“What’s your favourite country?” I get asked that question a lot, and while I don’t have a clear favourite, Peru is generally my answer. Machu Picchu is the obvious highlight (and it is amazing) but there is so much more to see. The best thing about backpacking in Peru is

One of the highlights of any trip to South America is exploring centuries old Spanish colonial cities. These little pieces of Europe are scattered all over this wild continent, and Arequipa is one of the nicest. We spent a few days relaxing in Arequipa before and after our trip to

If you’re visiting Peru then you are probably, at some point, going to make your way to Machu Picchu. Most people pass through Ollantaytambo on the way to the famous Inca ruins, but many don’t realise that this tiny town, with its own impressive ruins and laid-back atmosphere, is a memorable

We arrived in Mancora just before the break of dawn after crossing the border from Ecuador. I was sick and we had to wander around in the dark to find a place to stay. It wasn’t the ideal intro to Peru, but over the next few days we slowly fell

The Scared Valley was the heartland of the Inca civilization and today it’s the tourism epicentre of Peru. Machu Picchu takes most of the headlines, and rightly so, but there are so many other ancient sites worth visiting. We used Cusco as a base to explore the Sacred Valley and the

I feel a bit sorry for mules. They have to walk up and down the steep slopes of Colca Canyon (and lots of other places) and they also tend to get burdened with the thankless task of drug smuggling. A lot of people opt to ride a mule instead of

You already know about the Incas and their impressive citadel of Machu Picchu, but have you heard of the Chimú and Moche civilizations? The Moche came first, building and then abandoning their grand city in the desert. The Moche civilization declined, which eventually led to the founding of Chan Chan, the capital of the

The sacred valley is packed with fascinating Inca ruins — if you think Machu Picchu is the only site worth visiting then you are very much mistaken. Pisac is a sprawling ancient city located less than an hour away from Cusco. It makes for a great day trip and is, in