Clara F.
Incompetent handling of Salkantay Trek
Unfortunately we had a horrible experience using Bamba Travel for our Salkantay Trek in May 2025. We booked several months in advance, but when we showed up for pre-briefing (10 hours before we have to leave for the trek) our guide tells us that we have no entrance ticket to Machu Picchu even though it was included. And I mean, that’s the exact reason that you book in advance, because they get sold out. Our guide suggests that we skip a day of trekking to get to Aguas Calientes 1 day before to get the tickets. We got no apologies whatsoever, and had no choice but to do as our guide says since everything is sold out at this point. To get the tickets, we end up standing in line in 6 horrible hours from 3.40am to 10am and then 1 hour more in the evening to collect the tickets. There were no tickets left for rute number 2 and no morningtickets left (the good rute, which we were supposed to have). We got the tickets, yes, but late tickets for rute number 3. This also ment that the train back to Cusco was after sunset, which meant that we didn’t saw all the beautiful views. Complete waste. The way Bamba handled this situation was completely unacceptable. They wouldn’t tell us where the mistake occurred, and they didn’t offer any compensation at all. Not even told us that they were sorry about the situation. Overall they did not take any responsibility at all, even though it was completely their fault and responsibility. We CANNOT recommend using Bamba in regards of tours going to Machu Picchu. The one star is dedicated to our chef who made wonderful food on the trek and the other star is dedicated to our guide, Francisco, who did his very best to give us a good experience.
Response from Bamba TravelJun 17, 2025
Hola Clara, Thank you very much for taking the time to share your feedback regarding your Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu. We're genuinely sorry that your experience didn't meet expectations, especially considering the careful planning involved for such a significant trip. After discussing thoroughly with our operations team, we can confirm that this unfortunate situation did not originate from Bamba Travel's planning or organisation. The problem stemmed from a major technical failure within the Peruvian government's Machu Picchu ticketing system in mid-May 2025. An official audit recognised that widespread overselling and duplicated tickets affected numerous travellers, resulting in the unexpected shortages you encountered. While this issue was completely beyond our direct control, we worked quickly to find the best possible alternative under difficult circumstances. Our team rearranged the itinerary to ensure you could still access Machu Picchu, albeit at a later time slot and on Route 3 instead of your original morning Route 2. We greatly appreciate your patience during that challenging situation and sincerely regret the inconvenience of the disrupted itinerary. We completely understand your frustration—missing the sunrise experience at Machu Picchu is disappointing, and we truly empathise with the impact this had on your overall adventure. We assure you that we did our utmost to minimise disruption, including assisting you in the queue at Aguas Calientes and adjusting logistics at no extra cost. On a brighter note, it means a lot to us that your guide Francisco and your chef provided wonderful support and culinary experiences throughout the trek. Your positive comments will certainly be passed along. We take your feedback very seriously; it helps us constantly improve and ensure unforgettable experiences for future journeys. We'd welcome another chance to share the exceptional service and responsible travel practices we're known for. Thanks once again for providing honest and valuable insights regarding your experience. Warmest regards, The Bamba Team