16178 has indicated that this thread is about Peru
Thanks or this, it is very useful. I have just been reading an email from United Mice for the Inca Trail! I will avoid. Do you know who was running the good tour you joined though?
You might just have had very bad luck... look , and for very positive experiences with united mice. Mind you I'm not promoting them (never travelled with them); just know from experience that even the best companies (and they are frequently referred to as such, even by for what that's worth) goof occasionally. Still, independent travelling is the way to go for me...
Niels
[ Edited at Jul 6, 2006 7:35 AM by bentivogli ]
I did the Inca Trail at the end of January with United Mice and my experience was a very positive one. We had excellent guides and porters, and the service and food every evening was excellent. I felt that United Mice were worth every penny.
Sometimes you can be just unlucky maybe.
Contrary to your experiences, I recently did the 5 day Salkantay trek with UM and found them to be excellent in all counts.
We booked with them based on many positive reports.
Sounds like you were just unlucky.
We have a lot of travellers from Peru and some of them me recommended this tour operator United Mice in the best form
I think you had a lot of bad luck, it is not possible that so much persons transmit so good experineces especially about the guides.
To your advise to book with free lance guides I have only this advise (specially for National Parks):
An ardent warning: Do not buy tours from people at the airport or on the street. Before arriving and want to book a tour use a reputable registered agency. It is considerd a federal crime all damage to Fauna and Flora inside the park
thanks for all the responses, maybe you are right, we were just unlucky.
but we thought we should put that information out there so everyone can make informed decisions
happy travels
AVOID UNITED MICE:
I just recently returned from Peru to do the Salkantay Trek. We booked with United Mice online before we left for the trek, about one month prior to our departure. They charged us $385 (student). Upon arriving we realized they RIPPED US OFF. The exact same trek can be purchased for $150. Treks leave everyday from Cuzco. There is NO need to book ahead. Just show up a couple days early and shop around. We ended ditching our deposit, which United Mice was happy to take and went with another operator and still saved $100 a person. AVOID UNITED MICE THEY WILL RIP YOU OFF WITH A HEARTLESS ATTITUDE.
Boy, you take a lot of trouble digging up a 4-year-old thread...
Without wanting to make UM look good (I have never travelled with them myself), the fact of the matter is that they are one of the very few operators in the region who practice sustainable tourism. If you're the kind of tourist who thinks their own wallet is more important than minimal damage to the surroundings and a decent fee for porters and cooks, then yeah, maybe you shouldn't travel with them.
Good post OP.
I found it very difficult to get good information on Machu Picchu so I didn`t go when I wqs in Peru.
I went to other sites of Ollyantaytambo (which I`d never heard about, and that increased the pleasure of it)and Sacsayhuaman.
Also I got sick and tired of the tourist rip off that Peru can be.
You pay to enter a site (and you have to pay more because you`re a foreigner) then you can pay for a guide, as none are paid for with the ticket that you`ve just bought.
Also my camera was stolen in Cusco ( beware anyone going to Cusco) and the police were useless, made me feel like a criminal.
Sorry for the rant
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