Other Destinations in Peru > Peru Experience

Advantages: Stunning location views and history, friendly llamas
Disadvantages: Altitude sickness, hypothermia, food poisoning, exhaustion, terrible food

...the intention of walking the Inca Trail. The "classic" student way to see Machu Picchu is a four-day journey, three days of walking over undulating mountains and camping at high altitude, finishing on the morning of the fourth day descending into Machu Picchu at sunrise. The alternative route is a fairly short train journey which can all be done in one day or with an over-night stay to allow getting to the site early in the morning, or a helicopter ...
...In order to walk the Inca Trail, you need to start from the city of Cusco. We booked flights from London to Lima with the Venezuelan Viassa Airline (the cheapest option at the time) There appeared to be a problem with the plane on take-off and we were surprised to find ourselves being ushered off the plane in Paris, where we sat for hours watching fluid gush out of the plane while "engineers" wandered around the plane scratching their heads. We then ... Read review

Advantages: Visit one of the wonders of the world and meet amazing people
Disadvantages: Long and expensive flights. You must speak spanish

Peru is a place that you will visit and it will change your life. After spending 6 weeks there in summer 2004 it felt like a 2nd home and was very difficult to leave. To start off with the flights are very expensive to get there costing around £600. We found it cheaper to fly from manchester to Amsterdam then on to Lima. However Peru is a developing country and everything once you get there is very cheap. I was traveling with 2 other girls that had ...
...really must have a basic understanding of Spanish! Peruvians generally apart from in the very touristy areas like Cusco do not speak any English. You need to make the effort as your in there country. I spent the majority of my time there in Lima. Most people use this city just as an airport but they are really missing out. Lima has lots of hidden culture and amazing people. You really should take your time to explore it further. Miraflores is just ... Read review

Advantages: A beautiful city in a stunning setting
Disadvantages: Far too popular for its own good

Cuzco is a truly beautiful little city with loads to offer, surrounded by some stunning mountain scenery. It's almost impossible not to fall in love with the place. Cuzco's full of narrow, winding cobbled streets, white colonial buildings, red-tiled roofs, colourful artesania shops, perfect Inca stonework, and cool little cafes, restaurants and bars spilling over everywhere from the main plaza. It's definitely a city with a bit of magic. And if you ...
...which has unfortunately resulted in Cuzco becoming the tourist capital of the entire length of the Andes, a fact that the locals have latched onto with a vengeance - it's impossible to walk around the centre of the city without having finger-puppets, postcards, water-colour paintings and massage offers shoved into your face every few steps. Hence the most commonly used phrase in Cuzco of 'No gracias', which the Irish Pub Paddy's have even stuck onto ... Read review

Advantages: Intriguing past, beautiful interiors, peaceful atmosphere
Disadvantages: The history that made it possible

The convent of Santa Catalina doesn't look much from the outside. Its long outer wall blanks off one side of an otherwise busy street near Arequipa's central square. Arequipa is known as the "white city" because much of it is built of sillar, the local white volcanic stone, but time has stained the convent's porous sillar exterior a dingy grey. The effect is not so much forbidding as simply unappealing, unwelcoming. Still, as Arequipa's main tourist ...
...* The Monastery of Santa Catalina de Siena, to give it is full name, is one of the oldest monastic foundations in South America, dating from 1579. Why it was termed a monastery ("monasterio"), when it has only ever housed a community of nuns and a suitable Spanish word for convent ("convento") exists, is obscure; I shall refer to it as a convent here. Founded by the widow of a leading Spanish/Peruvian notable, the convent was richly endowed from ... Read review

Advantages: Impressive colonial buildings, Spectacular scenery
Disadvantages: Altitude problems, Chances of the occasional riot!

Arequipa is 2,350 metres above sea level and is dominated by the impressive El Misti volcano, whose peak towers over the city at 5,825 metres. Ancient eruptions of El Misti covered the area in pale volcanic tuff called sillar, from which most buildings are constructed, earning the city the title of "White City". The area is prone to earthquakes, the last big one being in 2001, when the cathedral and other city buildings were damaged. Our tour of ...
...that the historic centre of Arequipa was designated a World Heritage site in 2000. On the day of our visit there was a long line of riot police standing guard in front of the cathedral, shields at the ready! There were several groups around the square holding banners and chanting slogans and our guide explained that there had been a revolt in a small Andean town, rebels had taken over the police station and 4 police officers had been killed. The ... Read review