The Sunday Telegraph Sunday 1 September 2019^ *** 9
GETTY; BELMONDPEOPLE & PLACES
JULIET KINSMAN
INSIDE TRAVEL
P
lastic – we’ve seen
the bottle-strewn
beaches and
polyethylene
terephthalate-
clogged ocean
waters. We’ve
gasped at reports
of microplastics now pumping
through our bloodstreams. AWe have to
stop wanting
those plastic
bottle ‘gifts’
couple of years ago, a hotel chain
jettisoning single-use plastic would
never have made headlines – yet
InterContinental Hotel Group
announcing a ban on mini bathroom
products by 2021, and switching to
big-size dispensers, did just that.
A few reactions stood out. Some
people (me) calculated that their
portfolio would still get through
around 200 million bottles of HDPE
(high-density polyethylene)
containers in the next year. Others
(seemingly, many of my friends) were
irritated at missing out on their
Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza
freebies. We’re addicted to hotels
giving us stuff.
There are 17 million hotel rooms
worldwide – that’s a lot of tiny
toiletries destined for landfill. And
they have a hallowed place in our
hearts. Seeing how a few LilliputianHermès amenities flew from my
friend’s car boot stall the other day,
those teeny servings of perfumed
unguents are clearly status-symbol
heavyweights. Green activists may
promote zero-packaging solid
shampoos but those meltable cubes
can’t scream “Behold my jet-set
luxury lifestyle!” in the way a fragrant
Ferragamo mini can when whipped
out back at your Fitness First.
Six Senses has had sustainability at
its heart since 1995, and it’s great to
see its plastic-shirking spirit is
spreading since the Asia-born
luxury-resort chainette was bought
by IHG. They’ve been serving
house-filtered drinking water in
refillable glass bottles since 2003, an
act that has probably spared the world
a couple of million plastic bottles.
Visions of the volume of virgin-
plastic see-through bags that airportsecurity must get through keep me
awake at night. OneNine5 created a
durable recycled-plastic washbag
with a slot-in clear pouch for liquids,
specifically with the aim of reducing
disposable bags reaching the 100ml-
or-less X-ray.
Meanwhile, in the pursuit of basic
personal hydration, a friend counted
18 plastic cups used between
Heathrow and Sydney. Having always
declined stirrers, cutlery and cups, I
was crushed to learn that everything
is most likely destroyed after the
flight anyway – even unopened cans
of drink – due to stringent
international-transit health and
safety restrictions. Recycling is fiddly,
especially across regions, so it’s easier
to default to lightweight, disposable
plastics. And you thought we just had
carbon emissions from petrol to
worry about? Since 90 per cent of
plastic used is brand new and
produced using fossil fuels, and with
eight per cent of all the world’s oil
going towards plastic production, we
shouldn’t merely offset our air miles
but also calculate the footprint of all
the petrochemical-generated aviation
accoutrements, too.
What if our appetite for freebies
were sated with experiences and
not things? Flamingo inflatables
may beg to be Instagrammed, but
nature tours with a gardener mightprove better for the soul. Our
ultimate weakness? Boredom-
busters for children. You try
telling your nipper before that
nine-hour flight that they’re not
keeping the complimentary
activity pack – as the kiddo across
the aisle manhandles their
plasticky Buzz Lightyear.
I used to worry that my daughter
would need therapy to unsee my
passive-aggressive “Do NOT accept
that junk” glare but, luckily, age 12,
she’s twigged that meaningful
experiences are better memory-
makers than factory-made instant-
gratifiers. Treats that have
upstaged branded soft toys and
dinky amenity kits have included a
permaculture farm visit in
Mauritius and that crowd-pleaser,
collecting fresh eggs from a
chicken coop. We need to beat our
addiction to consumption and
convenience, and rewire our
perception of luxury and value.
It won’t be any landfill-fodder
that, to speak Marie Kondo, sparks
joy on my travels – it’s that spirit-
lifting feeling that I’m leaving less
in my wake.
Juliet Kinsman is a travel
writer and founder of Bouteco,
a sustainable luxury consultancy
(bouteco.co)Those teeny servings of
perfumed unguents are
clearly status-symbol
heavyweights
Glass bottles help in war against plastic1 SECRETS OF THE
SACRED VALLEYThe one-day Royal Inca trail with its
dramatic views is a quieter
alternative to the busier four-day
trek to Machu Picchu. A tailor-made
tour with Pura Aventura includes
this route in an itinerary that focuses
on the less-discovered side of Peru
with privately guided hikes to ruins
in the Sacred Valley, dinner in a
family home, an early morning visit
to the condor observation point at
Cruz de los Condores and a boat
journey on the Tambopata river.
Peru Uncovered from £5,715 for
18 nights including flights,
transfers and most meals. March
to December. Pura Aventura
(pura-aventura.com).2 TAKE A
LUXURY TOURFine dining and offbeat cultural
insights feature in a tour offered by
upmarket operator Luxury Gold.
Kicking off with a chance to sample
modern Peruvian cooking at Astrid y
Gastón restaurant in Lima, the
itinerary also includes a candlelit
evening at Cusco’s MAP Restaurant
in the central Museum of Pre-
Colombian Art. Explore Machu
Picchu and the Sacred Valley, cruise
around Lake Titicaca, visit the cloudforest at Aguas Calientes and take
excursions to a working tea plantation
and orchid farm.
Treasures of the Incas from £4,122
per person for 12 days, with flights,
transfers and most meals. March to
Oct. Luxury Gold (luxurygold.com).3 SOME NORTHERN
EXPOSUREMost visitors make a beeline to Machu
Picchu in southern Peru but there are
plenty of reasons to visit the country’s
northern region. Natural highlights
include the Gocta waterfall, at 2,530ft
one of the world’s highest, and the
lush vegetation around the town of
Chachapoyas. Nearby is the fortress
of Kuelap dating from AD6 while the
archaeological sites at Chiclayo
include Túcume, Huaca Rajada and
El Brujo, and the city of Trujillo
is packed with historical buildings
and monuments.
Hidden Treasures of Northern
Peru from £2,425 for 12 nights
including transfers and some meals.
Departs Oct 7 2019; March 23 2020;
and Oct 5 2020. Travel The
Unknown (traveltheunknown.com).4 HIKE TO THE
HIGH LIFEDividing the Inca highlands from the
Amazon rainforests, the Vilcanotamountain range is a landscape of vast
glaciers, remote lakes and isolated
villages. The best way to explore this
region is walking the 43-mile (70km)
Ausangate trail, which skirts Mount
Ausangate (at 20,944ft), ascends three
high passes and snakes through red
sandstone and limestone formations,
home to the large, Andean condors
and llama-like vicuñas.
Active Peru: The Ausangate Trek
from £2,261 for 10 nights including
transfers and some meals. Excludes
flights. Available year round.
Journey Latin America
( journeylatinamerica.co.uk).5
ALL THE FUN OF
THE FESTIVAL
On June 24, the Inti Raymi’rata
festival celebrating the sun, the
winter solstice and the Inca New Year
is held in Cusco. Originating in 1412,
the tradition was revived in 1944,
after its suppression by the Spanish
colonists in the 16th century. Small
group operator Exodus offers a
country highlights itinerary timed to
coincide with this theatrical event
which involves processions,
traditional dances, Peruvian music
and feasting.
Essential Peru – Inti Raymi
Festival from £3,099 for 16 nights
including flights, transfers and
some meals. Departs June 18 2020.
Exodus (exodus.co.uk).6 SET OUT ON A
TRAIN JOURNEYSouth America’s newest luxury sleeper
train, the Belmond Andean Explorer,
which crosses the high Andes through
breathtaking scenery, was introduced
in 2017. Rainbow Tours includes an
overnight journey from Puno to Cusco
on the train as part of its two-week
country highlights itinerary. It has two
restaurants serving Peruvian-style
dishes, a communal lounge car, spa
facilities and 35 en suite cabins with
additional oxygen supply to help
passengers cope with high altitudes.
Andean Treasures of Peru with
Luxury Belmond Sleeper Train from
£3,980 for 14 nights including
flights, transfers and some meals.
Departs year round. Rainbow Tours
(rainbowtours.co.uk).7 A PRIME
AMAZON CRUISEStarting its long westward journey in
the Andes mountains of Peru, the
Amazon river winds through thick
rainforest that teems with wildlife.
Avalon Cruises operates river cruiser
Delfin III, which sails from Nauta to
Iquitos, with an itinerary of guided
excursions to view monkeys, iguanas,
pink dolphins and sloths in the
company of an expert naturalist. Visit
Pacaya Samiria National Reserve tospot macaws, parrots and brightly
coloured jacamars.
From the Inca Empire to the
Peruvian Amazon on Delfin III from
£4,240 full board. Excludes flights
and transfers. Departs Jan 26 2020.
Avalon Cruises (avaloncruises.
co.uk).8 SADDLE UP FOR A
RIDING HOLIDAYMost people explore the Sacred Valley
on foot, but Ride Worldwide offers an
alternative on horseback, on a route
that passes through remote rural
villages and high mountain landscape.
Riding for up to six hours per day on
pure-bred Peruvian Paso horses a
breed known for its smooth gait, the
itinerary is aimed at reasonably
experienced riders. Accommodation is
in comfortable hotels and the price
includes picnic lunches and lavish,
Peruvian-style dinners.
The Sacred Valley of the Incas
from $4,950 (£4,063) for 10 nights
including transfers and most meals,
not flights. April to November. Ride
Worldwide (rideworldwide.com).9 GORGE ON
GASTRONOMYFrom marinated ceviche fish to
flame-cooked beef (lomo saltado) and
the national dish of mashed potatowith tuna, avocado and tomato (lima
causa), Peru’s cuisine is wide-
ranging and delicious. Its culinary
secrets are revealed on a tailor-made
itinerary with long-haul operator
Tribes. Among the trip highlights is
a tour of Lima’s food market, a visit
to the salt pans near Maras, a
cookery lesson in Cusco and a
tasting dinner of Novoandina
cuisine on the final evening.
Peru for Foodies from £4,090
for nine days including transfers
and some meals. Excludes flights.
Available year round. Tribes
(tribes.co.uk).10
A TOUR OF THE
HIGHLIGHTS
Time-poor visitors can experience
the country’s top highlights on an
intensive one-week itinerary with
Trafalgar. The tour takes in the
Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and
Cusco, as well as giving opportunities
to meet local people, including a tour
of Lima’s food market with a
Peruvian chef and a meeting with a
master Quechua weaver to find out
about Andean weaving techniques,
plus a visit to a chicheria to sample
Peruvian corn beer (chica).
Highlights of Peru from £1,829
for seven nights including some
meals and transfers. Excludes
flights. Departs year round.
Trafalgar (trafalgar.com).1
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ADVENTURES
IN PERU
From scenic cruises to Inca splendours, Nick Trend has some top tips
Top 10
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