Peru

Machu Picchu, Culco Canyon, Nazca Lines, Amazon Rainforest

One decision to be made is what time of year to go.  I will always prefer to travel when it isn’t as hot and there are fewer tourists.  Thanks to COVID, Peru is still not as busy as it once was, some areas told us 25% while Machu Picchu maybe 40%.  The most pleasant times and busiest times to go are July- September.  We hit Lima on the Winter Solstice, so while all of our friends were sweating at the beach in Florida, we arrived in winter.

Arrival/Lima

The first step in a Peruvian vacation is getting there.  From the Southeast, Delta: Atlanta to Lima redeye was a perfect choice for us.  We arrived in Lima at 5:15AM, checked into our hotel, and started a walking food tour at 10:30AM.  Most information you find will suggest staying in Miraflores with views of the ocean (great if you want American restaurants and to shop at H&M).  We preferred the bohemian suburb of Barrancos for culture, art/graffiti, and the best restaurants.

• Delta redeye Atlanta-Lima arrives at 5:15AM
• Hotel: AC Marriott in Miraflores
  •  Recommend Barranco’s book for an apartment on booking.com
• Food tour booked on Viator (ask for Ximena)

Ballistas Islands, Nazca Lines, Haucachina (Desert Oasis)

Peru is not a country where you can do it all.  There must be some choices made and there are places that are going to be left out unless you have a month to visit.  Our entire family would agree that the following is a must.  Pickup at 4:00AM, transfer to Ballistas Islands (mini Gallapagos).  Although not an avid bird watcher, this was amazing.  It is hard to comprehend the shear number of birds on these islands (maybe something out of a scary movie and the smell!).  But we came for the penguins and the sea lions.  Due to the cold temperatures of the ocean, small penguins and enormous sea lions are in abundance in this area. 

After returning, we took a 20 minutes ride to the Nazca Airport and boarded a 12 seater plane.  At this time, this was the only flight that had reopened from this airport. It looked apocalyptic.  This 90 min flight was something to experience.  With a long history of motion sickness, I premedicated me and the kids with scolpolomine patches and we were able to enjoy the hairpin turns so that each side of the plane saw each Nazca line.  It was extremely impressive to see 2000 year old heiroglypics from this angle.  Griffin and I definitely prescribe to the alien theory after witnessing the “astronaut” that looks exactly how I would draw an alien.  It was definitely an accomplishment to disembark without a sickness bag in hand, but well worth it.  Then on to our favorite adventure of the day:  dune buggy at Haucachina. 

Haucachina

Driving through the desert for hours then actually coming to sand dunes and a desert oasis was mesmerizing.  One of the coolest cities I have even been too.  Of course touristy, but we met our guide Oscar from Venezuela and took off for 2.5 hours in on the sand dunes.  It was amazing and terrifying all at once.  We took breaks to sand sled (kids were too young to actually use real sand (snowboards) so all we had were straps to use to sand board.  Not the easiest but still awesome and filled our underwear and boots with plenty of sand.  We stopped and watched the sunset over the dunes for some once in a lifetime pictures, then headed back in the dark (also amazing) for dinner and a night in Haucachina. 

• Always private transfer, enough room to lay down and sleep
• Possibility to fly from Nazca into Arequipa, but airport is closed due to COVID

Travel from Haucachina to Arequipa to Culco Canyon

Drive from Huacachina to Lima (3 hours), then another lunch in Barrancos, before heading to the airport for 1 hour flight to Arequipa.  Once landing, met another guide and embarked on another 3 hour drive through another completely different landscape to Colca Canyon.  Through this drive, you stop to have Coco tea (Coco is the leaf when processed becomes cocaine, but no drug capabilities except help with atlitude sickness when chewed or in tea) which you need because you have a stop at over 16,000 feet where your head will feel like it is about to explode (we forgot to start taking Diamox 2 days prior, we didn’t forget again).  The trip down into the canyon is beautiful and rewarded with dinner and a nighttime soak at the natural hot springs beside the river.  The Colca Canyon Lodge and Resort is a gem and not to be missed.  We stayed in the only suite with the kids in a room next door.  I highly recommend booking early, there is only one and the sunrise from bed is worth it.

• Again private transfer, you have had minimal sleep at this point
• Stay at least 1 night but recommend due at the Culco Canyon Resort and Spa
• Get the Suite for the sunrise and private “hot springs” pool

 Mirador of the Condors/Colca Canyon

After breakfast, you have a 2-3 hour tour to see condors, the canyon, and we ziplined across the river and had a birds eye view of our lodge.  The rest of the afternoon was free for soaking in the hot springs and finally some relaxation. 

Travel from Colca Canyon and Arequipa

We had the staff fill our private outdoor tub (pump hot water from the hot springs) at 5:30AM so we could have a sunrise soak, then headed back to Arequipa.  The ride is a little faster with fewer stops, but is only 53 miles and still typically takes 3 hours.  The active volcano gave us a show with bursts of smoke on our exit.  In Arequipa, we chose a cool 3 star hotel Casona Solar.  We rented the apartment room which was a hit, then hit the town for another food tour.  The reason to visit Arequipa is for the food and it is called the white city because of historical reasons, but most of the buildings are white and it is very clean.  The Armas de Plaza was a mini San Marco Square.  We ate sushi, Chinese fusion, and of course guinea pig (tastes like dark meat chicken).  We took the kids back to the hotel and went out for more pisco sours on the rooftop overlooking the Armas de Plaza.

• Stay at least 2 nights in Arequipa to eat and take in the sites
• Casona Solar (apartment was $100 USD)
• Food Tour on Viator ask for Alonso
• Try to guinea pig

Travel from Arequipa to Cusco

There is one direct flight first thing in the morning that we took and arrived in Cusco.  From the airport (very desolate-post Covid), our driver took us to Plaza de Armes.  We explored but found that we were harassed continually by merchants trying to sell us tours, etc. (they were very nice when you turned them down).  We left for The Sacred Valley and to our hotel in Urubambo Tambo del Inka.  Talk about amazing from food to service to the water therapy/spa.  We enjoyed our two “down” days prior to our trek to Machu Picchu.

Tambo del Inka, Urubamba

• Marriott Luxury Hotel, but no more expensive than a big city in USA
• Instead of 2 rooms, get a suite and they will bring in 2 rollaways and a door to close them off 😊
• Due to my status with Marriott, got an upgrade to a terrace view
• The best part, breakfast starts at 5:00AM so you never miss it and it is AMAZING!
• Urubamba great little city: do not miss lunch at Kampu
• Sushi/thai/peruvian: 

The Inka Trail

The Inka Trail through Sungate is a 5-day trek through some high-altitude and steep terrain, but what an experience.  Due to my upcoming hip surgery and the kids not yet being teenagers, we opted for the 8-mile trek through the Sungate.  We anticipated a hard hike, but not 7 hours.  We are strong hikers, having climbed Kilimanjaro and Kalapatar in the Himalayas, but I underestimated this hike.  We highly recommend, but the heat was surprising, it is winter (July 2, 2022), but the first 3 hours of the hike are in the direct sunlight and a large elevation gain.  We started at 9,400 ft, but you gain and lose throughout the trail that is cut into the side of the mountain.  None of my crew are scared of heights, and I felt there was no part of the trail that was dangerous, but to some it would be very scary due to the sheer steep drops. We don’t tend to drink that much on our hikes, but the 4 of us went through 4 Gatorades and 4 waters by lunch, and still no one needed to use the restroom.  The peak of the hike and lunch is at Wiñayhuayna, an Incan ruin you can see throughout the trek.  It is a joy to be there, and the rest of the trek is mostly in the shade.  After lunch, it was pleasant hiking with still stone steps and climbing, but much more enjoyable.  You reach the Sungate after about another 1.5 hours and get your first glance at Machu Picchu.  We descended to the top of Machu Picchu, then took the bus down to Aguas Calientes for the night.  We chose to stay at Inkaterra Pueblo Hotel, which was amazing.  We had a suite with our own “pond” or hot tub and all-inclusive dinner, but we were too tired to enjoy the rest of the location.  For the money, I would stay in a hotel that is closer to the bus drop-off and eat on the main street.  If you are staying in Aqua Calientes for a few days, absolutely stay at Inkaterra if your budget allows.

What a great hotel to stage for Machu Picchu.  It has a great breakfast, pool, spa and Urubamba is not touristy like Cusco or Aqua Calientes.  Do not miss lunch at Kampu.  You have to have reservations, Eduardo only gives you a reservation if he feels good vibes from you and if he has enough food to feed you.  Absolutely amazing fusion of Peruvian, Morrocan, Indian and Thai.  Best meal and experience we had in all of Peru. 

• Don’t underestimate even the 2-day
• Bring double the water you think you will need
• Sunscreen needs to be reapplied every 30 minutes
• Bring candy: gummy worms, chocolate, and always oatmeal cream pies
• Bug spray, but we hardly had any issues with bugs

Machu Pichhu Tour

6:00AM on a bus back up the mountain (25 min) to tour inside Machu Picchu, which may not be possible in the next 5 years, so hurry and go.  Then, we started on our hike of Huayna Picchu. Steep, steep climb, even sometimes using your hands, but so much more enjoyable in the shade.  Took some amazing pictures, then had lunch back and Intaterra. 

• Book through a company, it is too hard to navigate where and when you need to show tickets and passports (we had 2 checkpoints through the trek).  We had a great guide who was great when our kids wanted to give up.
  • The package should include:
    • Transfer from Cusco, pickup at Tambo, transfer to train station, Vistadome train,
    • Trek, bus ride, drop off at hotel
    • Pickup for bus, bus ride, tour, Huayna Picchu hike, bus down, lunch, Vistadome, drop off at Tambo
    • Transfer to the Cusco airport on departure
• Must do the Huayna Picchu hike
  • Go first at 7:00AM, and only encounter a couple of other people
  • By 10:00AM, many, many more people
• Go within the next 5 years if you want to tour inside of Machu Picchu

Rest and spa day at Tambo Del Inka

              Lunch by the river and thai massages—perfect day!

Headed to the Amazon

• Departure for airport and LATAM airlines to Iquitos (layover in Lima)
• Pickup by Treehouse Lodge staff at airport and transfer to boat that take you along the river to the Treehouse resort.
• Stayed in Casa Grande Treehouse one of the only that could accommodate four.

What we didn’t do:

• Rainbow Mountain trek
  • Hard hike over 17,000 feet
  • Based on the weather, colors may not be as vibrant
  • Most of the photos you see are photoshopped
• Puno/Lake Titicaca
  • Would have loved to see this
  • One of the 7 chakras of the world if you are into that
  • It is large with many islands and floating villages on reeds