PHOTO OF THE MONTH:

Photo gallery of pictures from our ACTIVE NEW ZEALAND adventure vacation
Jaguar Jun 2009
The culture and history of Peru are as vibrant as its people.

GUIDE OF THE MONTH:

ACTIVE NEW ZEALAND adventure travel guide
Andres Mora Piedra
"Andres was a great guide and we enjoyed his company. He always gave us good advice, whether it was information about where to go in town or what to pack. We always felt comfortable with him and knew we could trust him. We may see Andres again on the Iguana. Saludos y mil gracias, Andres!"
Beatriz Perez (USA) June 2008 Jaguar
"Absolutely awesome trip for those who like to be active and experience the local culture & flavours."

Prue King (Cremorne,New South Wales,Australia) May 2009 Jaguar

South America adventure guides
Sally
Sally
Name: Sally Laurente
Position: Lead Guide
Bio:
I love Peru!! The people are so warm, kind and NICE! We do not just have history, this country is a living history and culture, anywhere in the country -- highlands, jungle or coast. We keep doing lots of things as they have been done generation after generation and we preserve them until today.

I was born in the highlands, the central part of Peru, Huasahuasi, Tarma – Junin… it is called the pearl of the Andes because of the many kinds of flowers, and it is considered the Potato Capital of Peru (we grow more than 345 different varieties of them). Then we moved to Lima, where I studied Ecotourism.

I love nature and outdoor activities. I have worked in the rainforest for 4 years as an environmental interpreter so I am especially passionate when we visit the jungle. Someday I would like to start my own ecotourism project with the town and the community where I came from, so it is great to work for ACTIVE.

I am waiting to meet you!

What our clients have said:

"Sally was absolutely amazing -- the best! We cannot imagine our trip being as great as it was without her. As we mentioned before, she set the bar REALLY high for any future trips we would take with Active. And, because of her, we would definitely consider future trips!"
-- Marc Lyman (Jersey City,New Jersey,United States) ,Irene Ayz Sep 09 Jaguar


"Only wonderful things to say about Sally - could not have asked for a better guide."
-- Victoria Foster (Prahran,Victoria,Australia) Sep 09 Jaguar


"Sally took care of us from the beginning. She is an awesome person - kind and fun-loving and very easy to like. She was concerned with our health and really tried to make everyone comfortable and welcome. You could tell she loved Peru and the people. She was very organized and if anything didn't go according to plan, we couldn't tell. She picked great restaurants. The trip was great and stress-free because of her!"
-- Lisa Matuszny (Rocky River,Ohio,United States) Aug 2009 Jaguar


"Sally took care of us from the beginning. She is an awesome person - kind and fun-loving and very easy to like. She was concerned with our health and really tried to make everyone comfortable and welcome. You could tell she loved Peru and the people. She was very organized and if anything didn't go according to plan, we couldn't tell. She picked great restaurants. The trip was great and stress-free because of her!"
-- Lisa Matuszny (Rocky River,Ohio,United States) Aug 2009 Jaguar


"Sally was amazing. Everything ran perfectly, on schedule, she always made sure everyone knew exactly what was going on, and she took extra steps to make sure everyone was comfortable at all times, such as having extra medicine when people got sick and water for us even if that meant getting it for us at midnight before we had to get up at 4 am the next day."
-- Nick Gallus (Minneapolis,Minnesota,United States) Aug 2009 Jaguar


"Sally was an AMAZING guide. She managed to cater to each individual's various needs and still make the trip enjoyable for all of us. Sally is very friendly and personable and you can tell she has a real interest in sharing Peru with others. I would highly recommend, without hesitation, others to take this trip with Sally as a guide."
-- Val Quartararo (Astoria,New York,United States) Jul 2009 Jaguar


"Wow. Sally is absolutely the best! Knowledgeable, friendly and fun, at the same time always thinking about our safety. She went above and beyond and is the reason why I had such an amazing time."
-- Rob Roy (New York,New York,United States) Jul 2009 Jaguar


"Sally was amazing. She was very knowledgeable and eager to please us in any way that we asked. On my last night of the trip, she arranged for us to have cui, which had to be purchased that day by the restaurant and made especially for our table. She has all the right connections and the ability to make an active trip stress free, fun and still feel like a vacation."
-- Emily Meyers (Baltimore,Maryland,United States) Jul 2009 Jaguar


"You must not lose Sally! Do whatever is necessary to keep her on your staff. She is amazing in so many ways. My trip almost ended before it got started, as my daughter Kaleigh, arrived in Lima in poor condition, and we were not able to travel to Cuzco for two days. Sally spearheaded the whole situation, showed genuine concern for Kaleigh, took care of new arrangements for us, all while managing the rest of the group. When we were finally able to join the group, Sally assessed Kaleigh's condition, increased my comfort level,and made arrangements for a possible "out" during the hike by providing our group with a horseman. As stated previously, her fund of knowledge about Peru is extensive, and her personality is perfect for this industry."
-- Julie McLaughlin (Skillman,New Jersey,United States) Jul 2009 Jaguar


"An amazing woman. Love her. Kind, strong, organized,intelligent. The very best in a human being. Sally, sally, sally; she is a jewel."
-- Debbie Gott (Amesbury,Massachusetts,United States) Jul 2009 Jaguar


"Sally is a very special person. Very genuine and warm - you're lucky to have her :)"
-- Gretchen Wood (Satellite Beach,Florida,United States) Jul 2009 Jaguar


"Sally was absolutely amazing! She handled all situations with the ease of a very experienced leader. She maintains a great atmosphere for keeping people in high spirits. Her job is not an easy one and she deals with many different personalities yet I never saw her flinch to say or do the appropriate thing. Her knowledge of the area and people can't be matched. Her English is excellent and never caused a lack of understanding. Sally was a huge part in creating a once in a lifetime trip!"
-- Haylee LaFevers (Jenks,Oklahoma,United States) May 2009 Jaguar


"Again, I want to thank Sally for taking such good care of us. Our welfare and happiness were her first concerns throughout the trip. She knew the answer to every question. I often wondered how in the world she could know so much. She is truly a gem."
-- Mary Palmer (Crestview Hills,Kentucky,United States) Jun 2009 Capybara Family


"As I said above Sally went beyond her job discription on many occasions. She always did this in a cheerful professional manner. Like little things that meant a lot like pre booking all our seats into the amazon on the right side of the aircraft so we would get the best view. To negotiating like a seasoned professional with police when one of our group left her passport behind and may not have been able to leave.Sally takes the saying "whatever it takes" to new heights. We all loved her......... she made our trip to best it could be."
-- Cheryl Gilroy (reedy creek,Queensland,Australia) May 2009 Jaguar


"AS stated she was FABULOUS.... we love Sally !!!!! She was always interested in making sure that every detail was covered and had the maturity. empathy and caring to check with each of us on a daily and regular basis to ensure that all our needs were met and we were healthy and coping well with the tour. She was very capable in negotiating crisis situations and also ensured that the other guides/porters were well managed and all trip arrangements and details ran smoothly. She is obviously well respected by her colleagues and her knowledge and personality are an asset to your organisation!!!"
-- Carolyn Butcher (Mosman,New South Wales,Australia) May 2009 Jaguar


"Sally was very professional and was very responsive to all the people in the group. She made sure everything ran smoothly during the trip which is a MAJOR PLUS! She is a very warm and caring individual."
-- Linda Shih (New York,New York,United States) ,Jimmy Jinn ( May 2009 Jaguar


"There are not enough words in the dictionary, Spanish or English that could possible describe what a wonderful, knowledgeable, amazing woman she is. She will always have a special place in my heart. I wish there was a category above excellent"
-- Lesley Stopay (Minesing,Ontario,Canada) Mar 2009 Capybara Family


"sally should be given an award and raise. it really was a treat to have someone who was from peru. her english was super duper. she went out of her way to make us comfortable. i never had a doubt and never worried about any details of organization. she was friendly, sensitive to our needs, and shared her culture. her stories added a personal touch. she took my roommate's sickness in stride and handled it perfectly. i was delighted to have her as a guide and have no complaints whatsoever. sally rocks!"
-- Lauren Bradley (Anchorage,Alaska,United States) Jan 2009 Jaguar


"Sally is the absolute best - wise and kind and intuitive beyond her years. A very special young woman. I adored her! What an asset to Active she is!"
-- Linda Hansen (Boulder,Colorado,United States) Aug 2008 Jaguar


"Sally was the best! very concerned about her "duck's" health and well being. She was concerned about our wellbeing, enjoyment, and suggestions. She had a million dollar smile and the organizational skill of a CEO. Everyday she went the extra mile to make sure our trip was enjoyable."
-- Ralph Kwiatkoski (Gunnison,Colorado,United States) Aug 2008 Jaguar


"Sally made the whole trip AWESOME. I wish we could take her on all our vacations. Sally is the BEST GUIDE IN THE WORLD! That is from my 6 year old daughter Heidi Lee, and we all agree. "
-- Hoffman family (Redding,Connecticut,United States) Aug 2008 Capybara Family


"Sally was entertaining, professional, friendly, cheerful, hard working, passionate about her country, fun, knowledgable etc. etc. etc. Difficult to see how you could have a better guide."
-- Ed Clarke (Marlow,Bucks,United Kingdom) May 2008 Jaguar


"Sally was completely awesome! Everybody loved her. She became our Pachamama. She went out of her way to see that everyone was happy and had what they needed. There were genuine tears the last night at dinner with everyone's toasts to Sally!"
-- Paula Sothoron (Upper Marlboro,Maryland,United States) June 2008 Jaguar


"Our guide, Sally, was excellent. I really can't express how professional, caring, and sincere she was. I've been a guide before and I know what a challenge it is."
-- Jennifer Kramp (Oceano,CA,United States) June 2008 Jaguar


"Superb! Excellent! Fantastic! Sally was well informed, friendly, professional, and organized."
-- Karen Bletzer (Oakland,CA,United States) Dec 2007 Jaguar


"I can't say enough great things about Sally. She was on top of everything making sure we were comfortable and were getting the most out of our trip. She is very knowledgeable about the area and culture and was always sharing this knowledge with us. She was very gracious and compassionate with everyone.Sally is a very special person. I hope I will see her again one day."
-- Dana Schaefer (Cambridge,,United States) Dec 2007 Jaguar