Kumuka is about giving you local insights as well as adventure, so, where we think you will get more out of your holiday by using local transport, that is what we do. It can be an air transfer, a speedboat or just a local bus. Some patience is required of course, as the locals don’t necessarily live to our timetable or at our pace, so there may be delays or times when you have to stand on a chicken bus, sandwiched between the locals and a few llamas! However, if you go with the flow, you will find it enriches the experience.

Then there are obvious pluses, such as having everything organised for you and having your accommodation and travel prepaid. Enjoy that feeling of being on holiday rather than it being hard work! Kumuka removes those drab and dull errands that you have to run, like spending hours queuing at the bus station only to discover all the tickets are sold out - especially important for those who only have limited time at their disposal! Let us deal with all the niggling and time consuming problems, leaving you free to unwind and enjoy your time to the max!

» Accommodation

On Small Group tours, accommodation is mainly hotel-based, on twin (occasionally triple) share, same-gender basis. Rooms are normally en-suite and we tend to use smaller, family-run type hotels, although there may be the occasional jungle lodge, three star hotel, camping on the Inca Trail, and the odd overnight bus.

» Transport

Local transport may be a mixture of local chicken buses, sometimes a plush air-con bus with reclining seats, maybe a flight, the occasional train ride, taxis, boats and privately-chartered vehicles. Plenty of opportunities to chat to the locals in pidgin-Spanish - an essential part of the experience, giving you plenty of stories to tell back home!

» Luggage

We recommend that you take a backpack or a comfortable hold-all, as well as a day pack for essentials. Remember that you will be responsible for carrying this, as well as loading it onto the roof of a bus or perhaps walking a few blocks through town with it. So be sure that your are comfortable with the weight and size.

“Having never travelled in a tour group before and spending three months travelling independently in Latin America, I have been amazed at how much can be fitted in to a few weeks. When I did a similar route with my mates, we got stuck in great places like Cuzco and a lot of stuff we had planned to do elsewhere got crossed off our lists. With a guide constantly organising things, you don’t get stuck, and see and do everything you set out to experience”. Jay Crisp London, UK

South America Small Group Tours

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