Day 1 — Who is Vidal?

Friday — April 3

I’ve made several references to Vidal, so let me take a minute to introduce him. Vidal Jaquehua is the founder and manager of Adventure Holidays Perú, the small Cusco-based company with which we made all of the arrangements for our trip.

We had the good luck of meeting Vidal at the Adventures in Travel Expo in Washington DC in March 2008. We were immediately charmed by his friendly demeanor. When he spoke of the experiences awaiting us in Perú, his eyes shined with enthusiasm. The glowing recommendation two of his former clients gave us while we were visiting Vidal’s expo booth was all the encouragement we needed to ask him for an itinerary/quote.

Although we did get itineraries/quotes from other companies as well — some small, some big; some Perú-based, some US- or UK-based — we quickly concluded that we wanted to work with Vidal to organize this trip. His willingness to listen to what we wanted, offer suggestions, and prepare an itinerary for a trip that matched “our” travel style were the determining factors in our decision. That he gave us a good price was a factor as well, but was not nearly as important as his flexibility and promptness in responding to us throughout the planning phase of this trip.

If I were to say that “We would highly recommend Vidal’s services” now, you might counter with, “But, he hasn’t even guided you yet.” True. However, I have first hand information from another couple who used his services in February and from the two women he guided on the Inca Trail (he is a licensed guide). I have no reason to suspect that our experience will be any less “wonderful” than theirs was. That said — I’ll wait to give my official endorsement after we conclude our trip.

Vidal and Mui enjoying lunch at Yaku Mama's Grill located on Plaza de Armas in Cusco.

Next Up: Day 1 — A Stroll in Cusco