Category: Peru

Category Page for all Peru Posts

Categories
Peru travel guide

Visit the ancient enigmas in Peru

Peru is best known for being home to Machu Picchu and the Nazca Lines. For the adventure travelers, hiking the Inca Trail is one of the things they must do while visiting the country. Next time you plan to trek in the Andes, consider exploring the ancient enigmas in Peru .

Puerta de Hayu Marka is located near Lake Titicaca and is one of the strangest attractions in Peru. According to legend a priest passed through the portal into another dimension. Strange things seem to happen here and people have gone missing. But, even so, guided tours are organized so you can see this interesting place.

Cumbe Mayo, located close to Cajamarca, is also a strange place with its canals with sides that are precision cut to 90 degree angles. No one knows how it was done and why. You can also book one of the 2-hours guided tours to this place.

Probably the best-well known enigmas of Peru are the Nazca Lines. No one knows why they are there and what they served for. They are best viewed for air, so you should invest in a flight above them.

Caral is being currently organized for tourism. Restorations are taking place so that the settlement of five pyramids can be explored safely. Meantime, only guided tours are permitted.

The easiest way to organize a vacation to comprise at least some of these sites – and definitely the Nazca Lines – is to look for flights to Cusco . In most cases you’ll make a stop along the way, in one of the large South American hubs. Once in the country, plan to book hostels in Peru . They are cheap but offer the facilities you need. And if you want privacy, just book a private room.

Photo credit

Categories
Peru travel guide

Visit Bolivia from Peru

Underrated and often skipped in favor of more popular South American countries, Bolivia offers a surprisingly diverse and beautiful landscape along with unique experiences like biking on the “world’s most dangerous road,” exploring the jungle and pampas, relaxing in mountaintop hostels or on quiet beaches, and even sipping local wine under the South American sun.

The highlights of Bolivia are many, but you’ve really got to want to see them; air tickets to Bolivia are expensive with few direct connections from the US, and Bolivia visa fees for US citizens make the trip an even pricier one. The visa application requirements including passport-sized photos, round trip tickets or an explanation of the route you’ll take and a yellow fever certificate, for the hefty sum of US$135 at the border (or $100 if you take care of it all ahead of time).  When you add those costs to the not-insignificant costs of visiting another South American country with visa fees, like Brazil or Chile, a trip this otherwise affordable country make become prohibitively expensive.

One way around these mounting costs is to start your trip in Peru. Peru charges no additional fees for American visitors, and as you’ll most likely need to connect from the US anyways, why not do it in Peru? Explore the streets of Lima or knock Machu Picchu off your bucket list before moving on to Bolivia.  The flight from Lima to La Paz is under 2 hours, or if you have more time than money, you can take an overnight bus.

Adding Bolivia to your Peru trip (or vice versa) can help you see more in South America for less.

Photo by nomadical

Categories
Peru travel guide

New Year’s in Peru

The winter holidays are the busiest time of the year to travel. It starts with Thanksgiving, only to continue with Christmas and New Year’s. So, most likely, we are all looking for the cheapest, best and most amazing travel deal.

Between visiting the family and the friends, why not take your time to explore new places? Peru surely sounds like a very good choice for New Year’s.

Star by looking for New Year’s travel deals into Peru. If you cannot find something to suit your free days and / or budget then start looking for cheap flights to Lima . A round trip flight from New York starts at US$826 on Taca International Air, while if you fly from London, be prepared to spend from US$1307 for a round trip flight on British Airways. It’s not cheap but it’s definitely worth it. Now, make sure to look for hotels in Peru .

Do remember that summer in Lima lasts from December to March so you need to pack accordingly. The temperatures can get as high as 28-30C, although the average is 16-24C.

There are many clubs and restaurants which organize New Year’s parties, so choose one according to your budget. Of course, when you book a hotel for your stay in Peru, you can check whether they offer a special dinner and party for New Year’s.

And you can always plan to hike the Inca Trail on New Year’s Day. Now that’s one special way to celebrate the new year!

Photo credit

Categories
Peru travel guide

Is It Better To Be Short or Tall When Visiting Peru?

At just 5 ft 2 in (or 158 cm) let me assure you that many tasks are rather impossible. Many times I ended up using my husband’s hand to hang from when in a bus or metro… cause the rail was way too high for me. And don’t let me start moaning about the produce located on the highest shelf possible and there isn’t any way for me to reach it…

Since the short travelers have it quite hard, hearing the tales of tall travelers made me giggle and got to thinking which of us would be happier when visiting Peru.

Peruvians aren’t exactly the tallest of all people on Earth so everything in the country – domestic transport, buses, etc – is designed to accommodate the locals; which means, short travelers can be happy. Just don’t try to grab anything from the top shelf in the supermarket, please!

Regardless of high though, make sure to book the cheap flights to Peru ahead of time. Typically, about two months before departure is quite enough to ensure low airfare and enough time to plan the entire trip. Also, don’t forget about booking hotels in Peru along with the flight.

A vacation in Peru is not complete without visiting Machu Picchu. It is located just 80 km / 50 miles from Cusco and can be easily reached via the Inca Trail.

You’ll most likely arrive in Peru via Lima, its capital. Round trip flights from New York into Lima start at $598 (in mid-August) while the round trip flight from New York into Cusco starts at $799 (same period).

You won’t break the bank when booking the hotel. A room in a budget Cusco hotel starts at $37 per night. Over all, Peru is a cheap destination but if you are after luxury accommodation, of course, you’ll be paying a lot more per night.

Categories
Peru travel guide

Things to Consider When Booking an Adventure Trip in Peru

hikingSometimes even the most intrepid traveler wants to sit back and let someone else do the work for a change. Because as rewarding as planning a trip from start to finish can be, it can also be exhausting. And hey, wasn’t this supposed to kinda be a vacation?

In these instances, it’s good to know that there are packaged trips that don’t treat people like herded sheep and that won’t result in you losing any indie traveler cred you had to start with. In fact, some of the package trips you can take will force you to be more active and outdoorsy than you might have been if you’d planned the trip yourself. I’m talking about tours that are typically called “adventure trips.”

Adventure trips are more common in some parts of the world than others, and luckily for anyone interested in a trip through Peru there are plenty of choices when it comes to adventure trips in South America.

Not all adventure trips are created equally, as some of them are truly about getting you out into nature for hiking, zip-lining, and the like. Others might just be smaller group tours that utilize local transport and incorporate things like biking trips into what is a relatively normal-looking schedule. You’ll have to look through the options to see which ones appeal to both your travel style and your budget, but the good news is that you won’t be lacking for choice.

A few things to keep in mind when you’re looking at adventure trips in Peru:

  • Not all adventure trips will include your airfare to and from Peru; it’s important to factor this in when you’re looking at prices, but remember you can find cheap Peru airfare elsewhere if they don’t include it.
  • If you have a particular thing you’d like to focus on during your trip, be sure to either let the tour company know that (in case they can accommodate you) or think of extending your trip to Peru to enjoy whatever you might have missed on the tour. For instance, if you’re a wine lover, you might want to do a bit of wine tasting in South America after your organized trip is over.
  • As mentioned in the point above, it’s important to talk to the company running an adventure trip before you sign on – the groups are smaller, so they’re more able to tailor a trip to suit the people on the trip as opposed to just accepting something out of the box. It’s not hard to negotiate with a tour guide, you just need to know what you want beforehand.

As a side-note, a somewhat off-the-beaten-path spot in Peru was featured on a list of 5 “unexpected treasures” of South America recently – so if you can’t find a tour company that includes a stop at the Monasterio de Santa Catalina in Arequipa as part of their itinerary, definitely look into making it a stop on your own itinerary.

photo by Rick McCharles

Categories
Peru travel guide

A vacation to remember: climbing El Misti

el-mistiI have hiked on mountains and hills, climbed the walls of abandoned citadels and always wanted to tempt fate and embark on a journey of a lifetime: climbing one of the famous volcanoes in the world.

Peru is not only famous for being home to the interesting Nazca lines and colorful festivals; it’s also the place where El Misti can be found. El Misti is a volcano, located just outside Arequipa. It last erupted in 1870 and it hasn’t been showing signs of wanting to mess with the travelers’ plans soon.

For those used to hiking, the climb is not a big problem. However, you need to consider the altitude. Arequipa is located 2400 meters above sea level and spending several days here surely helps with getting used to the air. The climbing trip takes two days (and one night). Although the volcano can be climbed as part of a day trip, you need to start very early and be used to the high altitude. So, it’s better to choose the longer trip and spend a night at 4800 meters. There’s nothing like a dinner on top of the world.

The volcano can be climbed year-round but from January to March it can be either rainy or snowy so the trips might get canceled.

Arequipa is served by an airport but if you fly from abroad it’s better to look for cheap flights to Lima . From here, you can take the express bus to Arequipa (they are quite expensive, but they are cheaper than flights and safer than regular buses).

Once the transportation solved, look for cheap hotels in Peru . Arequipa is the second largest city in Peru so it’s easy to find places to stay. Average nightly rates start at US$40-50 but do make sure you read the reviews and choose a safe place to stay.

Exploring El Misti is not the only interesting thing to do while in Arequipa. The historical center is well worth your time and the ancient districts of Yanahuara and Cayma can be quite an interesting experience as well. The city also has beautiful bridges to check out.

Photo credit

Categories
Featured Articles Peru

Festivals in Peru

festivalThere are about 3,000 festivals celebrated each year in Peru. Most of them celebrate the day of saint patron. The festivities mix both the Christians and Andean religions, creating a very colorful and mysterious event. Especially in the traditional villages in the mountains there are several traditional celebrations related to ancient myths.

Most important festivals in Peru

Inti Raymi

This is one of the most important celebrations dedicated to the Sun. The Sun was a very important God in the Inca culture. The main part of the festival takes part at the Ruins of Sacsahuama (located at just 2 km/1.2 miles from Cusco)

Continue reading “Festivals in Peru”
Categories
Featured Articles Peru

Ceviche – the Peruvian national dish

CevicheGastronomy has always been a huge part of the Peruvian lifestyle. In 2006, Lima (Peru’s capital) was declared “Gastronomical Capital of Latin America” which makes eating here even more interesting and the cuisine more appreciated.

What is ceviche?

Ceviche is a form of citrus-marinated sea-food salad, very popular in most of the Latin American countries.

In Peru, raw fish is composted with lime or lemon juice, sliced onion, minced Peruvian ají limo and Andean chilli. The marinated mixture is served at room temperatures. Often it’s accompanied by canchita (chunks of corn, sliced sweet potato and seaweed).

Continue reading “Ceviche – the Peruvian national dish”
Categories
Peru travel guide

Manu National Park

Manu Ntl ParkManu National Park (Parque Nacional Manu) is the largest national park in Peru, covering an area of 15,328 sq km/ 5,918 sq miles. It has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and even today it’s fairly inaccessible by road.

Location

Manu National Park is located in Madre de Dios and Paucartambo, Cusco. The park includes the entire basin of the Manu River, from the Andes up to the Amazon plains.

There are two mains routes to the park:

  • a gravel road from Cusco to Salvacion followed by a travel along the river;
  • by air from Cusco and then travel along the river.

Flora and fauna

The biosphere reserve protects several ecological zones.

Continue reading “Manu National Park”
Categories
Featured Articles Peru

Nazca lines

nazca lines spiderNazca lines remain one of the world’s biggest mysteries. Theories about their purpose range from giant calendar to extraterrestrial landing strip. Lately it’s been discussed that they line are part of a water fertility cult. The lines are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most popular travel destinations in Peru.

Location

On a high arid plateau stretching between Nazca and Palpa, spread over 500 sq km/193 sq miles, there are eight hundred straight lines, forming spectacular drawings of animals and plants (see the Spider in the photo).

Nazca is located at about 272 miles/440 km southeast of Lima.

>>book a cheap flight to Lima

Construction and history

The lines are thought to have been created by three different groups:

  • the Paracas people 900-200 BC;
  • Nazcas 200 BC-AD 600;
  • the settlers from Ayacucho at about 630 AD.

The lines were discovered by the American scientist Paul Kosok in 1939 and have dazzled scholars ever since. Maria Reiche, a German mathematician, studied the lines for decades. She developed the theory according to which the lines were drawn to please the gods.

Visiting the lines

Please note that it’s prohibited to visit the lines on foot. They are almost imperceptible at ground level anyway. To view the lines you need to be up in the air. Several travel operators organize flights (lasting 30 minutes) which depart from Nazca’s airstrip in the morning and early afternoon. You can easily book a flight on the spot as there are many charter airlines offering such services.

A full day excursion in Nazca (departing from Lima), including a flight over the lines can cost up to US$250 per person.

If you don’t fancy paying to view the lines, you can catch a glimpse at the lizards, hands and several other figures, from a viewing platform located on the side of the Pan American highway.