She made it… without too much puffing
Today’s the day, says the gal, to celebrate longevity. This coming Friday, November 4th, 2016, Inkaterra celebrates its 40th birthday with a grand party – and what a pity all the invited, worldwide, cannot be in Peru that day (this is a country I absolutely love, see a Machu Picchu shot, above).
José Koechlin von Stein and his wife Deny were promoting wildlife and sustainability long before 90% of the hospitality world knew what the words meant. They bought Peruvian rainforest as early as 1975, started Inkaterra a year later, and now they have hotels, including a marvellously-restored palace in central Cusco, and resorts in Aqua Calientes, down the mountain from Machu Picchu, in Amazonia and elsewhere. They support butterflies and birds – discovering what seeds particular birds like, they planted appropriate varieties – and wildlife generally.
And they are both so humble. With José and Deny Koechlin travellers seeking authenticity and purpose in south America would miss out on so much. I long to see what luxury lodges and other ideas they have coming up next.
