Holiday Travel and Tourism Advisor

Trip Highlights

* Teach, build, clean, paint or garden, in a village near Cuzco
* Visit the mystical Sacred Valley
* Explore the Amazon jungle with an expert guide
* View the sunrise over Machu Picchu
* Trek the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

Your ''Taste of Volunteering'' Project

Spend four remarkable days in a village near Cuzco, where you teach, build, clean, paint or garden alongside the local people. Expect this to be the highlight of your trip! Furthermore, if you have medical skills, these can be put to great use.
Trip Summary

This exciting and intriguing adventure in Peru will capture your imagination. Explore ancient ruins, marvel architectural feats, enjoy phenomenal scenery and gain intimate knowledge of these amazing people and their culture.

The fascinating city of Cuzco is the epicenter of the remarkable Inca Empire. Acquire a deep understanding for these wonderful people and their rich culture, as you live and work along side them for the duration of your volunteer project. Make friends and feel rewarded by your contribution to improving the lives of these proud yet impoverished people.

The Inca Trail is a remarkable feat of engineering and human perseverance. Clambering up and down the stunning Andean Mountains, breathing rarefied air, you will gain a new respect for the people that built this “road”. Despite many beautiful sights along the way there are few more memorable than the morning sun rays hitting the sacred citadel of Machu Picchu.

Peru is a land of contrasts. The difference between the rugged Andean range and the lush tropical Amazon rain forest is like day and night. Explore the lush jungle on foot and in boats. Seek out the colorful and abundant wildlife and meet the people that have survived here for generations. Treasure your memories and feel inspired by your remarkable journey.

* Comfort Level: Your accommodation is in superior hotels (3*) in Lima, Cusco and in the Sacred Valley, in a lodge in the Amazon jungle and in tents (no stars) during the Inca Trail.

Trip Highlights

* Four meaningful days assisting at a shelter for street kids
* The majestic Iguaçu Falls
* The magical Pantanal wetland region; maybe spot a jaguar

Your "Taste of Volunteering" Project

Spend four fascinating days assisting with an organization devoted to transforming the lives of street kids. Help upgrade the houses that shelter these children or provide vocational training, in the city of Campinas.

The organization is focused on giving street children a safe, secure and happy childhood, by providing reasonable accommodation and vocational training. They aim to give these ‘at risk’ children a foundation that will allow them to lead dignified, fulfilled and self-supporting lives.
Trip Summary

The majestic Iguacu Falls are a fitting starting point for this rewarding journey. You need to arrive in the morning of Day 1 in order to view these incredible falls from both the Brazilian side and the Argentinean side, including by boat.

On Day 3 we fly to São Paulo and drive to Campinas for your Volunteer Project, which is undertaken with Hope Unlimited, a Christian-run organization devoted to transforming the lives of street kids. You can help paint the insides of the rooms that shelter these children, to help brighten up their living environment, as well as gain valuable insights into the lives of Brazilians who have not had the best start in life, but who are full of hope for the future.

After four meaningful days here, your next stop is the spellbinding wetland region known as the Pantanal, where cattle breeding co-exists with a wildlife refuge and where you can fish for piranha! From December to the end of March a vast inland delta is created by seasonal rains, causing animals to crowd on to the myriad of islands.

As the waters recede in April, thousands of birds gather to pick off fish trapped in shallows. July to September are the best months for game viewing, such as capybara, monkeys, iguana, and even the elusive jaguar and puma! Treks, horse rides and boat trips – all with trained naturalists – are on offer in this wetland refuge.

Your adventure ends in Pantanal, from where you can fly to your connecting flight home, or to Rio for your extension trips to Buzios or Paraty or to Natal for Fernando de Noronha.

* Comfort Level: our accommodation is in comfortable hotels and guesthouses (7 nights) and excellent 3* eco-lodge in the Pantanal (4 nights).

* Please note that you will probably need to arrive in Brazil the day before your tour begins, in order to arrive in Iguaçu Falls on Day 1 in the morning. We can assist you with your accommodation on 'Day 0', in Iguaçu, Sao Paolo, or Rio (you may like to do our pre-trip tour of Rio)

NB: Your flights within Brazil are not included in the trip price, and it is recommended that you purchase an Airpass at the time of booking your international flights.