re: Interested in vacation in Peru

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More like 10 days from flight there to flight back.

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Well, I would say that you'll need four days for the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. This is the main reason that most people go to Peru, and Machu Picchu lives up to the hype -- it's amazing.

You'll also almost certainly fly in and out of Lima (though I flew into Chiclayo), and you'll want to spend a couple of days there.

So, the question is what you do with the remaining four days or so.

The most common answer is the places generally around the bus route from Lima to Cuzco:

1) The desert oasis of Huacachina
2) The "white city" of Arequipa
3) Watching Andean Condors at Colca Canyon
4) Exploring Lake Titicaca

Of these, I only did a little of #4. Out on the lake are the "Uros Islands." These are not true islands, but are instead giant masses of reeds that float and have been used for centuries as homes by the Uros tribe.



Going out to these "islands" and spending a night with the Uros people is now a very touristy experience, of course, but I still enjoyed it tremendously.



The view at night was simply incredible, as the altitude, the clear air, and the distance from city lights made the Milky Way splash across the night sky, and this was my first time to see the Southern Cross.

And the wildlife on the lake is interesting as well, with unique species such as the Titicaca Grebe and the Andean Coot.