Experience Peru on your own terms with a personalized luxury tour package. This South American paradise is an up-and-coming destination for travelers who want the adventure and excitement they crave along with the comfort and accoutrements that will make the stay even more unforgettable. With an increasing number of five star resorts, hotels, and restaurants, and the stunning scenery for which Peru is so well known, this is a destination for sophisticated travelers from around the globe.

I have driven from Arequipa to Cotahuasi many times and have been interested in some of the side roads that we pass. One of them has a sign that says it goes to Cabanaconde, on the rim of the Colca Canyon. Another one goes in the direction of Colca Canyon around the backside of Nevado Coropuna. I have always wondered if it is possible to drive directly to Colca Canyon from Cotahuasi, where I live, rather than going all the way around through Arequipa, which is the normal way. I have a map that shows a road there, but it also shows roads in my area that I know do not exist.

In my missionary work here in southern Peru, I sometimes help out some short-term teams that come from the U.S. On one of these occasions, I drove to near Oyolo, a village about five hours away from Cotahuasi where I live, to meet Pastor Eddie and his team from Florida. They were driving from Pausa and were supposed to be meeting me up on the high plain, about an hour before Oyolo, as they were going to be using the "new road" we had learned about when we were there a number of months before.

On September 1st, the team from Westside Baptist Church in Florida arrived in Arequipa and Lucho and I met them at the airport. They spent the night in Arequipa and in the morning we started on the two-day trip to Pausa. We spent the first night in Caraveli, and in the morning continued on to Cahuacho. We used to take a shortcut to Pausa that goes through Casiri, but that road had been impassable due to landslides for about two years.

After months of planning and over a year of dreaming about it, I finally got on a bus from Arequipa to go to Cusco to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. We were supposed to be there a couple of days early so they could acclimatize but Milana's flight from Lima was cancelled so she arrived about noon the day before our tour started. I had already met Karen the day before and we had gotten to know each other a bit as we did some sightseeing and hiking together near Cusco.

Today my plan was to hike up to a volcanic crater called Huambo, which is just above Cotahuasi. The crater is kind of horseshoe shaped, with the open side facing Cotahuasi. The highest part on the rim of the crater looked like the point on a crown, which of course was my goal. I started hiking along the base of Mt. Huinao, which unfortunately was blocking the sun. I was freezing the first 20 minutes, even with a steady climb, until I finally got into the sunlight.

I really enjoy the mountains; maybe it's because I grew up in Minnesota where there aren't any. I praise God for being able to live in a beautiful canyon surrounded by high mountains. The problem with that is that I always want to climb them. Every time I go from Cotahuasi to Arequipa, there are Nevado Coropuna and Nevado Solimana tempting me. The road seems designed to give you as many tantalizing views of both mountains as possible, as it curves around them and between them.

Introduction There are so many extremes and contradictions that, without a travel company that completely appreciates and understands these disparate differences, you are unlikely to get the most from your Peru vacation: you need the skills provided by adventure travel specialists such as Enigma Tour Operators who are based in Cusco. Varied Topography of Peru The topography of Peru is truly amazing and provides adventure travel to extensive mountain ranges and deeply wooded forests that spread for many kilometres in all directions. travel can also include splendid beaches and sparkling warm water.

Peru is one the most exciting travel destinations in South America blending incredible historical and archeological sites with out of this world cuisine, verdant jungle, exotic flora and fauna, deserted beaches and an energetic cultural element. Some people have an image of Peru as being a dangerous place and may avoid traveling there or to other South American destinations for fear of falling victim to crime. Peru has become much safer in recent years and is now a leading Latin American travel destination.

Peru is a spectacular country with much to offer tourists and travelers. In Lima, you will not want to miss the downtown colonial homes, museums and historical sites of the capital. There is something of interest for all ages in this fascinating country. There are the well-known and exotic destinations like Cuzco and the wonder of Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, Arequipa, Colca Canyon, Nazca Lines, Paracas, and the Amazon Rainforest, you may want to include in your travel plans.