Travel with Beverly to Peru and Cuba
WHS Spanish teacher Beverly Stuart lived in Peru for 12 years running a pizza restaurant and working with tourists while also bringing up a family. She came to Whanganui to help look after her parents and didn’t plan to stay long but she fell in love with the community. She would go back for the “odd summer holidays” but it wasn’t until 2007 that she decided to set up her own business taking New Zealanders, initially to Peru and then later to Cuba.
She admits, “I always talked about it,” but it wasn’t till a couple of friends and avid travellers asked her what was needed to do it, that she acted. Within six months she had taken her first group to Peru.
Travelling with Beverly has some real advantages for anyone wanting to experience one of the most interesting countries of Latin America. Beverley understands the places, the history, the culture - and where the good food places are.
She works in with her ex-husband, who she describes as “the best tour guide in Peru. He knows his stuff and a wide range of people.” Beverly goes on all her trips and uses her fluent Spanish to negotiate where-ever necessary.
Trips to Cuba became a reality about five years ago. To visit Cuba was “a lifelong passion” for her, inspired initially by the music but then by the culture and friendliness of the people. Most years she will do one trip to Cuba in April and one to two trips to Peru, with one scheduled in for late August next year.
In 2019 she will also be going to Spain with a group of students and teachers from High School, where she teaches Spanish. She has already taken two High School trips to Peru as well as one group from Collegiate.
The groups are small. For Cuba she prefers six to eight – “enough to fit into two cars.” For Peru the groups will be a little larger. Most of the group come from Whanganui but there are always people from other parts of the country
The flight organisation is done by Cathy Taylor, an independent travel broker working with The Travel Brokers. Flying there involves going first to Santiago in Chile, where depending on the preferences of the group, they can stay a day or two to see the sights.
For more information and/or bookings contact Beverly on 021 1710 544.
River City Press 25/10/18