bucketlist – THE ONLY ERIKA IN THE VILLAGE

Exploring Unique Bolivian Culture in La Paz | Travel Guide

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La Paz often gets a bad rap (as many cities in South America do) for being sprawling, dangerous dirty, and ugly. But actually I had a great time exploring here and experiencing one of the more quirky South American cultures. Bolivians are quite traditional and spiritual and I found Bolivia to have a really unique culture quite at odds with the modernisation and development starting to happen in the city. La Paz was an interesting clash of it all. We spent 3 days in La Paz and could have happily explored for longer.

Hills at The Valley of the Moon in Bolivia

GENERAL INFO

Getting there and away: La Paz is the final (or first – depending on which way you are going) stop on Bolivia Hop – a perfect combo of a tour group, a hop on hop off bus and an intercity bus! See my post here raving about Peru Hop (same company as Bolivia Hop) as to why this is a winning combo. The company takes you across the border so you can travel with them through both countries.

Buses are the best way to get in and out of La Paz )if you don’t use Bolivia Hop or want to travel within Bolivia rather than through to Peru), the bus station is only a short 5 mins drive from the centre of town and you can get buses all over Bolivia from here. All passengers must pay a 2.5 bolivianos fee for using this station – pay at the ticket booth in the middle of the station – look for a sign saying Boletas. You will be given a ticket that is checked once you are on the bus.

Accommodation: I suggest using booking.com to find a place to stay near where you want to visit. We stayed at Sol Andino Hostal which was cheap and comfortable but nothing special.

Food: Must try food are Saltenas (the Bolivian version of empanadas) and quinoa chocolate. Otherwise, there really wasn’t any food I had in Bolivia that was memorable. I definitely wouldn’t consider it a foodie destination.

Top Tips: Keep your valuables close – Bolivia is a poor country so there are lots of opportunists around (particularly in El Alto which is a poor neighbourhood). Also keep your wits about you, particularly if you are travelling solo. Everyone in Bolivia is incredibly friendly but there are some strange aspects of superstitious Bolivian culture which mean its best to accept this at face value, always let someone know where you are going, and never tell any local you are travelling alone (which should always be the case anyway).

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

Exploring in the central city

The Basilica de San Francisco is a lovely cathedral right in the heart of La Paz. It is beautiful inside and also have a lovely space outside. Close by is Plaza Murillo which is a pretty central plaza. Both are busy and bustling locations that are great places to people watch. You can find street art, cool shops and cafes in the Parque Universitario and Sopocachi areas.

Mercado de Hechiceria

The Witches Market in La Paz takes place on Calle Linares in between Calle Santa Cruz and Calle Sagarnaga. Although the market is very much a tourist attraction; witchcraft is not a novelty to the Bolivian people so please avoid making fun of the things you see and ask politely before taking photographs. You can also find some great street art around the Witches Market.

Museo de La Coca

Great little museum located in Calle Jean which details the very interesting history of cocaine in Bolivia and the reasons why its so much more ingrained into society than we would imagine. Very well set up with enough information to really learn something and not too much so that you get bored. Great cafe on site too. Calle Jean is the only colonial era street left in La Paz so its worth having a wander along too.

Bike Death Road

If this sounds too hardcore for you, then it probably is. When we decided to book a tour to bike death road we were sure it couldn’t really be as terrifying as it sounds. Well..it is! Still worth doing though particularly if your a bit of an adrenalin junkie!

Visit La Paz Cemetary

To see where you will be housed if you bike death road! (Just kidding!). In reality the cemetary was one of the coolest places we went in La Paz. Its absolutely covered in amazing street art and we learnt some really interesting history about Bolivia and the traditions that Bolivians follow even as their country modernises. We visited here on a Red Cap tour – I highly recommend!

Visit Valle de la Luna

Valle de la Luna in Bolivia is a large eco-park with rocks that look like they belong on the moon. It spans a large enough areas for you to walk around and feel like you are on an entirely different planet. There are a few places which claim this name and I’m sure they are all equally other-worldy but this one was fairly easy to get to and a really nice little walk escaping the hustle and bustle of La Paz as its just outside the city. Entry into the site is 15 bolivianos. It was suprisingly empty and we almost had the whole place to ourselves. To get to Valle de La Luna just take a collectivo to Mallasa from the paradero near Calle Sagarnaga. The trip takes approx 40 mins, costing 3 bolivianos. Make sure the driver knows you want to get off at Valle de la Luna. There are 2 circular walking tracks – the most spectacular viewpoint is Devil’s Point which is toward the end of the longer track (takes around 45 mins-1 hour to complete). You can take another colectivo back in the same direction to return to La Paz.

Rock formations in the Valley of the Moon

See some Cholita wrestlers fight it out in the ring

Cholita wrestling is a popular thing to go and see in La Paz. We organised going to a match through Red Cap (they are a really good tour company in La Paz) and it was so much fun. Its all very dramatic and such a cool way to spend an evening with a bit of a local spin! The show finishes about 8pm so its not too late an night either.

Take the Cable car up (and over) El Alto Market

El Alto is a poor neighbourhood a cable car ride up from the central city. It hosts a giant flea market where all the locals go to buy and sell goods. Its fascinating to see how far this market extends and the cable car travels over a small section of the market. Taking some time to explore the market is really interesting but do watch out for your valuables as this area is rife with pickpockets. Its also not the safest part of town so we visited with Red Cap (it feels just that little bit safer as a group which includes a local (although it also makes you more conspicuous as tourists). On one edge of the market are the ‘Witches Dens’ which is another fascinating location to visit if you are interested in witchcraft and superstitions. To work as a witch here you need to have been struck by lightning. The more times you have been struck by lightning, the more powerful you are.

So what are you waiting for? Book a flight to explore Bolivia now!

Erika xx

Exploring Lake Titicaca

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Lake Titicaca is a giant lake that straddles two South American nations: Peru and Bolivia. Apart from its funny name, Lake Titicaca is also famous for its people that live on reed islands (literal man-made islands from reeds). How radical is that!?!

Top Tip for Lake Titicaca:

Take some time to explore at a slow pace. I was in such a rush on my trip moving between too countries overland without really enough time to do so but in the short time I spent on Lake Titicaca I realised its one of those places where the details are what’s important! Everything you see is pretty cool until you really look closely and see how many different and incredible ways reeds are used for everything.

Where to stay:

I didn’t stay overnight on Lake Titicaca (except on the shores of the Lake in Copacabana, Boliva) but if I was able to go back a Homestay on one of the islands is a popular choice and would be a really good option. Alternatively, You can book on booking.com.

Getting there and away:

Lake Titicaca is one of the stops on Peru and Bolivia Hop – a perfect combo of a tour group, a hop on hop off bus and an intercity bus! You can visit Lake Titicaca on both the Peruvian and Bolivian sides with this company and they even help you cross the border. See my post here raving about Peru Hop as to why this is a winning combo.

Getting around:

Most locals travel on reed boats but there are also ferries to various islands. On the Peruvian side you will find lots of small reed islands and on the Bolivian side you can take a ferry to the very large Isla del Sol. If you head down to the water I assure you you will find somebody willing to take you onto the lake for a fee.

What to bring:

Wear a warm jacket! Lake Titicaca is pretty high altitude and you cannot rely on it being warm. The day we went was grey, rainy and freezing.
I’m not sure why you would but don’t wear heels – I can’t imagine them going down well on the reed islands and on Isla del Sol you will need to do lots of walking.
Bring your passport – on the reed islands there is a little passport office where you can get a tourist stamp on your passport.

What to expect:

Expect to have an authentic, local experience and not DO anything. On the Reed islands you will be invited into a local house to ask questions and buy souvenirs (if you want) and get an opportunity to hop on one of the reed boats. On Isla del Sol the best activity is to lap up the sun and take in the beautiful views from all over the island.

So what are you waiting for? Book a flight to explore Lake Titicaca now!

Erika xx

Travelling Peru and Bolivia with Peru Hop: An Honest Review

Peru Hop is one of the best travel companies I have come across in my trips so I wanted to do a bit of a shoutout for them! I travelled by bus using Peru hop from Lima, Peru through to La Paz, Bolivia and I’m so glad I did – there is absolutely no better way to travel through Peru and into Bolivia.

Peru Hop is a very effective mix between a hop on hop off tourist bus; a tour company and an intercity sleeper bus. It’s best feature is that your travel and activities are seamlessly integrated into one by a company that knows what travellers are looking for while still providing options (rather than restricting you like a group tour sometimes does.

It was so fantastic to be able to stop at so many smaller places I may otherwise not have had time for in my travel and to do it in a logical order without having to stay extra nights due to the fuss of complicated logistics and multiple forms of travel.

The bus picks you up and drops you off door to door to your hotel and includes on board activity stops. They have thought of everything!

See my post Visiting Paracas, Huacachina and Nazca with the help of Peru Hop for a look at the itinerary I took in Peru. I also travelled to Copacabana and then on to La Paz with Bolivia Hop!

If you are planning to travel to Peru and or Bolivia taking Peru Hop should be the first thing you plan in to your itinerary. Visit their website here.

Vinh Hy Bay: A Photo Essay

In my family’s 3 week trip to Vietnam, the majority of the photos we took were in our 3 days in Vinh Hy Bay. Not only is it a serenely beautiful part of the country but it also has a unique rural and cultural charm as its off the tourist radar. We were lucky to have a wonderful guide who had the knowledge of a local but the eyes of a tourist (a German who has been living in Vietnam for many years).

If you would like practical information on visitng Vinh Hy Bay please see my post Planning a trip to Vinh Hy Bay here .

If you would like some more information about some of the places you see pictured above, read my post Itinerary: 3 days in Vinh Hy Bay here.

View of fishing boats moored in Vinh Hy bay

Bridge leading into Nui Chua National Park

Raglai community in Nui Chua National Park

Erika xx

Planning a trip to Vinh Hy Bay

This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to book a stay or purchase an item I may earn a commission at no cost to you.

I have put together this simple guide to help you plan your trip to Vinh Hy Bay as I could not find a lot of info online for planning before we went! Because Vinh Hy Bay is a little off the beaten track there isn’t a whole lot of information available about what to see and do either. Therefore, I have provided some useful details in my post Itinerary: 3 days in Vinh Hy Bay here. Please take a look to help you plan your visit. Or see my Vinh Hy Bay Photo Essay if you need some more convincing!

I hope this helps you to venture to this part of Vietnam as we were so happy we did!

Getting there and away:

Vinh Hy Bay is a bit out of the way and therefore a little tricker to get to than most spots in Vietnam.

The bay is approximately 1 hour drive from Camh Ranh Airport (you can also take a boat from near the airport to the bay! From the airport get transport to My Thanh Bridge – speedboats are available to transfer passengers to Vinh Hy bay from here.) We left Vinh Hy via Camh Ranh airport to travel back to Hanoi and it was an incredibly lovely drive along some of the most stunning coastline in Vietnam.

You can also get to Vinh Hy Bay via train but the closest train station is also some distance from the Bay at Thap Cham Station. We took an overnight sleeper train from Da Nang which took about 12 hours. Trains from Vinh Hy Bay to Hanoi leave from Thap Cham at 02:40; 03:54, 12:11; 16:36 and 22:05 while trains from Thap Cham to Saigon leave at 00:46, 11:12; 20:40; 21:19; 22:32 and 23:45.

The official Vietnam Railways website is https://dsvn.vn/#/ but you can also book through Baolau.

Accommodation:

You can see all 11 hotels available in Vinh Hy Bay on booking.com. The options are pretty limited! We stayed at Chanh Ranh House which was clean and comfortable and looked over the bay.

Food:

Restaurants

There are 2 restaurants in the bay with English menus (one of which is owned by Chanh Ranh House) both have good basic local fare. We preferred the other one – called Madame Hoang.

Vinh Hy is also known for its seafood restaurants (Vinh Hy Bay’s primary source of income is as a fishing village). Many of them are only open in the weekends on off season and all of them have a wider range of seafood in the weekends. We went to Quán Hải Sản Phước Thủy which is really just an open air kitchen with some plastic outdoor tables set up. But it was really nice.

Selecting seafood at a Seafood restaurant at Vinh Hy Bay

Eating seafood at a seafood restaurant in Vinh Hy Bay

The absolute BEST place to eat in the area is Doai Vegetarian Restaurant. Its a bit of a trek from the village in a rural area next to Nui Chua National Park. We went with our guide as part of our tour and had a set meal all of which was delicious. The setting is also spectacular as the restaurant is hidden in the forest and the outdoor seating sits on a wooden platform built around a rocky outcrop with stunning view of the bay.

Table at restaurant in Nui Chua National Park

Food at restaurant in Nui Chua National Park

Cafes and Bars

Ginger beer is a specialty in the village so make sure to stop at one of the cafes and give this a try! We liked the Ginger Beer at La Mer because there were also lots of weird and wonderful things preserved in jars.

Fresh Juices are always a good option in Vietnam and there is a great juice stall set up at the local playground in the evenings for your juice fix.

Also worth a stop is Yêu Biển bar which is a converted campervan parked up outside Chanh Ranh House. The drinks are very overpriced though so I suggest sticking only to Happy Hour!

Getting around:

Vinh Hy is pretty tricky to get around as a foreigner that doesn’t speak Vietnamese. The majority of international tourists that come through are travelling on motorbikes. You can also hire a driver but we found it was best to hire a guide which then means you don’t have to worry about your transport either and you can take advantage of all the forms of transport available (see my top tip below).

Vinh Hy Bay is very small so you can easily walk around the town itself. Boat and electric golf carts are other popular ways to travel considering the area you are in.

Top Tip:

If budget allows and you want to learn about the local culture, fruit, indigenous people and nature then I suggest hiring a private guide. I don’t always think this is the best way to travel (in fact I rarely hire a guide or go on a tour) but in locations such as this it was really helpful to have someone show us around, adapt itineraries and information based on our interests and give us insider tips.

In Vinh Hy Bay we found a wonderful tour company and guide: Vinh Hy Blue Skies where we received a fascinating private tour, had pre-arranged transport and yet had plenty of time to explore on our own, relax and find our own way.

I hope this guide has been helpful and gives you the information you need to take the road less travelled on occasion!

Erika xx

Must See Spots in Peru

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Peru is a great place to visit as many of the key tourist attractions are so close together! If you need some more Peru inspiration to convince you to visit I suggested taking a look at my Sacred Valley Photo Essay.

As always – I suggest booking your accomodation through Booking.com – I find it always has the widest range of options, best deals and plus you can support me indirectly by booking through them.

Here are the locations that I consider must-sees:

Machu Picchu

You cant take a trip to Peru without seeing Machu Picchu. I don’t even need to explain how magical this place is and in fact I can’t – you will just have to take my word for it and go and see for yourself! See my post of Visiting Machu Picchu for more info!

Arequipa
Arequipa is on my list not because I have been there and loved it but because its the one place in Peru I DESPERATELY regret not going to. I usually make peace with the fact I can never fit in everywhere I want to go but I really regret not visiting Arequipa. It will be my first stop next time I get to visit Peru.

Rainbow Mountain

A mountain that looks like a Rainbow – how much more of a spectacular view do you want? Visiting Rainbow Mountain is like travelling to another planet. See my post on Visiting Rainbow Mountain to see what I mean!

Paracas

Paracas is views for days – beautiful orange cliffs and sand. It feels like you are in a desert but it’s the beach instead. Paracas is also the location where you can take a boat to see the Ballestas Islands which are filled with wildlife and often referred to as the poor man’s Galapagos. It’s also only a stones throw from Lima so super accessible.

Huacachina

Huacachina is a backpacker’s dream. It’s a tiny little town just outside Ica, built around a beautiful lake oasis surrounded by desert. It’s overrun with tourists BUT the location is pretty cool and you can take a tour into the desert top speed on 4WD dune buggies and then go sand-boarding down some mega steep dunes. Plus, the town has some major nightlife (like other backpacker hotspots) so after you have had your adrenaline rush you can party all night.

Cusco

Cusco is visited by almost everyone that goes to Peru as its the most convenient jumping off point for the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. However, its a charming town in its own right and worth spending some time enjoying its cool mountain air, wandering its cobblestone streets, visiting its museums and finding surprises around every corner. See my Itinerary: 6 days in Cusco and the Sacred Valley to see how you can fit in some time in Cusco itself into your itinerary.

The Sacred Valley

Visiting the Sacred Valley is like stepping back in time to the ancient world of the Incas. You can see towns and villages that are little changed from these ancient times and examples of the ancient civilisation at its height including the way the farmed, lived and prayed. See my post Visiting the Sacred Valley for details on how best to visit this rural valley.

Lake Titicaca

The Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca is home to a group of people that live on islands made out of reeds. They travel on amazing reed boats and almost everything on every island is made from reeds. You can take a day trip out to one of the islands or stay overnight! When we went it was really bad weather but still so fascinating to see how different the lives of these people were!

Nazca

Many people believe that the Nazca lines were created by Aliens or were made with the purpose of communicating with aliens. If that’s not enough to peak your interest – then I don’t know what is! Nazca is in the middle of Peru so its pretty out of the way to get to but Peru Hop can help with that. The town has viewing platforms and a small airport from which you can take a 1 hour flight on a small plane to fly over all the Nazca lines (yes that is how big these things are – you can only see them properly from the air.

The Amazon via Iquitos

The Peruvian Amazon is just a small part of the Amazon jungle but its relatively easily accessible and well-set up for tourists (Well as well as the Amazon jungle can be set up for tourists!). We stayed in Treehouse Lodge, a unique treehouse in the canopy of the jungle and spent our days in a boat on the Amazon river wildlife spotting. See my post Itinerary: 3 days in the Peruvian Amazon for more info on visiting.

I hope I have inspired you to visit more of Peru and see what this welcoming country has to offer!

Erika xx

Itinerary: 3 days in Vinh Hy Bay

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Vinh Hy Bay is a local paradise in Vietnam. It’s relatively unknown to international tourists unless they are visiting the insanely luxurious Amanoi Resort. I didn’t think anywhere in Vietnam could be off the beaten track but Vinh Hy certainly was! We started off our journey by travelling overnight in one of Vietnam’s sleeper trains (7 of us sharing a cabin on a cramped overnight journey – myself sharing my narrow bed with my 2 month old baby in her travel bassinet) which definitely felt like the start of an adventure and a bit of a change from our last few days getting room service and lounging by the pool in our 5 star hotel (It was great! Click the link to book!). We wanted to go somewhere that tourists don’t usually venture and Vinh Hy bay sure did not disappoint. See my Vinh Hy Bay Photo Essay for inspiration to venture off the beaten track.

Because Vinh Hy Bay is a little off the beaten track there isn’t a whole lot of information available online with practical information about your stay. Therefore, I have provided some useful details in my post Planning a Trip to Vinh Hy Bay to help you plan your visit.

Otherwise, please take a look below for some insight into all Vinh Hy Bay has to offer!

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

Ninh Thuan Rock Park

This is a gorgeous walk and viewpoint covered in..you guessed it. Rocks. Such picturesque rocks EVERYWHERE. The standout is the end of the short 20 min walk which comes out into a clifftop view of the ocean. There is also a little swing for the perfect photo op! There is nothing to do here except relax and enjoy the view but I hear there’s plans for a cafe in the near future.

viewpoint at Ninh Thuan rock park overlooking the ocean

Nua Chua National Park

About 15 minutes from Vinh Hy Bay you will find Nui Chua National Park and you can cross a suspension bridge to wander a local ethnic minority (Raglai) village situated inside the national park. From here you will then walk through the forest experiencing the fresh mountain air. Doai Vegetarian Restaurant is a short walk away via a peaceful stream and interesting flora and fauna. Stop for lunch (if you have booked in advance) or a cool drink.

village children in Nui Chua National Park

crossing a stream in Nui Chua National Park

Visit a Grape Farm

This area of Vietnam is known for its grape farms. Not wineries. Grape farms. We visited one in the Thai An valley. All you can see is vines for miles around but then you can find man-made holes along the edge, duck underneath to come out underneath the vines and the grape farms have set up little plastic tables. They produce a grape liquor which you can taste test along with grape cordial for the kids and they serve these along with lots of grape snacks. My kids were in heaven with all these free taste testers and the novelty of the child size location where the adults have to duck under the vines. The sealed bottles make for good souvenirs.

Walk a rocky pathway to a hidden beach

At the northern end of Vinh Hy bay the road abruptly ends and there is a hidden pathway covered in spiky cacti and branches. To walk along it you need to scramble over rocks and slip and slide down loose dirt. You come out on a little scenic beach with calm water good for swimming. Unfortunately a local business owner likes to take tour groups out here for lunch on a boat (and pretend its only accessible this way) so the path is not maintained or signposted but you can find it if you know what you are looking for.

Take a speedboat out around the bay

The scenery around Vinh Hy bay is best explored via boat. Taking a speedboat out allows fantastic views of the surrounding cliffs and hidden beaches along the coast. There are many little beaches here where you can swim and snorkel and relax in a beautiful part of the bay away from the fishing boats that sit in the water around the village itself.

Observe local village life around the bay

Vinh Hy bay has lots of winding narrow streets leading off the main street. Its in these quieter areas where most of local life takes place. We took some time to walk around and check out the market and the local homes and relaxed at the main square and playground where the village comes alive in the evenings.

Hang Rai Sea Cave

Hang Rai is an area of rock that has become a tourist attraction mainly because of a stunning picture a photographer took of water cascading over the top which is all over the internet. The funny thing is that the main part of Hang Rai actually sits far out of the water. Its a large rock you can climb on and see how it resembles the surface of the moon. The Hang Rai made world famous is actually a small coral reef area and rock to the left side of this one and only visible at low tide. Its also not signposted or obvious at all. The waterfall effect that looks so beautiful in the photograph is very difficult to capture as it requires being there at exactly the right time. The place is cool though and worth a walk through. There are some crazy looking rocks in this area. We didn’t have time to explore and see if we could view the other part of the rock but if you do I suggest bringing your togs! It looks like people climb right in and sit in the natural rock pools the tide creates here.

Next time I visit I would love to spend some time at Cam Lap Promontory also as this is nearby. Nui Chua National Park also has some good multi-day hiking trails but I wasn’t prepared to undertake this with young children in tow! I hope this guide has been helpful and inspires you to take the road less travelled on occasion.

Erika xx

Visiting Rainbow Mountain

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Rainbow Mountain is a new tourist hotspot in an area completely overrun with tourist hotspots. Why has it only become popular in recent years? Because it was only discovered recently! That blows my mind. Only around 10 years ago (sometime in the early 2010’s) the colours of Rainbow Mountain were discovered due to the reduction of snow around the area – a result of global warming.

However concerning the phenomenon of global warming is, Rainbow Mountain is one small positive to come from the changes we are seeing in this world – we have this new beautiful place to enjoy – so PLEASE DON’T RUIN IT!

For an idea of how to plan your itinerary for this region of Peru please see my post here on Cusco and the Sacred Valley. Or you can see below for details on visiting this rainbow wonderland.

Top Tips for Visiting Rainbow Mountain:

Check the weather forecast before your trip The weather is very changeable and the mountain could be covered in snow! Most (if not all) tours will let you amend your tour day if you need to up to 2 days in advance. If you have the opportunity to you should build some flexibility into your trip for this.

Leave nothing behind! Although this should be a given everywhere you go -the carelessness of tourists was really obvious for me here as you need to travel so far into the mountains to reach Rainbow Mountain and despite the area having been completely covered in snow only 10 years ago we picked up a bag full of plastic rubbish on our way up to the mountain. Rubbish really doesn’t seem to be a huge problem at the tourist sites of Peru because places like Machu Picchu are so well-maintained and patrolled but Rainbow Mountain seemed to attract the kind of people that don’t seem to care about the natural environment if its not easy for them. I know you are half asleep and feeling the altitude sickness on this hike but common courtesy is still important. Also taking a bit of plastic back with you is not going to weigh you down.

Getting there and away:

I suggest taking a day trip to Rainbow Mountain – there are many tour companies who do this route and although it does involve a very early morning start there is no need to stay overnight in the area unless you want to camp and do some further hiking around the mountains.

We went with Rainbow Mountain Travels which was a great choice as they are the tour that reaches the mountain earliest – unfortunately this also means the earliest tour start at 3am (But its a 2 hour drive until your breakfast stop so you can sleep a little more in the van). As we were the fastest walkers in our group this meant that we were among 4 people who reached the mountain first and had plenty of time to enjoy its serenity (and take pics!) before the rest of the group and the other tour groups showed up.

Getting around:

Once you get there – you will need to walk. It’s not a long hike but take it easy as you are very high altitude here. You can also take a mule along the route if need be but they are very slow and will not get you all the way. You will still need to do the last little climb yourself. There is an initial platform for photos and then you can continue climbing right to the top.

The view from the highest viewpoint at Rainbow Mountain is phenomenal

Some tours will advertise a 30 min detour or extra trek to the red valley afterwards. The red valley is well worth seeing! However we just climbed straight up the side of the mountain next to Rainbow Mountain for killer views of the Red valley and enjoyed it ourselves (Our guide was nowhere to be seen – probably helping the stragglers) so I’m not sure where the 30 min trek or the extra fee came in to the equation.

Food:

Plenty of breakfast and lunch are provided by your tour so you don’t need to carry any food with you. However, I do recommend carrying some coca candy or something that helps with altitude sickness as Rainbow Mountain is very high up at 5, 200m above sea level. Also you definitely need LOTS of water. There is a snack shop at the start of the trail if you want to support the locals.

What to bring:

Water in a reusable bottle so you don’t leave anything behind
Lipbalm with sunblock
Coca candy (totally legal and won’t give you a high but these can help with altitude sickness).
A rain-jacket and warm layers that can be removed as you will get very warm when hiking.
Very comfortable walking shoes or hiking boots
Camera and Go Pro

I know the site has soo many pop-ups BUT I highly recommend buy everything you need for travel from Temu the prices are soo cheap and most of the stuff is really good quality (or at least as good a quality as you would purchase from another more expensive site).

What to expect:

Expect to be amazed that the photos you have seen are exactly what Rainbow Mountain is like! No clever editing here. Its so beautiful and unlike anything else you will have ever seen. Make sure you head to the very top for some extra views and to hike up to the view over the Red Valley also as its just as beautiful in my opinion.

Erika xx

The Sacred Valley Photo Essay

The Sacred Valley is a magical place where ancient history comes alive. Take a look at the photos below and be inspired to visit and learn about the civilisations that existed before us. For an idea of how to plan your itinerary for this region of Peru please see my post here on Cusco and the Sacred Valley.

Erika xx

Visiting the Sacred Valley

This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to book a stay or purchase an item I may earn a commission at no cost to you.

The Sacred Valley is the location of a fascinating world that you would not come across in everyday life. It is a lush green wonderland of treks, villages, ruins, agriculture, mountains and beautiful landscape in the interior region of Peru. The ruins of Machu Picchu are in the sacred valley but there is much more to do and see here and if you left your sightseeing to just Machu Picchu you would regret it!

For an idea of how to plan your itinerary for this region of Peru please see my post here on Cusco and the Sacred Valley. If you are looking for tips on visiting Machu Picchu you can see my post here.

Top Tip for Visiting the Sacred Valley:

Get a guide! I usually like to steer away from organised excursions and do my own thing at my own pace but I also know when it just makes sense to have a guide. The Sacred Valley is one of those places! It is worth splurging for a private tour so that you don’t feel like a flock of sheep in this beautiful place and so that you can make your own decisions about where to visit but you really need a guide to explain what you are looking at and learn about the Inca culture as it is really fascinating history.

We arranged a guide through https://exclusiveinkatour.com/.

Where to stay:

It’s always best to check booking.com for the best accomodation deals.

Getting there, away and around:

You can take the Machu Picchu train in or out of the Scared Valley area, bus or get a private transfer from your guide. We took the train to Machu Picchu and then the train out to Ollantaytambo (a village in the Sacred Valley and the site of one of the ruins). Then our guide collected us from Ollantaytambo – taking us around the Sacred Valley by car before returning to Cusco.

The Sacred Valley is not walkable – except the ruins at Ollantaytambo are very close to Ollantaytambo town and you can easily walk to these if you are staying here.

Food:

The only location for food I can recommend in the Sacred Valley is the resturant at Ollantaytambo Train Station El Albergue. It is quite fine dining but they also don’t care if you arrive stinky and dirty and exhausted from Machu Picchu and its well worth a stop to work up the energy to walk back to your hotel. For other meals, your guide will be able to recommend stops that fit in with your schedule.

What to bring:

Comfortable walking shoes and comfortable clothes + a good camera!

What to expect:

Our route around the Sacred Valley took in the sites of Ollantaytambo ruins – Moray – Maras Salt Mines and Pisac ruins and market. We had already visited Machu Picchu the day before. This is around about the amount of places you can fit in in one long day in the area (with a transfer in or out). You will need a minimum of one full day for Machu Picchu on its own (either a day trip or including staying overnight in Aguas Calientes.

Ollantaytambo ruins were our first stop and these are located on the edge of Ollantaytambo town. You will need to purchase a Boleto Turistico here for Circuit 3 which allows access into Ollantaytambo, Pisac, Chinchero and Moray. Ollantaytambo has some temples, interesting ways of building to examine, a small climb through the ruins and then a beautiful view towards some granaries in the mountains and over the town.

From here, you can drive to Moray; this visit will take about 40 minutes and consists of 2 sets of giant crop circles. You will learn all about the amazing knowledge that the Inca had of agriculture and the purpose of the layered crop planting that you see.

The next stop of Maras is an above ground, outdoor salt mine that you will spend around 40 minutes at. You can view the beautiful pink, brown and white terraces, each of which is used for extracting salt and learn about the production process and the traditional salt mining practice still in use today. This stop is not included in your Boleto Turistico so you will need to pay separately.

A possible last stop is Pisac. There are ruins and a market here – you will find the ruins up a very high hill which can be incredibly windy. This is a large complex with a lot to wander and some incredible views. There is also a large market at Pisac.

If you can spend more time in the Sacred Valley you definitely should! We had a pretty tight timetable but it is a wonderful place to explore more. If you have the budget there is also an amazing hotel here where you stay in pods attached to the side of a cliff. You need to rock-climb up to the hotel and zip-line back.

Erika xx

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