Chiclayo is known as the ‘City of Friendship’ due to its reputation as the most welcoming place in Peru. The city mixes its colonial heritage with the modern and diverse, to provide a stimulating choice of places to eat, sleep and drink.

One of the many fine Trujillo hotels offered by Peru For Less

There are a number of different great hotels for visitors to the city.

The city is centered on the Plaza de Armas and Paseo las Musas with a number of hotels located around that area.

The four star Gran Hotel Chiclayo is strategically located just five minutes from the centre and only 10 minutes from the airport. The luxury hotel has all that a traveler could want. Best of all, when not out seeing the historical sites of the city you can lounge by the pool, surrounded by corpulent palm trees, and soak in the tropical sun.

An alternative to this could be the Hotel Casa de Luna, another luxury hotel with spa facilities. The hotel is modern and chic, with large rooms and a restaurant with a view over the city.

A recommended hotel for more budget-conscious visitors to Chiclayo is the three star Hotel Las Musas. Located next to the grand Paseo las Musas plaza, it is a pleasant hotel that offers good value for money along with some small luxuries. The hotel has been recently renovated; with all the rooms having a nice large bathtub, which is a great after a long day on your feet exploring the sights!

The city of Trujillo, like Chiclayo, is receiving more and more visitors due to the increased popularity and awareness of the archaeological wonders that exist in the region.

There are a full range of hotels for visitors, from budget to luxury. The three star Hotel Gran Bolivar is just four blocks from the main square and features all the luxuries of a good hotel; Wi-Fi internet across the whole hotel, suite rooms feature a Jacuzzi and the hotel has a gym.

Other hotels at this level include the Las Palmeras that looks more like a resort with a large pool area as well as the Los Conquistadores, a rustic comfortable hotel only half a block from the main square.
The four star El Gran Marques Hotel & Spa is close to the city’s main square, making it an ideal base to go and the explore the cities many sites. The hotel has 50 comfortably furnished rooms along with a range of modern amenities. The hotel also features a spa, the ideal way to relax after a day in the city.

One of the finest Trujillo hotels is the Hotel Libertador Plaza Mayor Trujillo, located in the main square of the city, offers you all the advantages of staying at the best hotel in town. Its central location makes travelling around easy and the English speaking hotel staff are more than help you with any questions you might have.

Whichever hotel you choose, your trip to Chiclayo and Trujillo are bound to leave you with happy Peru travel memories.

Dancers at the Qoyllur Rit’i Festival, Peru

The sacred mountain known as Apu Ausangate stands taller than its neighbors and is one of the highest mountains in Peru, at an impressive 20,940ft (6,372m). Normally a place of natural calm and serenity, during Qoyllur Rit’i this mountain pass literally comes to life as more than 10,000 pilgrims gather in a meadow below surrounding summits, in full view of the impressive “Star of the Snow.” Here they worship the sun, Christian icons and the Andean divinities by dancing in colorful traditional dress day and night. The grounds are riddled with tents housing local Quechua families, men, women and children, brimming with excitement of the celebrations.

It’s possible to partitipate in the Qoyllur Rit’i festival during a Peru vacation.

From Cusco, you’ll need three days to experience this amazing cultural opportunity. Heading from Cusco you’ll arrive to a small Andean pueblo, Mahuayani before beginning a three hour trek to the Señor de Qoyllur Rit’i sanctuary to join the massive array of tents and people. Setting up camp here, you can spend the rest of the day and evening enjoying the regional dance performances and festivities long into the night.

There will be more celebrations and activities in the morning and you will also be able to visit the “Alacitas” market, a curious exhibition of miniatures such as cars, houses, and herds, all of which are blessed by the festival divinity. After lunch at the campsite, you can trek the rest of the afternoon to the small Andean village of Yanacancha, where pilgrims rest before continuing on a spectacular night-trek to Tayankani. Upon arrival you’ll catch the awe-inspiring sun-rise ceremony, designed to honor the sun with ancient Inca rituals. Afterwards you’ll descend towards Tayankani for the local chapel service to receive the blessing of El Senor de Qoyllur Rit’i. After lunch, you’ll descend to Ocongate for the journey back to Cusco.

This year, the Qoyllur Rit’i event on May 31. Due to the high-altitudes and long treks, it is only recommended to people who are in good physical condition.

The Plaza de Armas of Ayacucho is beautifully developed, with a stunning cathedral on the east side and lush green grasses surrounding a central fountain. Take a visit to the central market and you’ll find you’re probably the only person in there that doesn’t speak Quechua. Rows of Señora’s stand in front of huge sacks of ‘wawa’, fresh-baked sweet bread, in the shape of a baby after its Quechua name.

Ayacucho Cathedral at Night

When your face appears at the juice bars, the women lean over their counters smiling and waving you over, competing for your business. Walking down the aisle of smelly cheeses, you’ll pop out onto the back street where against the wall, you’ll find huge sacks of coca leaves, and men and women, young and old coming to buy coca.

Sadly, in the 1980s, the city and region of Ayacucho were affected by unrest caused by the Maoist guerrilla band, known as the Shining Path. Combined with the Peruvian military’s often harsh reaction, the unrest caused Ayacucho to become one of the poorest regions of Peru. Fortunately the strife ended with the arrest of the Shining Path’s leader in 1992 and Ayacucho has been a peaceful place for more than 15 years.

This difficult history has left Ayacucho struggling to develop as a tourist destination despite its stunning location and friendly inhabitants. The city offers visitors a balance between modern comforts and traditional culture. In the center you’ll find quality hotels with hot water, restaurants with English menus serving a wide variety of dishes beyond the locally popular pollo a la brasa and puca picante. There’s an artisan market that makes souvenir buying easy and offers  among the cheapest prices on Peruvian handicrafts you’ll find anywhere in the country.

Central Ayacucho

I was in Ayacucho long enough to become a regular at the juice counter, trying to spread my custom around though it’s difficult when these sweet ladies smile in recognition of my face and call up my usual without a moment’s thought, ‘platano con leche.’ They always had plenty of customers anyway, no matter when I showed up.

The downtown is a far cry from what you’ll find in the outer districts of the city, where people live very simply without many of the comforts of modern life. Taking the bus up the hill to the orphanage where I was a volunteer, I’d sit next to a tired old woman, with a sun-dried face under a brown, flat-brimmed hat, huge bundles of vegetables filled a rice-sack at her feet and a young baby wrapped around her back in a brightly colored wool shawl. Soon, I’d stand up to give up my seat to another woman, looking the same.

Climbing down from the bus to the dusty, rubble streets of Carmen Alto, children are playing soccer in sandals made of tire, and an old toothless man is standing on the corner selling cheese. Listening to the playful banter of the children however, you wouldn’t know they had a problem in the world.

Looking across the city tucked down in the valley to the 10,000 ft mountains on the other side, you can see the large white obelisk at Quinua. Just an hour away, this is the site of the Battle of Ayacucho, winning Peru the War of Independence in 1824. Nowadays, you can explore the quaint little town, famous for beautiful handcrafted pottery, horseback riding and its short hike to a beautiful waterfall.

The well-preserved Wari ruins are located just below Quinua on your way back to Ayacucho. The hiking is beautiful, and the rich history of the ancient Wari culture is evident in administrative and ceremonial sites. Exploring off the path a little bit and you’ll find broken shards of pottery and arrowheads scattered on the ground. Quinua and Wari are just two of the easy excursions from Ayacucho.

Ayacucho can be reached daily from Lima in just over an hour flight with LC Busre or Star Peru. In fact, there are rumors of a regular Ayacucho – Cusco flight being added to the agenda in the next couple years, which will quickly boost the tourism industry in Ayacucho, linking it as an easy stop-over on the way to Machu Picchu. The city is certainly ready for it.

So, check your Peru itineraries, because maybe now is the best time to go before the city loses some of that undiscovered quality.

Emily was a volunteer for the Casa Hogar Los Gorriones in Ayacucho, Peru. If you would like to learn more about volunteering at Los Gorriones or how you can help, please visit their website.

With the world’s eyes on some of the world’s most important natural wonders, we decided to write a Latin America For Less guide on how to visit each of the sites in line for title of South America’s most important natural wonder.

An Andean Condor soaring through Colca Canyon, Peru

In fourth place, the majestic Colca Canyon is among one of the front runners for the leading spot.

The Canyon, twice as deep as the famous Grand Canyon, is characterized by a long and fascinating history as well as being home to a large colony of Andean Condors.

Colca Canyon, a popular stop off point during many Peru vacations, is inhabited by traditional communities, with agricultural terraces and unchanging villages dotting the landscape. The highlight of any visit to Colca is the Cruz del Condor, above the Canyon’s deepest point, where visitors have the strongest chance of spotting a magnificent Condor circling overhead.

Visiting Colca Canyon

Most Peru tours that include a stop at Colca first visit the city of Arequipa, before heading into the surrounding mountains for a night in the remote canyon region.

The road is bumpy in places and the journey from Arequipa takes several hours, so the tour is bound to start early. Travelers are also likely to notice the altitude and a store of coca-leaf sweets are recommended to avoid altitude sickness during the journey.

The small and pleasant town of Chivay, at the head of the Canyon is usually the first stop. It is here that most hotels are situated, along with a number of restaurants and peñas (restaurants with nightly performances of folk music and dance), plus the famous hot springs.

From Chivay you can make your way by road along the Canyon itself, until arriving at the Cruz del Condor for some spectacular views and photo opportunities.

For those wanting to spend more time at the Canyon, there are a huge number of opportunities for adventure activities and hiking with walking or cycling down into the Canyon and rafting along the river are all popular activities. Longer, multi-day treks through the region are also possible.

With such attention on some of South America’s most spectacular sights, we thought we’d give a Latin America For Less guide to visiting each place that is in contention for the title of South America’s most important Natural Wonder.

Cruising the Tambopata River in Peru's Amazon rainforest

The Amazon rainforest is currently ranked in first place as South America’s most important natural wonder. It is the biggest forest in the world and is home to the single greatest concentration of life on the planet: one tenth of the planet’s species are found right here, in the Amazon.

Visiting the Amazon has become increasingly easy in recent years, especially during a Brazil or a Peru vacation, and thanks to the growth of eco-tourism, it’s now possible to visit the rainforest while causing minimal disruption to the pristine environment.

Where To Go

There are many options for exploring the Peruvian Amazon, but the three most popular entrance points are Iquitos, Puerto Maldonado and Manu.

Iquitos, the world’s largest city not accessible by road, is a genuine frontier outpost deep in the wilderness. You can only get here by air or a long boat journey, but once you’ve arrived you will discover a truly unique tropical city, with entire neighborhoods of house boats floating on the river, restaurants serving exotic and delicious jungle delicacies, a lively night scene, and plenty of jungle lodges dotted up and downstream, offering a chance to get up close and personal with the wildlife.

Puerto Maldonado meanwhile is a more accessible but somewhat less intriguing town. The appeal of this ramshackle settlement is its proximity to Cusco, another popular Peru vacation destination. Travelers can leave Cusco in the morning and by mid-afternoon be settled in to their tranquil jungle lodge, a long way from civilization.

Finally, the Manu reserve on the eastern flanks of the Andes is some of the most remote and least accessible stretch of jungle in Peru. This is a vast region of protected land, and is a paradise for the jungle’s many native species of creatures, especially birds. A visit to Manu offers a genuine taste of jungle life, one of the few remaining places with large populations of large mammals, including jaguars, anteaters and tapirs.

All three destinations offer similar standards of lodges, although the range in Iquitos and Puerto Maldonado is much broader than in Manu.

However, visitors should bear in mind that Iquitos is a large city, with plenty of economic activity focused around the river. Its size and unique atmosphere make it an interesting Peru travel destination in its own right, but also means that the nearby jungle is not a great place for wildlife spotting. You need to journey for several hours, preferably upriver, to get into untouched territory.

Finally, throughout the Amazon, certain restaurants serve questionable produce, including endangered or threatened species such as paiche (an enormous fish), turtle, and caiman. Although it is technically illegal to serve these species, the law is largely un-enforced, but visitors should consult their conscience before indulging.

Travelers enjoying Peru vacations over the Christmas period get a unique opportunity to see a different side of this fascinating country.

Lima at Christmas, Peru. Photograph from www.streetsofperu.blogspot.com

Traditions vary throughout Peru. In the north, it’s common to see effigies of public figures burned in the streets, often accompanied by vivacious firework displays that continue late into the night.

Meanwhile in Lima, it’s normal for families to gather for dinner on the 24^th, and celebrate the arrival of Christmas Day at midnight. Again, the sound of fireworks will never be far, and after midnight, people will head out to visit their friends or their favorite night spot to celebrate until the early hours of the morning.

Peruvians are hospitable people and lucky visitors may well be invited to help celebrate Christmas at the family home. If you’re fortunate to receive such an invite, remember its good form to bring something along – an ideal gift is the ubiquitous paneton, a large and sweet sponge cake stuffed with dried fruits and usually sold in a festive looking box.

Others will use the holidays to get out of the city and spend some time on the many beaches that dot the northern and southern coastline near Lima.

In the sierra and the mountains, Christmas celebrations come with a typically Andean twist. Colorful fiestas are thrown, complete with vivid costumes and lively music, creative nativity scenes are erected, and in Cusco, the famous Santuranticuy (Buying of the Saints) market draws people from miles around.

Travel to Peru over this period is easy and enjoyable, but for the smoothest Peru travel experience possible, bear the following points in mind.

- Christmas is a busy travel period for the entire country, with people often covering large distances to visit their families. For this reason, make your transport arrangements well in advance and book your tickets before the seats fill up.

- The 24^th is usually the main day for most celebrations and travel on this day is especially difficult, or expensive. The bus company Cruz Del Sur runs a skeleton service and prices are higher.
- With everyone enjoying a vacation, Peru hotels are often booked up well in advance. Make sure you’ve got your accommodation arrangements made with plenty of time.

- On the 25^th, most vital services including banks and money exchangers will be closed. ATMs will be working as normal.

Peruvians have always been proud of their unique cultural fusion – the merging of Hispanic with traditional Andean societies, along with a healthy dose of Afro-Caribbean influence as well as the countless indigenous communities of the selva, the deep Amazon jungle.

The most famous outcome of this cultural melting pot has been Peruvian criollo cuisine, a treat for anyone enjoying a Peru travel experience. But the fusion is expressed in many other forms, in particular the country’s rich music and dance traditions, which come under the spotlight during this time of year, as the Peruvian winter fades into the long, sultry summer.

A major event is la Dia de la Cancion Criolla, or the Day of the Creole Song, a major national event on 31 October that is most prominent in the music loving coastal towns and cities.

Much of this music was influenced by the descendants of African slaves, and is characterized by lively, fast rhythms and fun, flirtatious dancing. Popular instruments are the guitar and the cajón, a rectangular wooden box that is played as a percussion instrument by fast-handed drummers with perfect timing.

The Day of the Creole Song is a major celebration right along Peru’s central coast but is less prominent in highland or jungle communities, where other forms of indigenous music are more popular.

For the best celebrations, head to Lima, Trujillo, Ica or Chiclayo. Celebrations tend to be focused around the towns’ central Plaza de Armas, and the numerous bars and peñas nearby, although in Lima, some of the best events are to be found in the southern districts of Surco and Barranco.

The event makes for great memories during Peru vacations, but come prepared for loud, boisterous and raucous celebrations, especially as the sun goes down and the proceedings become more alcohol fuelled. For the most authentic experiences, go with some Peruvian friends.

A couple of weeks after the Day of the Creole Song festival and another big criollo event comes to Peru, the Festival de Danzas Negras, in the town of Chincha, just south of Lima.

Playing the Canjon in Chincha, Peru. Photograph: Creative Commons

Chincha, in particular the neighborhood of El Carmen, is home to one of Peru’s most distinct and vibrant Afro Peruano communities. Mostly descended from slaves brought from Africa to work on coastal cotton plantations, the community of El Carmen has retained its rich identity, which is celebrated every November with a major dance festival, attracting visitors from across the country, especially Lima folk looking for a weekend break on the coast.

The festival usually occurs over the first weekend of November. It’s easy to get to Chincha and El Carmen by bus from Lima, a journey that takes around two hours. Hotels in the area are likely to get booked up fairly quickly so either make reservations ahead or arrive early to get a decent room.

The battle became a decisive moment in the War of the Pacific between Chile and the allied countries of Peru and Bolivia. By crippling the Peruvian ironclad the Huascar, Chilean naval supremacy was achieved, paving the way for a land attack and eventual victory.

The Battle of Angamos, Peru. Image: Creative Commons

But despite their strong sense of patriotism, Peruvians are unlikely to let history get in the way of a good holiday, and 8 October has become an excuse for a celebration throughout the country, with plenty of opportunities for visitors on Peru vacations to get involved.

A number of public events take place in Lima’s neighboring dockland city of Callao, including a ceremony at the main war memorial monument and displays by various naval units.

The events are focused around Plaza Grau, on La Punta, a peninsula that juts out into the Pacific Ocean which is home to a pleasant neighborhood of original architecture and beachfront shops, restaurants and attractive, well conserved parkland.

La Punta is home to a large Peruvian Naval School complex and is very close to Callao’s docklands, where much of Peru’s maritime history has been concentrated. The events start at around 10:00am and last for several hours.

Getting to Callao from the popular tourist district of Miraflores in Lima is best done by taxi, as the journey is a long one and can take up to an hour, passing through some fairly poor neighborhoods. Expect to pay between 20 and 30 soles for the taxi ride.

Meanwhile elsewhere in Lima and throughout Peru, families and friends take the chance to spend the day together at home, drinking their favorite brand of Peruvian beer and enjoying a typical meal of the famous Peruvian cuisine.

National holidays are a good time to explore Peruvian culture and history during your Peru travel experience, but to ensure you have the best time possible, try to remember the following key points:

- ATMs should still be functioning and street money changers will be working, but banks and other services will be closed for the day, so don’t get caught short without enough cash.

- Restaurants, hotels and public transport will be functioning as normal, but in busy areas (especially on La Punta) expect crowds, higher than normal prices, and a queue for even the smallest purchase.

- As with any crowded area in any city, exercise caution – keep an eye on your bags, don’t put your expensive cameras or cash on display and watch out for pickpockets.