SAS Travel -Peru … A well-established quality Tour Operator with nearly two decades of experience and expertise in the tourism industry, organizing a huge variety of Tours in Cusco and Peru, Adventures trips, Treks, Amazon Jungle Trips and Packages in Peru, highly recommended for MachuPicchu tours, Inca Trail hikes,short Inca Trail hike, alternative treks as Vilcabamba, Ausangate, Choquequirao, Salkantay, Lares Valley, Tipon, Huchuy Qosqo hikes… Extension tours to Colca canyon in Arequipa, the floating islands in the lake Titicaca in Puno or flying over the enigmatic Nazca Lines, Ballestas islands or Paracas reserve. SAS Travel Peru also offers excellently guided cultural tours of the Sacred Valley, South Valley tour, Moray, Salt-mines and combined Cusco City tour with Saqsawaman, Tambomachay, Qenqo, Pucapucara and the amazing Koricancha or for those who want a little excitement around Cusco there`s white-water rafting in the Urubamba River, mountain biking in Maras, Moray and salt-mines, horseback riding in the Sacred Valley or near Cusco, climbing, paragliding and more. Recognized and honored by the Regional Govt Tourist Ministry as: "2010 Best Inca Trail Tour Operator" and other awards, but overall being involved in thousands of very happy customers. We’re proud of our team, we've built here at SAS Travel ... let us be part of your adventure in Peru and fuse with the magic on the Inka Trail and MachuPicchu!! In a business, just like on an expedition, building a team is perhaps the biggest challenge we face. Individual strengths, experiences, personalities, and goals need to combine to form a sum greater than all its parts. We know that many things add up to a perfect trek or expedition; weather and route conditions, logistics, equipment, porters and food. But none more important than your Guide. Our Guides are chosen for their rich experience, their thorough training and mastery of skills, their dedication to safety, and their commitment to environmental and cultural protection. Tours, expeditions and treks are the ultimate test of a Professional Mountain Guide. Besides the hazards and hardships encountered in any wild and remote environment, there are the added challenges of language, bureaucracy, complex logistics, health concerns, and local employees. Our Guides' experiences and interests go beyond merely climbing mountains or exploring Inca temples. You'll find them a wealth of information on nearly aspect of your trek or tour; local culture, language, history, food, plants and animals, weather, and geology. Many of them are also professionals in other fields, including archaeology, history, geology, photography, video, and writing; skills they'll be happy to share with you. Most importantly, everyone on our staff realizes that you, the client, are the reason we do what we do at SAS Travel. Whether we're answering your questions and processing your reservations, creating a nutrition or training program for you, or guiding you to your dream summit, we will always treat you with the highest level of respect and consideration.
At SAS Travel -Peru we have always been committed to RESPONSIBLE and SUSTAINABLE TOURISM PRACTICES. SERNAMP and DIRCETUR has recognized the work we do in this area and given us a accreditation award. This was achieved by:
SAS Travel –Peru operates a policy of working very closely with the local communities in Cusco (Sacred Valley of the Incas). Usually our guides, cooks, porters and drivers etc employed for our trips come from the surrounding villages (Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chincheros) as does much of our food and supplies. We aim to aid the local economy at a direct level as much as possible. Many of our porters have opportunity to work as a guide after they completed their studies and prove their profficience in languages or talented porters become a great cook chefs after few years. We are recognized and respected by Sunat (Peruvian Contributor Office) as a principal contributor and pay regularly our sales taxes which are included in our tours. “Fair Play” When you buy a trek, tour or tour package with a tour company outside of Peru you are not contributing towards the Peruvian economy in the form of sales taxes because some of our laws in Tourism are against local families business. (Hotels in Peru don’t pay sales taxes when locals do) The tourism handled incorrectly, without respect to locals, without ethics, moral or respect to the rules of the Park, without care and respect of the environment is dishonest in all sense, in the other hand many companies do not pay taxes in Peru and this is reflected in their low prices and a poor improvised service without experience neither quality exploiting porters, cooks and inexperienced students guides.
In today's world we are all concerned about the environment and care of nature, we understand the potential harm that can come from taking groups through many of the delicate environments ,natural areas and sanctuary parks in which we operate and insist on a policy of 'leave no trace' tourism. We go to great lengths to ensure that we do not harm the areas we pass through and therefore help to promote responsible, sustainable tourism. We put a lot of effort into informing our participants, both before and during their trip, about the impact they can have on a community and environment. SAS Travel is an environmentally and Socially friendly tour company, we focus on seriously taking care of and preserving our environment, keeping the trails clean and as undisturbed as possible to insure that future Peruvians and visitors from around the world will be able to appreciate the essence of these historic and unique landscapes of the Peru. We do respect and follow the values and practices of low impact tourism, and we conduct all of our tours adhering to our strict responsible travel principles and request that you also do so. The destinations we visit require a sustained commitment from our staff, and also our customers to protect our fragile communities, cultures, economies and environments and to benefit from the positive impacts of tourism. Littering is banned on our treks, all rubbish and waste material is transported out and disposed of in suitable facilities in the main towns. we never bury waste along the route of the trail and certainly never dump rubbish behind a hedge. Plastic water bottles may not be carried on the trail, only canteens are permitted, our travelers are encouraged to bring water purification tablets or water filters on the trek as this reduces the use of plastic bottles. When campsites do not have proper flush toilets we take a portable toilet and toilet tent. We use special biodegradable toilet bags which are carried out or buried. Only clean burning fuel (butane gas) is used for cooking. " Silverio has an incredible appreciation for the environment. He picks up trash along the trail.." Jeff Jacquin 23rd Oct 2007
Issues surrounding the welfare of porters in our city is a topic which has attracted a considerable amount of media attention, working ministry and Park regulations in recent years. The general welfare of porters - and guides, drivers, cooks and any other local personnel employed on our trips - as well as the standard of their equipment and level of pay, is very important to us and to our ground crew, who generally recruit local staff for our groups (farmers from Pisac communities in the Sacred Valley). They have a good understanding of these issues and consider them vital to long-term tourism in their local regions. In practice we do go beyond fulfilling the norms and Regulations from the Park (Sernamp and the Cultural Peruvian Institute) when all the operators by ethics and principles must fulfill it, some operators use to make a good impression of themselves and surprise their clients but many of them neither respect or follow correctly these norms and regulations .
Decreed Laws Numbers 19990 and 25897
Article 3 Conditions of work:
Article 6 Single, fair and decent payment to our crew.
Article 7 Minimum age of a porter is 18 years.
The Congress of the Peruvian Republic Lima, on December 6th 2001
Our goal, operating and making our Tours and Excursions are a pleasing experience, comfortable and safe, applying original details and personal touches, but mainly demonstrating that customized attention is the base of a good service, always endorsed by the experience and the professionalism of our great working team. At end of your visit we want you to take home "a one of a kind" rewarding positive experience, that will resonate throughout your life. Encouraging and motivating you into learning more about this amazing Andean and Incas Civilization, sharing with each of you the sacred Inca wisdom, spiritual thought and practices. For the years to come we expect to continue providing an exceptional tours of this enchanted part of our earth Peru. “FUN, EDUCATIONAL, FULL OF ADVENTURE, SAFE & UNFORGETABLE !!“
SAS Travel and the experienced tour leaders we employ, many of whom are professional mountain guides, are very aware of environmental issues caused by outdoor pursuits – to say nothing of the safety issues of inexperienced people underestimating mountain environments – and are wholeheartedly committed to ensuring that such areas are still there to enjoy in the decades to come.
Here at SAS Travel -Peru we understand that the time you spend with us should be well organized for an optimum authentic experience, through the cooperation of our hand picked well trained staff and work system. Any program you choose to take a part of, our SAS Travel agents feel the responsibility to follow you step by step, whether you’re on the trail or any time during your visit to ensure your comfort and total satisfaction.
We feel the responsibility and play the role in creating an example, of what kind of service a professional tourism company should provide. For example SAS Travel employees embark on a long term learning adventure tours experience.These specialized training, creates a variety of opportunities that allow employees to find the role in the company that best suits their abilities. We also measure success through the positive reaction received by our customers throughout the course of their visit. In the future we understand that tourist expectations will grow so we created a system catered around this fact.
SAS Travel is actively involved in setting up schemes for local people, porters and staff, such as clothing banks and educations schemes, and are very committed to ensuring that the local people benefit through tourism.
Proyects with Charities from aboard tour companies as Discover Adventures UK, Far Frontiers UK, Kumuka UK, Calpoly College USA, Overland Adventures USA, Moondance Adventures USA, Inca Tours Australia, SAS Travel Peru strives to channel the generous contributions from our clients so that they reach the local people directly. Some Examples:
More than 250 porters from Amaru, Qello Qello, Pampallaqta, Sacaca, Ampay, Yanahuara, Paru Paru, Chincheros, Umasbamba "Hard workers, honest and cheerful guys". " The porters were exceptionally hard working and always kind and helpful, … the porters were incredible. They’re carrying 40lbs on their backs and running past us like supermen. And the food was gourmet. Not the dry, yucky macaroni most campers eat, but real veggies, chicken soup, pasta, the works. They even made a birthday cake for my friend. And the service was impeccable. Little things like giving each person a bucket of hot clean water and soap to wash your face, arms, and legs at every rest stop makes a huge difference when you’re hot and sweaty, .... The care that was provided by our porters at SAS enabled us to overcome the altitude sickness and exhaustion and enjoy the spectacular trail and ruins; left to our own devices, we would have been absolutely miserable, and I highly doubt we would have made it to Machu Picchu. I have a great deal of respect and gratitude for everyone who helped create this amazing experience and who shared the history, culture, and beauty of the Inca Trail and those who created it. This experience changed my life, and I will never forget the hike or the wonderful people we met along the way. "
Fabulous Cooks... Delicious and abundant Buffet style meals, Peruvian and international Cuisine are prepared by our professional and dedicated cooks from a mixture of local and exotic products. We also cater for vegetarians and special diets. " The cook Mario conjured delicious food at every stop, how that wonderful food came out of a kitchen tent on the side of a mountain we´ll never know, … The food served at lunch and dinner was awesome, I'll never forget my first taste of quinoa and all of the different varieties of corn and potato. Looking at other groups on the Inca Trail, I knew we definitely had the best service! I would recommend SAS travel to anybody without a doubt, … The food was absolutely perfect -I have never had such a good food on any trek! , … I am so impressed with the porters and kitchen crew... how they managed to bake and decorate a cake in the middle of no where. I have no clue, …
Highly recommended, fluent and clear English experienced and very knowledgeable, passionate for the Inca heritage/ history, dedicated to continual personal development and learning to ensure you receive accurate recognized theories about the Inca Andean culture. Fun loving, great sportsmen and well educated crew, some of them great entertainers and the best "Salsa Dancers" this side of Machu Picchu as well as having a degree in Archaeology, Botany, History or Anthropology ! …. Javier was a large part of why our group enjoyed it so much. He is patient, intelligent and full of knowledge, humorous and kind. Please do give a note to him acknowledging his exceptional service. He really shines, …. The experience was so powerful, for many reasons. We had wonderful guides Eddy and James who were knowledgeable, fun and supportive. We had great food on the trek and helpful support from the office before and during our trip, …. I have never, ever done anything so exhilarating and life-changing, and as a family! SAS Travel was top notch and we highly recommend its services. Our guides Eder and Wilfredo were extremely knowledgeable, caring and hilarious. LOS MEJORES GUIAS, .… SAS Tours was AMAZING! Our guides, Freddy and Dalmiro were incredible. They kept us laughing, upbeat and safe during our trek and were extremely knowledgeable about the trail, the plant life and the ruins, ... Fredd with his background in archaeology, was full of information about the Incas and the various Inca sites, the local environment, astronomy and it's importance to the Incas. Cesar was hilarious, …. I wanted to thank and praise the guides for their professionalism, and support during the trek. They were very knowledgeable, friendly, caring, funny and really suportive when I felt I couldn't walk any further. Particular thanks to Fred, Dalmiro, Valentin and especially Saoul and his magical flute, for making this trip unforgettable. Muchas gracias amigos.
Our office crew are chosen for their organizational skills, travel experience and the pre-requisite sense of humour. Professional well prepared and sincere. Profficience in French, German, English, Italian and Spanish.
One of our main objectives in escorting tourists to Manu National Park is to guarantee a high-quality experience for our customers, while at the same time ensuring that all eco-tourism activities in the Reserved Zones and the Park areas are enforced. In that way, we will be promoting and increasing the amount of visitors to Manu in an organized manner that does not impact the fragil eco system in a negative way. In order to operate inside of the borders of the Manu National Park, an agency must be a legitimate and reputable Travel Company with an official, government issued licence to work there.
At SAS Travel Peru, we work very hard to ensure that you receive first rate service. Your personal safety and a pleasurable trip is our first priority. As part of our quality control, we really care about your vacation time in Peru, with all of your details being at the top of our lists. Thank you for your patronage, from our tour guides, drivers, cooks and especially our porters who always look forward to serving you, as they provide for their own families.
Thank you for choosing SAS Travel, for a safe and exciting travel experience. Thanks for visiting the Land of the Incas and Cusco, the ancient Incan Capital.
Experience your trip of a lifetime with SAS Travel !!!
SAS Travel -Peru
The BLUE Team.
In 1980 David Quintana, attended San Antonio Abad Cusco University, earning a degree in Tourism, Management and Environmental Conservation. He has guided for major tour Operators in Cusco and has walked the well known Inca trail nearly two hundred times. Once he ran the entire trail in 8 hours, (still proud of it) a pioneer designer in alternatives trek routes in Cusco region, designer of programs and tourism consultor in Puerto Maldonado Lodges and Manu Park and has been involved in Tourism for all his life, guiding treks around Cusco, Cordillera Blanca and in Puerto Maldonado Peruvian Jungle. At one time he attended the Guides School in Huaraz and lead treks around Alpamayo and Santa Cruz. It started as a passion and turned out a profession. Specialist of AMS, Altitude Medicine and mountain rescue. During this time in low season he made trips to England, Australia, Singapore and United States, Chile and Ecuador where he has collected experiences and knowledge which have enriched his life and profession to teach his staff to manage and reinforce the top quality customer service focused in what travelers expect… For many years David has dedicated himself to training and developing the highly reputable professional Trekking and touring staff of SAS Travel in Cusco.
In 1990, he created SAS Travel with the challenge of offering high quality tours with a concern for the Environment and Conservation. Many people, Porters, Assistants, Guides, Cooks, etc have benefited from his knowledge, expertise and sharing of skills. SAS Travel is committed to the Andean and Jungle Communities providing work and other opportunities for development, while trying to conserve their valuable traditions and customs, showing and sharing the great historical, archaeological and cultural legacy left by one of the most advanced cultures of the world… the Incas.
With the especial energy of CUSCO ancient city, mysterious and great in history…
