Ballestas and Huacachina Islands with sandboarding practice

Viajes picaflor tour co 1 day tour

I did the one day tour from Lima on Oct 11, 2019 as it was recommended by my hotel and only $60usd. Meeting point was Larcomar at 530 am. A very nice bus (with working washroom and recliner seats-this was the only bus I had in Peru that actually had both of these items even though every tour I took advertised them) showed up about 5:35 and the guide had a list of all registered people. We were slowed down a bit by people from other tours trying to board our bus as their bus did not show up. It took just under 4 hours to the staging point for the Isla Ballestiars.On the bus the guide started speaking Spanish and talked for an hour without switching to English. I only speak English and was not happy. The guide to his credit did them come sit with me and explained I was the only English speaker on the bus he explained the itinerary and said to ask him any questions as he wanted to practice his English which was not great. Boat tour for 2 hours was great. Lots of birds and sea lions. Boat tour guide gave commentary in English and Spanish. Then we went to a restaurant for lunch. It was packed with other tour groups so very slow. My food was great but I got service first somehow so I was done before some of our tour had even been served. Then the guide told me we had a 1 hour drive to the desert oasis for the sand buggy tour, it actually took 2 hours due to traffic. Then we had almost an hour wait for the buggies. Once on them it was fun but ride is maybe 15 min with a half hour stop to say sandboard. It's now 6 pm and we still have a 5 hour drive back to Lima plus a stop at a Pisco winery. Pisco place was not a fancy winery but a roadside openair store. This was about a half hour stop and we got a few free samples. I did buy a bottle. We finally got back to Lima at 1230 am. 19 hours, way too long a day. I recommend the Isla Ballestiars tour but pick one that skips the oais, not worth the time. This tour c I did the one day tour from Lima on Oct 11, 2019 as it was recommended by my hotel and only $60usd. Meeting point was Larcomar at 530 am. A very nice bus (with working washroom and recliner seats-this was the only bus I had in Peru that actually had both of these items even though every tour I took advertised them) showed up about 5:35 and the guide had a list of all registered people. We were slowed down a bit by people from other tours trying to board our bus as their bus did not show up. It took just under 4 hours to the staging point for the Isla Ballestiars.On the bus the guide started speaking Spanish and talked for an hour without switching to English. I only speak English and was not happy. The guide to his credit did them come sit with me and explained I was the only English speaker on the bus he explained the itinerary and said to ask him any questions as he wanted to practice his English which was not great. Boat tour for 2 hours was great. Lots of birds and sea lions. Boat tour guide gave commentary in English and Spanish. Then we went to a restaurant for lunch. It was packed with other tour groups so very slow. My food was great but I got service first somehow so I was done before some of our tour had even been served. Then the guide told me we had a 1 hour drive to the desert oasis for the sand buggy tour, it actually took 2 hours due to traffic. Then we had almost an hour wait for the buggies. Once on them it was fun but ride is maybe 15 min with a half hour stop to say sandboard. It's now 6 pm and we still have a 5 hour drive back to Lima plus a stop at a Pisco winery. Pisco place was not a fancy winery but a roadside openair store. This was about a half hour stop and we got a few free samples. I did buy a bottle. We finally got back to Lima at 1230 am. 19 hours, way too long a day. I recommend the Isla Ballestiars tour but pick one that skips the oais, not worth the time. This tour company was good but language was an issue, presumably most tours have more than one English speaker on them so the guide would actually talk in English. was good but language was an I did the one day tour from Lima on Oct 11, 2019 as it was recommended by my hotel and only $60usd. Meeting point was Larcomar at 530 am. A very nice bus (with working washroom and recliner seats-this was the only bus I had in Peru that actually had both of these items even though every tour I took advertised them) showed up about 5:35 and the guide had a list of all registered people. We were slowed down a bit by people from other tours trying to board our bus as their bus did not show up. It took just under 4 hours to the staging point for the Isla Ballestiars.On the bus the guide started speaking Spanish and talked for an hour without switching to English. I only speak English and was not happy. The guide to his credit did them come sit with me and explained I was the only English speaker on the bus he explained the itinerary and said to ask him any questions as he wanted to practice his English which was not great. Boat tour for 2 hours was great. Lots of birds and sea lions. Boat tour guide gave commentary in English and Spanish. Then we went to a restaurant for lunch. It was packed with other tour groups so very slow. My food was great but I got service first somehow so I was done before some of our tour had even been served. Then the guide told me we had a 1 hour drive to the desert oasis for the sand buggy tour, it actually took 2 hours due to traffic. Then we had almost an hour wait for the buggies. Once on them it was fun but ride is maybe 15 min with a half hour stop to say sandboard. It's now 6 pm and we still have a 5 hour drive back to Lima plus a stop at a Pisco winery. Pisco place was not a fancy winery but a roadside openair store. This was about a half hour stop and we got a few free samples. I did buy a bottle. We finally got back to Lima at 1230 am. 19 hours, way too long a day. I recommend the Isla Ballestiars tour but pick one that skips the oais, not worth the time. This tour company was good but language was an issue, presumably most tours have more than one English speaker on them so the guide would actually talk in English.

via Tripadvisor