Memorable & personalized luxury holidays.
In Peru, find the imprints of both the Pre-Inca and Inca civilisations. Add natural wonders like the Colca Canyon, the giant Andes, Lake Titicaca & the all pervasive Amazon, and the words ‘running short of time’ take on a whole new dimension.
Punta Cuyoc & Huayhuash Trek, North Peru – Trek past sapphire lagunas and undulating valleys ringed by towering snow dusted peaks. Work your way up from the Huanacpatay Valley to the glacial passes at 5,000 m above sea level.
Sand-Boarding, Huacachina, Ica – An oasis town, people come here to sandboard over some of the world’s largest sand dunes or ride over them in a dune buggy. Post adventure time, it has plenty of affordable options to rest and relax.
Adventure Activities, Cusco – It’s not just historic but Cusco is also the base for extreme adventure. Go white water rafting on the Urubamba river. Take a Quad bike tour to lesser known ruins and secluded Andean passes and villages. Or head to Pisac Gorge for rappelling, rock climbing and canyoning.
Surfing in Mancora – Head North to see the world's longest left-handed wave at Chicama and the world's largest left-handed point-break at Mancora. These two spots are literally the Mecca for international surfers and are slowly attracting tourists as well. Whether you get on a board or not, it’s worth going for the action and the seafood.
Lake Titicaca – The highest navigable lake in the world, it is also a wellspring of ancient culture.
Floating Reed Islands of Uros – To escape the Inca wave, the Uros people fled into Lake Titicaca and built islands out of Totora Reeds. Sail out to one, stand on 12 feet of reeds and buy exquisite embroidered tapestries.
Taquile Island – Opening up to tourists only in the 1970s, the Taquileños literally welcome visitors into their homes. No hotels operate here, the local language is Quecha and the way of life undisturbed from Inca times.
Sillustani Funerary Towers – These are no ordinary structures. The chullpas or burial towers of Sillustani date back to pre-Inca times.
Nazca – The Nazca lines consist of over 800 straight lines, geo-glyphs and bio-morphs. These patterns are recognisable only from air. Board a Piper Cheyenne to spot the lizard, monkey, humming bird and condor designs among others.
Qoylloriti – It’s not a re-enactment, but a rite followed for aeons with fervour and faith. Join the Big Andes people for their annual religious procession up the holy mountain of Qoylloriti (Shining Snow), where each village vies for the blessings of the Lord of Qoylloriti sending up delegations of dancers and “pabluchas”!
Condor Trails, Colca Canyon, Arequipa – One of the deepest canyons in the world, Colca refers to small holes made in its cliffs to store food and act as tombs. Start off from the town of Arequipa to Cruz del Condor to see the birds soar the thermal currents. The trails usually include llama spotting, thermal spring soaking and Peruvian beer chugging.
Manú National Park (near Cusco) – A microcosm of the Peruvian Amazon basin, it’s the spot to catch Jaguars, Giant Otters, Capybaras, Emperor Tamarins, Toucans, Macaws and more.
Macaw & Tapir Clay Lick (MNP) – See the living mural created by vibrant macaws as they land on clay walls to ingest the mineral rich mud. Not to be left behind, the indigenous Tapirs also replicate the act.
Eco Lodges, Puerto Maldonado – See the rare, adapted creatures of Peru at the eco lodges in the Puerto Maldonado area. The more remote ones like the Tambopata Research Centre offer sightings of Titi Monkeys, Decoy Spiders, Tapirs and Harpy Eagles. The Refugio Amazonas has a specially designed rainforest trail for kids.
Machu Picchu
The Hiram Bingham Express tops the list of ‘best ways to reach Machu Picchu’.
