Ap Koopman (Nederland). In mei 2004 logeerden mijn dochter en ik bij jullie. Wij waren onder de indruk van Hostal Marani en jullie sociale betrokkenheid. Ik nam ook een folder van HoPe mee. Nu kwam ik de folder weer tegen en heb me alsnog als donateur aangemeld. Beter laat dan nooit. De beste wensen voor 2007. When you get sick away from home, it is never very pleasant. All the personel of Hostal Marani were so caring it gave me the confidence I needed to get well. Unfortunately, I have sufferred Cerebral and Pulmonary edema. Tinike from Marani has arranged for me to get back home and also to check on me every hour before the doctor came. Peru is a wonderful country and I missed the Inka trail but I saw Macchu Pichu. Many thanks to those wnderful people at Hostal 'Marani. Please do not hesitate to book you vacantion with them. Wonderful little hostal where people care. Happy holidays Louise Ratelle hotel is quaint, picturesque, and embodies a family atmosphere in an excellent quiet location. The facilities are only superceded by an exemplary staff who were sensitive, helpful, and very personal. Undoubtedly, the best place of residence during our entire visit to Peru. Thanks for the hospitality and comfort. We both enjoyed our stay very much and take every opportunity to recommend it to friends. The link with HoPe Foundation is the extra sweetner that makes staying at the Hostel Marani even better. All the best, Mark and Natalia (Australia-Colombia). Es un lindo lugar, comodo, limpio y de acogedor ambiente familiar; una antesala ideal para conocer una gran ciudad y una gran cultura. Dan. They still do have the best showers in the country. Great service, good breakfast and you always feel welcome. It is always a pleasure to return to Marani and Cusco. http://realestate.fofje.info/. Thank you so much for the hospitality! Best, Neil A, Pye neil_a_pye@yahoo.co.uk. Wanted to say what a great stay we had at Hostal Marani and if I get the chance to come back I would stay there again. Very cheap, clean, and the staff was very kind Thanks. Obviously when you find the perfect place to stay you return again and again and I have stayed at the Marani for the past 6 years. Each visit has been for at least 4 weeks. So, what more can be said about Marani. It is clean. safe. with an excellent staff, perfect location and a mere 5 min. walk to the Plaza de Armas. IT IS THE BEST PLACE TO STAY. It is always such a sad day when it is time to say goodbye. Of special note is the association the Hostal Marani has with the HoPe Foundation. Check out the related link on this page to read more. What more can I say? I love all of you at the Hostal and miss you. See you next year. xoxox. Highly recommended - extremely friendly and helpful staff, clean and comfortable rooms, cute courtyard, and quiet and convenient location (only a few minutes walk from Plaza de Armas). We especially appreciated Tineke's help in reconfirming our upcoming flight and hotel reservations. I just wish we could have stayed longer. They still do have the best showers in the country. Great service, good breakfast and you always feel welcome. It is always a pleasure to return to Marani and Cusco. I've just returned from Peru and a stay at the Marani. The location is excellent, with the Playa de Armes only a few minutes walk away, plus the immediate neighbourhood has plenty of good little restaurants and broadband internet cafes. Add to this the quiet colonial streets around the Hostal and the excellent quality of the rooms and food (plus laundry and left luggage services) and you have a winner. Finally, a big thanks to all the staff, who were simply excellent, genuinely friendly and attentive - they couldn't have done more to make my stay more relaxing or comfortable. I can recommend a stay here without hesitation! Het sneeuwt hier in Nederland. Ik ben in de meivakantie van dit voorjaar (2005) met een groep leerlingen van mijn school (allemaal atheneum 5 of 6 of havo 5) in Peru geweest. We hebben een rondleiding van drie weken door heel Peru gehad met Piet van Ipenburg. We zijn ook een aantal dagen in Hostal Marani verbleven en het was geweldig! De hele reis natuurlijk, maar we werden in het hotel zeer goed opgevangen (vooral degenen met hoogteziekte) en verzorgd. Nogmaals bedankt daarvoor! Groetjes Lian Aarts, Oostelbeers, Nederland. I probably spent at least 2 weeks this October 2005 at Marani--off and on as I traveled around Peru. I can't imagine a nicer, cleaner, or friendlier place to stay. I loved the San Blas location. Near all the main sites, plus a good selection of restaurants and internet places. I truly miss the staff. They became old friends as I came and went leaving my unneeded pieces of luggage with them for safe keeping while I visited other parts of Peru. Plus, the staff was able to arrange a taxi for a private day trip to see Moray, Chinchero, and Salineras. Dependable laundry service was a plus,too. Thanks to everyone at Marani for my wonderful visit with you. Tienke, I just wanted to thank you and your staff for helping to make my recent trip to Peru an incredible experience! It all started upon my early morning arrival to Cusco. I was exhausted after spending about 30 hours in planes and airports and wasn't feeling too perky. I was greeted at the airport and accompanied to the hostal where I was served matte de coca while I filled out my registration. In a few minutes I was escorted to my clean and spacious room. The room was off a peaceful courtyard and, unlike most other places I have stayed in Peru, I could count on resting without being disturbed (I live in a small town in CO and I am not used to hearing traffic or many people). After several days exploring Cusco, I stored my suitcases and went to see some of the surrounding countryside. Anytime that I passed through Cusco, I was able to access my bags. This made it a lot easier to travel light and I never worried about the security of my luggage. I was able to spend a little more time at Hostal Marani before leaving Cusco and got to enjoy the neighborhood of San Blas. There are many great restraunts and bars within a block or two of the hostal and it's only a five minute walk to the Plaza de Armas if you want to go to some of the bigger places. Again, thanks to you and your staff for operating such a fine hostal! It was a peaceful oasis in the midst of a bustling city and I hope that I will be able to return for a visit next year. Gracias por todo! Mike Gierach. Highly recommended - extremely friendly and helpful staff, clean and comfortable rooms, cute courtyard, and quiet and convenient location (only a few minutes walk from Plaza de Armas). We especially appreciated Tineke's help in reconfirming our upcoming flight and hotel reservations. I just wish we could have stayed longer! Andre Fernando Marani. Estoy encantando con el hostal, solo he visto por la internet, no hay mas comentarios a respecto de algo que parece ser tan maravilloso, fenomenal. Aunque lleva mi apellido, ¿por que? Raccomando vivamente l'Hostal Marani. Si tratta di un albergo molto simpatico con camere confortevoli e pulitissime. Il personale e gentilissimo ed efficiente. Si trova a pochi passi dal centro, vicino alla bella piazzetta di San Blas, pero protetta dalla massa dei turisti che affollano la Plaza de las Armas. Infine per tutte le tue necessita, quali prenotazione delle escursioni, dei trasferimenti a Lima o Puno ed altro, ci si puo affidare tranquillamente a Tineke. Ci siamo stati veramente bene! Alfredo, Katia e Valentina. The Marani is the ONLY place to stay while in Cusco. Everything about the Hostal is what a person looks for in a place to stay. It is located in the San Blas area of Cusco and is but a 5 min. walk to the Plaza. The Hostal is clean and comfortable and always has hot water. The staff is exceptional - they are like family and we look forward to seeing them each time we visit. It is our home away for home. We love the Hostal Marani...

INFORMATION ABOUT CUSCO AND TOURS: The city of Cusco is situated in a valley surrounded by the hills of the Andes, about 3400m above sea level. It its centre we find a lot of history: temples, ruins, archaeological sites, colonial churches and squares. It is worth to visit all, on foot or in a tour, but we have some recommendations: In high season it is difficult to guarantee a tour in which the client is 100% satisfied. People in agencies, hotels and other jobs make their mistakes, which are more frequent in high season when there is a lot of pressure and limited tickets for trains and trails. High season is from mid-June to the end of September. In November starts the rainy season until March, which means that sometimes flights are cancelled, roads and railway blocked by mudslides and rocks, so that even you can not reach Machu Picchu. Best you `ll be prepared and most important: have patience!! GENERAL INFORMATION: On Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Leaves 8.30am and returns about 6.00pm. Visits the markets of Ccorao and Pisaq, lunch in the valley (not included) and then visits ruins and village of Ollantaytambo and on the way back the temple and ruins of Chinchero (sometimes it is too late to have this last visit) daily from 1.30 to 5.30pm Visits cathedral ( s/. 10.00), Sun temple or Coricancha (s/. 6.00), ruins of Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay. IN BOTH TOURS YOU NEED TO BRING YOUR VISITORS TICKET TO ENTER THE RUINS, ENTRANCE FEES TO THE CATHEDRAL AND TEMPLE OF THE SUN ARE SEPARATE!!! Machu Picchu and incatrail: If you want to go to Machu Picchu by the famous incatrail you should make your reservation AT LEAST HALF A YEAR IN ADVANCE! Due to new regulations there are limited entrances, 500 maximum, including tourists, guides, cooks and porters, that means about 280 tourists max. The licensed agencies, guides and dates with availabilities you can find on www.inc-cusco.gob.pe. The agency will ask you a deposit to make the reservations. In high season it can happen that: agencies sell where there are no more tickets they don`t give the service you paid for; especially in train tickets, but that is done by PERURAIL, not fault of the agency. Too much people in a group. Changes at the last moment. tour to Machu Picchu by train: there are 2 services: Vistadome: a little more luxury. The tour includes: transfer to the train station, train tickets, bus tickets, entrance to Machu Picchu, guided tour. You can stay 1 night in Aguas Calientes, down in the valley just before Machu Picchu. It has hot springs and a nice relaxing atmosphere. There are very nice alternatives instead of the incatrail, such as: LARES, SALKANTAY, and CHOQUEQUIRAO OR TIPON. These are hikes in beautiful, more remote areas, with nice villages with Quechua speaking people, archaeological complexes or breathtaking views. You need more information? During the year there are many festivals and activities in Cusco, mainly religious. The most important dates are: Semana Santa, Holy Week. Fiesta de la Cruz, Festival of the Cross. Inti Raymi, Festival of the Sun. National day of independence. Tanager Tours is a leading Tour Operator for Birding trips to Peru and other South American destinations.