As soon as one travel adventure ends, it is time to start planning the next. This usually entails searching through my favorite travel websites and magazines for ideas, comparing my "shortlist" on Intrepid Travel (a list that is by no means short with over 20 trips selected!), and playing around with international airfare on kayak.com, one of my personal favorites. I never like to plan too far in advance, since I have one of the rarest of diseases- Travel ADD, in which I can feel compelled to travel to Croatia one minute and Kenya the next. I never know when a bout of the disease will strike, so it's best to research all destinations and go with the one I am most drawn to at the time of booking.
Days 1-2, Lima and Cuzco Meet in Lima and overnight in the vibrant Miraflores section of the city or near the airport for later arrivals• Short scenic flight over the Andes to the ancient Inca city of Cuzco • Explore ruins near the city• Enjoy Cuzco's cuisine, combining Andean specialties with modern tastes
Days 3-6, Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley Bike to the unique Inca site of Moray and the incredible salt pans of Maras • Raft the Class III Urubamba River through the Sacred Valley with examples of Inca stonework and terracing along the banks• Tour the ruins of Ollantaytambo • Hike the Royal Inca trail to Machu Picchu or other equally spectacular trails • Half-day tour of Machu Picchu
Days 7-10, Kayaking Lake Titicaca Transfer back to Cuzco, flight to Juliaca and transfer to Llachon on the shore of Lake Titicaca• Kayak across Lake Titicaca to Isla Taquile • Hike and explore the traditional culture of Isla Taquile • Kayak the shoreline of Isla Taquile before visiting the floating islands of Uros • Fly back to Lima and onward home • Note that because return flights to the United States are usually overnight flights, you will arrive back home on day 11 of the trip.
My sister has been my traveling companion on recent trips, but when I mentioned the excursion to my boyfriend (who has an affinity for Latin American culture), he was interested, too. We decided that it was the perfect honeymoon trip. What better way to start out a marriage than with a life-changing experience hiking, biking, and kayaking to Machu Picchu? The trip is a little pricey at $2698, but, fortunately, airfare to Peru can usually be found for around $600. No, I am not engaged yet, but after five and a half years, a girl can dream, right? And, as I always say, you never know when you'll need to jet to X country at a moment's notice, so it is always best to be prepared.
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