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Machu Picchu and Peru
From Machu Picchu, one of the New Seven Wonders of the
World, to the Amazon, the Nazca Lines, Lake Titicaca and
more, let us plan your
perfect Peru trip. Depart any day you like and customize your
own tour
at no extra charge! |
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Inca Trail and other Trekking
Hike some of
the 25,000 miles of Inca roads, from the Classic Inca Trail
to way off the beaten path. All treks are fully
supported and can leave any day with just two people! |
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Galapagos + Machu Picchu
Visit Machu Picchu, one of the New Seven
Wonders of the World, as well as Cuzco and the Sacred Valley,
and then take a five-day Galapagos cruise. |
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Bolivia
From high
volcanic vistas to pristine rainforest to deep within active
silver mines, exploring Bolivia is an experience you will
never forget! Depart any day, design your own tour,
and combine easily with Machu Picchu. |
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Depart
any day on most tours! Choose a set tour or
design your own at no extra charge. |
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Proud
members of the American Society of Travel Agents and the
International Ecotourism Society. |
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.Why Travel
with Southern Crossings?
Experience ,
professionalism and safety
There are several ways we try to
make your trip as safe as possible. On all of our tours, our
guides are completely bilingual and have all lived and traveled
extensively in the regions in which they work. And we utilize
the most experienced and reputable crews for all of our adventure
activities. Our adventure sport teams have a combined 30 years of
experience and excellent safety records. Finally, we avoid
using bus companies and airlines that have poor safety records or
that we consider to be less reliable, even when their fares are
considerably cheaper.
Value for money
 We
include quite a lot in our tour package, such as all internal
flights and all airport transfers. When comparing, look carefully at what's
included; whether it's something big like flights or something small
such as the Cuzco Visitor's Ticket.
We think you'll be pleasantly surprised with what we offer.
Included airport
transfers - always!
 You'll never pay us extra for this. It's no fun
arriving in a foreign country and having to make your way to your
hotel on your own, being hassled and ripped off by the airport taxi
drivers. On a Southern Crossings tour, we'll have one of our
representatives at the airport instead, with a big, bright Southern
Crossings sign and secure and reliable transport to your hotel. And
you won't have to dig around for spare change for taxi fare at the
end of your trip, either. Your transfer to the airport for you
departure flight is included in our prices, and Southern Crossings
makes sure you get a reliable and safe ride to start your journey
home.
Personalized, prompt service
We'r e a small adventure tour company and we think that's just
great. It means that
our staff and crews are carefully and thoughtfully selected, and it
also means that you, our client, will not get lost amongst a
thousand other passengers. Our tours are for individuals, friends,
families and small groups, and we take pride in providing a personal
and unique experience. This means we make a point of
personally meeting all of our clients, helping you out with any
particular interests or shopping items while you're here, and having
a 24-hour local phone number for any questions you might have.
Low impact tourism
 What's low-impact tourism? A lot of things, both big and small,
like using a trekking staff that packs out all of its garbage and
refuse, or encouraging our passengers to give out school supplies or
Polaroid pictures instead of money or candy to the kids we encounter
along the way. We recognize that any form of tourism has an impact
on its destination, and we try to make ours as positive as possible.
Making you a part of giving back to the local communities
 We
believe in giving back to the communities we visit, and we do it in
a unique way that we think you'll really like. On a Southern
Crossings trip, you can see this money at work. As a matter of fact, you
can give it yourself! One percent of your trip price goes to a
local children's charity which you may visit on your trip. So
if your trip costs $2000, we'll give $20 of that to the charity. As
a matter of fact, you can even specify where you'd like that money
to go, according to the current needs of the organization.
This way, you're not just passing through, you're actually making a
difference. Our organization in Peru is Peru's Challenge, just
outside of Cuzco. For more info, visit their website at
www.peruschallenge.com
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"You guys
really do set the standard for what a travel adventure
company should be. You came through on your promise of
personalized service from the beginning to the end of the
trip. During our trip (especially at the train
station), we heard horror stories from tourists that booked
their vacations with other companies. We are so glad
that we found you guys! Margo and Kris were extremely
helpful from something as routine as where to exchange our
currency to helping us not only to book, but arrange for us
to sit in an oceanfront restaurant serving ceviche!
We're gonna be recommending you guys to our friends and
family. Top notch!"
- Ray and Katherine Ky, USA, The Sun Gate, September 2008
Read More
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FAQ's
THE BASICS
How many people will be on the tour?
In general, we try to avoid
large group travel. We specialize in personalized,
leave-any-day tours for
individuals, friends and families, so much of the tour is likely to
consist of just the people you booked with. However, you may be part of a
larger group (up to 16) on excursions such as the Inca Trail, jungle
lodges or the Lake Titicaca Islands. Private options are available for these
sections as well at additional cost.
How do I meet ?
We'll meet you at the
airport and take you to the hotel, simple as that, at no extra
charge. It's no fun arriving in a foreign country and having to
make your way to your hotel on your own, being hassled and ripped
off by taxi drivers and all the other touts that are a fixture just
outside the airport doors. On a Southern Crossings tour, we'll have
one of our representatives there instead, with a big, bright placard
with your name on it and secure and reliable transport to your
hotel.
What is included in the tour?
Pretty much everything
except your lunch and dinner! If you check carefully,
you'll find we include more in your tour than most other companies,
whether it's something small like the Cuzco Visitor's Ticket or
something big like internal flights. The price of the tour always
includes transfers from (and back to) the airport on either
end of your trip, bilingual guides throughout your
trip, all internal transport including internal flights, all
accommodation, and all excursions (including entrances) listed in the
What's included section of each trip's Trip itinerary and
details. We are particularly pleased to always include internal
flights and transfers in the basic price - just one of the things
that sets us apart from most other tour companies!
Will I be alright if I don't speak
Spanish?
Don't worry, you'll be fine
if you can't speak Spanish. While it might be helpful to know and
understand a few basic phrases (like bathroom or beer...), you will
be with qualified bilingual guides throughout your trip, and most
restaurants and hotels manage at least basic English.
How are the accommodations?
We stay in clean and
comfortable locally-run hotels (usually three stars level), which
most of our passengers say are nicer and cozier than they expected.
Accommodation is twin share with 24-hour hot water and private
bathrooms (except in the Amazon basin lodges, where there is not
always hot water). Please visit our
Accommodations
page for more info.
What's the weather like in Peru?
Depending on what time of the year your trip is and which tour
you choose, the climate varies. The rainy season is generally
from October to April, but rain is possible at any time of year,
especially in high mountains and cloud forest, and one should always
be prepared. The climate in sites we will visit is as follows:
Cuzco:
days are warm if sunny, slightly chilly if cloudy. Nights are cold
in Cuzco.
Lake Titicaca:
essentially the same as Cuzco, but a few degrees colder.
Lima:
warm to hot days, cool evenings, almost never any rain. Often
overcast.
Ica and Nazca:
similar to Lima but hotter and sunnier.
Inca Trail:
all ranges of weather from hot to possible snow and rain at higher
elevations. Most people trek in shorts or light pants (synthetic,
fast-drying fibers are preferable to cotton) and a t-shirt, and
carry a layer or two (thin fleece and micro-fibers are, again,
preferable to cotton), plus a poncho or other rain gear. There
are biting insects, so even in warm weather some people opt to
cover more skin with a long sleeve t-shirt and long pants.
Jungle:
hot and humid with frequent rain.
More FAQ's
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"I
thoroughly enjoyed every minute. Machu Picchu
absolutely astounded me! In the past I have always
traveled "on my own" with maps and guidebook in hand, but
for my first trip to South America decided a tour might be
wise. A very fortunate decision! With the
well-organized itinerary and wonderful guides a one week
visit was filled to the brim with fascinating sites and in
depth educational opportunities. Many thanks to
Marcello in Lima, and especially to Rene! I am back at
work but memories of mountains and clouds make me smile all
day long."
- Carol
Adair, USA, Inca Heartland
Read More
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info@southerncrossings.com
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Interested in a tour?
Email us,
call us at the numbers listed above, or simply fill out this
form.
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Consultants and
participants in the
Kids
TV Series
Are We There Yet?
Read More...
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"It was a
great pleasure working with Doug Newton and Southern Crossings on
our National Geographic family travel TV series Are We There
Yet?. Doug showed a great flair for coming up with fun things for
kids to do at Machu Picchu, and put a lot of thought and time into
working with our specific needs. He was reliable, organized and thorough, plus he was so friendly and calm that he was a pleasure to
work with! Thanks again, Doug!"
- Stacey
Jenkins, Associate Producer, Sinking Ship Entertainment
Read More
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"I
thoroughly enjoyed every minute. Machu Picchu absolutely astounded
me! In the past I have always traveled "on my own" with maps and
guidebook in hand, but for my first trip to South America decided a
tour might be wise. A very fortunate decision! With the
well-organized itinerary and wonderful guides a one week visit was
filled to the brim with fascinating sites and in depth educational
opportunities. Many thanks to Marcello in Lima, and especially to
Rene! I am back at work but memories of mountains and clouds make
me smile all day long."
- Carol
Adair, USA, Inca Heartland, Feb. 2009
Read More
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info@southerncrossings.com
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Next
date with permits available: Sept 23, 2010
