Peru
The question that I get asked the most is.. What is your favourite country? Now I have many different answers to this question, as I change my mind constantly depending on the circumstances.. BUT, Peru is always the one that comes to mind first! Especially, if I'm looking at it from a hiking/scenery point of view.
Peru is blessed with the iconic Wonder of the World, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca & The Amazon but do not just limit yourself to these! Make sure that you leave enough time to explore the whole country, there is so much more to see, and in my opinion more impressive places to visit here!
Whether it be a beach holiday, altitude hiking to glacier lakes, exploring The Amazon, living the big city life whilst sampling some of the best local cuisine or rediscovering one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Peru really is a hugely diverse country that has immense natural beauty and has something for every type of traveller and every type of budget.
Planning a trip to Peru?
The first major destination entering into the north of Peru, is the coastal resort town of Mancora, a mecca for beach lovers and it also has a lively nightlife. But, our first steps in this mesmerising country were in the northern city of Trujillo, after a long overnight journey crossing the border from Ecuador. Surrounded by deserts this dry and dusty city is well worth a look, with beautiful, eye catching architecture in the main plaza and the nearby, mind stimulating ruins of Chan Chan, Huaca de la Luna & Huaca del Sol that are thought to date back to around 850 AD.
Travelling south down the country, we found our way to Huaraz and the Cordillera Blanca, and instantly fell in love! This small town in northern Peru, once a very much unknown, is now quickly becoming a big hit with backpackers and rightly so! The town itself is not much to shout about, but with a quaint market that has some of the cheapest prices you will find (They sell the same things here, that they sell in Otavalo and Cusco, but a lot cheaper!), and of course it is the gateway to the Cordillera Blanca, the hiking region of the country! Blessed with some of the worlds best hikes, from day trips to 14 day treks this really is a hikers paradise. However, these hikes are not to be taken with a pinch of salt, the town of Huaraz itself sits at 3000m above sea level, and even on day trips you can find yourself hiking at 5000m above sea level and altitude sickness is no joke! Be careful, prepare yourself and make sure you have time to acclimitise before attempting these hikes. Trust me, the hikes are worth it! I have never witnessed scenery like it, throughout the whole hike you are captivated by the surrounding natural beauty, it almost doesn't seem real, and when you think that it cannot get any better you arrive at the summit/attraction and you are blown away. These are the main hikes to do here:
- Laguna 69 (Day trip)
- Pastoruri Glacier (Day trip)
- Lake Paron (Day trip)
- Laguna Churup (Day trip)
- Santa Cruz Trek (4 Days)
- Huayhuash Trek (10-14 Days)
I still daydream about our time in Huaraz even now, so you can imagine how much of a shock it was when we arrived in Lima, a cosmopolitan giant of a city sitting at almost sea level. A polar opposite from the breathtaking (sorry for the pun) city of Huaraz, however, we absolutely loved it!
A foodie heaven, Lima is a very modern city that is well-renowned in the world of food, which in turn came as a pleasant surprise for ourselves after spending more than 4 months on the road up to this point. We hopped from coffee shop to coffee shop, restaurant to restaurant, enjoying a familiar lifestyle to what we lead back home. Also, you have not tasted cerviche until you have tried the cerviche in Lima! This national dish is a must try when you are here!
Following our much needed coffee break in Lima, we headed south past the Nazca Lines to Ica, where we took a short taxi ride to Huacachina, the desert oasis! Yeah, you heard me! This place has to be seen to be believed, hidden amongst the towering sand dunes in the Ica desert is the tiny town of Huacachina. Centered around a small lagoon, lined with a few hostels, restaurants and souvenir shops, this place is massively aimed at tourists and holidaying Peruvians. So make, sure you head there during the week, because as soon as the weekend rolls in, the dunes will be packed full of Peruvians trying to get that perfect sunset picture.
Spectacular views can be had as you climb the tallest dunes, you can witness the most incredible sunsets/sunrises and if you get out early enough, you can feel the serene, peacefulness as an early morning stroll can take you over the endless, smooth canvas like dunes, gently wiped clean of all footprints and tire marks by the morning winds. However, as soon as the afternoon peers its head, so will the tourists and the dune buggies! These dune buggies are insane, they honestly look like they have been constructed on robot wars and wouldn't look out of place on the set of Mad Max. A constant adrenaline rush of impossible vertical inclines, followed by 60 ft vertical drops. It beats any roller-coaster that I've ever been on anyway, just make sure that you hold on! If this wasn't enough for you adrenaline junkies, then maybe sand-boarding down the dunes will do it for you, but again, HOLD ON! You will take a tumble and you will still be finding sand for days on end after you leave!
Still brushing the sand off, we arrived in Arequipa. A beautiful city with possibly the most impressive main plaza in the whole of Latin America. A city blessed with the perfect sunset, as the afternoon comes to an end, the main plaza and surrounding bars/restaurants fill up with anticipation. However, Arequipa's main draw is the nearby Colca Canyon, and its winged cohabitants, the Condors. This 2-3 day trek is a keen favourite with most travellers, that offers remarkable views over the canyon itself.
Our next stop was the home of the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and once capital of the Inca empire. A city drenched in culture, and somewhat overrun by tourists but still manages to keep its charm and is commonly thought of as being among the best cities visited by many travellers, including myself. Anyone who finds themselves in Peru, will no doubt spend a few nights in Cusco, and fall in love with the city. Each and everyone, who steps foot in Cusco, will no doubt be heading to Machu Picchu, whether it be taking the train, hiking the Inca Trail or one of the many other hikes to the wonder. For ourselves we decided to do the Salkantay Trek, a tough, 5 day trek through the most remarkable landscapes imaginable, passing through various different terrains, from snow capped mountains to dry-lands and lush tropical forests, this trek leads you to the town of Aguas Calientes and then ultimately finishes, with you arriving at the Wonder just in time for sunrise. After seeing countless photos of Machu Picchu, I was worried that this would affect my judgement and become somewhat of a anti-climax but, I was wrong. This is a wonder of the world for a reason, it is truly breathtaking!
Next on our list was, Rainbow Mountain. A very tough day trek, reaching 5200m above sea level at the summit is not to be messed with, the air on this trek is so thin, and each step feels like ten. HOWEVER, the view at the end is still one of the most astonishing sights that I have ever laid my eyes on. A spectacular rock formation, blanketed in rows of colours, not to dissimilar to the Peruvian local dress. This region has so much more to offer, the Sacred Valley is home to endless Inca ruins and mysterious sights, such as, the salt flats of Maras and the Moray terraces.
After prying ourselves away from Cusco, it was time to head to Lake Titicaca and Bolivia, and again, following recommendations from other travellers we decided to visit the lake from the Bolivian side but if you wanted to, it can be accessed from Puno on the Peruvian side. As well as Puno, there were a few other places that we did not get to visit in our time here, so make sure that you also check these out..
- Kuelap
- Mancora
- Paracas
- Iquitos (Amazon)
- Nazca
Getting around..
Lets just start by saying, Peru is HUGE! A short journey in Peru is around 8-9 hours, so its a good job that Peru has the best buses that I have come across on all of my travels! The overnight journeys with certain companies are almost like boarding a plane, being provided with an evening meal, breakfast, films, a blanket and a pillow! Don't get me wrong, you don't always want to listen to Fast & Furious full blast in Spanish all night long, but I have definitely had worse journeys! When buying bus tickets just head down to the bus station to buy them, this will always be your cheapest option and sometimes the day before is the best idea to make sure that there is room for the long journeys!
Here are some of the bus companies that we used or heard good things about;
- Cruz Del Sur
- Movil
- Linea
- Trans Titicaca
- Oltursa
- Civa
- Peru Hop
Useful bus websites to use are;
(In 2017 you could get 20% off your first journey with redbus, so make sure that you check!)
Our Route..
Useful Info
- Capital City: Lima
- Time Difference: GMT minus six hours.
- Language Spoken: The official language here is Spanish but other indigenous languages such as,
Quechua & Aymara are also common.
- Local Cuisine: Peruvian food is well renowned as some of the best food in the world and where better to sample it than Peru itself! You have to try the signature dish, Cerviche (marinated raw fish) this is arguably the best place in the world to try it! Other must eats are, Lomo Saltado (fried beef, with onions, tomatoes and potatoes), Cuy al Horno (Roasted Guinea pig.. Yes that's right, the small animals that we call pets, are a delicacy in this part of the world!), Rocoto relleno (Stuffed peppers), and my personal favourite is the Anticuchos! (Cow's heart, served with potatoes and peanut sauce).
- Local Beers & Drink: You will see lots of Pilsen & Cristal here but my favourite beer is Cusquena & the national drink here is the Pisco Sour (A drink torn between here and Chile for where it actually originated).
- Visa: Generally not required for stays up to 90 days.
- Entrance & Exit Fee: No fee is required for most nations but do check for your specific nation, as some countries sometimes have to pay a reciprocity fee.
- Proof of Onward Travel: Not required.
- Currency & Exchange rate (Aug 2018): Peruvian Sol (S/) £1 = $4.20 S/ / $1 = $3.30 PEN
- Useful prices to note;
- 1 night in a hostel (Dorm Bed) = $16.80 - $42 S/ / £4 - £10 / $5 - $12.70
- (Private Double Room) = $33.70 - $210 S/ / £8 - £50 / $10.15 - $63.40
- 1 local beer = $3 - $6 S/ / £0.70 - £1.40 / $0.90 - $1.80
- A meal for one = $4 - $50 S/ / £0.95 - £11.80 / $1.20 - $15
- Average 8 hour bus journey = $50 - $70 S/ / £11.80 - £16.60 / $15 - $21
Peruvian Sol (S/) / British Pound (£) / US Dollar (USD)
Our must visit place..
You have probably already guessed this, but it has to be HUARAZ. This is one of my favourite places in the whole world, I have never had the opportunity to witness such remarkable natural beauty in my life, this place will forever live in my memory. It is hard to narrow down to specifics but when we reached LAGUNA 69, I can honestly say that I was gobsmacked! You have to see it for yourself!
