As I look into planning a possible trip to the Galápagos and Easter Island, I’ve been reminded of my first visit to South America back in 2010. We headed down to Peru to visit the mystical Machu Picchu and take part in an immersive Amazon experience.
It was a trip my husband and I took with a group of our friends to celebrate the completion our professional degrees. The experience was probably one the most adventurous ones we’ve been on, and certainly one that we’ll never forget.
Peru is a beautiful country, but unfortunately due to the most recent political unrest in Cusco, Peru, they’ve temporarily closed Machu Picchu to all visitors. This will delay any travel plans to the area now, but it’s never too early to start planning, as it’s definitely one that should be on everyone’s bucket lists.
Here’s a recap of what we did and experienced.
Peru, More Than Just Machu Picchu
My inspiration for travelling to Peru came from a National Geographic magazine cover showcasing Machu Picchu. At the time, I had never heard of this place before, but mysteriousness of the abandoned civilization in the backdrop of the beautiful Andes piqued my interest.
Although this was my initial reason for going to Peru, little did I know that this country would have so much more to offer. Between rural villages, ancient ruins, mountains, deserts, and the Amazon, there is so much to experience in this beautiful country.
Our time was limited, so we couldn’t experience it all, but we ended it with a small side trip the Amazon, an exotic destination I had always been curious about.
Planning the Trip
In my younger years, I wasn’t as savvy planning my own trips, and relied a lot more on tour companies. TripAdvisor was my go-to resource.
I ended up finding a smaller company that fit the bill when it came to cost and flexibility. The company was Kouda Travel, and to this day the company still has rave reviews.
Kouda gave us a personal trip advisor who planned every detail of our trip with me. My main goal was to see Machu Picchu, but based on my desired duration of the trip, the advisor suggested other attractions and activities for our group and pieced together an amazing action-packed itinerary for our time in Peru.
Their services included a private guide and driver for the whole duration of our tour. They also had a range of accommodation recommendations, with options to suit any…
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