Hi-

I am looking for feedback on my 3 week itinerary to Northern Peru + Cusco. We are a family of four, two adults with kids aged 13 and 10. Looking to get a bit off the beaten path with the kiddos. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

May 23- Depart home
May 24- Arrive Lima, 7:50 am. Fly to Chachapoyas or Jaen. Stay Chachapoyas.
May 25- Drive to Cocachimba, Gocta Waterfall. Stay Chachapoyas.
May 26- Kuelap. Stay in Leymebamba
May 27- Mummy museum of Leymebamba. Start Leymebamba to Vira Vira trek.

May 28- Leymebamba to Vira Vira trek
May 29- Leymebamba to Vira Vira trek
May 30- Leymebamba to Vira Vira trek
May 31- Leymebamba to Vira Vira trek
June 1- Leymebamba to Vira Vira trek
June 2- Leymebamba to Vira Vira trek
June 3- Travel day to Cajamarca.
June 4- Cajamarca
June 5- Fly Cajamarca>Lima>Cusco
June 6- Cusco
June 7- Qoyllur Rit’I (Snow Star) Festival trek
June 8- Qoyllur Rit’I (Snow Star) Festival trek
June 9- Qoyllur Rit’I (Snow Star) Festival trek. Stay Cusco.
June 10- afternoon Cusco to Auguas Calientes
June 11- Machu Picchu early morning, train back to Cusco
June 12- Fly Cusco>Lima
June 13- Depart Lima 1:50am, Arrive home.

Hello,
I am going to Kyrgyzstan as a solo female traveller for 19 days early till mid-September. I will not have my own transport but rely on public transport.
I am interested in nature, hiking, wilderness, authentic experiences, meeting the locals. yurt culture and hidden gems. I have been looking at different areas to do (multi day and day) hikes such as Chon Kemin, around Karakol/Jyrgalan, Song Ku and Kol Suu. I have a few questions:

1 – Which of those areas are likely to get most snow or bad weather in September? Should I start my trip with those areas that are most likely to suffer from bad weather/snow later on? Which would those be?

2 – Will the Karakol/Jyrgalan area be very touristy in early September? Which multi day trek would you recommend? I read about the classic treks Ala Kul lake / Altyn Arashan / Ak-Suu, but those look very touristy. Are there longer treks (5-6 days) that would also take me to more hidden gems with less tourists?

3 - Are the yurts still open in September? Is it possible to find other tourists to share taxi with or go on treks with relatively easily still?

4 – I recently read about Pamir-Alay mountains, Pamir High Highway and Allay region. It looks really spectacular. Should I leave a few days to do some hiking there (and cut something from my itinerary, or skip touristy Karakol hiking and replace it with that?)

5 – What are your thoughts on the itinerary below? (might need to move the order based on your feedback re snow!). Anything I should cut or make longer, so I have a more authentic experience?

Day 1: arrival 14:50 Bishkek
Day 2: Bishkek – Chon Kemin 1 (trek?)
Day 3: Chon Kemin 1 (trek?)
Day 4 Chon Kemin 3 (trek?)
Day 5 Chon Kemin > Cholpon Ata > Karakol (Independence Day)
Day 6 Multi day trek near Karakol/Jyrgalan 1
Day 7 Multi day trek near Karakol/Jyrgalan 2
Day 8 Multi day trek near Karakol/Jyrgalan 3
Day 9 Multi da trek near Karakol/Jyrgalan 4
Day 10 Multi day trek near Karakol/Jyrgalan 5
Day 11 South shores of Issyk Kul Lake / Jeti Oguz / Skazka Fairytale canyon
Day 12 Kochkor / Song Kul / Ukok-Kol Tor horse riding or trek 1
Day 13 Song Kul / Ukok-Kol Tor horse riding or trek 2
Day 14 Song Kul / Ukok-Kol Tor horse riding or trek 3
Day 15 Naryn & Kol Suu Lake trek 1
Day 16 Naryn & Kol Suu Lake trek 2
Day 17 Naryn & Kol Suu Lake trek 3
Day 18 Naryn & Kol Suu Lake trek 4
Day 19 Bischkek departure 16:00

thank YOU for your kind help :)

Hi, I am planning a trip to the northern parts of Ethiopia in February. I am traveling solo, but for the areas where a guide is requested I would like to join with other travellers to cut costs. Is anyone interested in joining me for a trekking tour of a few days in the Simian Mountains and/or the usual 3- or 4-day visit of the Danakil depression?

Alternatively, does anyone know if there are tours which I can join as a solo traveller? I have contacted several of the operators mentioned in LP asking for a tour to Danakil, but they told me that they arrange tours for groups only and it would not be possible to join one of these groups.

Hi,

I'll be in Morocco in late September with my future (hopefully) feyonce. We will be there 8 days, we will be for sure in Agadir and Marrakesh. My initial plan was to make a proposal on the desert (in the night, alone, under the stars :), but the trip on desert takes minimum 3 days and I start to doubt if it's good idea since we are in Morocco for short time... What do you think about Agafay desert? It's not so far as Merzouga. Or maybe do you have some other recommendations what to visit? Or maybe even ideas, where can I propose to her? It will be very calm, easy rest, no demanding program. I will be really thankful for any suggestions :)

Most of TR below, no pics.

Click here for full report.

Cheers.

Jon

Last time I did this trip in 2014 it would have been nice to see the ruins near the border but it would have been very difficult due to the fact that I had very little cash, only credit and debit cards. Fast forward 5 years armed with the experience of the last attempt and I made sure I would be able to see Yaxchilán this time. The name has been translated into several different meanings but eventually settled on "Green Stones" by a 19th century Mayan archaeologist.

$US ≈ 19 Mexican [i]pesos[/i] ($M) ≈ 7.6 Guatemalan [i]quetzales[/i] (Q)

[h1 left]Frontera Corozal[/h1] Back of beyond border crossing into Mexico from the equally back of beyond in Guatemala. Did this trip in 2014 with very few [i]pesos[/i] in my possession (traded for some on the bus with another passenger) and no bank to get more. This year came much better prepared so I would have enough [i]dinero[/i] for the trip to the ruins at Yaxchilán, a night in town, and transport to Palenque. All worked to perfection.

[b]Accommodation and food[/b] Don't remember the name of the place I stayed but it was around the corner from the full Pension Elisabeth. I paid $20 for my own room with absolutely obligatory AC, fan, cable TV, and a private bathroom with a great shower (hot water totally unnecessary) to rinse off the grime and grit covering me from head to toe after the all day journey in buses/pickup beds/semi cab/ferry.

Next to Elisabeth is Comedor Maya Ch'ol, ~$M75 or so for a huge plate of typical Mexican fare and another $M25 for large glasses of [i]aguas naturales[/i]. Been getting kind of addicted to tamarind. For breakfast before heading to the ruins, Nueva Allianza seemed to be the only place open early. $M80 or so for a good breakfast with real coffee, no Nescafe, [i]gracais a dios[/i].

[b]Transport[/b] $M100 for the [i]colectivo[/i] to Palenque (~2½ hours). If it's late, might have to take a share taxi to the main highway ($M120 for 4 pax, $M60 solo) and wait for transport coming from Benemérito de las Américas which is what I did first time crossing here. Q15 or equivalent in [i]pesos[/i] to cross the river to La Tecnica, Guatemala.

[b]Yaxchilán Ruinas[/b] I met a German couple by the office to arrange the boats and they already had another party of 3 lined up. The 6 of us were each charged $M250 for the round trip boat ride including 2 hours at the ruins. Surely longer can be negotiated but 2 hours was definitely enough for me as it was getting very [i]muy caliente[/i] by the time we left the site. Try to leave as early as possible as there were several tour bus loads at the site when we left. It is becoming very popular to do Yaxchilán and Bonampak as a long trip on a tour from Palenque. We left Frontera Corozal ~8:15 am and were back in town ~11:35 am. Pay the $M70 entrance fee at the office in town before taking off in the [i]lancha[/i].

[h1 left]Palenque[/h1] First city of consequence coming from northern Guatemala. Has everything a traveler would need and a [i]muy tranquilo[/i] atmosphere presumably because it was 100°F every day and more than a little humid.

[b]Accommodation and food[/b] Looked at a few places before settling on Hotel Kashlan again but this time took a room with AC and super clean private bathroom for $M400. Also had cable TV so I could watch the Boston Celtics get mercilessly crushed yet again by the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA playoffs. Ada, the proprietress, let me use the fridge and utensils so I could methodically eat my kilo of chilled mangoes purchased at the market for $M10.

Took a couple of massive breakfasts at La Oaxaceña for $M80, highly recommend eggs with [i]enfrijoladas[/i]. Cafe Campo around the corner from the hotel has crazy strong iced cortados for $M35. Half a grilled chicken with fixins from innumerable [i]asaderos[/i] runs $M70. Taqueria Express serves 5 tacos for ~$M45, huge [i]horchata[/i] for $M25 and near there is one of the ubiquitous La Michoacana juice/dessert bars with huge $M20 slices of flan Napolitano. Street [i]tamales[/i] $M10.

[b]Transport[/b] Buses to all quadrants of Mexico from the new ADO terminal but for Playa del Carmen or Cancún, much cheaper is the company based out of the office for the Ocosingo [i]colectivos[/i]. I took that bus in 2014 and it had to be the most arctic AC ever. For Cascadas Roberto Barrios catch a [i]colectivo[/i] from the market for $M50, takes about 45 min. $M30 entry to the falls, mid-week will be practically deserted.

[b]Overland to San Cristobal via Agua Azul and Toniná[/b] Left Palenque 8:00 am on an Ocosingo bound [i]colectivo[/i] arr Agua Azul (a.k.a., Blue Water) [i]crucero[/i] 9:25 am, $M50.

Share taxi to Agua Azul for $M25 pp. and the driver did not feel obligated to stop at the first [i]caseta[/i] saving us $M50 each. Stop at second [i]caseta[/i], $M40 each. Free bag storage at the info office.

Stayed just over an hour. Was a bit overrun with tour bus crowds and very touristy. Liked Cascadas Roberto Barrios much more.

Back to the [i]crucero[/i], 11:25 am catch [i]colectivo[/i] to Ocosingo arr 12:55 pm, $M50. 15-20 min walk to the market for [i]colectivo[/i] to Toniná, $M13 takes 20-30 min. Entrance fee $M60 free bag storage at ticket booth. Amazing pyramid can still be climbed, insanely hot. Nice museum. Retraced back to Palenque [i]colectivo[/i] staging area (same for San Cristobal) with a stop at the market for a $M60 lunch. To San Cristobal $M80 in share taxi left 4:45 pm arr 6:50 pm.

[h1 left]San Cristobal de las Casas[/h1] Mega hyped up colonial town on the gringo trail. If I didn't score an unbelievably cheap flight from here to Guadalajara (far from here but close to Puerto Vallarta from where I'm flying home next week) I'm not sure I would have missed much by skipping it. Good transport links to Oaxaca and Guatemala's western highlands.

[b]Accommodation and food[/b] Found Casa de Toño on booking.com but did not reserve because I wasn't sure if I'd make it here in one day from Palenque with the 2 stops en route. By the time I got here all they had left was a twin room for $M150, share bathroom and kitchen, drinking water, and WiFi. Next day I changed to a single for $M100.

Took a couple snacks, i.e., [i]quesedilla[/i] or plate of 3 or 4 tacos, at the small restaurants at the crafts market, $M30 for either. Hit 2 really good restaurants near the market on Insurgentes, Desayunos el Sol and Caminante las Casas, the latter $M45 breakfasts with bottomless coffee, first time I've seen that anywhere outside the U.S.A. Can grab fresh squeezed OJ in the street for $M15. Dozens of cafés litter the town including the reviled Starbucks.

[b]Transport[/b] Fastest way to Palenque is on [i]colectivos[/i] with a change in Ocosingo, $M100 each trip. Can occasionally get a really good deal on the OCC night bus for ~$M160, takes 9 hours via the indirect route. OCC also runs a few buses a day to the Tuxtla airport, a ridiculous $M200 for the 1¼ hour trip.

[h1 left]Guatemala City[/h1] Never stayed in the edgy capital during my 2 previous trips to Guatemala. After staying here for 2 days last week, it's fairly safe to say I did not miss anything. Did the tips based free walking tour but I didn't think there was much to see aside from the frenetic market where Q5 buys a bag of sliced sweet mango, not too shabby.

[b]Accommodation and food[/b] Reserved 2 nights at Capsule Hostel in Zona 1 for the sole purpose of being close to the buses for Cobán. Also in that 'hood are the luxury night buses to Flores/Santa Elena. The hostel is nice, probably the best showers in the entire country. Breakfast is really good pancakes, fruit, and real coffee. Paid $15 total. Cafe Nawal has an odd name but I'm pretty sure it's run by Arabs as Shwarma Nawal is across the street.