El observador

Ecuador, Peru Trains Honored with IRT ‘World’s Top 25’ Status

2JUN

The Belmond Andean Explorer traverses Peru’s altiplano — the high plains, above the tree line — on the final day of our 3-day journey. IRT Photo by Owen Hardy

Big news!

Freshly returned from a 21-day rail exploration tour, Eleanor and I are proud to announce that South America’s first overnight luxury train, the Belmond Andean Explorer, and Ecuador’s plucky day train, the Tren Crucero, have both nabbed spots on our carefully considered World’s Top 25 Trains® list.

As co-owners of The Society of International Railway Travelers®, the world’s oldest travel agency specializing in luxury train travel, we couldn’t be more thrilled.

Tren Ecuador’s steam engine No. 11 hauled us on our final day. We also enjoyed running behind steam engine No. 58. The railroad boasts five operating steam locomotives. IRT Photo by Owen Hardy

We were expecting the Belmond Andean Explorer to earn our seal of approval. Instead, it absolutely knocked our socks off.

The outstanding chef, warm and professional on-board staff, excellent guides, amazing outings, lovely decor of the new train  — not to mention the absolutely fabulous outdoor viewing deck and the spectacular scenery — all contributed to catapulting the Belmond Andean Explorer into World’s Top 25 Trains® status.

The outdoor platform on the  Belmond Andean Explorer’s rear lounge car was a favorite of young and old alike. IRT Photo by Owen Hardy

Belmond operates some of the wold’s most iconic luxury trains, including the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express,  Belmond Royal Scotsman and, as of just last year, the Belmond Grand Hibernian.

Conversely, we didn’t know what to expect of the Tren Crucero. But we were thrilled with what we found.

Unlike many of our World’s Top 25 Trains®, you don’t sleep on this bright, red train — but its dedicated staff, seamless operation,  and fascinating itinerary are all too good to overlook.

Tren Crucero boasts a fantastic open-air deck in the rear lounge car, the center of a great multi-day program. And a just-announced service level addition — Tren Crucero Gold — will introduce a luxury-level experience for discerning travelers.

We also rode to and from Machu Picchu on an old friend and longtime World’s Top 25 Train®, the Belmond Hiram Bingham day train.

IRT CEO & Founder Owen Hardy and President Eleanor Flagler Hardy enjoy the open-air rear deck of the Belmond Hiram Bingham en route to Machu Picchu. IRT Photo.

Plus, we tested a bevy of Ecuadoran and Peruvian luxury hotels. Old favorites in Peru included Cusco’s Belmond Hotel Monastario and the Belmond Rio Sagradoin the Sacred Valley.

View from Guyaquil’s Hotel du Parque. IRT Photo by Owen Hardy

Given our interest in nature and the outdoors, we also tried two Inkaterra hotels: one in the Sacred Valley, the other near Machu Picchu. They were veritable “gardens of earthly delight.”

The intimate bar at Quito’s exquisite Casa Gangotena. IRT Photo by Owen Hardy

In Ecuador, we loved the gorgeous old-world Casa Gangotena in Quito, an island of calm just off the bustling main square (and a foodie’s delight).

And we greatly admired the verdant setting of Guyaquil’s recently-opened Hotel del Parque.

Most amazing of all was Mashpi Lodge, a Shangri-La smack dab in the Ecuadorian cloud forest. If you love nature (and especially birds), great hikes and wonderful food, you’ll want to stay here two nights, at minimum. Nestor, our delightful guide, was a font of knowledge on the forest and animals around us — and incredibly fun, to boot.

Eleanor photographs the Ecuadorian cloud forest from the “Dragonfly,” an aerial tramway purpose-built for Mashpi Lodge. IRT Photo by Owen Hardy

But for us, of course, the star attractions were the Belmond Andean Explorer,the Tren Crucero, and the Belmond Hiram Bingham.

Watch this space in the coming days for in-depth reports on each.

For info on riding Peru’s Belmond Andean Explorer and Belmond Hiram Bingham, please click here. For info on our tour featuring Ecuador’s Tren Crucero, please click here.

Both programs are in development, and itineraries are subject to change. But call us now, because Peru and Ecuador are both rising stars for travel in 2017 and 2018.

(800) 478-4881 (US & Canada) or (502) 897-1725 (everywhere else).

Owen grabs a photo of the steam engine from the Tren Crucero’s rear, outdoor platform. IRT Photo by Eleanor Hardy

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