I spent 5 weeks travelling in Peru over June-July 2018. I entered Peru from Ecuador and travelled north to south - I stayed in San Ignacio, Chachapoyas, Cajamarca, Trujillo, Lima, Nasca, Arequipa, Cabanaconde, Chivay, Cusco, Urubamaba, Agua Calientes and Puno.

The following are some observations on my trip that I hope that others may find useful in planning their own Peruvian adventure.

The highlight of my visit was visiting Machu Picchu - I know that sounds like a cliche, but, in my opinion, the site’s august reputation is deserved. Two other Inca sites that I enjoyed visiting around Cusco were Pisac and Huchuy Cusco. I recommend hiking in to Pisac (from the town of the same name), rather than taking the road, as you will see more of the site and avoid the crowds. One can only hike in to Huchuy Cusco - it’s a 1.5-2 hour hike up a steep mountain trail from Lamay (near Calca)(the path is marked on MAPS.ME). Huchuy Cusco is quite an expansive site, but not as impressive from an architectural perspective as some other Incan sites - its appeal lies in the fact that you will be alone apart from other hikers. I also visited Inca sites at Ollantaytambo and Moray - but these were spoiled for me by the masses of tourists.

Some observations on the places that I visited, starting in the north.

From Chachapoyas, I visited Kuelap (a hilltop fortress) sometimes touted as a second Machu Picchu - it’s not. However, it’s setting, high up in the northern Andes, is spectacular. Since the opening of a cable car that takes you up to the site, the guide that I toured the site with indicated that tourist numbers have significantly increased - with international visitors now swamped by domestic tourists (previously, there was a skew to international tourists). Tourist numbers are not yet out-of-control, but, it is much less tranquil than, I imagine, it once was.

From Chachapoyas it is also worth visiting the Catarata de Gocta, again for the gorgeous scenery in that part of the Andes, as much as for the visit to the world’s 3rd highest waterfall.

The sites in and around Cajamarca are relatively low-key. I enjoyed visiting the archaeological site Kuntur Wasi, near San Pablo, but, once again, as much for the mountain scenery as the site itself (which is pretty sparse).

The two archaeological sites around Trujillo (Chan Chan and the Temple of the Sun and Moon) are amazing and make a visit to Trujillo a must - although the city itself, Peru’s second largest, has few charms. (Make sure that you visit Huaca Arco Iris - included as part of the Chan Chan ticket - it’s a bit of a pain to get to but the temple’s ornamentation is particularly impressive). I stayed in Huanchaco during my stay in the greater Trujillo area, but, I would not recommend doing this, as I found the commuting to and from Huanchaco each day annoying and Huanchaco, itself, in my opinion, has limited appeal.

The highlight of Lima for me was the visit to the Larco Museum. As the museum explains, Peru was one of the 6 centres of human civilisation - this museum puts the country’s rich cultural heritage into perspective.

While a flight over the Nasca lines is the highlight of any visit to Nasca, there are many other worthwhile activities in/around Nasca - climbing Cerro Blanco (the world’s highest sand dune) and a visit to the cemetery at Chauchilla being among them. Nasca is also a good place to try sand-boarding.

I am surprised by the World Heritage listing afforded to Arequipa. While the city’s Santa Catalina convent is deserving of recognition, I did not find the remainder of the city to be particularly charming/outstanding.

Watching the condors fly from the Cruz del Condor is the highlight of a visit to the Colca Canyon. In contrast, the hike in the canyon is dull and I do not understand the reason that it has such a significant reputation. One can see all of the hike from the rim of the canyon, so that there is nothing surprising or interesting about the hike - no interesting twists or turns. Do see the condors, but skip the hike.

Cusco is the prettiest city that I visited in Peru. It is fascinating to walk around Cusco’s streets to observe the remnants of its Incan past.

Puno, in contrast with its near neighbor, is likely the least attractive larger city that I visited in Peru (although Trujillo affords stiff competition). From Puno, I visited the Islas Uros. While, in the past, it may have been interesting to see how the communities on the floating islands on the lake lived, it’s now a tourist trap with limited appeal. I visited two “chullpa” (burial tower) sites near Puno - Cutimbo and Sillustani. While the setting of both sites is dramatic, there’s much more to see at Sillustani. I would recommend visiting Sillustani independently in the morning (as many of the organised tours from Puno run in the afternoon). Getting to Sillustani independently is straightforward - it requires two collectivo rides - one along the road to Juliaca to the turn off for the site, then another to the site (yes, the tourist hordes at the site are so large that the size of the community living there to serve the tourists justifies a collectivo service).

Although, I took a bus to the Bolivian border at Kasani, I think that, if speed was your priority, it would likely be quicker to take a collectivo to the border and then another from the other side on to Copacabana - as it takes the bus, with all its passengers, a long time to cross the border (the crossing time is as fast as the slowest passenger).

I found food to be a problem in Peru. I needed to take antibiotics several times after bad bouts of diarrhoea and vomiting from food poisoning. I thought that I was careful in my food choices, however, clearly, I was not careful enough.

I am a vegetarian. If you consult a website such as Happy Cow, you will find several vegetarian/vegan restaurants in every larger city in Peru. Lunch menus are invariably good value at these places. You can also find vegetarian/vegan lunch options at the market. However, I found that finding an evening meal frequently more challenging. I often opted to eat at a “Chifa” (Chinese restaurant). These are very common. However, the vegetarian/vegan choices there are typically limited to “chaufa con verduras” (fried rice with vegetables) or “tallarin con verduras” (noodles with vegetables) - the vegetables tend to be served in an eponymous sauce which becomes a bit tiring after a while. However, as each meal at a Chifa is cooked fresh, I felt that this was a fairly safe food choice. Do make your own breakfast while in Peru - one can find many interesting potential breakfast foods in the supermarkets and markets - including oats (inevitably processed, unfortunately), puffed quinoa, puffed amaranth, puffed canihua, chia, maca powder, algarrobina (black carob) powder ... amongst others.

I’ve just finished up a week moving from Zamora Michocan to Leon Guanajuato, with stops in San Juan de Los Lagos and Lagos de Moreno. The purpose of the trip was a week’s vacation, but also wanted to see and photograph some new places.

I flew into Guadalajara, headed straight from the airport to the bus station, and caught the next bus (Primera Plus) to Zamora. Zamora’s bus terminal is on the outskirts of town, so a taxi ($40) was needed to get to my hotel, Hotel Terrass. I had visited Zamora for two days back in February, and really enjoyed the town. However, I had wanted to photograph the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe and found that they only turned the Cathedral lights on during the weekend, and I was there on a Monday/Tuesday. So this time, I made sure to be there on Saturday, and the Cathedral was quite spectacular all lit up. I got photos from ~5 stories up in the hotel, and also from in front in the plaza.

Having spent a couple days there recently, I didn’t care to stay more than one night. So the next day, I transited back to Guadalajara, and then on to San Juan de Los Lagos. Only found one direct bus, and it was late in the day, so my route was a bit of a backtrack. I spent two nights in San Juan, stayed at the Hotel Senorial right on the square. I booked a suite ($40 US), because it had a terrace with a great view, perfect for photography. The hotel was OK, wifi didn’t reach the third floor, so I had to sit in the lobby. Otherwise, it was fine. And the view was great.

Seems like pretty much everything in San Juan revolves around the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos, which I was told was the second holiest shrine in Mexico after the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City. Same person said they get 8 million visitors a year. Not so sure about that, but the entire area of the centro is basically shopping and stuff that would support large numbers of visitors. To be honest, I didn’t like the town all that much. The Basilica was interesting, but otherwise I found the architecture to be rather dull, and most of the stuff people were selling was of low quality. I do collect a few kinds of artesanias, and everything I saw was not of great quality. Prices were a little higher for things like taxis (50 pesos from bus terminal to centro), food, etc.

After two days, I took a bus from San Juan to Lagos De Moreno. Lagos was everything I had hoped for. Much more interesting architecture, loved the feel of the town. One unfortunate thing, a couple days before I arrived, narcos had assassinated the chief of police. So it was a little edgy and tense with a pretty heavy police presence (including some helicopters). Still, I found Lagos to be a photographic gem with wonderful churches, some great views, and tons of nice doors and details to photography. I stayed at the Hotel Victoria, which was a few blocks from the main square, next to a Pemex station. The hotel was superb, about $40 us per night. Buffet breakfast was excellent. I really liked Lagos, I could see myself going back there.

After two nights in Lagos, I moved on to Leon. There are Flecha Amarilla buses every 20 minutes from Lagos to Leon, 57 pesos, about an hour in transit. In Leon, I stayed two nights in the Hotel Real Rex, which was right on the corner of one the main plazas. It’s a bit worn, but it was only $30 US per night. I had picked the hotel because it was tall, and right in line with the Templo Expiatorio del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus, and a full moon that would rise on Friday and Saturday nights. My plan was to get a room high up, and take photos of the church out the window. When I told the staff what I was up to, they gave me access to the rooftop both nights, which was perfect.

I liked Leon, I thought the main plazas in the centro were quite nice. Lots of good places to eat. Not very touristy, or at least it didn’t seem so. I walked from the centro to the Templo Expiatorio a few times, it is quite an impressive structure. Continuing east from there, a ramp system exists to cross over some of the main roads. That made for a nice place to take photos from. I probably wandered about 10 blocks in all directions from the main plaza. North, north east, maybe that neighborhood got a little rougher. I didn’t end up visiting the leather market, other than driving through it on the way from the bus terminal to the centro. I don’t really know anything about leather goods, nor need any, but it looked like a great shopping opportunity for the person.

I did deviate slightly from my plans -- I had intended to spend one night in nearby San Francisco del Rincon. There were a few things there I wanted to photograph. I ended up skipping this, I was pretty run down, and ended up spending a night instead in the Ramada right on the square in Leon, a really nice room with a great view, about $70 US. Will save SFR for another trip.

There are a few other Pueblos Magicos being promoted in this area, like Jalpa de Canovas. I looked at it on Google Earth and it didn’t look like much, other than a really tall and skinny church.

This was a good trip. Lagos was the place I really enjoyed, I see no reason to return to San Juan, and Leon would be OK as a base for other things, but felt I saw what there was to see.

Just been to Komodo and sharing my experience in the hope it helps travelers pick an appropriate tour company.

1. The Komodo National Park itself is open. Yes there has been talk about the governor of Nusa Tengarra wanting to close the main Komodo island in 2020, which is likely going to happen, but this does not mean the entire park is shut. In any case, there is a higher probability of seeing Komodo dragons on Rinca, the smaller of the 2 islands, which will remain opened in 2020. Make Rinca your priority.

2. I initially wanted to book a 3 day 2 night boat tour, but most scheduled trips only happen on weekends, typically leaving on Friday morning returning Sunday night.
   When contacting tour agencies (I emailed about 20) specify clearly whether you are open to a private chartered boat, which is obviously more expensive. I received quotes ranging from $450 to $850 for 3 days.

3. Most visitors opt for either a day trip on a speed boat or a 2 day 1 night tour. Note that accommodation is super basic.

4. What most visitors to Labuan and the Komodo National Park not seem to realize is that all these so called tour operators are actually not tour organizers but nearly all are agents. They are basically "boat brokers", resellers of capacity on boats operated by other companies who are not client facing.

This teaches us something fundamental about the limited role these agents play and the economics of this cartel like business model from a consumer perspective.

In a nutshell: the "tour" agent
A) has no clue of the type of boat they will put you on until the very last minute
B) cannot guarantee the type of tour you will experience (as in the schedule, the places you will visit)
C) will always try to overcharge you
D) has no snorkel equipment
E) have zero expertise in recommending you particular equipment (fin size, type of fins etc.)
F) services are executed by a network of task rabbits who have no clue about what you actually bought, so don't ask questions
G) has zero responsibility to coordinate anything

You are signing up to something which is completely unpredictable and the agent will not give a dime after having taken your money. Your expectation is irrelevant therefore it doesn't need to be managed. At least that was my experience with Komodo Tour Center, located south of the main tourist area in Labuan.

The following facts describe my experience with Komodo Tour Center.

I paid 1.5 million IDR for a typical 2 day 1 night tour knowing very well that the package offered by this company was similar to others which were ~30% cheaper. I did not book elsewhere because the staff at other agents seemed less trustworthy and I preferred the quick response time of Komodo Tour Center. I assumed that given the higher ratings on trip advisor and positive comments the experience would be overall better; with a slightly better boat, better equipment, better accommodation based on photos provided.

None of this was true. The mess started in the harbor. I was picked up by 1 driver, dropped off at a shop, and handed snorkel gear which, I found out later on, was broken (the head band of the goggles snapped). The fins were too large and only suitable for use with a wetsuit + rubber socks. Thank God there were some very compassionate people on board who lent me their snorkel and fins.
Lessons learnt: Always double check the gear before boarding the boat. Take your time to try it on. Funds should be comfortable, not too big.

A second driver rushed me to the boat, which was supposedly leaving in 10 min. The driver couldn't find the boat. In the end we sailed at 9:45 am after a 1.5 hour wait. So why all the fuss?
Lessons learnt: don't be fooled by drivers, printed schedules. Ask your boat guide how long the briefing takes. Don't rely on the agent.

At the boat another random person forced me to pay additional 50k snorkeling fees per day. I rushed to the office nearby realizing later on during briefing that the boat guide was collecting money for all park entrance tickets, including the snorkeling fees. I called the tour agent, he claimed to not know anything about those daily fees. Why not be transparent about it?
Lessons learnt: ask your agent to write down the exact breakdown of additional park fees. Acknowledge that this keeps changing all the time. In July 2019 this was 580K IDR for a 2 day tour.

On the boat I soon discovered there were other passengers on the boat who had paid as little as 650K IDR (!) for the exact same experience only with a different itinerary and schedule. That's not business but fraud. I felt stupid, ripped off.
Lessons learnt: compare, take your time, don't blindly trust Google or trip advisor reviews and be aware of how these agencies operate. You should negotiate and bring down the price significantly.

The itinerary was changed based on the common denominator between all passengers. Why not inform people beforehand?
Lessons learnt: itinerary is actually not important, as long as Rinca is included. Ask the tour guide which pink beach they intend to visit (since there are about 25 pink beaches in the park) based on the currents. It does not necessarily have to be "the" pink beach on Komodo island of the famous Padar one.
Again your tour agent won't know.

The cabin on the boat was filthy and extremely hot, smelled like gasoline. There were bed bugs (I saw other passengers being bitten), and I wasn't told I had to share a mattress with someone else; in this case a lady who felt uncomfortable so out of courtesy I slept on the deck outside with the crew of our boat. This was obviously not comfortable at all. In fact I hurt my shoulder.
Lessons learnt: bring an inflatable cushion, extra blanket if you want to sleep on the deck. Don't travel solo, share a mattress with a friend rather than stranger. Ask the tour agent how many cabins there are and what the capacity is.

There was definitely not enough food on the boat. Portions were too small, and it was clear several passengers remained hungry.
Lessons learnt: knowing how basic the whole rip off scheme is, I could have brought some bananas or power bars, instant noodles.

Upon return, there was no one of the agency to await me at the port. Everyone else's agent sent someone to pick them up and return the snorkle gear. I was told “I should have contacted the tour agent to notify what time we returned”. Since when does a passenger need to inform the tour company of their schedule, let alone in open sea without mobile service?
Lessons learnt: confirm with the tour agent when and where to return the gear, whether any pick up is provided.

Finally, spend your money at a cheaper agent. Because what you get is random anyway. Avoid Komodo tour Center, no matter how well the communication initially flows.

It’s best to use this report as a back-up to the current Lonely Planet guide book or one of its older editions.

Money exchange:
I exchanged USD in cash in Salvador’s Pelourinho and its surroundings where you’ll get fair rates.
Avoid exchanging at airports, there rates are really bad plus they’ll charge you an additional commission. Use ATM’s during the day and inside a bank rather than outside.

Crime and Security:
Personally I found walking in Salvador before, during and after Carnival (mainly Pelourinho and surroundings, Barra and surroundings, Boca do Rio and Rio Vermelho) not dangerous at all. The same goes for using busses or the metro. People are very friendly and helpful albeit if don’t speak Portuguese, language problems do occur.
The same goes for Lencois and the Chapada Diamantina.
NB: I always walked in used travel cloths and didn’t party along the Barra-Ondina Carnival circuit.
Police and the MP (military police) had a strong presence during Carnival in the touristy areas and even in Lencois (which is normal during festivals as I was told). In the area of Pelourinho you could even get body-searched by them during Carnival.

Salvador and Carnival:
Secret tip in case you are not into masses of people: On the night before the official Carnival started I had a great night out in Pelourinho and Santo Antonio. In Pelo there were small groups of musicians walking through the streets as well as various stages with bands playing for free.
Even the “Trios” – (large trucks) blaring out cool music (bring ear-plugs) were around to warm up for the days to come. Sure there were people in the streets but not in the like that you hardly could move. It was easy to follow the trucks as “Pipoca” – (free floating popcorn) for a while to enjoy the atmosphere. No need to get an “Abada” – (special shirt to get inside the roped-off area). Drinks were sold anywhere along the streets. I haven’t seen a fight or even heard an argument in the streets.

Taxis / Uber:
Most folks in Salvador have the Uber app running on their phone as it is much cheaper than using taxis and you have the added bonus of your trip being recorded and the driver using a GPS to get to your destination (which is mainly a great thing). You can choose to pay by credit card or by cash.
Even if you haven’t got the app - you could ask someone to call an Uber for you which many people would do without hesitation.

Salvador Accommodation:
I stayed at the Italian owned Pousada Biri Biri in Santo Antonio but can recommend it only partwise.
Francesca was friendly and helpful. She even sent me an Uber driver to the airport which cost me only BRL 41 for the trip to her pousada in Santo Antonio (above Pelo). But the room(s) was extremely hot even with a ceiling ventilator and a big window. The price is midrange, there is no breakfast and toilets & showers are in the corridor. The linen and pillow were all made of cheap synthetics which isn’t comfortable in hot climates. On my return visit I stayed with the CS community.
In case all of this doesn’t bother you – it’s a handy place about a 15 min walk from “Pelo”.

Basic tips for Carnival:
Keep your money in small bills in a belted wallet inside your shorts.
Eat well before you go to party like rice, beans and meat.
Wear a pair of sneakers (not flip-flops or sandals)
Avoid street meat and fried stuff from street vendors and
drink in a way you always know where to go.
Watch your step!!! The pavement can be a nightmare.
Don’t bring a big camera and don’t wear jewellery. A smartphone is ok.
The cans of beer, Coca Cola etc. are always closed when you receive them but have an eye on the street bartenders who mix Caipirinhas for you.
Don’t accept drinks from strangers and never leave your credit card out of sight, not even for a second.
And remember: finding a taxi or an Uber at the end of a Carnival circuit is extremely difficult.

Bus Salvador – Lencois - Salvador:
During Carnival long distance bus tickets are more expensive than before and after Carnival.
I paid BRL 115 to get from Salvador’s main bus terminal to Lencois but for the return trip I paid only BRL 85. It takes around 7h to reach Lencois. 2h before reaching (after leaving) Lencois the bus makes a 20 min break at a restaurant/shop. The AC was running on a low level.
There are morning, midday, evening and night connections between Salvador and Lencois with the first bus leaving just around 7.30 am.

Lencois - 3 accommodation options, all feature a tasty breakfast and free Wifi:

Pousada Aguas Claras - Cheap and central:
Address: Rua Perilo Benjamin. Tel. +55 75 999 66 17 79
Good breakfast from 07.30 – 10.30am
Just opposite of the bridge which leads to the old town (super central and close to the bus station). Jefe “Clasia” will greet you with a big smile.
They just have 9 rooms, book via phone or in person.
1 pers BRL 60
2 pers BRL 120 and BRL 60 more for each additional person. Toilette & shower is in the corridor.
Doublebeds are BRL 150 for 2 and generally feature a toilette inside the room.
Rooms are clean and simple, some have dorm style beds. This was a great deal as even during Carnival I could stay in a 3 bed room for the price of jut BRL 60.

Pousada and restaurant “Canto no Bosque” - Mid-range, German owned and out of town:
www.cantonobosque.com.br / Email: cantonobosque@gmail.com / Address: Lot Parque do Ribeirao.
Christel Puwalla is the German lady who owns the place. Jasiel Longuinho is a manager here.
Phone: +55 75 3334 17 04 / Cell./WhatsApp: +55 75 99 966 18 28 and +55 75 99 998 55 58
This is the nicest place I have seen here. Canto no Bosque means forest corner or forest singing and this fits the description really well.
The pousada offers free transport to and from the town centre, valuable if you have heavy luggage or want to go down to Lencois for dinner and are lazy to walk back. It’s about 1’200m or a 15 min walk up the hill from the old town and safe to walk to/from even at night.
The place is beautiful and features a large garden with a middle-sized swimming pool and many trees, plants and flowers. If you are quiet you can see the humming birds passing by and the nearby restaurant offers tasty meals (roughly at the same price as in the town’s restaurants). So if you feel lazy there is no need to ever leave the pousada.
Tasty free breakfasts are served from 07.30 – 09.30. Lunch and dinners are optional and served in the roofed pavilion restaurant too. They serve spaghettis, pizzas, beef-, chicken- and salmon dishes, sandwiches, ice creams and drinks which mean your kids will love the place too.

The pousada has 10 individually furnished rooms; some are very large.
Prices per 1 pers. BRL 170 / 2 pers. BRL 220 / 3 pers. 310 / 4 pers. BRL 405 / 5 pers. BRL 520.
Depending on who is at the reception, owner and staff speak German, English & Spanish.
The booking.com rate for 2017 was 9.1, no figure is yet available for 2018.
All rooms feature AC, a minibar and a private bathroom.
At festival times (X-mas, Carnival, Easter etc.) inquire about the prices as they rise. You can book via their website, booking.com, WhatsApp or cell phone.

Pousada Bons Lencois, since 1990, mid-range, 350m from the town centre.
The friendly owner Romarco R. Cavalcanti speaks some English and German.
Rua Coronel Jose Florenico, 70. www.bonslencois.com.br / rodriguesromarco@gmail.com
Tel. +55 75 3334 12 70 / Cell.&WhatsApp: +55 75 99 984 10 40.
You can book rooms via its website, booking.com or WhatsApp.
Tasty breakfast is served from 07.30 – 09.30. Albeit rooms are simply furnished all feature AC, a minibar and a private bathroom.
Romarco offers 19 rooms (more to come in near future). Prices are for high-season.
Room rates for 1 pers. BRL 170 / 2 pers. BRL 190 / 3 pers. BRL 245 / 4 pers. BRL 285 / 5 pers. 320
Kids up to 6 years of age are free of charge & 6 – 12 years olds just pay BRL 30 per day.