River deep mountain high

Peru Honeymoon

by Jon Webb-Peploe

"I wanted our honeymoon to be a surprise for Tash. She normally organises everything! I was looking for something memorable in Latin America, because neither of us had been there, which combined rest with adventure, culture and history. Tash would get bored (and burnt!) just lying on a beach, so I was looking for inspiration. Journey Latin America sorted it out and created a trip that surpassed our expectations".

First stop was Aruba. We stayed in the colonial-style Bucuti Beach hotel, on the edge of a long white beach with clear turquoise water, luxurious to the touch. This was the restful part of the honeymoon and included snorkelling over a shipwreck, a private candlelit dinner on the beach and 2 clouds in 4 days!

We flew on to Lima and then to Cusco, where we acclimatised for 3 days before embarking on the Inca Trail. There was plenty to do in Cusco, from a tour of the city including the fortress "Sexywoman" (or so the guide pronounced it) to the Sacred Valley, with the old market town of Pisaq and the ruins of Ollantaytambo, where the Incas last defeated the Spanish. Tash made friends with several locals who dived into our photos and charged us for the privilege!

The Inca Trail is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular treks we have done. Do not believe the stories of rubbish everywhere (although we were there in October). There was sun, rain, fog... you name it we experienced it. The tent was a welcome (!) contrast to the 5-star luxury of the Monasterio hotel in Cusco. The porters even offered to buy us chicha, the local brew, but suspecting that it might only increase our visits to the toilet tent, we respectfully declined.

Machu Picchu slowly, majestically appeared out of the clouds as we passed the Sun Gate. Later in the day, as the hordes departed, the clouds lifted and we were left to enjoy the ruins in the golden evening sun. After a restful night at the Sanctuary Lodge hotel, we stopped off at the hot springs in the town of Aguas Calientes, to massage our tired feet on the sandy floor of the baths. Exhilarating!

Last but certainly not least, having returned to Cusco by train, we flew down to the Amazon jungle, where we spent three relaxing yet adventurous days at the Sandoval Lake Lodge. We swung through the jungle like Tarzan and Jane, and paddled in canoes across the lake, watching giant otters, black caiman and numerous species of monkeys and birds going through their daily routines. We were also caught by the first rains of the year - an awesome demonstration of nature’s power.