ITINERARY & DEPARTURE DATES
Next Departure Dates
First 3 Weeks - Language Phase
Weeks 4-7 - Project Phase
Weeks 8-13 - Explorer Phase
Activities Included
Our next departure dates for this project and explorer are;
15th February 2008
14th February 2009
First 3 Weeks - Language Phase
This phase will be different day to day but will include a mix of classroom sessions and getting out to practice your skills. Evenings will be spent on social activities and getting to know each other as a team.
Weekend One - Hacienda Siete Cascadas
You'll take in stunning mountain scenery whilst hiking up the seven waterfalls with a local guide, and swimming in the refreshing pools. Back at the Hacienda you can relax in the beautiful grounds, take a swim and enjoy the delights of a Bolivian BBQ and bonfire as the sun goes down.
Weekend Two - Potosi Silver Mines
At an altitude of 4070m, Potosi is the highest city of its size in the world. Potosi has a painful history and a visit to the silver mines is an extremely thought provoking experience. You'll visit the mint museum and have time to wander around Potosi itself. Sunday is very much a day of rest in South America and so the team will leave Potosi to relax in nearby thermal baths followed by a BBQ feast in the most spectacular setting. http://www.unesco.org/courier/2000_03/uk/dici/txt1.htm
Weekend Three - The Uyuni Salt Flats
If you do nothing else before heading off on this extended weekend, make sure you stock up on plenty of camera film! 4x4 Land Cruisers will take you up over 4000m, across terrain unlike anything you have ever seen before; bright green and red lakes filled with thousands of flamingos, surreal desert landscapes, bubbling geysers, thermal waters and snow capped volcanoes. But don’t use the pictures all up before you get to the salt flats themselves - they're a real highlight.
Weeks 4-7 - Project Phase
See 'Expedition life' for an example of a typical day
Weeks 8-13 - Explorer Phase
With such an active and full itinerary it is simply impossible to say what a typical day will be like. What is safe to say however is that nearly every day starts early and is full of adventure and excitement until the moment you go to bed; exhausted but buzzing! The expedition has been designed to ensure that you fit in as much as possible, whilst giving you the time to relax, chill out and take in all the amazing places around you.
We have put together a taster of the wonders of the Peru and Bolivia – ancient, modern and natural – to give you an appreciation of what this part of the world has to offer. Our route is based on strong relationships with local contacts, who give an edge to the expedition that no guide book could ever compete with. This is also very much in line with our ethos of support for the local communities. Travelling with our teams and experienced leaders offers a safer approach to exploring the continent.
Despite this expedition being the culmination of decades of experience in the area, there is always more to learn and discover. As a result, no two expeditions are ever exactly the same, with new adventures always finding a way to squeeze into our already jam-packed itinerary. Your Andean expedition will be a unique expedition!
Activities Included
All transport, food and accommodation within South America, trekking in the Colca Canyon, Santa Cruz and Takesi trek, wildlife spotting in the Ballestas Islands, flight over the Nazca Lines, sand-boarding, white-water rafting, bridge-swinging, canyoning, ice climbing, Bolivian salt flats by 4x4, Lake Titicaca, The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
La Paz And Lake Titicaca
La Paz is one of the most lively, colourful and spectacular cities in South America. Located at 3500m, it is surrounded by snow-capped mountains and is home to over a million inhabitants, over half of them of Indian descent. You will get the chance to experience the hustle and bustle of the many local markets within La Paz before heading off on what is known as the ‘Taquesi Trek’. This gentle 2-day trek takes you through the beautiful scenery surrounding La Paz. The route then takes a more relaxing leg to the beautiful shores of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, where we circle the floating reed islands and visit the local indigenous Aymara communities.
Canyons, Beaches, The Nazca Lines, And Sand-Boarding
Arequipa is our next stop, a beautiful city with magnificent colonial architecture nestling between smoking volcanoes in the Peruvian Andes. From here you will start the trek down into the second deepest canyon in the world, the Colca Canyon, which is twice the depth of the Grand Canyon. A trek into the heart of this amazing landscape will truly give you an idea of its scale and give you the chance to see condors soaring on top of the thermals created by the canyon.
After a night out in Arequipa you will really enjoy the chance to kick back and relax at the beach of Puerto Inca where you can soak up the sun and sleep out under the incredible desert stars. Next stop are The Nazca Lines, a series of straight lines, abstract designs and outlines of various animals etched into the ground. Their creation has flummoxed historians for decades, and can only really be appreciated from the skies in a light aircraft where you can marvel at these wonders of ancient civilisation for yourself. Making your way northwards the team will stop for a night amongst the biggest sand dunes in the whole of South America. Giant dune buggies will take you up to the top of the dunes where you will quickly learn how to sand-board back down!
Wildlife, Lima And The Andes
Before reaching Lima, the team will travel up the Pan American highway to Pisco, home of the national Peruvian brandy based drink, the Pisco Sour. It is then just a short speedboat journey to the Ballestas Islands that are rightly nicknamed the ‘Mini Galapagos’ for their abundance of marine and terrestrial life. En-route to this spectacular location you will get the chance to stop at “The Candelabra” to admire ancient etchings dating back over 2000 years.
Whilst in Lima you will have the chance to spend a day with the energetic and lovable children from Villa Maria, the location of QUEST’s longest standing shantytown project. Next it's north to the town of Huaraz set amongst the beautiful Cordillera Blanca, one of the most spectacular regions of the Andes. The team spends roughly 10 adrenalin filled days in and around this area, completing the Santa Cruz trek, going ice climbing, canyoning and bridge swinging before heading back down to Lima. From here we take a short internal flight to the archaeological capital of South America.
Cusco And The Inca Trail To Machu Picchu
Cusco is magical and a picture book example of many of the highlights of the continent. After a stint of white water rafting you will trek the world famous Inca Trail, travelling over Dead Woman’s Pass to Machu Picchu to see the sun rise and the ancient city appear through the swirling mist. A magical and spectacular way to finish your QUEST.