Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [228]
The best way to improve porter conditions is to vote with your feet. Let operators know that porter treatment is a factor in your buying decision. Be prepared to pay more. Many operators are conscientious, and concerned about these issues, but only a few are confident enough to charge the price that a well-equipped, well-organized, well-guided Inca trail with delicious, plentiful food and good working conditions requires. A quality trip with all these attributes will set you back at least US$400. Paying less than US$250 means that cost cutting is inevitably occurring, and porter welfare is likely to be affected. Be aware, however, that paying more doesn’t guarantee that porters are being well treated, so go with a well-recommended company, such as those listed on Click here.
So what can you do on the trail?
Ask to see your porters eat their dinner – not only to see what they’re eating, but also what time they get to eat it.
Ask porters about their treatment, but don’t expect to learn much – porters who complain may be sacked, and some porters I talked to even said that agencies explicitly instructed them to lie about working conditions. But asking these questions will let porters know that trekkers support them.
Don’t sit around in the dining tent talking until late; it’s where the porters sleep.
Tip the cooks if you liked the food, and always tip your porters.
If you have a personal porter, tip him individually – don’t assume fair distribution of general tips.
If you don’t like what you see, complain to your guide and to the agency, and register an official complaint with iPerú (www.peru.info), either at a branch or online.
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What to Bring
Trekking poles are highly recommended, as the Inca Trail features a cartilage-crunching number of downhill stone steps. A cheap, effective alternative to expensive trekking poles is to buy a disposable bamboo pole for S5 in the Plaza de Armas in Ollantaytambo.
Take a stash of cash for tipping your guide and porters. You should tip guides at least $US10 per day if you were happy with their work, and give a similar amount to be divided among cooks and group porters. If you had a private porter to carry your personal gear, you should tip him separately – again, around $US10 per day is an appropriate amount.
For more information on packing for treks in the Cuzco region, Click here.
Choosing an Inca Trail Operator
The trail is the trail, and all agencies promise great guides, equipment and food, so it’s understandable that most people’s choice of Inca Trail operator is based largely on price. A cheap trek can be a pretty uncomfortable experience: common complaints include big groups, minimal food, train tickets back to Cuzco failing to materialize, leaking tents and uninterested guiding.
Tour prices include a tent, food, a cook, one-day admission to the ruins and the train fare back to Cuzco.
Porters to carry group gear – tents, food, etc – are also included. You’ll be expected to carry your own personal gear, including sleeping bag, unless you pay extra for a personal porter; this usually costs around US$50 for about 10kg.
If you have special dietary requirements, state them clearly and often. If possible, get confirmation in writing that your specific requirements will be met.
For those who do not want to do the hike in a big anonymous group, it’s possible to organize private trips with an independent licensed guide. This can be expensive but for groups of six or more it may in fact be cheaper than the standard group treks. Prices vary considerably, so shop around.
Porter welfare is a major issue in the Cuzco region (see the boxed text, above). Porter laws are enforced through fines and license suspensions by Peru’s Ministerio de Trabajo (Ministry of Work).
The operators listed below have not been sanctioned in the 12 months prior to time of research,