Published by The Telegraph | By Chris Moss
From the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu to Lake Titicaca, the allure of Peru for many visitors is its unchanging, timeless quality. More than most other South American countries, Peru has kept up links with its pre-Columbian past, from practising traditional terrace farming and llama-rearing to making colourful textiles and playing mystical pipe music.
As Peru gears up today for Fiestas Patrias peruanas, or Peruvian National Holidays to celebrate its independence from the Spanish Empire, we round up 10 ways to explore this fascinating country…
Pampered in the Andes
Peru doesn’t have to mean roughing it. In recent years, many stylish hotels have opened in the cities and around Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley. Butterfield & Robinson’s seven-day Machu Picchu Found trip covers several key sites, including Cusco, the tombs at Písac, the salt terraces at Maras, Ollantaytambo’s cobbled streets and ruins, as well as a ride on the Belmond Hiram Bingham train. To give guests an insight into native traditions, there’s also a ceremony with a local paco, a guardian of Inca religious traditions. At Machu Picchu, guests check in to the Sanctuary Lodge, the only hotel located at the entrance to the citadel. Along the way, dining is as lavish as it gets in Peru, with lunches and dinners as well as wine included in the price.
See the full story in The Telegraph.