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 […]

 

Welcome to another Peru hostel roundup! Previously I’ve reviewed accommodation options in Iquitos, Lima, and Huacachina, and dedicated another edition entirely to Cusco. This week, I’m introducing my favorite Peruvian party hostel as well as the best hostel breakfast I had in the country. Wild Rovers in Arequipa I may not have been a fan of the […]

 

Lima is a massive and sprawling city and after two visits and over a week total within its limits I hadn’t set foot in the historic downtown area. I had stuck to Miraflores, the city’s modern tourist core, and Barranco, a bohemian seaside district bursting with charm. But I knew I couldn’t leave the capital without […]

 

I arrived back in Lima to the most amazing surprise: sunshine, and a new appreciation for what the city had to offer. My first visit back in October had been blanketed in thick fog. Returning for the last week of November, the city was approaching its short but highly anticipated summer season, where blue skies and […]

 

I’m off taking a real vacation in the only place possible: one without wifi. While I lock away my computer and play on the beach for two days, I asked my dear friend and Peru travel buddy Zoe Norvell to fill in for me. At this point in my life: I can’t be bothered with taking […]

 

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 […]

 

This week has been a strange one. Anders and I have been kicking around in Lima, where we came to see off the Swedish friends he’s been traveling with and catch tomorrow’s flight to the jungle (I can’t wait!) I’ve been in a funk about spending Thanksgiving away from home and the amount of time I’ve […]

 

Perhaps surprisingly, hostels are still somewhat of an exotic concept to me — prior to this trip, I’d probably stayed in less than fifteen. My travels have predominantly been in Southeast Asia, where hostels are still a rare choice compared to cheap guesthouses and bungalows — though they are gaining popularity. In Europe, where the hostel […]

 

Despite the fact that Lima didn’t exactly blow us away with intangible charm, we made the best of our time there by packing our schedule with uniquely Peruvian experiences. Here, three of the tours we loved in Lima, and how they stack up against each other in Zoe and Alex’s Extremely Official Rating System. Lima Coast […]

 

Leaving the jungle after almost two weeks was a shock to the system. When I stepped off the plane in Lima I felt a sensation that I had pleasantly forgotten for the past twelve days — cold. I arrived in the darkness of night — always a somewhat disorienting experience — and fell asleep soon after, […]