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They could have followed the valley but they chose the high route to Machu Picchu, with its gorgeous and climactic mountain views.youtube.com True Andean highlanders, the Incas knew and loved the countless natural zones that lay within the folds of their vast domain. The Machu Picchu area and surroundings are forested, tropical and rainy. It is found in the middle of steeply sloped mountains and flanked by a profound canyon that Urubamba river forms. Different mammals like the bobcat, the puma and the endangered spectacled bear.incatrailperu.com Different species of insects like more than 700 species of butterflies. More than 190 species of orchids.


The Andean weather can be unpredictable, despite the sharp divide between dry and wet seasons. The dry season runs from May to October or November (the best time for this amazing trek); the rainy season goes from December through April. Nevertheless, in the forested fringes of the Amazon basin where Machu Picchu lies, showers are not uncommon at any time of year. Therefore rain pants and jacket are essential gear that should always be in your daypack. Daytime temperatures can vary greatly, from about 10ºC/50ºF to 28ºC/82ºF with night time temperatures from 10ºC/50ºF down to around 0ºC/32ºF, though seldom much lower.


We didn’t realize we’d be covering more ground than every other company in the first 2 days. Many companies spread the 26 miles out evenly over 4 days, or give you 2 days of warmup before a long day. If 12 hours of hiking (the plan for day 2) sounds like too much, go with a different company than Alpaca Expeditions. Consider your options for hiking Machu Picchu. You should know that the 4-day Inca Trail is not the only way to hike to Machu Picchu. There are other treks that get you to Machu Picchu, like the Lares Trek, the Salkantay Trek, and the Inca Jungle Trek, just to name a few. There’s also a 2-day Inca Trail hike option.


It is my understanding that these all end at Aguas Calientes, then a bus continues the trip to Machu Picchu. The 4-day Inca Trail is the only one that ends at the Sun Gate and continues straight into to the ruins of Machu Picchu. Choose your tour company carefully. If you are planning on hiking Machu Picchu, you’ll find many options for tour companies. I can’t praise Alpaca Expeditions enough. They were open, honest, patient, and helpful, from booking to when we were dropped at our hostel. With most South American tour companies, you get what you pay for. But with them, it felt like we got more than we paid for.


We are big proponents of sustainable and equitable companies. Alpaca Expeditions are one of the only companies to treat their porters fairly, and it shows in the happiness and demeanor of the porters. Do some reading to prepare for visiting Machu Picchu. I don’t mean like reading a blog post, y’all. I highly recommend this excellent, expertly-researched primer on Incan culture and history: The Incas by Terence N. D’Altroy. No book opened my eyes to the incredible, forgotten reality of how insanely advanced, high-tech, and populous pre-Columbian societies such as the Incas were prior the invasion of European colonists more than 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus. And if you’re looking for something a little less research-based and a little more humorous, Turn Right at Machu Picchu is a fantastic read. One thing that we felt well-prepared with was our hiking gear!


Peru, much like the rest of South America, is the land of every kind of weather you can imagine. It’s hot during the day, cold at night, even colder if you climb higher, and can rain in an instant - which becomes even more likely depending in the time of year you choose to hike the Inca Trail. You’ll need to bring gear that can withstand anything that gets thrown at it, and keep you comfortable to boot. Here’s what we recommend throughout all of our trials (and failures) hiking both in the US and in South America. Note: we had a porter carrying our belongings, which we STRONGLY recommend - even though some companies charge extra for this service, it is worth it.


50-100oz of water: We have a Camelbak Hydration Pack that fits 100oz of water, snacks, AND has some room for gear, too. This was all we carried with us during the day, to keep things as lightweight as possible. Trekking poles are a huge help when it comes to tricky terrain and climbing both up and downhill, such as Dead Woman’s Pas. We brought our Black Diamond trekking poles with us, folded down and tucked into a side pocket of our backpacks, for our entire 5 months in South America and they were SO useful on hikes. Rain Gear: We love our Ultra-Light Packable Rain Jackets (His & Hers) and we bring Waterproof Socks to wear under our Trail Runners, just in case.


These are small enough to roll up and tuck right into our CamelBak. After our failure on the Inca Trail, we decided to get a divorce. No, I’m totally kidding. Look how cute we are! The couple that fails together, stays together. So you might read this and think we’re saying not to try hiking the Inca Trail. In fact, the opposite is true. We now firmly believe that Machu Picchu should be done by way of the Inca Trail, if possible. It felt like our hiking group truly earned the sight of this ancient village. We just showed up and tagged along. On a positive note, our love for hiking hasn’t been dampened by our failure on the Inca Trail.


We plan to continue slowly plodding along on progressively more challenging hikes, keeping our expectations reasonably low to match our abilities. So if you’re reading this and wondering, "Should I hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu? " Well, we really can’t answer that for you!theplanetd.com We can only speak for our own experience. The only one who’s really able to assess your physical abilities is you. But if you’re not feelin’ it after reading our experience … well, that’s OK too.flowersmachupicchu.com You can sit with us at the "maybe one day" table and we’ll all have a beer and hang out.


We hope reading about our failure to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu made you laugh. Or maybe it helped you assess your own physical abilities. Either way, let us know in the comments! Psst: Planning a trip to Peru? We’ve got a few other posts that might be helpful! Did you get a sick sense of satisfaction from reading about our failure on the Inca Trail? Share it on Pinterest or Facebook so everyone else can judge us, too! Get the Printable Lima Walking Tour! Subscribe below and we'll send you the FREE Lima Walking Tour printable directions & map! We'll also send you some tips for visiting Lima and Peru. The walking tour is on its way to your inbox. Be sure to add contact@practicalwanderlust.com to your address book so we don't end up in spam! There was an error submitting your subscription.


Looking through Lonely Planet for a few more things to do before we flew home, we noticed that the large site of a major Spanish-Inca battle, Sacasay hwooman was, in fact Lorenzo’s sexy woman. As the guide said, its pronunciation usually causes inappropriate giggles from easily-titillated tourists. In the Plaza de Armas, preparations were underway for the Inti Raymi festival of the sun. School children were practicing Inca dances and ceremonies. Large viewing stands were being erected. Thousands of people showed up every evening, most in Inca costumes. Its is very possible that this apparent vibrancy of Inca culture is, in fact, a revival spurred by the tourist boom over the last few decades. But it also seems that Lorenzo, his cocoa leaf ceremonies, and his worship of the apus represented cultural springs with deep roots, roots which the Conquistadors had failed to entirely dig up. It remains to be seen whether the tourists, with their smart phones and micro-fibre shirts, can.


Here's something from an anonymous traveller - I'll rather be a monkey on the mountain than be a lizard in a king's palace. Chasing a pride of lions during a safari tour, swimming with the sharks, base-jumping off a bridge, climbing a snow-capped peak or desert trekking might not be everyone's cup of tea. But adventure travel is rapidly becoming a mainstream in everyone's life. Nature never breaks its promise, it provides holidaymakers whatever they ask for and outpaces diverse form of tours which is now ruling in the travel world. In the end, nature and its adventures are always stress-busters not only for the older generation but for younger ones also. The fact is, young people are getting more and more obsessed with exploring new places and enjoying themselves with thrilling activities.


They need something to kill their boredom with. What's wrong if they get habitual to the travel drug? It's rather inspiring after all. Where does Adventure Holiday stand? Adventure holidays have escalated and expanded at a rate of 70 percent between 2010 and 2016. Nowadays, people love combining a holiday with physical activities that connects them with nature as well as culture. After all, one can go bonkers being in the hotel room all day long. A few suburbs such as Mexico, Brazil, New Zealand and Africa are limited to die-hard adventurers - are becoming increasingly popular than beach holidays. This is more due to an individual's hunger for experience, who loves to think out of the box, out of the material possessions, advanced handheld cell phones and gaming.


Studies have revealed that people are more passionate about an experience than tangibility and that's what drives people more often towards travel activities and that too to adventure trips precisely. There's a bigger reason still lurking as to why adventure travel is gaining popularity - it's safer and affordable. Somehow, the world has become less frightening, especially when you submit to nature. Thanks to the internet and the social revolution. People can actually comprehend a destination much before setting foot on the aeroplane. What was obscured and mysterious can be accessed at the click of a button. Smartphone’s too, have boosted the curiosity of an individual to figure out a place in no time. As one gets hungry seeing a luscious cheese-dripping chicken burger, so does one get excited seeing a destination and its offers right from the corner of their bedrooms.


Who can forget the most precise design and significance of Google Earth and the alluring TV documentaries?tripsavvy.com A quick scroll makes one hunt for their next vacation - a way to adventure. Package adventure holidays have gone up like movie blockbusters. Now, an individual loves to do holiday their own way. They have experienced Vegas, enjoyed Disney, participated in beach activities and now the search is for something more interesting and daring. Since the inception of civilization, humans have tried to be winners and the trend carries on. An Adventure holiday means - Yesss, I have done it! The major shift, tourism industry thinks is beyond the 20s and even over 50s who will spend pounds to walk the Inca Trail, explore the Caribbean or even trek through jungles.


They are willing to pay to play. An average individual is busy; they've got the money and crave for the best trip of their life. Ultimately, [https://cuscotours.org/ Cuscotours] dreams are not confined to material and electronic gizmos; it's out there under the sky, on the sea, atop the mountains and in the sands. God's nature and His natural wonders are utterly fun-filled. It is believed, that when one does not add venture in their lives, life is dull. This is more with the young people today. They love a bit of spice in their daily lives.tripadvisor.com YouTube videos are full of daring activities by the younger generation, which we love.


In the present scenario, adventure travel is becoming the crux of the travel industry, altering lives and thinking of many. Author's Bio: Andy is a travel blogger at Holiday Desire. His favourite trips require an unhealthy backpacking addiction, passport, low-cost holiday packages and other stuff. A typical destination with mountains, warm blue waters, golden sands and some great food lures him to travel. Follow him on his epic journeys through his blog spots! Please Register or Login to post new comment. Just What Are High Self-Confidence and Low Self-Confidence?youtube.com Are You Ready to be Exceptional and Fill the Leadership Gap? What does the future coach look like?