11 Places to Visit in Peru!

Peru is a fantastic country to visit and is full of different treasures of traveling to explore and these are the 11 places I recommend to visit on any trip to Peru.

Peru is a county located in western South America. The countries Ecuador and Colombia border it to the north while Brazil surrounds it to the east and along the southern border is Bolivia and Chile. To the west, is the Pacific Ocean that allows for lots of trade in and out of the country. Peru is a country of many contrasts and is a wonderful place to visit on any trip through South America. When most people think of Peru, the Andes Mountains are generally the first thing that comes to most people’s minds, but Peru’s western coast is in stark contrast with its dry and arid desert, while to the east of the Andes is the Amazon jungle, steaming with wildlife.

Not only does Peru have stunning beauty and varied landscapes throughout the country, but the many different ancient civilizations and cultures have given Peru some of the most interesting archaeological sites in South America from the Inca Empire in the Andes to the Chimu Empire on the north west coast. Peru is filled with an immense quantity of treasures, so continue reading below and start exploring some of those 11 unique places to visit in Peru on the Treasures of Traveling website!

-- Luke Keeler

5 Places to Visit in Bolivia!

Bolivia is a fantastic country to visit and is full of different treasures of traveling to explore and these are the five places I recommend to visit on any trip to Bolivia.

Bolivia is a country of many contrasts and is a wonderful place to visit on any trip through South America. This land locked country may be one of the poorest in South America, but from the exquisite natural beauty to the stunning and varied landscapes throughout the country that might be a detail you don’t even notice. What type of landscapes you ask? Well, from the Atacama Desert in the west to the high Andes mountains and finally to the jungles of the Amazon in the east, there is an immense amount of natural beauty and diversity throughout the entire country.

This diversity not only includes mother nature, but also the many different cultures that developed in those very diverse regions of the country. Bolivia is one of the highest countries on Earth and even its very own capital, La Paz, has the designation of being the highest capital in the world! From the highest capital city in the world, to the unworldly landscape of the largest salt flats in the world, to the Island of the Sun located on Lake Titicaca, which happens to be the highest navigable lake in the world, there is some type of record setting natural wonder to explore or adventure to experience in Bolivia.

Read more about the different places to visit in Bolivia on the Treasures of Traveling website!

-- Luke Keeler

Jungle Expedition in the Amazon Rainforest!

Reflections along the Amazon River!

Iquitos is surrounded by the Amazon River on one side and the Amazon Rainforest on all other sides so the only way to reach Iquitos is to either fly there or travel by boat. Therefore, Iquitos is the world’s largest city that can not be reached by any roads. For this reason, Iquitos is also an important port city for this area of Peru as many goods and supplies arrive by boat after a week long journey floating up the Amazon River from the Atlantic Ocean. A journey of over 2,200 miles. 

Transportation along one of the Amazon River tributaries to a local jungle lodge.

There are so many things to see and do in Iquitos and you can read about all of those things in this post about Iquitos, but If you would like to venture deeper into the Amazon rainforest there are many tour companies that offer jungle expeditions down Amazon tributaries to jungle lodges which allow you to visit tribal villages where you can stay and experience the local culture of the local indigenous Indians of the region. Take a look at some of the pictures below to see what visiting a jungle lodge and tribal village is like and let me know in the comments below what you think about it!

Read about and see more of the pictures from the jungle expedition in the Amazon Rainforest on Treasures Of Traveling website!

-- Luke Keeler

Treasures of Traveling on the Amazon River in Iquitos, Peru!

Floating Houses change height with the tide of the Amazon River in Iquitos Peru! These houses float on the river.

We had quite the adventure traveling from our last stop in southern Peru, the beautiful mountainous and colonial city of Arequipa to the hot and humid jungle of the Amazon in Iquitos; the gateway and access point to the Amazon Rainforest in Peru! I write about that adventurous experience on the previous rock slide post. Iquitos is surrounded by the Amazon River on one side and the Amazon Rainforest on all other sides so the only way to reach Iquitos is to either fly there or travel by boat. Therefore, Iquitos is the world’s largest city that can not be reached by any roads. For this reason, Iquitos is also an important port city for this area of Peru as many goods and supplies arrive by boat after a week long journey floating up the Amazon River from the Atlantic Ocean. A journey of over 2,200 miles. We didn’t have the time to travel by boat up the Amazon River as it takes a week, so we decided to fly.

Flying over the Amazon River and Amazon Rainforest was a once in a lifetime type of experience and it was awe inspiring to see just how large it actually is! May I remind you that we were only flying over the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest, much smaller than the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest. Once we landed, it was clear to see we were in a completely different world from where we had been just a few days earlier in Arequipa. Peru is such a diverse country in land, people and language and there is no better place to see that than Iquitos, which is fairly isolated as it is inaccessible by road. We arrived to Iquitos on a smaller aircraft so we walked directly off the plane and down steps onto the tarmac and one of the biggest changes from Peru’s Coastal Region and the Andes Mountain was the temperature difference. When we stepped out of the plane door, the heat was oppressive. The heat and humidity hit us like a smack in the face and we immediately started sweating and we didn’t stop until we left Iquitos.

Read more about the city of Iquitos on the Treasures Of Traveling website!

-- Luke Keeler

Rock Slide Adventures from Arequipa to Iquitos!

Seeing the rock slide up close for the first time after waiting 48 hours for the rocks to be removed!

We had quite the adventure traveling from our last stop in southern Peru, the beautiful mountainous and colonial city of Arequipa to the hot and humid jungle of the Amazon in Iquitos; the gateway and access point to the Amazon Rainforest in Peru! Iquitos is surrounded by the Amazon River on one side and the Amazon Rainforest on all other sides so the only way to reach Iquitos is to either fly there or travel by boat. Therefore, Iquitos is the world’s largest city that can not be reached by any roads. We didn’t have the time to travel by boat up the Amazon River as it takes a week, so we decided to fly.

We had purchased our plane tickets to Iquitos weeks in advance and just had to make sure we arrived in Lima before our flight departed. We had decided to travel from Arequipa to Lima by bus and even though the bus journey is about a 17 hour trip and wouldn’t save us time traveling, we would be saving money as a bus ticket is less expensive than flying. We had the extra time for bus travel scheduled into our itinerary, but what we didn’t have scheduled into our itinerary was a rock slide. It would have been a great trip viewing the entire southern coastal landscape of Southern Peru along the Pan American Highway, but it actually turned out to be a disaster because of the rock slide. The Pan American Highway is the most important highway in Peru, as it connects all major cities in the country's coastal area from the most northern part of the country to the southern most part, so you can imagine all the traffic that uses this highway that abruptly came to a stand still.

Read more about the rock slide on the Treasures Of Traveling Website!

-- Luke Keeler

Mba’eichapa reiko (How are you? in Guarani)

Mba’eichapa reiko (How are you? in Guarani) Sunset on my walk home in Santo Domingo, Paraguay!

I am still in the middle of my three month training for the Peace Corps in Paraguay. In any country that the Peace Corps operates in, they hold a three month in country training that includes learning the language as well as having technical training for the things you will be focusing on while there. We have currently been focusing most of our time to learning about general public health here in Paraguay, from educating individuals about parasites and HIV/AIDS to water sanitation and dental hygiene. We learn ways of teaching to both adults and children. We are also learning how to build sanitary latrines and fagons (brick ovens) because these are some of the things we will most likely be doing when we reach our site in May! We are also learning about community development, globalization, culture exchange, just to name a few.

Read more about Paraguay on Treasures Of Traveling Website.

-- Luke Keeler

The Uyuni Salt Flats are the Largest in the World!

The Salar De Uyuni is estimated to contain 10 billion tons of salt! A large amount of salt is harvested every year! The Uyuni SaltFlats is truly one of the Treasures Of Traveling in SouthAmerica that should not be missed because it is a beautiful natural wonder and is a must on anyone’s travel list so plan your trip with these tips!

After my bus journey experience where I was robbed traveling from La Paz to Uyuni, I came to the realization that even though all my photos had been taken from me, I still had my memories of those wonderful experiences in my mind and no one could take that away from me! I didn’t have much time to sulk and be depressed because from the moment we arrived in Uyuni, we had to start our new journey to see the Uyuni Salt Flats! They are the largest salt flats  in the world and travelers from all over the world love to visit this small town by the bus load, as it is an easy access point to visit the Salar de Uyuni, a natural wonder that for many is awe inspiring because of its unworldly landscape!

Read more about the Uyuni Salt Flats on the Treasures Of Traveling Website! 

-- Luke Keeler

Traveling by Bus Between La Paz and Uyuni!

This is a train town you wouldn’t want to miss!

I have had a few sad travel experiences, but my most devastating travel experience was when I traveled by bus between La Paz and Uyuni. It was one of the most sad days of my life. You probably are thinking, it couldn’t have been that awful and you might be right. It was just a devastating day to me and let me tell you why!

My friend Joni and I had just spent the last few days enjoying La Paz, the capital city of Bolivia and were trying to figure out where we should travel to next. Should we cycle down Bolivia’s Death Road, the most dangerous road in the world, or travel 348 miles to Uyuni, the southern part of the country to see the largest salt flats in the world? We were short on time and could only do one of the two activities so we chose to see the salt flats! We boarded a bus for a 10 hour overnight trip to Uyuni. I wasn’t thrilled by that aspect, but I wanted to see these salt flats since we were in Bolivia and we were so close to them.

Read more on the Treasures Of Traveling website!

-- Luke Keeler

Visiting Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley)!

The Rock Formations of Valle De La Luna showcase an unworldly landscape. Something you might expect to see on the moon; hence the name of the park, Valley Of The Moon in English. This lunar landscape of bizarre geological formations is located only 6 miles away from the city center of La Paz!

If you happen to be visiting La Paz, the highest capital in the world, make sure to set aside some time and check out the 10 must visit attractions in La Paz! Leave at least half a day or more to visit Valle de la Luna! You won’t regret it! La Paz is a big city so if you want a nice relaxing afternoon activity to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, look no further than Valle de la Luna!  

Read more about Valle de la Luna on Treasures of Traveling Website!

-- Luke Keeler

10 Must Visit Attractions in La Paz, Bolivia!

Estadio Hernando Siles is a Sports Stadium in La Paz, Bolivia. It is the country’s largest sports complex with a capacity of 41,143 seats.

La Paz has become a major destination for many backpackers and adventure travel enthusiasts as there are many great things to see and do in the capital city of Bolivia and the surrounding area around La Paz! It’s one of the many treasures of traveling in Bolivia! When arriving on my bus from Copacabana after visiting Isla del Sol, I was amazed by the enormity of La Paz! Our bus rounded the corner of the last crest of the high mountains of the Altiplano, where La Paz city skyline came into view and it took my breath away. I just wasn’t expecting such a large city located in a huge valley surrounded by so many snow capped mountains. As our bus worked it’s way down the side of the mountain we passed through the sprawling outer limits of La Paz that were full of chaotic traffic. The city’s official name is Nuestra Señora de La Paz, which in English means, Our Lady of Peace. It has a population of about 2.3 million people and is the highest capital city in the world, located 11,975 feet above sea level and it’s a city full of things to discover! Take a look at the 10 must see things in La Paz!

Read more about it on Treasures of Traveling Website!

-- Luke Keeler

My Three Favorite Nazca Lines In Peru!

A hummingbird etched into the Nazca Desert!

The Nazca Lines in southern Peru might not be considered one of the wonders of the world, but they really are a wonder!  They are a treasure of Peru!  It is amazing to think that a group of people etched these designs into the desert floor.  The Nazca Lines are located in the middle of the Nazca Desert and the best way to view them is from the air as the designs are hundreds of feet long.  If you don't have a desire to climb into a tiny Cessna Plane then you can skip over the Nazca Lines if you have the time while visiting still see the lines from certain viewpoints from the surrounding foothills and towers that have been built up along the highway, but the best view is from the sky above in the cockpit of a plane!  There are many lines and geometric shapes and other figures that are more complex in design.  There are multiple shapes that you can see with a short plane ride from the Nazca Airport.

Read more about the Nazca Lines on Treasures Of Traveling Website.

-- Luke Keeler

The Beautiful City of Ayacucho!

Plaza Mayor with the Mountains of Ayacucho in the distance.

The Shoulder Sack is the best way to carry children!

Little did we know that we would fall in love with Ayacucho and the many treasures of Peru when we were first planning our independent study there.  We had planned for months and studied about the area, but it wasn’t until we arrived and got to see the beauty of the Andes Mountains and got to know the wonderful people that we fell in love with Ayacucho!  It’s one thing to read about a place and a completely different thing to experience it and the people that live there!

Children playing their instruments in the parade!

We were all Bonner Scholar students at Berea College and at the time wanted to complete one of our ‘summers of service’ volunteering at medical and dental clinics in another country.  We thought if we were going to complete a summer of service in Ayacucho, we might as well also complete an independent study there so we all decided focus on a different subject.  I decided to shadow a dentist at the Centro de Salud in the San Juan Bautista district of Ayacucho while another one of my fellow Bonner’s decided to concentrate within the laboratory of that Centro de Salud, while my other friends shadowed doctors.  From the moment we flew into Ayacucho, and viewed the Andes Mountains from the window of the plane I was in love with the thought of our upcoming adventures in a new place of the world!  

Read more about Ayacucho on the Treasures of Traveling Website!

-- Luke Keeler

Experiencing the Bullfight in Socos!

The mountainous terrain and beautiful vistas of Socos!

While living and working in Ayacucho, we decided it was time to explore the small rural village of Socos, Peru, high up in the Andes Mountains with an elevation of 11,200 feet above sea level to be exact. At this point we had spent a decent amount of time in the hustle and bustle of the urban center of Ayacucho and we wanted to be surrounded by mountainous countryside with less motor vehicles and motorcycles so we went to visit the small and remote village of Socos!

Gathering in front of the church in Socos, Peru.

It was a treat to say the least!  The long journey in the back of a truck with people and animals and really anything that could fit back there was an experience in of itself.  We thought when we arrived it was going to be a low key experience, but Socos was having a bullfight in the village so the village was packed with people who were there to see the fight and have a good time at the festival!  Now, you have to remember, this is not like the bull fights that occur in Spain where

The mountainous terrain and beautiful vistas of Socos!

they actually kill the bulls.  In Peru and at this bullfight, they were just playing with the bull, but they did not kill it.  The matador had his red cape to entice the bull to attack and after each session the matador spent with the bull, they also had multiple clowns to entertain the crowd!  They were hilarious to watch while they were antagonizing the bulls and running away from them.  Some of the clowns didn’t run fast enough and had a run in with the bull’s horns, but they were prepared and had lots of padding on their rear ends!

Read more about Socos and the bull fight at Treasures of Traveling Website!

-- Luke Keeler

Sandboarding in the Oasis Town of Huacachina!

The Oasis of Huacachina!

I arrived to the desert town of Ica on a late night bus and my final destination was the oasis town of Huacachina, which has a small natural lake in the middle and is surrounded by sand dunes!  It is a short distance from the city of Ica, located about 3 miles west and I was trying to figure out the best way for me to get there from the bus station as I was traveling solo.  When I got off the bus at the bus station, there were lots of men automatically asking me if I wanted to go to Huacachina, as it is a traveler’s destination, and they were all leading me to what I thought would be a taxi, but it was actually what they call a mototaxi, a three wheeled motorcycle with sides to it. It has room for the driver and you can fit up to four people in the back, but with more weight, the harder it has to work and the slower it goes which I found out at a later destination when I took one with four people! There are many countries around the world that have these little mototaxis, but they may be called something different. In Thailand, they are called tuk-tuks and in India they call them auto-rickshaws. Either way, I thought it was so cute as this was one of the first times in my life that I had ever seen a small vehicle like that. I must remind you that this was one of my first times traveling outside of the United States. Prior to Peru, I had only gone to England, where my entire Mom’s family lives so it was a first time experience for me.  

Read more about the oasis town of Huacachina on Treasures of Traveling Website!

-- Luke Keeler

The Ballestas Islands are the Poor Man’s Galapagos!

Sea Lions basking in the sunlight!

After experiencing the sand, sun and friendly atmosphere of the oasis of Huacachina, I continued north to Pisco and the sea side resort town of Paracas to view the wildlife of the Ballestas Islands (Islas Ballestas in Spanish) or what is commonly known as the Poor Man’s Galapagos and is located in the Paracas District of the Pisco Province in the Ica Region.  After arriving in Pisco I walked around the the city center and since I was completing an independent study about dental care in Peru, I visited a few Dental Clinics throughout the town and was blown away at how nice the dentists were and how welcoming they were to allow me into their clinics and even to give me a tour around each of their facilities. After my afternoon of experiencing local dental clinics, I spent my evening visiting different tour companies who offer trips to the Ballestas Islands to find one to go with. I went to bed fairly early as the boat tour out to the Islas Ballestas leaves early in the morning when the wildlife and the birds are most active.  

Read more about the Ballestas Islands on the Treasures of Traveling Website!

-- Luke Keeler

The Famous Peruvian Arch Formation Which Sadly No Longer Exists

The famous arch at Paracas National Reserve.

After visiting the Ballestas Islands (Islas Ballestas in Spanish) or what is commonly known as the Poor Man’s Galapagos we continued to the Paracas National Reserve along the Peruvian pacific coast, which is located in the Paracas District of the Pisco Province in the Ica Region. This Peruvian Reserve was established in 1975 to protect not only the marine wildlife and habitats of the area which also includes the tropical desert, but also to protect the prehistoric sites of the Paracas culture and to preserve the cultural heritage of the ancient indigenous people of this area of Peru.  The Paracas National Reserve is the oldest marine reserve in Peru and includes the coastal areas along with the desert and miles of coastal waters including the Bahía de la Independencia or Independence Bay to protect the large variety of wildlife species that live in the water, in the air and on the land! There are so many species of birds concentrated in the reserve that it is considered the largest concentration of birds on earth!

Read about why the arch formation no longer exists on Treasures of Traveling Website!

-- Luke Keeler

Four Places to Visit in Lima Peru!

The Government Palace of Peru or the Palacio de Gobierno in Plaza Mayor houses the executive branch of the Peruvian Government and is also the official residence of the President of Peru.

Lima is the capital city of Peru and is filled with an endless amount of treasures to experience from the museums and archaeological sites located throughout the city, to the beautiful Pacific beaches with the adventure sports that take place along the boardwalks and cliffs of the Miraflores district. Lima is the place to visit to taste the famous Peruvian cuisine which can be found in some of the best rated restaurants in South America and Lima also offers multiple nightclubs for people eager to experience the pulsating nightlife!

Walking down a palm filled street in the San Isidro district of Lima, Peru.

All this can be found in Lima and makes for an authentic South American experience within a large bustling city! Lima is a huge metropolitan area located on the arid central Pacific Coast of Peru and is actually the second driest world capital after Cairo, Egypt. You can view pre-Columbian adobe pyramids and archaeological sites nestled next to high rise skyscrapers with tons of loud traffic pulsating through the streets below, while you can leisurely stroll through the streets viewing the colonial style architecture of the buildings along with the many Catholic Cathedrals dotted around the city.

The Huaca Huallamarca Adobe Pyramid is surrounded by modern constructions in Lima’s financial district San Isidro.

Lima has a population of almost 10 million people so it is the most populated city of Peru and is actually the third largest city in the Americas, following only behind Mexico City and Sao Paulo! Lima’s original name was actually Ciudad de los Reyes and was founded by Francisco Pizarro, the Spanish conquistador on January 18, 1535. After the Peruvian War of Independence that took place high in the Andes Mountains surrounding the city of Ayacucho, Lima became the capital of the Republic of Peru!

I love the blue eyes and red feet of this pigeon!

After experiencing the Ballestas Islands, better known as the Poor Man’s Galapagos and the Paracas National Reserve off the south central coast of Peru, it was nice to visit a sprawling urban city filled with people and chaotic traffic filled streets! It was definitely a different environment compared to the seaside village of Pisco and Paracas, the desert city of Ica and the peaceful oasis of Huacachina. Lima has so many wonderful things to experience, but if you are short on time, these are four places or activities that I recommend visiting while in Lima!

Read more about Lima on the Treasures of Traveling Website!

-- Luke Keeler