Peru For Less
Peru is an excellent destination for travellers on a budget. When is it safe and smart to save money? How to make the most of your Peruvian holidays? How to travel through Peru for less?
Learn about useful tips regarding planning, packing, accommodation, food, health, transport, and souvenirs to avoid tourist traps and unnecessary expenses.
Peruvian Holidays 2
Peru has too many holidays to fit into one article. Cusco is an important Peruvian cultural hub, but it is not the only one. Each of the Peruvian regions has its unique folkloric and religious expressions – some of them world famous and rightfully so. What celebrations are popular throughout the Peruvian coast? Which festival is as big as the Rio Carnival? Don’t miss them on your Peruvian holidays!
Peruvian Holidays
Touring Peru
In Peru all roads lead to Machu Picchu. The Qhapaq Ñan the road network of Tahuantinsuyo – The Inca Empire – embodies this. If Machu Picchu is among the new World Wonders, so should be Qhapaq Ñan, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014. Many of the yearly visitors come to Machu Picchu hiking parts of Qhapaq Ñan through routes like the Classic Inca Trail, the Premium Inca Trail, or Huchuy Qosqo to Machu Picchu. It is no surprise that Machu Picchu is the climax of the journey through Peru.
However, Peru has so much more to offer. There are the three different environments of costa – the coast, sierra – the mountains, and selva – the jungle and there are many different civilizations that rose and fell through the long pre-latino history of today’s Peru.
Machu Picchu Pictures
Machu Picchu has something to offer to every visitor. The scientists from different fields continue to understand its harmony with the surrounding environment and the universe. Hikers climb the steep narrow Inca paths to the mountain tops. Photographers look for the best light and camera angle to take that perfect picture. People from all over the world come to fulfill their dream. Machu Picchu continues to fascinate us. This visual essay will take you on a journey around the most iconic spots of Machu Picchu close up.
Discovering Lake Titicaca, Puno, Peru
Titiqaqa – Quechua spelling – is known as ‘the highest navigable lake in the world, with surface elevation of 3,812 meters (12,507 ft).’ [1] The Titicacas’s name is interpreted as ‘puma’, due to the shape of the lake. Temperatures are influenced by the high altitude rather than the tropical latitude. The locals joke to have the cold season and the colder season; the cold season being the dry one and the colder season being the rainy one. The temperatures rarely get over 15°C during the day and the drop below the freezing point at night. Sun rays are very strong in this high Altiplano location, so 50+ sunblock is a must. A pair of comfortable water-proof shoes too.
Things to Do in the Sacred Valley
Stretching along the Vilcanota River, also called Urubamba, the Sacred Valley of the Incas is surrounded by dramatic mountain peaks capped with snow all year long. The river’s name comes from Aymara word Willkanuta, which means ´House of the Sun;´ in Quechua it is called Willkamayu meaning the Sacred River – both original Andean Languages[1]. The Sacred Valley once was an important agricultural, spiritual, and political center for the Inca Empire. Today, due to its lower altitude and warmer climate compared to Cusco, it’s a much sought after destination to relax and acclimatize. The landscape is especially beautiful at its greenest during or after the rainy season.
Things to Do in Cusco
First Adjust to the Alitude. Here in Cusco we are 3,300m above sea-level, so it is best to spend the first day resting. Re-hydrate, limit alcohol intake, and eat slowly, in order to best acclimatize. Chewing coca leaves or one morning cup of coca tea are known remedies for the lower oxygen levels in the altitude. Relaxing camomile tea is recommended for the rest of the day. Had a rest? Now you are ready for Cusco!
Get a Taste of Uniquely Peruvian Expressions
After our blog about Runasimi/Quechua we realised that there are many uniquely Peruvian Spanish jerga (or slang) expressions that were too funny not to share. Enjoy making yourself sound local. Here is our finest and 100% locally verified selection:
Latest Alpaca News – Nobody Escapes Getting a Trim
It’s been quite some time since November 2014 when the first herd of donated alpacas slowly walked into their old-new home near Cusco, Peru. The project began in 2013 with an expertly study of the environment and especially the local grasses. It was most important to make sure that the Andean Camelids originally from Cordillera Vilcanota will prosper before reintroducing them near different communities in the Cordillera Vilcabamba. The necessary funds have been collected thanks to the successful partnership with Dragoman – an overland travel agency from the United Kingdom. Finally the alpacas have returned to the area after having been extinct for 200 years. To this date there are total of 3 herds of alpacas in the mountains and this year 11 new alpaca babies were born. The more animals the better the genome of the species will be preserved and the further they will spread over their original habitat.