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– Is Cuzco’s second most important church, and is often lit up at night and can be seen from the train as you arrive in the city after dark from Machu Picchu.The walls of Cuzco – are world famous for their construction. Just walk southeast, away from the Plaza de Armas and along the narrow alley of Loreto and you will see these Inca walls on both sides. It’s simply amazing to see these stones cut and ground to fit perfectly Plaza de San Blas - the best area in the city centre to buy local handicrafts Sacsayhuaman, Qenko, Puca Pucara and Tambo Machay - All archeological sites found around Cuzco, they can be visited on day excursions. Pisac - Located about 32 km from Cuzco, Pisac is noted for its bustling Sunday market where traditionally dressed locals travel from miles around to sell their products. Tuesday and Thursday are also market days, although the, market is much smaller. Aside from the market activity, there is also many excellent little bakeries. Puno & Lake Titicaca Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world. Located in a haunting landscape, rich in birdlife and with interesting pre-inca cultures. This includes the Uros Indians who live on their floating reed islands, and the Aymara people of Taquile Island. Peruvian Amazon There are two readily accessible areas of Amazonian rainforest where a series of simple lodges have been established to give visitors a taste of life in the jungle. In the north of the country, around the city of Iquitos you can visit the Amazon River and maybe even take a river cruise. In the south there is the Tambopata Candamo near the town of Puerto Maldonado, close to Cuzco.Manu National Park is harder to access but is a very rewarding rainforest destination albeit an expensive destination choice. Arequipa and the Colca Canyon A visit to the beautifully maintained colonial "white city" of Arequipa in the south is often combined with a trip to the Colca Canyon (now also accessible by a new road from Puno). Until quite recently it was isolated from the outside world. Its villagers cultivate an impressively engineered series of terraces and still wear the intricate embroidered costumes of centuries ago. The canyon is the second deepest in the world and the sight of condors spiralling up its cliffs is an incredible sight. Incidentally the deepest canyon in the world, only recently confirmed by NASA, is the Cotahuasi Canyon only a few kilometres away. Lima Peru’s Pacific coast capital is a huge cosmopolitan city, with pleasant suburbs and landscaped cliff-top parks with a colonial centre that has been declared a UNESCO world heritage site. With several first-class hotels and hostels to choose from, Miraflores is the safest and touristic centre of Lima. Miraflores. Parque Salazar .- Overlooks the bay and is a good place to visit during the summer months when concerts are held. Larco Mar – Shopping and entertainment complex overlooking the ocean. Restaurants, cinemas, shops etc. Parque Kennedy - A great place to wander through the arts and crafts markets that open from Thursday to Sunday. Excellent restaurants close by. Lima Beaches - Very popular between December and April. Even though they have been declared unsafe for swimming, the city’s beaches have become a cultural hub for Limeños who swarm to the area. Central Lima Plaza de Armas - declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO, this plaza is lined on both sides with arcades and shops. In the centre of the plaza is a bronze fountain dating back to 1650.The Palacio de Gobierno (Government Plaza) - found on the north side of the Plaza, the Palacio de Gobierno is thought to have been built by Pizarro. Rebuilt in 1937. Guided tours begin at 11:00 and feature the changing of the guard. The Cathedral houses the remains of Francisco Pizarro.Plaza Bolivar – Believed to be where General Jose de San Martin proclaimed Peru’s independence. At the centre, you will find an equestrian statue of the mounted liberator Palacio Torre Tagle - now the home of the Foreign Ministry. San Francisco church and monastery is famous for its remarkable library and artwork. However the catacombs beneath the church are the tomb of up to 70,000 skeletons.Museo de la Nación - Located at Javier Rado Oeste 2466, San Borja, and is the best museum to get an overview of all Peruvian archaeology. You can see Chavin stone carvings, Nazca ceramics and Paracas weavings. Museo de Oro del Peru - Located at Alonso de Molina 100, Monterrico is also worth a visit. It has two distinct sections. The Gold Museum is housed in the basement vault, and there are thousands of gold pieces to view. The Arms Museum is at the top and is reputed to be one of the world’s best, featuring firearms from Peru but also from all over the world. Hotels All the hotels we recommend are clean, well located and comfortable hotels varying in services as according to their category. We rarely use hostels as the price difference is negligible between a good hostel and a hotel. In places like Nazca and Pisco, we do work with some very good hostels. It is important to remember that Peru is a third world country and three star hotels here will not necessarily be the same as three star hotels in Europe or the US. We do endeavour to choose the best hotels in line with your budget. There are five star deluxe hotels we offer that are among the best hotels in the world. We will always quote you with good hotels on all our programmes but upgrades or downgrades will be available as per your request. However, as the price will decrease with downgrades, this will ultimately reflect in the services and standards of the hotel. Flights Unless otherwise stated, we provide all internal flights in your programme, excluding the airport taxes. We also provide international flights around South America and can quote, upon request, your international flight to Peru. We work directly with the best airlines in South America but are not responsible for any changes in flight schedules or cancellations made by the airlines. This is the responsibility of the airline in question. We will always endeavour to minimise any delays or changes but cannot guarantee a successfuloutcome. Insurance It is a mandatory requirement that all our customers take out adequate travel insurance cover. Once you have obtained your insurance, it is company practice to check the validity and cover of your insurance policy and we hold the right to refuse travel to anyone whose insurance does not satisfy Amazing Peru's stringent criteria. These include cancellation and curtailment, death or injury, medical insurance, emergency repatriation, delayed baggage, loss and theft etc. Office in Lima :guzman barron street # 3816 - condevilla SMP - Lima Peru phone : (51-1) 4564144 / (51-1)5680834 / phone and fax (51-1) 5650016 email contact : tourism@peru.com |