Yampu Tours Announces a New 'Give Back to Peru' Program

STOWE, VT, December 22, 2010 (Press-News.org) Giving back to communities with expert guides and an unrivaled network of on-the-ground contacts

Yampu Tours is always looking for ways to give back to the communities they explore with their clients so today they announced a new program they are calling, 'Give Back to Peru.'
The forward thinking travel experts hire only local guides and personalities who are as committed to their community as they are to the quality of the client experience. "Give Back to Peru" will be offered to each client who books one of Yampu's adventure tours in the Sacred Valley. Each client, if they have the time on their trip, can go to a small village of Cachiccata and plant a tree, or they can elect to have a tree planted for them.
Clients who book a tour with lunch will be taken to a small charming local village restaurant, which is run by the local Cachiccatac community. The program is designed specifically to help keep working capital in the region. The resources that the community earns from these tours are used for many projects; the clean up of the Vilcanota River, environmental education, residential job training, and re-forestation and further protection of the Qeunua relict forest.
Many of the native trees like Quiswar and Chachacomo have been cut down so one of the goals of the program is to help reforest the area with these species of trees. If the client wants to stay longer in the village they have the opportunity to work on an organic garden and immerse themselves in various educational programs. Clients who wish to stay even longer in the community can volunteer to stay at a local hotel or camp in the village which is located below the quarry that the Incas used to build Ollantaytambo, with the magnificent Glacier Victoria in the back ground.
Volunteer opportunities will be different for each client depending on the needs of the community and the time, budget, and skills of the client. For example, if the client wants to work in a school, Yampu Tours would approach the school for the client to find out what their immediate need is and what would make a real difference for them at the time. If the client wants to help build homes because they have that type of experience, Yampu will arrange all the logistics for the client.
When Yampu clients visit the Amazon, they can arrange for visits to local communities and, in some instances, local schools. Yampu contacts friends in the local communities to get their advice on what supplies might help a local family that a client could bring from home.
"Things we take for granted like pencil sharpeners, colored pencils, or erasers can be a treasure for a child from an Amazon village," says Monica Irauzqui, co-founder of Yampu Tours. "I remember seeing a group of kids happily playing with a bicycle with only one tire. The village is a two-week walk from the nearest town so a new tire is not something they can just run out and get. Imagine being the visitor who supplies that other tire to the village children!"
In conjunction with this community project, Yampu is able to offer new treks to High Andean Villages, shopping sprees in local markets for food and culinary tours, hiking through local areas of Cuzco, and Inca Pottery and Textile workshops. Yampu's is spearheading a mission to offer clients the chance to take an active part in the culture of Peru and give back to local people. If you have ever lamented that the prospect of truly life-enriching travel is all but dead—you have the soul of a romantic, and the spirit of an adventurer. Yampu travel consultants are experienced in matching your spiritual side. If nothing bores you more than off-the-shelf travel packages put together by number crunchers that usually results in a standardized experience, then Yampu Tours was made for you. Join Yampu to explore Latin America in thrilling new ways.
Lima, Cuzco, Machu Picchu and Sacred Valley-Sightseeing Tour 9 days from $2434 including international airfare from Miami
Yampu's Peruvian Treasures Tour with Sacred Valley includes the main highlights of Peru: Lima, Cuzco and Machu Picchu, but give you extra time in the Sacred Valley to visit the Pisac Market, the ruins at Ollantaytambo (the best surviving example of Inca town planning) and possibly do some adventure tours or explore the nearby towns (such as Calca, Urubamba and Chinchero) in the Sacred Valley. This area was important to the Incas because of its agreeable climate and fertile plains. It also protected Cuzco from fierce jungle tribes who sometimes raided the highlands.
Brief Cuzco, Machu Picchu, Pisac and Adventure in the Sacred Valley 7 days from $2854 including international airfare from Miami
This adventure program will take Yampu travelers through the Sacred Valley making stops in the ruins of Pisac and Ollantaytambo. During a full day adventure tour, you can choose from the many activities available, such as mountain biking, river rafting and horseback riding. In addition to the adventure tour you will visit Cuzco, take a train through the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu and the Pisac Indian Market.
Lima, Cuzco, Machu Picchu and Sacred Valley - Most Adventurous 9 days from $2961 including international airfare from Miami Yampu's Peruvian Treasures Tour with Sacred Valley includes the main highlights of Peru: Lima, Cuzco, Machu Picchu and Sacred Valley but in a more adventurous way. We will be exploring Cuzco and its surroundings in the most alternative way possible. This program is the ultimate mix of cultural travel and adventure sports tourism. Feel the adrenaline while enjoying of one of the most mystic and energetic places in the world.
Family Group Tour - 8 days from $2899 including international airfare from Miami
This tour offers family friendly hotels and activities. Your tour will start in the Sacred Valley with a visit to the colorful indigenous market in Pisac. While in the Sacred Valley choose from a list of adventure activities such as river rafting, mountain biking or horseback riding among many more. In Machu Picchu, the visit to these remarkable ruins will be accompanied to the visit to the spectacle bear protection project. In Lima, we will bike around the bay taking the easiest yet funnest bike route in this big city.

Yampu Tours (formerly known as Yampu) is now your best choice for specialized travel to Latin America. It was created by a Peruvian man and an American woman who, after exploring this beautiful continent together, decided to share the treasures they discovered with the rest of the world. We do not offer travel packages anywhere else in the world, which means that we have a strong specialization for Latin America. Whether your interests are historical, sightseeing, spiritual or adventure, we can provide you with a personalized trip which you will never forget. Let the Experts guide you, from the ancient Mayan ruins of Mexico, to the impressive Iguazu Falls in Argentina and Brazil, and the sky-blue expanding glaciers of southern Patagonia.