Day-1
Rio de Janeiro - Reached Rio by noon . Took a Radio cab to the hotel near the beach (Cobacabana). The fare is R130 one way (one USD = 4 Reals) . I bought the cab ticket for return also at the airport as it was at a concessional rate of R99 (on second thoughts not a good idea as you need to call toll free and speak in Portuguese to get the Cab for return). It took about 40 minutes to reach hotel.
Stayed in Copacabana by Rio hotel. (Room rent for a triple room)Decent hotel and the rooms were clean. Breakfast was complimentary and good. The staff were polite and helpful. TA Review)
Had late lunch at Bio Carioca, a Vegetarian place near Copacabana beach and spent the evening near the Beach Trip Advisor Review Surprisingly many of the restaurants close before 6 pm and also many are closed for the weekend.
Night dinner was self catered using our hot plate. The electrical outlets in Brazil are rounded pin type and strangely some are 110 volts and some are 220.
Early morning tour by Viator (Local company Amigo Tours) to Christ the Redeemer and Sugar loaf was well arranged. We got picked up by 7 am and went straight to the Christ Statue in a minivan. There was not much crowd and we could go around without any wait in the lines. By 9.30 we returned from the hill and headed to Sugar Loaf. The views from Sugar Loaf was excellent. The tour guide Eliane Gabrielli was very knowledgeable and took extra efforts to explain the landmarks in the city on our way to the attractions as well as in adhering to the time schedule. We were back in our hotel before noon. The cost of the tour was USD 157 per head. Trip Adviser Review
Left Rio for Iguazu Falls in the evening. Nothing much available for vegetarians in Terminal 1 of International airport.
Overall Rio is a beautiful city with scenic beaches, lagoons, hills and greenery. Not many speak English and the sign boards were also only in Portuguese but we could manage at least in tourist places. We found it quite safe in tourist areas.
Stayed in Copacabana by Rio hotel. (Room rent for a triple room)Decent hotel and the rooms were clean. Breakfast was complimentary and good. The staff were polite and helpful. TA Review)
Had late lunch at Bio Carioca, a Vegetarian place near Copacabana beach and spent the evening near the Beach Trip Advisor Review Surprisingly many of the restaurants close before 6 pm and also many are closed for the weekend.
Night dinner was self catered using our hot plate. The electrical outlets in Brazil are rounded pin type and strangely some are 110 volts and some are 220.
Early morning tour by Viator (Local company Amigo Tours) to Christ the Redeemer and Sugar loaf was well arranged. We got picked up by 7 am and went straight to the Christ Statue in a minivan. There was not much crowd and we could go around without any wait in the lines. By 9.30 we returned from the hill and headed to Sugar Loaf. The views from Sugar Loaf was excellent. The tour guide Eliane Gabrielli was very knowledgeable and took extra efforts to explain the landmarks in the city on our way to the attractions as well as in adhering to the time schedule. We were back in our hotel before noon. The cost of the tour was USD 157 per head. Trip Adviser Review
Left Rio for Iguazu Falls in the evening. Nothing much available for vegetarians in Terminal 1 of International airport.
Overall Rio is a beautiful city with scenic beaches, lagoons, hills and greenery. Not many speak English and the sign boards were also only in Portuguese but we could manage at least in tourist places. We found it quite safe in tourist areas.
Day-2
Iguazu Falls - Reached Foz do Iguacu (Brazilian side of Iguazu falls) in the middle of the night by Gol airlines .The flight was delayed but there were no announcements in English. Forum post Plenty of taxis were available in the airport and took a cab & reached to our hotel in downtown within about 20 minutes (paid taxi fare as per meter R50)
We stayed in Rafain Centro hotel. (Room rent)The room was good though bathroom could have been a bit bigger. Breakfast was complimentary with quite a large spread. The hotel provided free WiFi and has swimming pool. The hotel is in a good location with many shops and restaurants around. With Subway and Pizza hut close by vegetarians like me did not have any problem.Trip Advisor Review
Next morning we took the Viator tour (local company Grey line) to the Argentinian side of Iguazu falls. We were picked up at 8 am and after a brief stop at a shop to get Argentina currency (this is for Iguazu National park ticket which is 260 peso per head, equal to USD 20) we headed straight to the Falls. It took about 15 minutes at the border control and everything was taken care by our tour guide (Cleiton Cruz) We did not even get down the bus. Being a US citizen I needed to pay reciprocity fee of USD 160 to enter Argentina and this needed to be paid in advance online and the receipt is to be given along with passport at the border control.
Argentinian side of the Iguazu falls is maintained by Iguazu National park. From visitors center there is a jungle train for a short distance. After that there were nicely laid walk ways and trails everywhere leading to different view points. We were not allowed to "Devils Throat" as the water level was high the day we visited. A couple of places one may get wet if we want to have a good view of the falls.There are 3 restaurants inside the park and one of the restaurants offers vegetarian sandwich but we just took French fries. On our way back it took more time at the Argentinian passport control whereas it was a zip through on the Brazilian post. Overall the tour was a great experience and we were back at our total by 2.30 pm .Trip Advisor Review
We stayed in Rafain Centro hotel. (Room rent)The room was good though bathroom could have been a bit bigger. Breakfast was complimentary with quite a large spread. The hotel provided free WiFi and has swimming pool. The hotel is in a good location with many shops and restaurants around. With Subway and Pizza hut close by vegetarians like me did not have any problem.Trip Advisor Review
Next morning we took the Viator tour (local company Grey line) to the Argentinian side of Iguazu falls. We were picked up at 8 am and after a brief stop at a shop to get Argentina currency (this is for Iguazu National park ticket which is 260 peso per head, equal to USD 20) we headed straight to the Falls. It took about 15 minutes at the border control and everything was taken care by our tour guide (Cleiton Cruz) We did not even get down the bus. Being a US citizen I needed to pay reciprocity fee of USD 160 to enter Argentina and this needed to be paid in advance online and the receipt is to be given along with passport at the border control.
Argentinian side of the Iguazu falls is maintained by Iguazu National park. From visitors center there is a jungle train for a short distance. After that there were nicely laid walk ways and trails everywhere leading to different view points. We were not allowed to "Devils Throat" as the water level was high the day we visited. A couple of places one may get wet if we want to have a good view of the falls.There are 3 restaurants inside the park and one of the restaurants offers vegetarian sandwich but we just took French fries. On our way back it took more time at the Argentinian passport control whereas it was a zip through on the Brazilian post. Overall the tour was a great experience and we were back at our total by 2.30 pm .Trip Advisor Review
Day-3
Following day it was time to visit Brazilian side of the Falls. We were picked at our hotel at 8 am and thanks to our tour guide Daniel Antonio (Viator/Greyline) for suggesting the Boat trip, otherwise we would have missed a "must enjoy" attraction at the Brazilian side of the Falls. The boat trip consisted of 3 parts , first a short ride on the tram (to avoid pollution to the forest it is powered by solar electricity) during which time the guide explained the highlights of the National park, then a walk on the trail (you can skip this and directly join at the boat station) leading to the boat station for about 15 minutes and finally the terrific ride in the speed boats for about 30 minutes in Iguazu river towards the Brazilian side of the falls. There were lockers and change rooms just before the ride. Be prepared to get drenched as the boat goes right the the falls. It was an exciting at the same time a safe ride. The crew took videos and photos during the ride and you can buy it. Overall the boat trip takes about 2 hours and is a not to be missed attractions at Iguazu. We were back near the Visitors center by 12.30 pm.
In the afternoon we proceeded with our walking tour of the Brazilian side of the Falls. It was a self guided tour going to different view points to look at the Falls . One can see the Brazilian side closely and even Argentinian side at a distance. While the Argentinian walking tour provided views from the top of the falls, the Brazilian tour is enjoying the view from the bottom in most points though at a couple of observation decks you get the top view as well. The tour ended by 3.30 pm and we were in our hotel by 4.30 pm.
Between the two sides of the Falls Argentinian side is no doubt a longer one with closer view from the top but I am not sure if it is worth spending reciprocity fee of USD 160 just for one visit as the views from Brazil side are equally stunning though a bit shorter and mostly from bottom of the Falls. If I have to do it again I would just visit Brazil side with the Boat trip as my interest was visiting other Brazilian cities like Rio.TA Review
Between the two sides of the Falls Argentinian side is no doubt a longer one with closer view from the top but I am not sure if it is worth spending reciprocity fee of USD 160 just for one visit as the views from Brazil side are equally stunning though a bit shorter and mostly from bottom of the Falls. If I have to do it again I would just visit Brazil side with the Boat trip as my interest was visiting other Brazilian cities like Rio.TA Review
We took a LAN airlines direct flight from Iguazu to Lima that evening. This flight operates only on specific days in a week. IGU airport is quite a small one with just a snack stall.
Lima
You get a feeling that you are in Bombay airport when you land in Lima. The arrival lounge is quite chaotic and so also the parking area. Of course the similarities continue in the city also in terms of chaotic traffic , frequent honking and aggressive driving.We stayed in Hotel Allpa in Miraflores area which is more of a tourist district and close to Larcomar shopping mall and the Pacific. There are shops and restaurants close to hotel. The taxi fare was USD 30. Right from the cab driver to hotel staff everyone speak good English though the sign boards everywhere were only in Spanish. The hotel room was spacious.
The breakfast was complimentary and was just basic (TA review of the hotel). There was also a strange odor in the corridors. Looks like we are not supposed to dispose toilet papers in the toilet bowl in Peru (instead to throw in trash can) and we learnt it the hard way.
The breakfast was complimentary and was just basic (TA review of the hotel). There was also a strange odor in the corridors. Looks like we are not supposed to dispose toilet papers in the toilet bowl in Peru (instead to throw in trash can) and we learnt it the hard way.
Day-4
Next morning we took a taxi to city center where many of the attractions exist and it took almost 1 1/2 hours to cover a distance of less than 10 km from Miraflores (Taxi fare 35 Sloes 1 USD = 3.6 Soles). We only had time to visit Monasterio de San Francisco (admission 8 soles)to check out the most talked about catacombs TA Review. Our search for a vegetarian restaurant ended in vain when we found that the Hare Krishna run Govinda is closed in Miraflores area and finally we settled for Pizza Hut.
In the evening we were back to Lima airport for our flight to Arequipa. Lima airport has Papa Johns pizza and Subway in case anyone is looking for vegetarian options. Our flight (LC Peru) to Arequipa was delayed by more than 30 minutes but there was no announcement.
Arequipa
We stayed in Tierra Viva hotel in Arequipa which is close to all attractions in the downturn. Taxi pickup from airport was provided by the hotel and the ride took about 30 minutes. So far this is best hotel in our trip. The room was spacious and neat. The breakfast was complimentary and though basic was quite nice. The open corridor adjacent to the restaurant, the aesthetically designed staircase everything added value to the hotel. Had we known this chain has hotels in other cities in Peru we would have booked their places also for our stay in our trip. (TA review). Only missing comfort was Air conditioner.TA Review
Day-5
The next morning we went around the town and visited couple of attractions namely Museo Santuarios Andinos (Universidad Catholica De Santa Maria) admission 20 soles TA review and Monesterio de Santa Catalina, admission 40 soles. TA review
We had lunch at a vegetarian place called "Mandala" (Lakhmivan is closed). Mandala is quite inexpensive (10 soles) and serves a fixed menu of soup, entree and desert. TA review
In the afternoon we took the City & Country full loop tour for 30 soles and it is for 4 hours. Except for Yanahuara there is nothing much in this tour and couple of stops included in this tour are with entrance tickets which you need to pay separately. (Forum post)
Day-6
Colca Canyon - We took the Viator(local operator colonial tours) overnight tour of Colca Canyon from Arequipa with Puno as the final destination.
We were picked at our hotel by 7.30 in the morning. There is a steady increase in the altitude from 2500 meters to almost 5000 meters at Patapampa within next 4 hours with stops in between to look at flora and fauna of the region. Our guide Ali did a wonderful job in explaining everything in detail. Lunch was provided at Chivoy as part of tour and there were wide vegetarian options. After lunch we were dropped at our hotels for the overnight stay. Our hotel Eco Inn (room rent part of tour package) in a nearby town Yanque and our room was more of a cabin with 2 beds in the attic and one bed in the first floor. The rooms are all independent villas with good view of the surrounding mountains. The room was provided with heater (nights are quite chilly and warm clothes are must) and the bathroom was quite spacious. Wifi is available only in the lobby. Breakfast was complimentary and was available right from early hours as the tours to Colca Canyon start early in the morning. TA review
There was optional tour of visit to Hot springs in Chivoy in the afternoon and many of us took it instead of spending the afternoon in the hotel room. We were picked up at hotel at 3 pm and dropped back by 6 pm. The hot springs though more like a swimming pool was an enjoyable experience. The admission ticket was 15 soles.
There was optional tour of visit to Hot springs in Chivoy in the afternoon and many of us took it instead of spending the afternoon in the hotel room. We were picked up at hotel at 3 pm and dropped back by 6 pm. The hot springs though more like a swimming pool was an enjoyable experience. The admission ticket was 15 soles.
Our hot plate which works in both 110 & 220 volts helped us in making the meal for the dinner. The electrical outlets in Peru are similar to US though the voltage is 220.
After an early breakfast we left our hotel by 6.30 for our trip to Colca canyon which is about 50 km from Chivoy. We were in the Canyon area by 8.30 and were given about an hour to enjoy the views. People also wait here to have a look at the Candor but we were not fortunate as the bird did not turn up. On the way back there were multiple stops at different view points and we reached Chivoy by noon for lunch.
After an early breakfast we left our hotel by 6.30 for our trip to Colca canyon which is about 50 km from Chivoy. We were in the Canyon area by 8.30 and were given about an hour to enjoy the views. People also wait here to have a look at the Candor but we were not fortunate as the bird did not turn up. On the way back there were multiple stops at different view points and we reached Chivoy by noon for lunch.
We were transferred to Puno bus (operator 4M) which left Chivoy at 1 pm and it took about 6 hours to each Puno. There were a couple of stops on the way mainly for rest room break and snacks. Our guide Susanna was quite helpful in making our this tedious trip (due to altitude) comfortable. We reached Puno by 7 pm and were transferred to our hotel by the local operator of Viator, Cultural Immersion. (Viator review and TA review for Colca Canyon)
Puno - We stayed at Casona colon Inn which is very close to Plaza and shopping districts in Puno. The room heater in quite inadequate for chilly nights but the hotel did provide multiple blankets to bundle you up for the night. The room is not bad considering the rent but the bath particularly the washbasin could have been bigger. Breakfast is complimentary and is just basic.TA review
Day-7
Next day we took the Viator tour(local operator Cultural immersion) tour of Lake Titikaka. We were picked up by 7.30 and after a 10 minute ride reached the boat station. The speed boat was with very comfortable seating like a luxury bus and was equipped with a toilet. It took a little more than an hour to reach the first island Taquile. In the island the guide took us on a walking tour for about an hour ( walking uphill was strenuous at times) explaining the lives of the people living in the island. Finally we met the local family who were showing us their knitting and weaving skills. After a brief stopover at the beach we left the island to a place in peninsula for lunch. The lunch included soup and boiled vegetables for vegetarians. The food was prepared by the local community and there was a short demo how the food is prepared combined with rituals.
After lunch the boat took us to one of the floating islands (Uros) and there we spent about an hour. We were also offered an optional tour of a 15 minute ride in a reed boat around the island. (When getting down from the reed boat my right hand ring finger got injured, more on this later) The boat took us back to Puno by 4 pm and we were transferred to our hotel. Overall it was an enjoyable tour in a comfortable boat.TA review
Close to our hotel there is a big super market (Plaza Vea) where you could buy anything from electronics to eatables. We purchased a couple T-Shirts and Sweaters and prices were very reasonable.
Day-8
Andean Explorer
We travelled from Puno to Cusco by Train Andean Explorer. It was a memorable ride though the scenic route. This train runs only on specific days in a week. It starts at 8 am at Puno and reaches Cusco by 6.30 pm. Welcome drink, 3 course lunch and High Tea are served as part of the package. There were good options for vegetarians also. Seating is very comfortable and there are also common areas like dining room and observation deck where passengers can relax. Music, dance and fashion shows are performed to keep you entertained. Though the fare is expensive ($ 160 ) compared to Bus it is well worth the cost.(TA review)
Cusco
We stayed at Quina Villa Botique at Cusco (Rent $ 120 per night for 3 persons) The hotel arranged pick up from train station. The hotel is in Sans blas area which is about 15 minutes from Train station and about 30 minutes from airport. San blas seems to be a very good area with lot of restaurants and shops. It is an old part of the town with many narrow lanes and steps. Even to reach our hotel we need to climb at least 30 steps from the road. Plaza de Armes which is central for many attractions is about 15 minutes walk from our hotel. Apt to its name the hotel provides apartment type accommodation with a fully equipped kitchen, living area and bed room apart from bath & toilet. The breakfast is complimentary and it was served in our room based on the order placed the previous night and breakfast time is flexible to suit our need. The hotel also provided laundry service at 6 soles per Kg same day delivery. It was home away from home and we enjoyed our stay in this hotel.(TA review)
Day-9
The next day morning I needed to go to an Emergency clinic to check on the injury that I suffered at Lake Titikaka reed boat. Traveller's Network Clinic at Puputi near San Blas was quite responsive. They took the X-Ray of the finger and ruled out there is no fracture. My injury was diagnosed as mallet finger and they have put a bandage to keep the bent finger in shape and advised to consult local doctor when I get back home. The diagnosis and treatment was done in an hour. Looks they accept travel insurance but since I did not have any I paid their changes (300 soles) out of pocket (TA Forum)
Lunch was at a vegetarian restaurant Viva in the San Blas area. The restaurant has both vegetarian and vegan food. The ambience was good so also the food. Don't miss to try their avocado fries. TA review
We had taken Cusco city tour that afternoon(Viator/Vijes Pacifico). The tour covered the Cathedral & Qorikancha which are both near Plaza de Armas and Sacsayhuaman ruins which are in the city suburbs. All the 3 places are worth the visit though I think the tour cost of $ is on the higher side.( TA review)
That night we got a take out from Korma sutra an Indian restaurant in San Blas area which serves a lot of vegetarian items. The items were pricy but the taste was good.(TA review)
Day-10
The next morning was the key highlight of our trip - visit to Machu Picchu. This one also we took the Viator tour (local operator Vijes Pacifico). We were picked up from our hotel at 4.30 am and the bus ride was for 1 1/2 hours to Ollytombo train station. After a quick breakfast in the train station cafe we boarded the Inca Rail which left Ollytombo at 6.40 am arriving at Machu Picchu station by 8.20 am. This place is also known as Aguascalientes. From this places there are buses plying every 5 minutes to Machu Picchu ruins site. The bus ride is about 25 minutes. By 9 we were at the Machu Picchu ruins and there was passport verification when allowing into the site. The guide walked us though this world wonder in about 3 hours and it was indeed an enduring walk with more & more steps all around. We returned to Aguascalientes and had lunch there. Our return ticket was booked in 2.30 pm train and we were picked up at Ollytombo by 4.15 and returned to Custco by 6 pm.TA review
Day-11
Today is the last day of our trip and we have taken a tour to Sacred Valley (Viator/Vijes Pacifico) near Cusco. The tour started at 8 am and initially we visited an animal sanctuary having peruvian animals like Alpaca and Lama. Next we went to a town Pisac for shopping and finally we visited the Inca ruin site at Ollantaytambo. The guide took about an hour to walk through the ruin and there were about 400 steps to climb. Of course we were given adequate breaks when climbing. On the way back we stopped for lunch (included in the tour) and the vegetarian options in this hotel were limited. We returned to Cusco by 5 pm. TA review
Day-12
The next day we checked out in the morning and took a flight to Lima by LC Peru in the afternoon. The flight was delayed by an hour which was announced only after the scheduled departure time. Since there is a long layover at Lima we stayed in a hotel close to the airport. The hotel name Pay Purix Backpackers hostel and it is just 2 Kms from the hotel. The cab driver charged us 10 soles to drop us in the hotel. Room rent was $54 for 3 of us and the room though small was worth the price and served our purpose. The hotel arranged airport drop at 1 am at a cost of 30 soles. TA review
Day-13
We took the Air Canada flight for our trip back home with a stop over at Toranto. It was a comfortable flight as per schedule but the special meal served for vegetarians could have been better. It did not even include bread and had just a few boiled vegetables, cracker and fruits.
Happy to be back home after an exciting trip. We were fortunate that the weather was sunny though it is supposed to be a rainy season in Peru (Christmas holidays).
