The cuz has decided she would like to see the ruins of Macchu Picchu and has invited me along for the trip (in August.) Being that I have never left the Northern Western Hemisphere, I figured this is a good way for me to get off my fat ass.
The highlight of the trip is supposed to be the ruins but she has been reading a tour book and has expressed interest in going to the Amazon jungle. The trip will be for 6 days, which I know is woefully short for such an expedition, so I’m here to ask for advice to help maximize the experience (and minimize the price.)
We’re at the initial planning stages and are already inundated with travel information we need sorting out. We’re both newbies to the area and need to decide whether or not to go the tourist route or try to plan things on our own.
Some questions:
What location is the best for us to base our trip around? The flight to Lima starts around $450, a flight to Cuzco, about $750. We could take a domestic flight from Lima to Cuzco, but would that be worth it?
Besides the ruins and the jungles, what are the must-sees of Peru?
What are your experiences in the area, what did you like the most, the least, etc…?
What kind of foods should we keep an eye on or out for? (Yes, I know, always drink the bottled water.)
Any hotels to recommend, markets to visit, locations to check out?
What’s a normal flight length from NYC to Peru? The ones I’ve checked go from 9 hours to a day, including layovers.
Please share any of your experiences. (Bonus points for including the words ‘cheap’ and ‘fun’ in your post.)