Once back on terra firma, your next stop is the beach of Puerto Inca where you can relax in the sun and sleep out under the desert stars before heading up to Arequipa, 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. Three days of stunning vistas is the perfect introduction to the trekking and camping element of the expedition and will build those muscles for the challenges ahead.
Chile - A wealth of natural wonders
After a short break in Arica to enjoy the beach and atmosphere, the team will head up into the Chilean Altiplano to watch the sunset over the fantastic landscapes of Lauca National Park. It is then just a short trip across the border into the Bolivian Altiplano to visit what is truly one of visual highlights of South Americas, The Uyuni Salt Flats.
Bolivia- Diversity or wildlife, landscapes and people
4x4 Land Cruisers will take us up over 4,000m across terrain unlike anything you have ever seen before; bright green and red lakes filled with thousands of flamingos, surreal desert landscapes looking like you have stepped into a Salvador Dali painting, bubbling geysers, thermal waters, and volcanoes are all to be experienced before even reaching the actual salt flats themselves.
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 the second trek known as the ‘Choro Trail’. While having the benefit of being almost completely downhill, the route is no less spectacular, traveling from the snowline through barren mountain valleys, and humid forest to the sleepy town of Coroico.
Taking another turn into a completely different world the team then heads to Rurrenabaque to spend some quality time in the Amazon basin searching for caiman, turtles, capybara macaws and a host of other wildlife. By night we hope to encounter monkeys, armadillos and sloth’s before switching locations to the pampas, flooded forests where you have the chance to go swimming with pink river dolphins.
Peru- The Return Leg
From the rigours of the jungle, the route takes another relaxing leg to the beautiful shores of Lake Titicaca where we circle the floating reed islands and visit the local indigenous Aymara communities.
The final leg of your journey sees you visiting the archaeological capital of South America. 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, traveling 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 experience with QUEST.
NEXT DEPARTURE DATES
26th October 2007, 4th January 2008, Please contact us for more departure dates