Few sites convey as much hype and expectations as Machu Picchu. The site, one of the new 7 wonders of the world, brings every year hundreds of thousands of tourists curious to explore the most vast testimony of the inca civilization and one of the world best known archeologic site. But is Machu Picchu worth the hype?
There is more than Machu Picchu as Inca ruins you can visit in Peru! Just 40km north of Cusco, in the middle of the Sacred Valley, lies the Salineras de Maras, another demonstration of the Incas’ agricultural and engineering skills. For thousands of years, locals have harvested the salt of a mountain stream via traditionnal evaporation method on 3000 salt pools.
The day tour to Bartholome is not cheap, but you will get the best views of the Galapagos
Galapagos: a remote archipelago of the Pacific Ocean, 1000km from Ecuador, home of fearless blue footed boobies, playfull baby sea lions, giant tortoises, funny iguanas and inoffensive sharks. The Galapagos islands are unique. What if you could make the dream come true for $150 a day?
For almost every traveller to Peru, a visit to the mythic Inca city of Machu Picchu is a must. Are you planning to visit the ruins? Make sure your ticket includes the entrance to Machu Picchu mountain, the little hidden gem of the most popular archeological site of the continent. It´s from there you will get the most spectacular views.
View from Machu Picchu montana: the ruins and on the left Huayna Picchu!
“Did you say sharks?”
I never thought I would ever swim with sharks. I recently took my diving open water certificate, but I didn´t really feel at my ease, so I started to accept that I will never see sharks and other sea turtles in wildlife. So when the sales guy from the agency talked about seeing sharks during a snorkelling session in Galapagos, I was suspicious. Was it one of his sales trick?
This is probably our cutest picture from the Galapagos Islands… Can you stay indifferent to this one? We couldn´t.
New born sea lion cuddling with his mum under the sunset at La Loberia, Isla San Cristobal (Galapagos).
Did you know? During the 10 first days of the life of her pup, the mum sea lion will nurse her new born baby 24/7 and never leave the shore.
If you are in Lima this week (5-14 September 2014), you shouldn’t miss Mistura, the biggest food festival of South America! Mistura is the perfect place to try many local specialities -included the famous guinea pig!- on a budget.
Here is what we tried when we visited the fair (I must admit, everything was really tasty!).
Ceviche (fresh raw sea food marinated in lemon)
With clear waters and a large variety of marine species, the Galapagos archipelago is considered as one of the best spots in the world to dive.
Adnan went down to 20m below the surface to check what the buzz was all about. Here is what he saw:
This is a trek that should be on any hiker´s bucket list!
Just 3 hours from Quito, the splendid “Quilotoa Loop” has gained the heart of many travellers. During your time over there (from a day to 2 weeks), you will get close to rural indigenious life and enjoy a variety of landscapes with majestic canyons, lagunas and volcanoes. And, ice on the cake for independant travellers, you can do it 100% self-guided! Get inspired by the pictures and start planning your trek with this article.
Matching with blue footed boobies on Isabella Islands (Galapagos)
I told you about my latest shoes acquisition and fashion faux pas (read “I finally bought crocs”)… Here is the proof: blending in with local blue footed boobies on Isabella Island, Galapagos.
So, who has the nicest feet?
