Peru Experience

Inca trail - iconic world-class Peruvian hiking trail

Advantages: Stunning views, sense of achievement
Disadvantages: Unbelievably exhausting! Very expensive.

During the peak of the Inca Empire, many steep paved routes were built as a system of highways throughout the empire for the chasqui runners of its ruler (the eponymous Inca) to travel on. If people mention "the" Inca trail, they are referring to the most famous one of all - the paved path leading to the famous Machu Picchu, an Incan city perched on a mountain top high in the Peruvian Andes. Since I was a child and heard of Machu Picchu, I wanted ...
...walk! The Classic Inca trail There are several variants of the Inca trail that take a varying amount of time from one to five days. The one I did was the most popular variant called the classic trail, which takes four days and can be started from either the km 88 or the km 82 marker. These markers refer to the distance out on the railway from Cuzco, a Peruvian city which was once the capital of the Inca empire. The Inca trail takes you over ...

beckyXX 14.11.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: exceptional
Review of Inca Trail - Peru

A little of Peru

Advantages: Nothing
Disadvantages: Nothing

Talking about Peru, my country is talking about a country situated on west centre in Sorth America that was limited by the north west with Ecuador, by the north east with Colombia, by the east Brazil and Bolivia, by the south with Chile and the west with Pacific Ocean in 12851216 kilometre area. Thought Peruvian territorry pas the Andres Mountain Ranges from Bolivia to Ecuador Peru is divided in 3 regions Coast near the sea, the Sierra on the Andes ...
...a Coast that it is like a desert, a Sierra with Mountain and Jungle with many flowers and many animals. This is a kind of Peruvian Geography more or less that I explained to you a little. Now I am talking about some place that you can visit: -Machu Picchu- On the southeast of Lima. One of the new seven wonders, that is group of many inca's places as Intihuatana and another places near the Machu Picchu (Old Mountains) and Huayna Pichu (young Mountain) ...

sokuyoshi 01.12.2008 · Read full review
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Review of General: Peru

Cusco - A very charming city with altitude

Advantages: Beautiful archtecture, Inca ruins, fantastic food, wonderful scenery
Disadvantages: the altitude takes geting used to

Cusco is a beautiful city in south-eastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley (Sacred Valley) of the Andes mountain range (its altitude is around 3,300 m (10,800 ft). It is the former Inca capital city of Peru and was also the Colonial Spanish capital for many years. It is the capital of the Cusco Region and the Cusco Province. The city has a population of 348,935 which is triple the figure of 20 years ago. It has narrow cobbled streets and wonderful ...
...corner. We flew into Cusco from Puerto Maldonado with LAN Air. We were met at the airport and taken to our hotel - The Libertador Palacio Del Inka (I'm waiting for Ciao to let me do a review of this as it is not on their list of products!). While we were checking in we were offered a cup of coca tea to help with attitude sickness ( incidentally it does work and I became hooked on this all the time I was at altitude as it is quite bland and easy ...

catsholiday 23.11.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Cuzco

Clickety clack along the highest track.

Advantages: a different way to travel, you see more of the country
Disadvantages: Takes longer than flying

The Andean express from Cusco to Puno We left Cusco at about 7.15 to catch the 8 am train. The waiting room at the station looked very comfortable with arm chairs but we went straight onto the platform where the train was waiting. The staff check your tickets and passports then direct you to your carriage. You have allocated seats within the carriage. The carriage is set up with armchairs in pairs on one side of the carriage and singles on the other. ...
...two starters - soup or Andean sushi - I had the soup which was very tasty, my husband said his sushi was delicious. The main course choices were lasagne, chicken or beef, all the dishes looked nice and my beef was quite tender and sat in a base of mashed potato. The dessert was rice pudding in a crisp basket with a decoration of red pears in cloves in the corner. The breakfast and coffee was extra but the lunch included. We had only just eaten another ...

catsholiday 10.01.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Andean Explorer train

Arequipa - Peru's white city

Advantages: Architecture, beautiful city, culture
Disadvantages: Distance, altitude

Arequipa is a Peruvian city in the far south of the country that is nestled 2380m above sea level in the Andes, about a half a day drive from the coast. Known as the "White city", from its white stone buildings of unique architecture dating from the Spanish days, it has a very strong European feel. The city is Peru's second biggest city after Lima. We arrived here by bus from the coast which meant it gave us our initial experience of high altitude ...
...Juanita, the Ice Princess Arequipa is the current resting place of Juanita, the Inca Maiden and ice mummy. She was a young girl who lived during the Inca period around 560 years ago and who was selected as a sacrifice on behalf of her people, a ritual called capacocha. Child sacrifices occurred during important or difficult periods (e.g. crop failure) and were of the most perfect children. These children were fattened up before being taken ...

beckyXX 11.10.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Arequipa