping, and stayed in Amazon jungle camps. Home stays can range from camping with your own tent to staying in the family home. The Weavers village building was fairly new, made from brick and stucco. Rooms were spartan and clean and, the mattresses were hard, but there were lots of wonderful hand woven blankets. The weavers village had showers and flush toilets (not in the room). The mountain villages did not have any modern conveniences. However, each of us were prepared to purify water. The toilet facilities were private but were the same that the villages used. We ate with the families. We would dance, dance, dance and drink every evening in every village. Most villages would also entertain us with their music and traditional dances."

"Crooked trails has provided me with the opportunity to view the world from a very different perspective. My exposure to the values of the villagers has given me a better understanding of what is most important for me to enjoy life. It is not my material positions but the opportunity to be a citizen of the world. One who understands that community goes far beyond my home in San Diego. The guides are knowledgeable, fun and truly enjoy the opportunity to introduce you to experiences that are hard to find in any other organized travel company that I have experienced.”

Trips range from 11 to 19 days and start at $1,920, excluding airfare.

Crooked Trails
PO Box 94034
Seattle WA 98124
206-383-9828