ChasquiES
The person behind your Peru

Forty years.
Still curious.

I’m Fernando Novoa. Traveler, collector of good stories, and the friend who’s already been there.
My passport is asking for a pension. I’m not quite ready.

Fernando NovoaFounder & curatorBased in Miraflores, Lima
See what we check A LITTLE WISDOM.
A LOT OF MILES.
Fernando Novoa smiling beside white flowers, from his personal collection.
Fernando sharing a café table with a travel companion.
ON THE ROAD
40+
YEARS & COUNTING

Find out before you arrive.

Planning Peru from Europe means making decisions from a distance. A room photograph, an airport pin or an excursion listing can leave out the detail that matters to you. That’s where a local person can help.

  • Is it your room in the photo? The view and noise can change by floor and room category.
  • Who meets you if you’re late? Agree the pickup and what happens if the flight changes.
  • What if the visit is cancelled? Know the alternative and the terms before paying.

What we help you check.

Choose the moment you’re planning. We’ll show you the questions that make a difference, and where a local check can save a wasted afternoon. See the full guide.

Illustration of the recurring couple looking at a room and its courtyard-facing window.
Illustrative scene · travelling in Peru

The room you’ll actually sleep in.

The best photograph on a hotel’s website may be of a different room. We start with the room you’ll get, when you’ll arrive and what you need to sleep well.

  • Exact room, bed, view and noise exposure
  • Full price, taxes and cancellation terms
  • Arrival, breakfast, Wi‑Fi and access
What we check with the hotel

We can ask about recent room photos, cleanliness, bathroom layout, stairs and lifts, heating or air conditioning, luggage storage and breakfast options. We’ll distinguish what we’ve seen ourselves from what the hotel tells us, and flag details it hasn’t confirmed.

Tell us if you arrive early, sleep lightly or need a specific bed or bathroom layout. We can ask about a quieter room, an earlier check-in or a small welcome detail. The hotel confirms whether it can offer it and at what price.

Ask about this
Illustration of the recurring couple checking a booked vehicle before an airport pickup.
Illustrative scene · travelling in Peru

Know who’s meeting you.

A transfer can look straightforward until your flight arrives late, your phone has no signal and the meeting point is ‘outside’. We can help agree the details while you still have time to check them.

  • Meeting point, driver contact and vehicle
  • Luggage, waiting and total fare
  • What to do if the flight or train changes
What we check before you set off

We can compare an airport transfer, bus or other option around your arrival time and luggage. Ask us to check provider identification, vehicle suitability, seat belts, expected pickup and payment method. For a longer journey, we can help match tickets, stations and connection time.

Save the meeting point and provider contact before take-off. If a delay or change is reported, we can help contact the provider and review alternatives. A new time or vehicle still needs their confirmation.

Ask about this
Illustration of the recurring couple sharing Peruvian dishes in a neighbourhood restaurant.
Illustrative scene · travelling in Peru

A table worth the evening.

Some of the best meals are a few streets from the busiest terraces. Tell us what you enjoy and we’ll help find somewhere that suits your taste, your budget and the rest of your day.

  • Menu, prices and how to reserve
  • Dietary options confirmed with the kitchen
  • Card payment, service and tipping
What we check before you order

We can explain dishes, translate menu details and ask about ingredients, vegetarian or vegan options, gluten and dairy. For allergies, confirm directly with the kitchen and ask about cross-contact. If the answer is uncertain, we’ll say so. We can also ask about a table preference and whether service is included.

Ask for a market visit, a meal from a different regional cuisine or something to order at a neighbourhood favourite. If an independent host offers a tasting or a special table, we’ll check availability and the total before you decide.

Ask about this
Illustration of the recurring couple listening to a textile maker at a wooden loom.
Illustrative scene · travelling in Peru

Make time for the good part.

Two itineraries can list the same places and feel entirely different. We help you choose what is worth your time, where to slow down and what to do if a visit falls through.

  • Guide language, group size and entry terms
  • Walking effort, steps, seating and toilets
  • A useful alternative for weather or closures
What makes an experience fit

We can ask who leads the visit, what is included, whether tickets are issued and what safety or insurance conditions apply. For mobility needs or an adult organising a group, ask us to check the actual vehicle, route, stairs and rest stops. We’ll tell you what remains uncertain.

Ask about meeting a maker, visiting at a quieter time or taking a route built around art, food, architecture or photography. We favour experiences that respect hosts and wildlife, and will check access, consent and payment with the people involved. Special access depends on their agreement.

Ask about this
Illustration of the recurring couple reviewing travel information and a charging kit at a café.
Illustrative scene · travelling in Peru

A plan you can use with no signal.

A beautiful itinerary won’t help if the address is buried in an inbox you can’t open. Keep the next stop, the right contact and an alternative where you can find them.

  • A practical route with times and contacts
  • Cash, cards, SIM and offline essentials
  • A human contact when plans change
What we can help you prepare

Ask for a practical plan with meeting points, links, costs, receipt questions and what to confirm. We can help you think through cash, card acceptance, eSIM options, charging and what to save offline. Your saved choices in My Trip can be downloaded as a personal planning guide. It is separate from your confirmed tickets and reservations.

Our team offers human travel support 24/7 through WhatsApp, with email as another option. We can help interpret a reported disruption, check the next step and contact a provider. For emergencies, use local emergency services first; the Peru pocket guide has practical contacts and preparation advice.

Ask about this

The details worth checking.

What will breakfast look like if you leave at dawn? Who do you call when your pickup changes? Here’s the full list of what you can ask us to help check and what you might arrange with local hosts.

Our team offers free advice and human support on WhatsApp 24/7. Prices, bookings and special arrangements are subject to confirmation. We’ll tell you who confirmed each detail and what still needs checking.

Before you bookEleven questions worth settling before you commit.

What we help you clarify

  • Clear replies before and during your tripWrite in English or Spanish on WhatsApp or by email. Our local team offers human support 24/7 on WhatsApp.
  • A detailed itineraryPut times, addresses, links, phone numbers and practical alternatives in one place.
  • The price you’ll actually payAsk for a full total with taxes and fees, what’s excluded and the cancellation terms before committing.
  • Cards and receiptsCheck where you can pay by card and whether the provider can issue the receipt or invoice you need.
  • A practical safety planIdentify suitable areas and routes, dependable transport, emergency contacts, nearby pharmacies and the role of your travel insurance.
  • On time and confirmedCheck the transfer, guide and booking details with the provider, including the time and place.
  • Wi-Fi, eSIM and plugsFind out about coverage, power sockets and adapters. Save the essentials before you lose signal.
  • Cleanliness in the places you useAsk about rooms, kitchens and vehicles. We explain whether a detail was observed, reported or still needs checking.
  • English that reads naturallyAsk for human help in English or Spanish and clear bilingual material where available, with important translations checked.
  • A lighter footprintConsider quieter times, less single-use plastic and locally run businesses.
  • Local etiquetteFind out what to wear, when places open, how tipping works and what to ask before taking a photograph.
Hotels and staysThe room, the breakfast and the details a hotel gallery can’t settle.

What to confirm

  • Location and accessLook at the actual approach, nearby transport and how you’ll get back after dinner.
  • The room you will bookAsk for real photos of that category, housekeeping details, the bed and bathroom, and water pressure if it matters to you.
  • Sleep and connectivityCheck heating or air conditioning, noise exposure and Wi-Fi for the room or floor.
  • Arrival and luggageConfirm check-in, luggage storage and whether the hotel can flex the hours.
  • BreakfastAsk what’s served, when it starts and which dietary options the hotel can provide.
  • CancellationCheck deadlines, charges and refund terms in plain language.
  • Direct contactKeep the hotel’s own contact and a booking reference handy.

Details worth asking for

  • A personal welcomeAsk whether a room upgrade or a small welcome detail is available for your stay.
  • A handwritten local noteRequest a personal recommendation for something you could do near your door.
  • An easier first or last dayIf your flights make it useful, ask the hotel ahead of time about early check-in or late check-out, including fees.
  • A useful arrival kitPlan an adapter, refillable bottle, offline map and SIM or eSIM. Confirm what can be supplied.
  • A room set up for youRequest a pillow type, temperature preference, coffee or dietary option, and check what can be arranged.
  • Four places around the cornerAsk for a bakery, a market, a neighbourhood bar or a less crowded viewpoint.
  • A concierge on WhatsAppReach a human 24/7. A reply within minutes is something we aim for when we can; provider confirmation takes its own time.
Restaurants and foodA table that fits your tastes, your timing and your budget.

What to confirm

  • A table at the agreed timeAsk the restaurant to confirm the date, time and party size, and check any grace period.
  • Menus and pricesLook for current prices and vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free or lactose-free choices.
  • Allergy questions taken seriouslyAsk the kitchen about ingredients, procedures and cross-contact. Rely on its direct confirmation before ordering.
  • Hygiene and serviceAsk what is known about cleanliness and how the restaurant welcomes guests.
  • Food rooted in the placeLook for cooking with a local point of view and a reason to go beyond the tourist thoroughfare.
  • Dishes and wines explainedAsk what a dish is like, what pairs with it and whether there’s an English menu or a careful translation.
  • Service and tipsAsk what’s already included and what is optional.

Details worth asking for

  • The right tableRequest a view or a particular spot and wait for the restaurant to confirm it.
  • Something off the menuAsk about a chef’s tasting menu or a special dish available by arrangement.
  • A private tastingExplore an appointment with a local producer if they’re available.
  • Dinner with a local hostAsk about a meal hosted in a family home, with the host’s agreement, price and format confirmed.
  • A market with contextLearn what the ingredients are, who uses them and how they end up on the table.
  • A “what to order” noteGet suggestions for what to try or skip according to your taste.
  • Preferences carried forwardWith your permission, share the relevant dietary request with the provider. For allergies, confirm directly at the table.
  • Somewhere the guidebooks missedAsk for a good neighbourhood restaurant and help checking how to reserve it.
Tours and experiencesChoose what deserves your time and leave room for a change of plan.

What to confirm

  • Group sizeCompare a small group with a private visit and check the actual maximum.
  • Who leads the visitAsk about local experience, training and whether the guide can lead in English or Spanish.
  • A realistic routeCheck time at each stop, travel between them and how rushed the day will feel.
  • Tickets and entryConfirm what’s included and whether priority entry really comes with the booking.
  • Safety, insurance and proceduresAsk the operator what it covers, which rules apply and how it handles an incident.
  • A weather or closure fallbackAgree what you could do if rain, closure or delay disrupts the visit.
  • Where to meetSave the meeting point and the guide’s contact before departure.

Details worth asking for

  • Access by arrangementAsk about an artisan’s workshop, a rooftop, a cellar or an archive that requires the host’s permission.
  • A local expertExplore a meeting with a historian, cook, photographer or musician.
  • A route around your interestsBuild the day around architecture, photography, wine, art or nature.
  • An hour without the rushAsk about an early start or another quieter time and confirm access.
  • A small cultural keepsakeConsider a historical map reproduction, a postcard or a local product sample.
  • Photographs in the right lightAsk about a local photographer or a route timed for the best light.
  • A pace that suits the partyRequest rest stops or step-free options for adult groups. Adults travelling with children can ask for public planning information; Chasqui’s service is for adults only.
Transport and logisticsKnow who is coming, where to meet and what changes if you’re late.

What to confirm

  • Driver and timingConfirm pickup time, meeting point and how to identify the driver.
  • The actual vehicleCheck cleanliness, suitability and working seat belts with the operator.
  • A clear fareAgree the total, currency, luggage and waiting terms up front.
  • Train, bus and tour ticketsAsk for help matching and arranging tickets with the right stop, connection and departure time.
  • Directions and disruptionsSave instructions for reaching the meeting point and what to do if the ride fails.

Details worth asking for

  • A sign and water at pickupAsk whether the driver can meet you with a name sign and provide water.
  • The scenic wayCompare a route worth seeing with the fastest one, including the time it adds.
  • Travel documents ready to useAsk about a preloaded transport card where available, or save mobile tickets before setting off.
  • Early help when things changeIf a strike, delay or timetable change is known to us, ask how it affects your trip and who can confirm the next step.
  • A transport fallback in advanceKeep a second way of getting there and know when to switch to it.
Information and contactKeep the plan and the right person close, even when your signal drops.

What to confirm

  • Digital and offlineSave the itinerary on your phone and keep a copy you can read offline.
  • One contact, day or nightReach the Chasqui team on WhatsApp 24/7 and keep the number with your itinerary.
  • A useful first replyWe aim to respond promptly. If an answer depends on a provider, agree when you’ll get the next update.
  • Documents togetherKeep booking confirmations, insurance contacts, addresses and access codes somewhere you can retrieve them safely.
  • Clear translationsAsk a person to clarify important wording or confirm it with the provider.

Details worth asking for

  • One useful travel documentAsk about putting maps, bookings and a direct link to emergency contacts together. My Trip lets you download a planning guide, separate from your confirmed bookings.
  • A short note for tomorrowAsk for a brief reminder with what’s next, what to bring and what to avoid. Agree when you’d like it.
  • Alerts that matter to your routeAsk about strikes, weather, closures or major events. We can flag relevant changes we learn about; continuous alerts aren’t guaranteed.
  • A list built around youTell us what you like and we’ll help find something that fits your time, pace and interests.
  • Something to listen toAsk for a local playlist, podcast or audio guide that suits your route.
  • A person on WhatsAppTalk to the local team. If an operator needs to act, we can help identify who can confirm the next step.
Payments and moneyKnow how you’ll pay, how much cash you’ll need and what a price includes.

What to confirm

  • Card and contactless paymentCheck whether the business accepts your card or contactless payment.
  • Final pricesAsk for the total, currency, taxes and any extras in advance.
  • TippingFind out what’s included, what’s optional and how people usually handle it.
  • Receipts and invoicesAsk the provider to confirm what it can issue and which details it needs.
  • A backup if there’s no ATMPlan a second way to pay or bring appropriate cash for that part of the trip.

Details worth asking for

  • A daily budgetAsk for a per-day estimate, with items already paid separated from likely extras.
  • How much cash to carryDiscuss your route and where you can exchange money.
  • Less waiting at the counterAsk about advance collection or local arrangements that save queuing, where a business can confirm them.
  • Tips without guessworkAsk what’s customary for drivers, guides or restaurant staff and decide for yourself.
Safety and healthPrepare contacts and decisions before you need them.

What to confirm

  • Areas, times and routesDiscuss where you’re going and when. Conditions vary by place and time.
  • Emergency contacts nearbySave local emergency numbers and identify hospitals and pharmacies near your route.
  • Water, sun, altitude and insectsIdentify what to check before you travel and which official guidance applies to each stop.
  • Insurance and assistanceKeep your insurer’s contact and confirm what your policy covers with the insurer.

Details worth asking for

  • A pocket health cardSave key contacts and useful Spanish phrases for explaining a situation.
  • A pharmacy you can findAsk us to locate a nearby pharmacy. Confirm medicines or treatment with a pharmacist or clinician.
  • A plan you can rehearseCheck which number to call, how to share your location and who to notify. In an emergency, contact local emergency services first.
Responsible travelAsk what your visit leaves behind and who benefits.

What to look for

  • Less pressure on busy placesChoose quieter times or less crowded routes where practical.
  • Ethical encountersLook for genuine experiences and providers that respect wildlife and animal welfare.
  • Spending that stays localConsider locally run businesses, independent guides and local makers.
  • Less wastePlan for refills and avoid unnecessary single-use plastic where feasible.

Details worth asking for

  • A short account of your impactAsk what a host can substantiate about how a visit supports local people or conservation.
  • Community-led experiencesAsk who hosts, who sets the price and how participants are compensated.
  • Transparent donations and offsetsIf you’re considering a donation or carbon offset, check who receives it, how it works and what can be verified.
  • Walking and public transportAsk about practical routes on foot or by public transport when they fit your plan.
Access and travel paceGet the exact answer about steps, distances and places to rest.

What to confirm

  • Specific access detailsAsk about surfaces, steps, doorways, lifts, transfers and the exact room or route.
  • Options for different needsWe help older adults and travellers with reduced mobility compare options. Parents can ask for public information about child-friendly places; Chasqui serves adults only.
  • Rhythm and facilitiesCheck distances, toilets, seating and opportunities to take a break.

Details worth asking for

  • Rest built into the dayAsk for shorter stretches, time to sit and a less demanding fallback.
  • Public cultural resources for familiesAdults can ask where to find public cultural material for children. Chasqui does not serve minors or provide childcare.
  • Access checked on the groundAsk what’s been seen at the exact place and what still needs confirmation from the provider.
Small things you’ll rememberTen thoughtful details to ask for when they fit your trip.

Ten ways to make it yours

  1. PersonalisationTell us your interests, pace and relevant preferences once. With your permission, use them in later planning conversations.
  2. AnticipationThink through likely queues, reservations, strikes and weather while there’s still time to adjust.
  3. Access you won’t find on every booking siteAsk about a visit organised directly with a local host that may not appear on Viator or GetYourGuide.
  4. A detail from the neighbourhoodA bakery, a market stall, an artisan or a viewpoint you could otherwise walk straight past.
  5. A named personKnow which member of our team is helping and when to expect the next update.
  6. A fallback worth doingHave an alternative you’d still enjoy if it rains or a place closes.
  7. A useful extraConsider an eSIM, refillable bottle, offline map, phrase card or playlist that you’ll actually use.
  8. The terms, plainly statedConfirm prices, tips, cancellation and realistic timings before deciding.
  9. Sustainability you can checkAsk who benefits and what can be verified before accepting an environmental claim.
  10. A memorable closeAsk about a photograph, a handwritten note, a trip summary or a small local keepsake.
Your final checkUse this list before you commit or leave for the day.

Ten things to have in hand

  1. BookingsSave confirmed and verified reservations and their reference numbers.
  2. ContactKeep one human point of contact and know when to expect the next reply.
  3. Offline itinerarySave the latest plan where you can open it without data.
  4. Final pricesCheck totals, currency, fees and taxes.
  5. Diet and allergiesConfirm dietary arrangements and verify allergies directly with the kitchen.
  6. Weather fallbackKnow which option you’ll choose if the weather changes.
  7. TransfersKeep the agreed pickup point, time and provider contact.
  8. Safety and healthSave emergency and insurance contacts relevant to your route.
  9. LanguageCheck the important instructions in clear English or Spanish.
  10. A personal touchPick one detail you’d look forward to even if nobody else put it on the itinerary.

A commission never buys a recommendation.

We recommend the option that best fits your trip: its quality, reliability, price and how well it serves your needs. If the best fit pays us nothing, it still makes the list.

Some providers may pay Chasqui a commission. Our advice is free to you. We explain why an option is on your shortlist and which details you should confirm before you pay.

  • Seen in personWhat we observed, where and when. A visit does not verify every room.
  • Confirmed by the providerWhat the hotel, guide or operator confirms for your dates and request.
  • Still to checkAny point we don’t yet have an answer for. You’ll know before you decide.
Read how we check details ↗

Start with the part you’re unsure about.

Tell us what matters: a quiet first night, clear costs, less walking or an unhurried day around good food. A person on our Miraflores team can help you work through it.

Free advice · Human support 24/7 · Write in English or Spanish.

Open the Peru pocket guide ↗
Preview your messageHello Chasqui! I’m planning a trip to Peru. Could you help me check the details that matter for my trip? Ref: WEB-CURATOR-EN
Review on WhatsApp

You decide whether to send. Nothing is booked or paid for here. Prefer email? hello@chasqui.travel.

The couple’s scenes are AI-created editorial illustrations. They do not show verified hotels, vehicles, restaurants or tours. The portraits and travel photographs in Fernando’s story are identified separately.

Peru
through your eyes.

Start with what draws you in. Choose a little inspiration, then leave room for a journey that feels like you.

Fernando Novoa with three people at the Canton Fair.
A traveller’s eye

A suitcase. A personal point of view.

Discover the experiences behind Fernando’s approach, then bring your own priorities to the conversation.

Your pace matters. Let us help check the details that make this experience fit your trip.

Explore this chapter

Prepare your enquiry
Review or copy your message
Use email instead

You will review and send in WhatsApp. Opening it does not send your message.

Open WhatsApp
One rule.
Earned the long way.

The curator’s rule

“I share what I’ve experienced.
We show what still needs checking.”

My own experience is where the story begins. We distinguish it from information supplied by a hotel, and tell you what still needs checking. A visit to a property does not verify every room, view or condition for your stay.

Editorial illustration: a ginger cat has made itself at home in a half-packed suitcase.
A life in departures

A suitcase, half open.

For forty years, I’ve lived with a suitcase half open. I’ve crossed continents, tasted things I couldn’t pronounce and confidently walked in the wrong direction more than once.

Then there’s Peru. Its coast, its mountains, its jungle. The towns we keep promising ourselves we’ll visit “someday.”

After all these years, I’ve learned two things: someday deserves a date, and my passport deserves a pension.

A FEW STOPS ALONG THE WAYIndia · China · Korea · Italy · Spain · Germany · The Netherlands · The United States · Brazil · Mexico · Chile · Argentina · Colombia—and always, Peru.

A street lined with red lanterns beneath an ornate Chinese-style arch.
Look beyond the screen

A lesson from China.

Not long ago, I traveled to China with two business owners. Six weeks looking for suppliers. They arrived with ambitious plans—and the quiet fear that comes with putting your savings into something you cannot yet trust.

China has given me some of my safest experiences as a traveler. Buying from someone online is a different journey altogether. A convincing website can introduce you to a factory that exists mainly in someone’s imagination.

The photographs are magnificent. The samples are perfect. You transfer the money. And sometimes, what arrives is a shipment of rocks.

Excellent rocks. Very consistent quality.
Unfortunately, not what you ordered.

Fernando Novoa and his companions gathered around a dinner table.
The difference is showing up

So we went there.

There are extraordinary manufacturers: established businesses, skilled people, real production lines and years of work behind their doors. The challenge is knowing whom you’re dealing with.

We visited factories, asked questions, examined products and met the people who would actually make them. A visit cannot remove every risk. It gives you the chance to look closely, ask again and decide with your eyes open.

Over those weeks, I watched my companions’ worry give way to excitement. They found possibilities beyond what they had imagined. That change—from apprehension to possibility—is one of my favorite things to witness.

We’ve taken that same approach to sourcing work for Falabella in Italy, and for Ripley in Colombia and Brazil: go, look, understand, then recommend.

The friend who’s already been there

My lessons.
Your better holiday.

A holiday carries an investment, too. The money you’ve saved for months. The only week your family can be together. A journey you’ve imagined for twenty years.

We’ve all seen the hotel room photographed with a lens so generous it looks suitable for a wedding reception. You arrive. There’s room for a bed, a suitcase—and one person holding their breath.

A lovely website rarely tells you whether you’ll hear the elevator all night, or whether breakfast deserves an early alarm. Those details become your trip.

I’m the friend who knows what to ask. Who has taken the wrong turn, ordered the disappointing dish and occasionally paid a very educational price for optimism.

I’d like those lessons to be useful to someone besides me. Through Chasqui, I want to put that experience within reach, so you can spend less of your holiday figuring things out—and more of it actually being there.

Fernando Novoa
Founder, traveler & curator of Chasqui
Editorial illustration: two adult travelers laugh over an unwieldy paper map at a coastal café.
What travels with you

A little judgment.
A lot of care.

You should feel free to ask, “Is it really worth going?” And trust the answer.

First-hand perspective.

My recommendations begin with places I’ve experienced. I tell you what I know, and we check the details that may have changed.

Your kind of wonderful.

A place can be extraordinary and still be wrong for your trip. Your interests, pace and budget shape the recommendation.

A person who cares.

From a corner of Miraflores to a community in the Andes, I want you to feel the pleasure of having someone care how it turns out.

Your local ally in Peru

Your Peru.
A little more personal.

Tell us what you’re dreaming of, when you’re coming and what matters to you. Let’s start with a conversation.

Talk to Chasqui on WhatsApp ↗
Come home with stories
worth telling.
We’ll leave the rocks
where they belong.
Discover Chasqui →
About this story & its photographs

Fernando’s account, adapted from his own story. Fernando supplied the portrait, personal travel photographs and the image of the lantern-lined street. The suitcase and coastal café are AI-created editorial illustrations; they do not depict clients, inspected hotels or named businesses.

Chasqui’s assistant is intended to be free for travelers. Chasqui may earn a commission from providers on bookings it generates. Ask us about availability and current service coverage when planning your trip.