Some trips are born twice - Peru April - May 2025 (page 12 of 13)

About the photos of Peruvian women with alpacas, I really got the feeling that we contributed, despite ourselves, to the discomfort of the baby alpaca... There were two adults and a little one 😕

I think we all end up regretting some things we did during a trip at one point or another. The most important thing, in my opinion, is to share this kind of information on forums and social media to raise awareness among future travelers and help them avoid making the same mistake.

Indeed, as tourists, we don’t realize what it means for the animals.

Yeah, we’re often not attentive enough to these kinds of things. It’s the same with sweets handed out to kids, "safaris" where you can pet lion or tiger cubs… But on VF, there are regular warnings, and I think that’s really great.

Shortly after, Laurent calls me back: there’s still space on the 10:00 AM flight. We give our okay and receive our boarding passes five minutes later. What efficiency!

Shows that even if you love traveling independently, it’s sometimes handy to have a local contact (as long as they’re as efficient as Laurent ;)).

Indeed :)

Of course, we could’ve made this change without Laurent, but it’s really convenient not to have to spend time on it. Plus, the price we paid for this service was more than reasonable. Personally, I’d definitely use TP again.

To descend on foot to the Urubamba River, it’s now forbidden to walk along the basins (to prevent degradation of the site, ...). You might still be able to take the path located above, on the left flank of the Salinas, which starts before the (paid) entrance to the site.

Thursday, May 8

The hotel receptionist booked us a taxi. We head to Cusco Airport, our flight goes smoothly, and we arrive in Lima on time. We pick up our luggage right away and meet Richard, our driver, who’s waiting in the hall and takes us to the Holiday Inn Airport hotel, where we drop off our things.

Approaching Lima Airport

We then set off for downtown Lima and are dropped off in front of the Basilica del Santísimo Rosario. From there, we walk to Plaza Mayor to admire Lima Cathedral and the elegant buildings surrounding it. We continue our stroll to the San Francisco Convent, then to the Muralla Park. From there, we have a stunning view of the Rímac district and its colorful houses built on the hillside. Despite the tempting view, we decide not to venture there due to the risk of mugging.













The view of the Rímac district

For lunch, we enjoy a ceviche at the Muralla restaurant before returning to Plaza Mayor. We then visit the Central Reserve Bank of Peru Museum, a former bank turned into a museum to preserve and showcase its art collections. Entry is free—just pick up a badge in the neighboring building.



We then wander down the main pedestrian street to Plaza San Martín, pass by the Iglesia de la Merced, and return to Plaza Mayor for a cocktail at a bar with a great view of the square. We wrap up with a visit back to the Basilica del Santísimo Rosario. A few police officers are stationed at the entrance, but they let us in without any issues.



Richard picks us up to take us back to the Holiday Inn Airport hotel. We have a quiet dinner at the hotel restaurant. Laurent had strongly advised us not to walk around Callao at night.

To be continued... Read the next part of the travel journal

When traveling in Peru, one detail quickly catches your eye: the many houses that seem never to be finished. Everywhere, steel rods stick out of brick walls, roofs are missing, and you can tell an extra floor is waiting. In some regions, it even feels like half the homes—whether in cities or villages—are left unfinished.

At first, it’s easy to assume it’s due to a lack of funds. That’s what we thought too. But one of our drivers gave us a completely different explanation: often, Peruvians *choose* not to finish their houses to avoid paying property taxes. They live in the completed parts—ground floors or habitable levels—and leave the rest under construction, sometimes indefinitely.

A surprising explanation that completely changes how you see these unfinished urban landscapes. Behind these open-to-the-sky houses, it’s not always about financial struggles, but rather a tax strategy.

Friday, May 9th and Saturday, May 10th

The breakfast buffet is hearty and varied—we make the most of it. Afterward, we take the shuttle to the airport, where we check in our luggage without any issues.

Our Iberia flight to Madrid takes off on time, and we arrive as scheduled. In Madrid, we have to switch terminals quickly since we only have 1h20 before our connecting flight. Despite the tight window, everything goes smoothly, and we board on time for our flight to Geneva.

We land in Geneva at 9 AM. From there, we take the train and then the bus to get home. This incredible trip to Peru comes to an end, but it leaves us with unforgettable images and emotions.

I’ll post a trip summary soon.

Thanks Carmen for this beautiful travel journal. I’m looking forward to your wrap-up, and I’ll get back to you if I need any more details. Larri

When traveling in Peru, one detail quickly stands out: all those houses that seem never to be finished. Everywhere, steel rods stick out from brick walls, roofs are missing, and you can tell an extra floor is waiting. In some regions, it even feels like half the homes—whether in cities or villages—are left unfinished.

At first, it’s easy to assume it’s due to a lack of funds. That’s what we thought too. But one of our drivers gave us a completely different explanation: often, Peruvians choose not to finish their houses on purpose to avoid paying property taxes. They live in the completed parts—ground floors or habitable levels—and leave the rest under construction, sometimes indefinitely.

A surprising explanation that completely changes how we see these unfinished urban landscapes. Behind those roofless houses, it’s not always about financial struggles but rather a tax strategy.

Yeah, not everyone can do like we do, where our money partly disappears into tax havens. As for trickle-down economics, we’ve never seen it materialize!

What you’re describing, I’d heard about it a long time ago in Turkey. Maybe in other countries too. If you walk around Thailand, you’ll see empty lots with a few scattered banana trees or other sparse crops—it’s for the same reason.

Did you and Guillaume plan this together to finish almost in sync?😉

Thanks Carmen for your varied and interesting travel journal 🙂

Did you and Guillaume coordinate to finish almost at the same time?😉

Not at all😅 I'm way behind on reading some travel journals, including Guillaume's.😊 I'll catch up on all that... but probably after we get back from our vacation.

Hi Carmen,

To anyone interested in the subject of these monumental constructions scattered in very specific places around the world, I highly recommend going on YouTube and watching one or more of the documentaries titled "Ancient Builders of the World." They also cover Peru. It’s absolutely fascinating.

For me, it was a revelation and an answer to questions I’d had for many years. Even an answer to questions I hadn’t asked myself, simply because I hadn’t been observant enough. Trapped between shaky scientific assumptions on one side and overly far-fetched theories on the other, many of us may not have considered the possibility that, in the end, was the most logical.

The documentary that blew me away the most was the one about the Barabar Caves in India. Mind-blowing!

There will soon be a new series of about 8 one-hour documentaries focused solely on South America.

Hello

....To all those interested in the subject of these monumental constructions scattered in very specific places around the planet, I highly recommend going on YouTube and watching one or more of the documentaries titled "Ancient Builders of the World." Peru is also discussed in them.

Your message is a good reminder that, for about fifteen years now, plans have been in place to build a new international airport near Chinchero. The only argument put forward is to address the isolation of the current Cusco airport, which is not easily accessible. Unfortunately, the earthworks have already begun The Sacred Valley will never be the same again. JLMA

Hi Joel,

I found this documentary that seems to have several episodes.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pjaza_IQPgg

I’ll have something to keep me busy one of these evenings. 🙂

Your message gives me the opportunity to remind everyone that, for about fifteen years now, plans have been in place to build a new international airport near Chinchero. The only argument put forward is to address the isolation of the current Cusco airport, which is not easily accessible. The earthworks have unfortunately begun. The Sacred Valley will never be the same again. JLMA

When we passed through Chinchero, our driver actually showed us the construction site. It’s really a shame for the Sacred Valley.

He explained that most of the locals in Chinchero support the project because the airport is expected to create jobs. According to him, several hotels are already planned, including one under construction at the time of our visit.

From what he said, many people are mainly focused on the economic benefits and haven’t yet fully grasped the impact this airport will have, particularly in terms of noise. Once it’s operational, it will indeed allow for an increase in the number of flights in the region.

I felt I owed it to my fellow VF members to share the chance to discover these fascinating documentaries. The further you get into watching, the harder it becomes not to be convinced by such an accumulation of facts and evidence. Simply put, I’d say it’s because we’re closer to the truth than ever before. Plus, I’ll add that the 1994 discovery of the Göbekli Tepe site in Turkey alone turned humanity’s history upside down. Just look at these things—they’re over 11,000 years old! Even just from a cultural standpoint, these documentaries are clearly worth watching. My wife and I were glued to the screen... And in a way, it’ll complement your trip.

After watching *Builders of the Ancient World*, if you then watch the full documentary on the Barabar Caves, I guarantee you’ll have a great moment of reflection and meditation...

I’d be happy if some VF members shared their thoughts afterward. As for me, I’m really satisfied to have, in a way, understood the missing link, so to speak.

Here’s a little recap of our trip. 🙂

As you’ve probably gathered, we absolutely loved our stay in Peru, especially for the diversity of landscapes, the richness of the culture, and the countless hiking opportunities. It’s tough to rank or pick real favorites—there were so many! Honestly, we loved every stop.

Looking back, if we were to do it again, we’d try to plan a few extra days for a longer trek. The three days we spent at the foot of Ausangate were simply stunning… we’d have clearly loved for it to last longer!

Here are some tips, step by step. They reflect only our experience and our way of traveling, but they might be useful to some of you.

Lima: We wouldn’t necessarily recommend a quick visit to the city between two flights if you only have a few hours. Traffic is heavy, traffic jams are frequent, and getting to neighborhoods like Miraflores, Barranco, or downtown can take a lot of time.

For our part, with a flight the next morning, we still enjoyed a little trip to the city center.

Arequipa: For us, visiting the Santa Catalina Convent is a must.

Colca Canyon: If you like walking, we highly recommend spending one or two nights in the canyon. The ideal way is to hike clockwise: descend from Cabanaconde to Sangalle, then climb back up from San Juan de Chucho to the San Miguel viewpoint. This way, you avoid most of the groups, and the view of Sangalle is truly stunning. However, the descent is the steepest part.

Staying in San Juan de Chucho is a great alternative to Sangalle, especially in the cooler season. The sun disappears early in the canyon, and it gets cold quickly, so you don’t necessarily get to enjoy the pools.

If you don’t want to sleep in the canyon, the hike to the Chimpa fortress is an excellent option: shorter and less demanding, but just as beautiful.

Route between Colca Canyon and Lake Titicaca: We’ve read several times that it’s a shame to do this route at night, and we confirm. If you can do it during the day, you won’t regret it. The Andean highlands are gorgeous, and there are several interesting stops along the way.

We particularly loved the Sillustani site. It’s a small detour, but it’s really worth it.

Lake Titicaca: For our part, we’d advise avoiding Puno and the "assembly-line" excursions. Instead, we chose to stay on the Capachica peninsula, which is less touristy. The accommodations are simple but pleasant, and the atmosphere is much quieter. You’ll find small places, like B&Bs run like little hotels with the option to have dinner on-site.

We barely saw any tourists: we were the only ones in the colectivo and on the boat to Amantani. It’s hard to say what it’s like in high season, but since there aren’t many accommodations, it should stay pretty calm. We really enjoyed our visit to the market in Capachica, where we didn’t see a single tourist.

From Capachica, accommodations can easily arrange a boat to Taquile. This lets you avoid the groups coming from Puno. We’d recommend not arriving at the main port and don’t hesitate to climb up to the Mulsina viewpoint: groups usually don’t have time to go there.

Amantani is different but just as beautiful. We spent a night with a family Laurent knows. No folklore on our side: no costumes or "organized" activities, just lodging and meals, like a classic B&B with meals included.

Big plus: staying on the island lets you enjoy the sunset from Pachamama or Pachatata—truly stunning!

We didn’t visit the Uros Islands near Puno; they seemed way too touristy. Instead, we went to the Uros Titinos, which are farther away and less accessible.

So, the Uros Titinos… yes, it’s also touristy, but less so than the Uros near Puno. At least, it’s acknowledged: they clearly explained that no one lives there permanently anymore.

We probably wouldn’t go back, but we don’t regret it either. The explanations were interesting. Let’s just say it’s something to do once, kind of like a mini open-air museum.

On the other hand, we’d go back to Taquile in a heartbeat (big favorite) and happily to Amantani. Would we have enjoyed these islands as much during the dry season? I don’t know.

Route between Lake Titicaca and Cusco: We loved the Puya Raimondii forest: these plants are really impressive.

If you’re not taking a direct bus, why not take the opportunity to visit Palcoyo Mountain, either as a very long day trip or, even better, by spending a night in San Pedro before or after Palcoyo, depending on the visits planned along the way.

Vinicunca (Rainbow Mountain): Vinicunca is very, even too touristy, but if you plan well, you can avoid the big groups coming from Cusco. Either by going very early in the morning (like we did, since we were staying nearby at the end of the trek) or in the afternoon when the tourists have already left.

For us, the real highlight is the Red Valley. We’d recommend at least hiking up to the pass to enjoy the view: there were hardly any people, we were alone at the top.

Cusco: We especially loved strolling around the San Blas neighborhood. We also enjoyed the Sacsayhuamán archaeological site.

Pisac: Very beautiful archaeological site. We’d recommend driving up and then walking back down to the village.

Ollantaytambo: Lovely village and very beautiful archaeological site. Best visited early in the morning to avoid the groups.

The Pinkuylluna site, just across, is also worth the detour. We visited it in the morning, but the lighting is better in the afternoon.

Machu Picchu: Yes, the train to get there is expensive, and yes, it’s crowded… but the many visitors disperse pretty quickly. Going to Peru without visiting Machu Picchu would be a real shame.

We’d advise against walking up from Aguas Calientes to the archaeological site unless you don’t want to pay for the bus (which is indeed quite expensive). Several people advised us against it: you climb through the forest without any real view, so it’s up to you.

Climbing Huayna Picchu was a real dream for me, and I really wanted to do it. This mythical mountain attracted me even more than the Machu Picchu site itself. But be careful: if you’re afraid of heights, it’s best to avoid it.

We had two tickets: one for the Huayna Picchu ascent and a visit to the lower part of the site in the morning, and another to visit the upper part in the afternoon. For the latter, we had a guide. And honestly, visiting with a guide really adds value—it helps you understand the site and gives you access to places that are off-limits to visitors without a guide. It’s a real advantage for taking photos.

Moray, Maras, Chinchero: Chinchero doesn’t seem like a must-see to us, but it’s more or less on the way.

Moray is interesting to visit, and we were lucky to have our driver’s explanations. Without that, we might not have appreciated the site as much.

Maras, on the other hand, we really loved: the colors are gorgeous. If you like walking, we’d recommend asking your driver to drop you off at the village of Maras and walk to the salt mines. It’s flat, pretty, lets you stretch your legs, and you might meet people working in the fields, see alpacas and llamas… In short, a really nice walk.

Our trek: As you’ve gathered, we loved our three-day trek. We can’t really give precise advice, except to choose your agency well and make sure the rented sleeping bags are warm enough. For our part, we preferred to bring our own, with a comfort temperature down to -15 °C.

The three young French women who were at Rainbow Mountain at the same time as us really suffered from the cold at night, which clearly impacted their experience.

Restaurants: You eat very well in Peru, and the quality-to-price ratio of slightly "upscale" restaurants is really good. We took full advantage of that in Arequipa, Cusco, and Ollantaytambo.

Hotels: There’s something for every budget. For my part, I struggled a bit in Cusco to find what I wanted: many hotels offer rooms without windows or with a window opening onto the hallway, so no fresh air. I really wanted to avoid that, and it wasn’t that simple.

In Colca Canyon, the Colibri Lodge was perfect. We’d also heard to be careful with some accommodations at the Sangalle oasis. But as always, tastes vary.

We were happy with our hotel choices.

Conclusion: This trip to Peru will remain a very beautiful memory for us. The diversity of landscapes, the cultural richness, and the variety of experiences make it a truly exceptional destination.

We’ve tried to share our feelings and some tips from our own experience here. Of course, everyone travels differently, and what we liked might not appeal to everyone.

If this information can help some of you prepare for your trip or refine your itinerary, that’s great. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate. 🙂

Hi Carmen.

Thanks for this really comprehensive summary. I’m waiting for our phone meet-up with Laurent (in about ten days, since he’ll be in Paris in June) to touch base and ask him for some adjustments. Maybe to get us the same guides and drivers you liked. Did you only deal with Laurent? I’ll reach out to you again if needed. And thanks again for making us dream and confirming our choice of tour operator. I’ll definitely post a review after we get back, but it won’t be as good as yours!

Larri

Hi Jean Claude,

Maybe we could connect with the guides and drivers you liked.

Looking at their little forum, you’ll see that other travelers have all been happy with their drivers. So don’t worry too much.

Did you only deal with Laurent?

Yes.

I’ll reach out to you again if needed.

With pleasure.

And thanks again for making us dream and confirming our choice of tour operator.

Just a heads-up, TP isn’t really a tour operator. They can handle some bookings and help us on the ground if there’s an issue, but you don’t have a contract like with a TO or a travel agency. As I’ve mentioned before, Laurent was really efficient and super nice. When we were planning our trip, which was supposed to happen in 2020, we had contact with Romain and a young woman whose name I don’t remember—they were also very efficient.

Could you say hi to Laurent for us?