How about a trip to Peru

Peru’s central highlands stretch north to south in a line just north of Lake Titicaca (more on this in a mo), all the way north into neighbouring Ecuador, forming a narrow strip of the Andes Mountains.  It is no wonder much of this region is jagged, rugged and wholly inaccessible.  One exception to this is a small, long-abandoned hilltop settlement in the jungle: Machu Picchu.  Quite how the Incas built this place, in this terrain, is nothing short of staggering, but thankfully, you can now wonder and gawp at the incredible feat of engineering and creation of this place far more readily than would have been possible when it was initially built.

The gateway city to Machu Picchu is the town of Cusco (or Cuzco).  It is a wonderful city, with greatly preserved colonial architecture, a rich and deep history, and a lively, upbeat and thriving atmosphere, almost entirely fuelled by the huge influx of tourists over recent decades.  The only word of caution is around Cusco’s elevation as a high altitude city, so seek immediate medical attention if you develop headaches, or feel nauseous within 48-hours of arriving.
The other star attraction of the mountainous central belt of Peru, is Lake Titicaca. While a huge body of water isn’t ordinarily a reason to travel thousands of miles around the world, this is an exception.  Not only is the backdrop staggeringly pretty, but the indigenous culture and ways of life of those living on (yes on) and around this lake have to be seen to be believed.  It is also a vital wildlife reserve and contains dozens of highly protected species of flora and fauna.
Lima, Peru’s capital city, is situated on Peru’s western coasts, right alongside the cool waters of the Pacific Ocean.  So you’d naturally assume it has some incredible beaches then? Well… no, in fact it has very little in the way of beach life or beach frontage.  Sat atop cliffs for the most part, Lima is a large, seaside city with little beachfront, but some truly spectacular sunsets in compensation!  In times gone by Lima was considered a little underwhelming for tourists and merely a place you had to come through to get to Machu Picchu, but things have changed.  Lima’s glorious architecture and colonial past now merges beautifully with its modern facades and its culture and rich history are now worthy of their own exploration.  After which you’ll want to find somewhere to dine as this is the place in Peru for eating out and experiencing everything Peruvian cuisine has to offer, of which the seafood is unsurprisingly superb.
Away from Lima, a popular tourist haunt, although a very small oasis, literally, is Huacachina, a true desert oasis a couple of hours outside the capital and a perfect day trip to the only oasis in the entirety of South America!  The rest of the coast is rugged, hilly or mountainous and contains a large number of small towns and villages, most important and worthy of your time being Trujillo to the north of the capital, with fabulous beaches, Incan ruins and great food.  All in all then, there’s more to Peru than the spectacular Machu Picchu.  Far more!