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Cared about my experience.

One of the best decisions I made while travelling to Peru was to allow Karikuy to assist me along the way. They were extremely helpful, patient and knowledgeable. I had a million questions and all of them were answered without hesitation. When travelling to a place you have never been before it's important to know you are making all the right choices and seeing the right places. My itinerary was customized to my exact needs and I was guided the entire step of the way with people who cared about my experience. I had a blast and I owe a lot of that to the Karikuy team for allowing me to have so much fun while they took care of the rest! thank you Julio and the team in Peru! You were Awesome :)

GREAT COMPANY!

Discovered Julio via the Internet. I liked that he was a young entrepreneur promoting authentic and affordable travel experiences in his home country of Peru. His business was brand new when I worked with him, and he arranged a trip from start to finish for me and my son (incorporating my own personal requests). We had a fabulous time and it was not the "same-old, same-old" boring travel-company type of a trip. We experienced Peru with real locals, seeing sights and sounds that are not on most travel brochures, and it was a trip of a life time. Julio is enthusiastic and very supportive of and interested in helping the local economy and bettering the lives of Peruvians through his programs - it is not just about providing a sight-seeing service to tourists. GREAT GUY! GREAT COMPANY! If you are adventurous, young at heart, on a budget, and can be somewhat spontaneous, then Julio and Karikuy, is for you!

Everything was just perfectly organized...

I found out about Karikuy through the internet and immediately thought they're into some serious business, because of their professionally looking website and fast replies by the agents. We booked a custom made trip to Lima, Cusco and Machu Picchu which lasted one week and everything was just perfectly organized. We felt like everyone was taking really good care of us all the time. All the local agencies were a great pick by Karikuy and we never regretted having booked them. We will definitely recommend them to any of our friends travelling to Peru. Thank you Julio for your suggestions and help.

Julio was nothing but helpful..

I just returned from my trip to Peru and we decided to go with a tour package last minute. Julio was nothing but helpful and managed to arrange everything for us in a customized and economical fashion. We managed to see everything we wanted and more! Thank you Julio!

Adventure of a lifetime.

As winner of the 2010 Karikuy Machu Picchu Contest, I was lucky enough to visit Lima, Cusco, Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu with my sister on our very first trip abroad together! Karikuy coordinated all of our transfers, lodging, domestic flights on Peruvian Airlines, tour admissions, PeruRail train rides and English-speaking guides, relieving us of all the typical logistical stresses of traveling. Julio, Oscar, Marco and Wilfredo provided fascinating insights about Peruvian history, culture and landmarks during our guided tours, and we appreciated the thoughtful itinerary, an ideal mix of planned activities with other travelers and free time to explore on our own. We will remember always our first sips of coca tea and Inca Kola, stumbling onto the Festival of the Lady of the Nativity in Cusco Plaza de Armas, our pursuit of the perfect Pisco Sour and the winding Urubamba River in Sacred Valley. Best of all, Machu Picchu truly is a new wonder of the world; seeing the ancient citadel in all its architectural splendor, from the precise masonry and green terraces to the sacred llamas and ethereal mountain views, was a profound and magical adventure of a lifetime. Thank you, Karikuy.

I recommend Karikuy

The volunteer program at Karikuy is one-of-a-kind in the flexibility it provides. One works according to his area of expertise or interest - anthropology in my case - and contributes to Perupedia with the help of his or her personal knowledge and experiences. Of course, said set of knowledge and experiences is greatly expanded by the truly immersive experience at Karikuy; one stays with a family in a Lima neighborhood no tourist gets to see, marches off on excursions to the farthest corners of the country, and makes use of Mr Tello's travel expertise and contacts across Peru to make the most out of his stay. In my four weeks with Karikuy I have scaled the heights of Marcahuasi, danced with Virgen del Carmen celebrants in the Sacred Valley, cheered amidst football crowds from local club matches to the World Cup finals, and had much, much more food than I probably should have. In all, I recommend Karikuy to those looking for something beyond the run-of-the-mill straitjacket volunteer program, but who prefer instead a program flexible to one's interests, schedule and skills.

I don't think it gets any better than this!

I booked 3 things through Karikuy -- a horseback tour, the Classic Inca Trail and a flight. Julio got me a great price on the flight and accommodated my request to look into changing the departure time while I was on the trail. Transportation from my guest house to the airport was also (unexpectedly!) provided. The Inca Trail tour itself was fantastic; I definitely think our group was getting every bit as good an experience as others on the trail, but for far less money. I was unhappy with the horseback tour as it wasn't entirely as described, and after letting him know that, Julio gave me a partial refund. Great value, service and attentiveness to customer requests from Julio and his local agent -- I don't think it gets any better than this!

Julio was a friendly, knowledgeable host...

If you're looking for a unique way to explore Peru and experience it in a different light to the average tourist, then volunteering is the way to go. I found that researching and blogging for Karikuy gave me access to a truly authentic side of Peru, living amongst the locals and gaining an insight into how they live. Using Lima as a base, I spent weekends and any chance I could get travelling throughout Peru. Julio was a friendly, knowledgeable host who gave up his time to make sure us volunteers experienced Peru to the max.

Karikuy truly lets you experience all that Peru has to offer.

Volunteering with Karikuy truly lets you experience all that Peru has to offer. You can take the trek to Machu Picchu that isn't swarming with tourists, visit the country's lesser known sites and cities, and explore every aspect of your home base: Lima. After 1 month, I feel like I got a taste of everything here...the people, the landscape, the food, and yes, the pisco....and hope to one day be back for more!

the Karikuy experience - the ultimate gateway for all that is Peru

I had the unique experience of participating in the Karikuy Volunteer Program for a solid 4 months, during which it became apparent to me that this was not your average volunteer experience. The program offered me the unique opportunity to explore this beautiful country from a safe and welcoming home base filled with warm people, delicious food (which at some point became addictive) constant support from Julio and the other volunteers and of course genuinely good fun. The program has challenged me and what I thought I knew about myself, the world and the people in it. And now, having recently returned to Canada, I can definitely say that I've been motivated to continue my exploration of Peru in the near future. This would not have been possible without the Karikuy experience - the ultimate gateway for all that is Peru :)

I told my friends

Thank you and your guide in Cusco Oscar for good organized 1-day Urubamba river rafting tour on the 18 of September 2010. I am satisfied with your rafting. I told my friends and display photos of your rafting tour. Special thanks to Oscar for help with tickets to Machu Picchu and the detailed information given me in Cusco.

Comfortable and truly memorable.

My experience volunteering for Karikuy had a lot of firsts. First time traveling to South America, first time visiting a Wonder of the World; Machu Picchu, and most importantly first time writing for a published blog. I really appreciated the chance to start to make a name for myself with travel blog writing and my experiences traveling through Peru has fueled the fire for additional trips to South America and worldwide. Julio and Karikuy made my stay in Lima, Peru comfortable and truly memorable. When I think of Peru I will always have great memories of the delicious food, the amazing nightlife and the breathtaking views while hiking in Huaraz.

An excellent program run by an excellent host.

An excellent program run by an excellent host. Julio, the founder of the Karikuy organization and his family made me feel right at home during my time volunteering with the organization. Julio went out of his way to make sure I was able to have a genuine Peru experience. He opened up his home to myself and the other volunteers allowing us the opportunity to assimilate into Peruvian society. A truly wonderful experience and one I would recommend to everyone interested in seeing this stunningly beautiful area of South America.

What impressed me more was the well planned trip

Our trip to Peru has been an extremely enjoyable one thanks to Karikuy. Julio (founder of Karikuy) has been warm and welcoming, giving us a slice of Peruvian life with his hospitality. What impressed me more was the well planned trip that ensured we had someone to take us around at every city in Peru, since we do not speak Spanish. Thanks Julio, Peru had been an awesome trip!

Julio and his family were extremely welcoming

Volunteering for Karikuy was an eye opening experience, one filled with good people, good food and excellent opportunities to explore Peru like a local. As a volunteer I was able to gain more experience in travel writing, make new friends and satisfy my globetrotting tendencies. Julio and his family were extremely welcoming and made you feel right at home with their own brand of Limeño hospitality. From finger licking Peruvian hamburgers and ocean fresh ceviche to all night Peruvian dance fiestas and Machu Picchu jungle treks, you'll get to learn and love all this beautiful country has to offer just as I did.

They were Fantastic.

It was hard to find information on this tour agency before we booked them so we weren't too sure if they were legit or not when we booked them. But I can now confirm for anyone thinking about booking a tour through them they were fantastic. And one of the cheaper tour agencies around. Cuzco Explorer I think was the actual company we went with in Cuzco but we booked through Karikuy. Price at the time I think was around 320 or so dollars for the classic (Inca) trail. Apologies to them for leaving it so long to getting around to doing this, but better late than never.

Thanks for the wonderful experience.

I fell head over heels for Peru. The country is beautiful in so many ways. Volunteering for Karikuy allowed me to experience this in ways I would have never been able to myself. As a dancer, I researched social and performance dance in the country for the website. I was amazed to see how dance was a such a huge part Peru. Everyone dances from age 2 to 80. It was so much fun to dance from Peñas to festivals. I learned some moves from Julio's family and hiked till I couldn't hike no more. Thanks for the wonderful experience. And try the ocopa arequipena!

It was an amazing experience & I couldn't have done it without your help.

Your company was very helpful from booking the tours & the tour guides that took us through it all. It was an amazing experience & I couldn't have done it without your help. I survived the Machu Picchu mountain climb. Thanks again for everything.

A memory that I will remember for the rest of my life thanks to Karikuy

Karikuy's Jungle Inca Trek to Machu Picchu was probably the highlight of my whole four month trip through South America. We biked, water rafted, hiked and ziplined through this bug invested jungle for four days, dripping sweat and barely breathing at that high altitude. Our days were spent waking up before sunrise to hike up and down steep and scary cliffs for up to 8 hours a day (while holding all our belongings on our backs!) We got to see monkeys and other jungle animals, paint our faces with a natural red sunscreen of berries, dress up in traditional Indian costumes, swim in waterfalls and relax in natural hot springs. On the last day of our trek we woke up at 3:30 am so we could climb up the 3,032 rocky steps to Machu Picchu. The view was truly magnificent! We definitely left this Wonder of the World in awe! It is a memory that I will remember for the rest of my life thanks to Karikuy.

Why Volunteer? I’ll Tell You Why

Waterfalls, mountains, canyons, volcanoes, religious locations, festivals, cities, tombs, mystical Machu Picchu, concerts, hiking trails, hamburger man…the list goes on. Not only are you able to see just about anything you want in the country, but you get you write about them for Karikuy. To me, the blogging was a type of journal for my adventure and the Perupedia was just researching my interests. And I’m pretty sure nobody knows more about the entire country of Peru more than Julio. On top of that, he has family nearby and across the country that welcomed us with open arms. For that month of volunteering, we were a part of the family. This experience was so great that it is almost depressing because I’m not sure anything will live up to this again! Seriously, person-to-person, volunteer. ☺