"The Andes is the home of wonders - not merely archeological remains, but a place of mystery with an aura of tranquility, exotic plants, rare birds and wildlife."

Tranquility, mysticism, and the wonder of the Inca civilization were the inspirations for Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, a boutique lodge high in the Andes near Machu Picchu Citadel, one of the most celebrated archeological sites on earth. Its small and intimate spa shares those same qualities in a concept the hotel calls UNU, which means water in Quechua, the Native Peruvian language. It combines a mystical Andean approach with classic spa treatments.

Treatments are given in a pretty white room in a small stucco house, with two massage tables separated by long white billowing curtains. A masseur (there are two, a man and a woman) turns the lights down, lights candles, and plays soft Andean music that sounds like a Peruvian Enya.




Traditional massages include foot reflexology, acupressure, shiatsu, stretching and integral body therapy, using all-natural fragrances, oils, creams, and exfoliants derived from botanical extracts.

Foot therapy combines a short massage and a relaxing foot bath, with a natural fragrance that might be mint and eucalyptus, for instance, or Cleopatra's bath, a mix of tree bark and freshly picked leaves, Amazonia, or Andean Pink salt.

Most unusual is the Andean massage, a form of body therapy dating to ancient times. UNU's version combines yoga stretching, meditation, acupressure, exercise movement and reflexology. The massage is given on a reed floor mat, with the guest wearing comfortable loose clothing.

"The masseur asked me to do slow deep breathing during the massage, which I found truly hypnotic," said one guest, "but at the same time the massage was brisk enough to soothe sore muscles." After the treatment, she was offered warm tea made from just-picked lemongrass.

The Andean sauna has no Inca provenance at all. It was invented in a flight of imagination by the hotel owners. Set next to the pool and shaped like a small igloo, the interior of the thatched hut is lined with fresh eucalyptus branches that are refreshed weekly. You sit on benches around fire-heated rocks, and, by shaking water on them, produce steam with a heady eucalyptus-scented aroma. Flickering candles complete the cozy intimate sauna that will be a new, if not strictly Andean, experience.

Set on 62 acres of cloud forest in the heart of Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary, the Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel was built by local laborers using the same materials and techniques as their Inca ancestors had done 500 years ago. Even the baskets of amenities in the very modern bathrooms of the luxurious units honor Inkaterra's

commitment to its environment: fragrant aromatherapy oil and a terracotta container in which to warm it, citronella lotion, organic soap and shampoo, mulberry hair rinse, hand-made terracotta skin exfoliators, and rubber slippers ingeniously carved from old tires.

Nature walks through the hotel's grounds take guests along an orchid trail with 372 native species, the world's largest collection in their natural environment open to the public; a bird watching walk to see 157 bird species, including 16 native species of hummingbirds; 108 butterfly and moth species, more than 200 kinds of trees, and a wide variety of reptiles and mammals, including the rare Andean Spectacled Bear, not to mention the mountain hikes in the cloud forest and from Machu Picchu Citadel itself.

"The Andes is the home of wonders," says Joey Koechlin, a Peruvian native, founder of Inkaterra and owner of the Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, "not merely archeological remains, but a place of mystery with an aura of tranquility, exotic plants, rare birds and wildlife. We wanted to bring all this to visitors, to create a travelers' retreat, a place to relax, explore nature, and encounter the marvels of the Inca civilization."

All massages are 45-minutes long, and cost $50. Room rates start at $187 per person, double occupancy, and include dinner, breakfast and eco-activities on the hotel grounds.

Contact:

Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel

Aguas Calientes

800-442-5042, or 011-51-84-21-1032
www.inkaterra.com