Despite the seven destinations on the itinerary, Month 30 felt like a laid-back breeze compared to the one before it. That probably has to do with the fact that two out of the four weeks were spent in places I’d already been once before, which released me from any pressure to sightsee or play tourist. This […]

 

WHOA THERE WAIT A SECOND! Phew. I thought you were about to click out of the page there for a minute, because I know from my recent reader survey that these roundups are pretty polarizing — some of you love ’em, some of you hate ’em. I tried to use your feedback to improve this roundup […]

 

After leaving Arequipa and the Colca Canyon I headed back to Cusco where I waited for a certain Dane, who had just arrived in South America, to finish the Salkantay Trek. This was the first time in my Peru trip that I spent a whole week in the same city and it was a desperately needed […]

 

In my last Peru hostel roundup I covered places to bunk down in Iquitos, Lima, and Huacachina. This edition focuses one just one city, that epicenter of Peruvian tourism that is Cusco. Here, all the major hostel brands vie for attention alongside small, one-off competitors. The upside? There’s plenty to choose from. The downside? It’s hard […]

 

Since Zoe arrived in Peru, we had been doing a thorough exploration of the country’s hostel offerings. And while I love backpacking, I never agreed to be exclusive with it — and never has this girl needed to flirt with a little luxury more than the days before and after tackling the mighty Inca Trail. The […]

 

I know this isn’t the first time I’ve said this, but it feels like a lot more than seven days have passed since I posted the last Photo of the Week. Since then, Zoe and I said goodbye in Arequipa, I ventured into the Colca Canyon and back, I headed back to Cusco, Anders arrived, I […]

 

Don’t forget to order my travel book giveaway! We stumbled off a brutal 14 hour bus ride into the Peruvian tourism epicenter of Cusco and were immediately caught up in the whirlwind of cobblestone charm. This sky-high city, sitting at 11,200 feet, leaves visitors breathless from both altitude and awe — it is undoubtedly the most picturesque […]

 

It feels like much more than seven days have passed since the last Photo of the Week! That might have something to do with the face that in that time span we’ve explored Cusco, conquered the famed Inca Trail, and spent a night recovering in Aguas Calientes. You might be surprised not to see any photos […]

 

I don’t usually set off for a country with a developed itinerary. Sometimes, things are scheduled more or less to the minute, like my eight days in Iceland. Sometime, my plans for five months in Southeast Asia can be summarized as — and I don’t want to overwhelm you here with how detailed this is — […]