We had a leisurely start to the day and wandered into Lima to see the city. We walked towards the seafront where there was an impressive array of upper class shops and restaurants - so built up! Lima is extremely cosmopolitan compared to other places we had been. We walked along the cliff edge by the sea, with a hot and hazy day - much warmer than everywhere else in Peru. We walked from Miraflores where our hostel was based to a trendy, bohemian district named...

We left Huacachina on a 4.5 hour bus to Lima. Lima is a much much bigger city than what we are used to and it kinda felt like we had left Peru and arrived somewhere in the USA with big main roads and tall branded buildings and a lot of people, but none in traditional Peruvian dress. We checked in at Pariwana Hostel in an area known as Miraflores and went for dinner nearby at a gluten free vegetarian restaurant. Liv ordered a dish that came with a "gluten free s...

We arrived in Ica at around 8.30 am and got in a taxi to Huacachina, a teeny tiny town around a desert oasis. The town in itself is so cute and absolutely bizarre seeing huge towering sand dunes either side - literally in the middle of hills of sand! We checked in at our hostel, Bananas Adventure, and spent the morning relaxing outside. The hostel is so nice with a swimming pool, bar, hammocks and other outdoor seating areas with a view of the dunes. Just befor...

We were picked up at 3 am and thankfully were able to sleep on the three hour bus ride to Chivay, a base town within the Colca Canyon. The Colca Canyon is the deepest in the world, with the greatest depth being 4,160 metres at one location which can only be reached by foot. The canyon is home to a great variety of wildlife and strives off agriculture via terraces built by the Incas, and mainly in farming corn. After a buffet breakfast we were taken to a number ...

Having arrived early in the morning we dumped our stuff at the hostel and went out for a day of exploring a new city. Arequipa is also known as the city of white, with the majority of buildings in the district having been built out of white stone quarries from the many volcanoes that overlook the city. It felt very very different from other places we had so far visited in Peru, seeming more upmarket. Practically no one could be spotted wearing traditional Peruvia...