Ecuador expert: Jeferson

“This was an unforgettable experience in Peru run by consummate professionals. Our trip with Rough Guides was the most professional well run tour operation we have ever been on. Our initial expectations were typical of our trips to SA. Everyone is late, everything is behind schedule and sometimes you just don't get all of the itinerary completed because the guides and tour operators operated by a different clock. Everything from the time we were picked up at the airport to our departure was ON TIME! Our guides were at our hotel exactly when they said they were going to be. They were all friendly, spoke English well, were informative, just absolute pleasures to work with. Our booking process was just as smooth. We worked with Jeferson to set up our trip. Told him what we wanted to see and do, what our expectations were(culture, sightseeing, nature and history, skip the shopping) and he provided exactly what we asked for. Once we were in Peru, Jose and Ronnie assisted us through text messages, phone calls and WhatsApp guiding us through the whole trip, even through a few vagaries which always turned out in the end to be perfectly fine. Now, there was a downside to this extreme punctuality and organization. There was no room for us to not be ready to go when it was time to go. This is no fault but I hope this helps a future traveler. We frequently were picked up before our hotel began serving breakfast and did not get a good breakfast to start the day. The hotels would provide a "box meal" and no fault of Rough Guides but these box meals were hardly substantive enough to provide you with the energy to do the walking and exploring that we did. Because we did and saw a lot in a short period of time we typically stayed in a different hotel each night. This made our evenings hectic. We had to find dinner in a new town, get cleaned and packed up to be ready to go at 4:30-6:30 the following morning. I wouldn't call this a fault, just something to prepare for. This trip was booked to celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary and neither of us would hesitate to book again with Rough Guides and we will probably go back with Rough Guides on a slower paced trip in the future now that we have seen the highlights of Peru. Peru has so much more to offer than just the highlights too! We had a different guide each day of our trip with Ronnie and Jose informing us the day before who our guide was and when they would pick us up from our hotel. Every guide we had was punctual, friendly, informative and we even had a guide we had some deep philosophical discussions with whose native language is Quechuan and also spoke Spanish and English! What an immersion! Very much looking forward to our next trip with Rough Guides!”

“I’ve now used Rough Guides twice first for Oman and now for LATAM and both trips have been exceptional from start to finish. Our recent LATAM itinerary was incredibly well organised despite involving multiple countries, flights, transfers, tours, and moving parts. Everything felt seamless. We were consistently checked in ahead of flights, boarding passes were shared proactively, and communication throughout the trip was excellent. Jeferson was always available when needed and incredibly responsive and helpful throughout. Some standout moments included the food tour in Lima, which was honestly one of the highlights of the trip and such a brilliant way to experience a city. Iguazu Falls and Machu Picchu were absolutely awe-inspiring, visiting both a natural wonder of the world and one of the world’s great historical wonders in the same trip felt truly magical. We did have one minor hiccup with the train to Machu Picchu, but it was handled quickly and professionally. A hotel was arranged immediately, logistics were reorganised smoothly, and everything was resolved with minimal stress on our side. That level of calm problem-solving really stood out. Overall, the trip was energising, exciting, and beautifully executed. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Rough Guides, and I’m already planning my next trip with them, Sri Lanka next! Thank you again to Jeferson and the wider team for such a memorable experience. ✨🙌🏾🙏🏾”

“We are still working on it.”

“We went on a 12 day trip that included 3 countries and many 'tours' . All hotels were lovely and well situated. All pick ups to and from the various airports (there were 7 flights involved!) went without a hitch. We had only one problem with train tickets which was dealt with within the hour. In short, we had a really great time and I was very happy that we had used Jeferson's services. Couldn't have been better. Thank you very much, Jeferson and Rough Guides”

“Our second experience using Insight Guides made for a worry-free trip that included Cusco, Lake Titicaca and the Peruvian Amazon: transfers were always on time, flexible if we wanted to change times a bit, and drivers and guides super friendly. Of the three contact people who coordinated itineraries, I have to single out Benjamin who was so helpful, friendly and responsive. Suggestion early on that we opt for Titicaca Lodge rather than another hotel was made by our initial contact, Jeferson, and was spot on: We could not have had a better experience on a floating island so thanks to Jeferson for that advice. My advice to others: Double check the details and really pin down exactly what you are getting. The promised cooking class in Cusco was not as billed, and just involved us watching a busy kitchen prepare local cuisine for lunch -- which was good but definitely not hands-on as promised. In the Amazon we had asked twice about the level of room we were getting; asked for Comfort which was an upgrade, were promised we were getting all Premium rooms but when we got to the Rainforest Lodge we were told we had booked a Standard which was super small. The lodge upgraded us to a suite which was nice and made a huge difference. Similarly our room in Lima was so small that we practically fell over each other -- even though we were told by Insight that all our accommodation was premium (it turns out we were in the smallest, cheapest room in that hotel). We worked with Benjamin to change hotels for our final two nights which cost a bit of extra but made for a much better experience. So double check every detail that is part of the itinerary and make sure you are getting what you think you should be getting for your money. The devil is always in the details.”

“I haven’t gone on my Galapagos trip yet though I am so excited. I wanted to take a minute to thank Jefferson who planned my ultimate itinerary for me. I had a personal matter come up which delayed my trip. He was so patient with me. We changed a couple of items to fit exactly what I wanted. This trip should be perfect thanks to Jefferson’s help and patience!”