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First expedition to Northern Peru

A July 2005 trip to Peru by Terri Brain

This is a journal recording my experiences on expedition in northern Peru with a group of fellow students.

  • 7 reviews
  • 1 story/tip

First expedition to Northern PeruBest of IgoUgo

Overview

Visiting the Amazon rain forest, white-water rafting, and seeing the snow-capped peaks of the Cordillera Blanca

Quick Tips:

Have "the menu" for lunch, and be careful what you do with your wallet whilst you are in restaurants, etc.

Best Way To Get Around:

Go by Combi van, definitely, not by cargo boats, which are always overcrowded but an experience, I suppose, if you enjoy sharing your hammock space with 300 Peruvians and numerous cows, chickens, pigs, and ducks! And bananas.

Friends HostelBest of IgoUgo

Hotel

This is a great little hostel we stayed at both on the way out of and back into Lima. There are five or six rooms, and they're cheap and relatively clean. There's a kitchen for making your own breakfast, and the people who own it are really friendly. One person in the team had their birthday whilst we were staying here, and the proprietors bought her a load of chocolate and gave us gifts when we left. They speak good English and are always willing to help you organise transport or further accommodation.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Terri Brain on November 7, 2005

Local Peruvian RestaurantsBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Most Local Peruvian Restaurants"

In most Peruvian restaurants at lunchtime, you can get what's called the "menu," which only costs about 2 soles (about 40 pence!) and consists of a soup (usually chicken!) and a main dish of some meat rice and vegetables. Although it doesn't sound exquisite, is really is okay. All the local people have it, and it's great if you are travelling on a shoestring budget like we were! It's sure to fill you up until the evening anyway!
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Terri Brain on November 7, 2005

Local Peruvian Restaurants
Throughout Peru Lima, Peru

White Water RaftingBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "White-Water Rafting"

This was brilliant. It was the first time I'd ever been, so I'm probably biased, but it was a great day out for the team. It only costs 70 soles per person and everything is included. Our trip lasted about 2 and a half hours. The guides were really good but didn't speak much English, just enough to get by. The bus journey from the office to the Rio Mayo takes about half an hour, but it's all included in the price. It is definitely worth it for an exiting day out!
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Terri Brain on November 7, 2005

White Water Rafting
Urubamba River Lima, Peru

Pacaya SamiriaBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

This was the best part of the trip for me, as I am a bit of a jungle nut! We took a guided tour, and the guides were brilliant. As we were going along, they pointed out (and picked up) any animals they saw along the way, which included anacondas, caymans, lizards, spiders, pink dolphins, and even a sloth! We also saw huge butterflies and a praying mantis (affectionately known as Ripley!). The trip lasted 3 days and cost quite a lot but was well worth it, and I'm sure it could be done on a shoestring if necessary. For example, we paid to have the guides do our cooking and supply the food, which would have been cheaper had we done it ourselves. Also, we were a large group, so we had to have about eight guides with us!
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Terri Brain on November 7, 2005

Pacaya Samiria
Amazonas Region, Northern Peru Iquitos, Peru
+51 94 235053

Kuelap FortressBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Kuelap"

This is a pre-Inca fortress in the north of Peru that is very well preserved. We organised a guided tour from Chacapoyas (there are loads of companies in the Plaza de Armas), and it cost 40 soles per person, including transport, breakfast, lunch, an English-speaking guide, and entrance fee. The fortress itself is spectacular. It stands on top of a hill, so even if the history bores you, the scenery is great! Everything is original and the site is still being uncovered, so it will get even better. You can still see some of the original houses and decorations, and the guides are very knowledgeable, but they are a lot more expensive at the actual site, so it's much cheaper to hire one from Chacapoyas! The site is quite large, so there's a lot of walking involved and a lot of steep, narrow "staircases"--but without the stairs! There's nowhere to buy food, so, once again, hire a tour guide or take a packed lunch!!
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Terri Brain on November 7, 2005

Kuelap Fortress
Near Chachapoyas Chachapoyas, Peru
(866) 396-9582

Chan ChanBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Chan Chan Ruins"

This was not a good experience. We were in Huanchaco for a couple of days, and we'd read about this in the travel guides, so we thought we'd take a look. It was literally just a pile of sand, and our guide tried so hard to make it interesting. The things he told us about the culture and history was interesting, but a lot of the ruins had been restored, so the place sort of lost its edge. It was probably worth it for the history, but it was not a fun or interesting day out!
  • Member Rating 1 out of 5 by Terri Brain on November 7, 2005

Chan Chan
Between Trujillo and Huanchaco Trujillo, Peru

Huaraz and the Cordillera Blanca RegionBest of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

This was the first place we visited outside Lima, and the scenery was stunning. When we first arrived, I felt the effects of the altitude - it's about 3,100 above sea level - but it's not that bad, unless you end up in a room on the top floor. Where we stayed, Hatun Wasi Lodge, they had a rooftop terrace where you could see all of Huaraz and the surrounding mountains. Most of the main trekking agencies have their offices in downtown Huaraz. It's a nice town, too, and the people are friendlier than in Lima, but the traffic is no better! If you're looking for a place to trek from in this area, I suggest Alex's Place, which is an eco-lodge near the village of Pitec. There's a campsite here, and the people at the lodge are more than happy to give you advice and information on treks in the surrounding area.

About the Writer

Terri Brain
Terri Brain
Gloucester, United Kingdom

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