The lake is the highest navigated area of water in the world and is one of the largest. What makes the lake so attractive are the amazingly crafted Islands of Uros, created out of locally grown tortoa reed in a process that has been passed down from generation to generation.

Tortoa reeds of Lake Titicaca.

The lake is easily accessible from Cusco and there are two primary transport options between Cusco and the principle city in the area, Puno. You can travel either by train or by bus. You can fly, but it would involve a connection in Lima.

The bus from Cusco to Puno takes between and 8 and 9 hours and makes various stops along the way at archaeological sites, as well as at rest-stops and restaurants.

The train ride is slightly longer – some 10 hours – but while the bus features first class accommodations for a vehicle of its variety, the first class accommodations on the train are significantly more opulent with lounge-chair seating, fine china and silverware used for first-rate, delicious meals, and a lookout-car, where guests can leisurely enjoy the scenery of the Peruvian highlands.

While the more luxurious train makes no stops, shorter bus ride to Puno does make several pauses along the way. Tourists traveling by bus normally enjoy bilingual guided stops at the following locations along the route:

• Andahuaylillas: known as the “Sixteenth Chapel of the Americas,” this church features an exhibition of colonial art work dating back to the XVI and XVII century. (Entrance fee: US $1.5/person)
• Raqchi: This is the temple dedicated to God Wiracocha, supreme God of the Incas. (Entrance fee: US$2/person)
• Sicuani: Here guests will be able to rest and enjoy an Andean buffet lunch
• La Raya: This is the highest point of the trip, where guests will be able to appreciate snow-peaked mountains, alpacas and the amazing scenery of the Andean countryside.
• Pukara: This is ancient archaeological complex constructed in a grand pyramidal shape dating as far back as 4,000 B.C. (entrance fee $2)

By travelling by bus, the journey normally includes snacks and on board hostess assistance.

For more cautious travelers a key advantage of bus transport is that you embark and disembark from a private bus station in both cities as opposed to a public train station.

The mode of transport you choose to take depends on your personal preference.

However many people talk about how spectacular the views are along the train route, especially as you approach Lake Titicaca.

Reaching Lima, the capital of Peru as well as many other popular destinations in South America just keeps on getting easier. A number of international airlines offer direct routes and the choice has got wider as LAN airlines has announced a new set or routes direct from the US, along with a number of promotional fares.

LAN, who is partnered with American Airlines, is now the only airline offering direct flights from San Francisco. The new route starts on the 1 July 2010 and will offer four flights per week. Along with other direct flights available from New York, Miami and Los Angeles – getting to South America just keeps getting easier.

For travelers hoping to see as much as South America in short space of time, LAN has also announced a direct flight from Cusco to Iguazu in Argentina to compliment its other regional routes; allowing you to make the most out of your time in this stunning continent and see more of the world famous sites that are located here.

If travelling from Europe, a number of national airlines have direct flights to the South America including KLM and British Airways. Major cities in the region such as Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Bogota, Santiago and Lima operate as airport hubs, offering easy direct onward connections to other airports in the region.

See a previous blog article on advice as to how to get the cheapest fares.

For further information on the new flights, see the LAN Peru website: www.lan.com.

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.

LAN Peru has announced the new service from San Francisco to Lima, which brings an additional benefit to connecting passengers traveling from destinations throughout the continent, including Santiago, Chile, Sao Paulo, Brazil and Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The new service brings LAN Airlines’ total number of US gateways to four, joining New York, Los Angeles and Miami.

The route is good news to travelers planning Peru vacations, and will also help visitors experience any number of other important South America vacation destinations, such as Iguazu Falls, Patagonia and Easter Island.

For further information on the new flights, see the LAN Peru website: www.lan.com or to book a Peru vacation package, contact a Peru For Less travel advisor.

The capital city Lima is arguably the best place to head to sample Peruvian fare, where there are countless eateries that tempt travelers and locals alike with an array of succulent Peruvian dishes.

Ceviche, made from raw fish marinated in lime juice, a typically Limeño dish to enjoy on a Peru vacation

A recent article in the New York Times threw the spotlight over small family run restaurants in Lima – or huariques – as being an inexpensive option for tasting typical Peruvian dishes.

Often operating behind closed doors, the owners of huariques specialize in preparing one or two single recipes that have been handed down through their families for generations. These recipes originate from anywhere between Japan and Africa, yet they always make full use of ingredients found on the Peruvian coast, mountains and jungle.

The atmosphere of huariques, reports the NYT, can be rustic and informal, but the food is no less delicious; such favorites as Ceviche (raw fish marinated in lime and chilli), Anticuchos (succulent skewered beef heart) and Lomo Saltado (stir fried beef sirloin with onion, chilli peppers, tomatoes and French fries) are sometimes of better quality than even the finest restaurants in Peru.

Unfortunately for those who travel to Lima, huariques can be difficult to track down, or are not always available at the desired time. Luckily there are a whole host of quality Lima restaurants that give travelers the opportunity to indulge in some delicious Peruvian cuisine.

Latin America For Less Director and Peru cuisine fanatic, Bernard Schleien

Asked to detail some of the finest restaurants in Lima, Latin America For Less Director Bernard Schleien was eager to point out a few of his favorites:

Astrid y Gaston: Finest restaurant in Peru and probably among the finest in the world. Peruvian and international food. This is a highly acclaimed restaurant with a solid international reputation. Average main course $20.
Phone: (01) 4441496
Address: Cantaurias 175, Miraflores

Malabar. Excellent creative cuisine. Local and international food. Astrid y Gaston used to be my favorite restaurant until I visited this one. The chef and owner is truly talented and my guess is that this restaurant will be officially recognized as the best in Peru in the near future. Average main course $20.
Phone: (01)4405200, (01). 440 5300
Address: Camino Real. 101 , San Isidro

Casa Hacienda Moreyra. Hacienda style restaurant and probably one of the very few Lima restaurants where architecture meets excellent food. Local and international food. Average Main course $20.
Phone: (01) 4443979, (01)4444022
Address: Paz Soldán 290, San Isidro

El Tanta. Same owners as Astrid y Gaston. Excellent food and value (local and international). Average main course $13.
Phone: (01) 3723528
Address: Prolongación Primavera 692, Surco

La Mar. Same owners as Astrid y Gaston (Gaston Acurio is a local hero for entrepreneurship and the leading figure in Peru’s culinary big bang). Superb Seafood. Expect a 30-60 minute wait. Average main course $13.
Address: La Mar Av. 774, Miraflores

A life long aficionado of cooking in his home country, Mr. Schleien holds the cuisine of Lima in particularly high esteem. “It is Peru’s melting pot … People from all over Peru and all over the world have migrated to Lima and they have fused their cooking.”

Furthermore, he explained that the application of gourmet habits from the West to Peruvian cooking – such as technique, presentation and food hygiene – have helped the capital city to perfect its culinary offering.

And whether eating in a family ran huarique or in any of the city’s best restaurants, those who travel to Peru can rest assured that they are always likely to be enamored with Lima’s excellent cuisine.

Oktoberfest organisers meeting the party goers, Peru. Photograph, Matthew Barker 2009

Never mind that Oktoberfest Peru is many thousand miles from the real thing in Munich, this four day event held around the middle of October each year, is as authentic as it gets. Organized by a group of German expats, the event is estimated to draw around 20,000 revelers and has been supported by one of the biggest breweries in Peru, Cuzqueña, who even bring out a limited edition beer for the party.

Held in the grounds of a Lima stadium and covered by a beer tent the size of a warehouse, the familiar sight of endless rows of tables packed with thousands of party goers, the sounds of live Bavarian folk music and the repeated shouts of “eins, zwei, drei, PROST!”, (one, two, three, CHEERS!) are more than enough to evoke the real thing.

Tradition is the name of the game: traditional food (sausage and sauerkraut), traditional music (yodeling and Alpenhorn) and traditional standing-on-the-table-thigh-slapping dancing. A few devotees even make the effort to come in traditional dress, with Lederhosen and distinctive Dirndl dresses a frequent sight.

How To Catch Oktoberfest On Your Peru Vacations

An Alpenhorn display at Oktoberfest Lima, Peru. Photograph, Matthew Barker 2009

Oktoberfest Peru is held during the middle of the month, starting on Thursday and lasting until Sunday. If you’re a fan of beer and boisterous revelry and find yourself enjoying your Peru vacations at the right time, head over for one of the most unusual displays of cultural fusion in Lima.

Tickets cost 22 soles for general, single night entry, or 84 soles for two people, including two free beers and a plate of sausage and sauerkraut.

The event is staged at the Videna stadium in San Luis district. Expect to pay up to 20 soles for the taxi journey from Lima’s traveler center, Miraflores.

For further details, take a look at the official website: http://www.oktoberfest-peru.com.