Peru and Bolivia: travel report on active holiday

Peru and Bolivia: Mieke reports back from her holiday

by Kathy Jarvis on 2nd December, 2016

Three week tour across Peru and Bolivia

This week we hear from Mieke, who’s just returned from a three-week tour of Peru and Bolivia.

She and two friends explored Cusco and the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu plus Lake Titicaca in Peru.

Next, La Paz, Sucre and the Salt Flats of Uyuni in Bolivia.

Which was her favourite? Read on to find out, and check her Facebook photos.

Mieke, of Holland, writes:

“Let me start by saying we had a great trip! It was so nice that everything was arranged and taken care off, so we could just enjoy it.

The whole trip was full of highlights and I could not name one thing I did not like – except for the cold weather on the salt flats, but you could not change that.

Cusco and Machu Picchu

We started in Cusco. What a great hotel! Nicely decorated, friendly people and right in the middle of the town. Cusco is a very nice city with lots of beautiful places to visit and nice restaurants. You can easily spend a few days there.

Our trip to Machu Picchu was great. But what a lot of tourists!

We were lucky that our guide got in line for the busses really early in the morning, so we could join him later and still be at Machu Picchu early. The first look of Machu Picchu is impressive, almost magical and breathtaking. The tour was great.

Machu Picchu, Peru

Puno and Lake Titicaca

The public bus to Puno was nice. Good means of transportation and sightseeing stops on the way, so it doesn’t feel like you have been travelling the whole day.

Puno as a town is not very interesting, so I was good we did not have much time there.

Lake Titicaca was beautiful! I really liked the Uros Islands and the homestay, but must admit it feels less traditional then I would have liked, I think they started catering to the wishes (or expected wishes?) of tourists too much.

When they asked at the home stay what they could improve, my answer was: nothing, keep it as it is!

View over Copacabana, Bolivia

La Paz, Bolivia

Then we had our bus ride to La Paz. Special thanks to Daniel who throughout the rest of our trip kept in touch with us about our flights home, which were still not confirmed. He really made a lot of effort to take care of it all!

The walking tour in La Paz was very nice, what a diverse city! And I am so glad we added the Valley of the Moon to our trip, I loved it!

The folk show in the evening we did not like so much. There were not many people, so not much of an atmosphere. Everything was in Spanish so hard to understand for us and there was little explanation about the dances and its history.

Sucre and Potosi

In Sucre we were picked up by our guide Jorge and the driver. Both very nice and friendly people, who were with us till Potosi.

Sucre has such a nice atmosphere! And the temperature was nice too. I loved the visit to Tarabuco and Jatun Yampara. We visited an old woman named Christina and it is hard to believe she is still really living like that. The people in that village were very welcoming, but I can’t help getting the feeling of ‘intruding’ in their daily life a little bit.

On our way to Potosi Jorge showed us a movie about the mines. That was impressive. And then seeing with my own eyes in what conditions the people over there have to work made me sad and appreciative of the way things are in our part of the world.

Potosi climbers, Bolivia

Uyuni Salt Flats

The next day we went to Uyuni and met our guide Santiago. The days on the saltflats were very impressive. Our guide thought so too, because he took at least as much pictures as we did!

Sleeping in the salt hotels is very special, but even with 4 blankets still very cold at night because there is no electricity!!! We gave the suggestion to give guests a warm water bottle.