[mk_page_section bg_color=”#ffffff” bg_stretch=”true” min_height=”0″ padding_top=”0″ padding_bottom=”0″ el_class=”un-sub-menu” sidebar=”jumbo-widgets”][vc_column][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu=”92″][/vc_column][/mk_page_section][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][mk_page_section section_layout=”right” el_class=”tips-best-time-to-travel” sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][vc_row_inner el_id=”un-overview”][vc_column_inner][vc_custom_heading text=”Overview” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:32px|text_align:left|line_height:31px” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1587036548241{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]The city of Baku offers a beautiful mix of historical and contemporary architecture. From the 12th century dated Maiden tower to the the stunning Flame towers leading the city’s skyline, Baku is filled with building of different eras. The city is also located very nearby to fascinating places like the natural burning hillside of Yanar Dag, Gobustan Mud volcanoes and many more. Here are the best things to do in and around Baku.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner el_id=”un-list”][vc_column_inner][vc_custom_heading text=”Things to do” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:32px|text_align:left|line_height:31px” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][mk_custom_list style=”mk-moon-circle-small”]
1. Rainbow Mountain
- You must have seen numerous stunning images of a rainbow colored mountain on Instagram. This beautiful and unique colored mountain is located in Peru. It has a height of 5200 meters above sea level. The series of color strips present on the slope and summit of the mountain is due to mineral deposits on them which were formed millions of years ago.
- The Rainbow mountain is best accessed via the city of Cusco. Well the bad news is that the journey to the summit of the rainbow mountain requires a three hour drive followed up with a 2 hours hike. The good news is that breathtaking surroundings makes the journey rather amazing. You will have to drive for about 2.5-3 hours to reach a point known as Fulawasipata, from where you can go to the starting point of the hike which is located at the foot of the Ausangate mountain range. The 2 hour hike from here offers magnificent surrounding views and loads of fresh air. And the view of the colorful mountain from the summit is unlike anything else. Simply spectacular!
- You can either self drive or sign up for a tour from Cusco. We would highly recommend the tour as it is cheap (around 30 USD), very convenient and they include a guide which is one of the most important thing in this tour as not only do they explain a lot of things but also help you to complete the tedious hike. There are a lot of operators, i personally did it through Rainbow Mountain Travels who were great. The entrance fee to the mountain, which has to be purchased physically at the starting point of the hike, costs 5 soles (2 USD) for locals and 10 soles (3 USD) for foreigners.
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2. Machu Picchu
- Voted as one of the seven wonders of the modern world and a UNESCO world heritage site, Machu Picchu marks as one of the symbols of Peru.
- This site was a citadel for the Inca empire in the 15th century. It was abandoned a century later due to Spanish conquest. This ruins of this lost city was rediscovered in 1911. This 500 years old city sits in the lap of incredible surrounding mountains and offer unreal views.
- Overall there are 3 major sites to see in Machu Picchu: ruins of the citadel (the main attraction) and the two beautiful mountains surrounding them, Huayna Picchu and the Machu Pichhu mountain. You can either buy a solo ticket to the ruins (around 65 USD), or a combo ticket which includes the ruins and hike to either one of the mountains (around 80 USD). You can also a buy a ticket which includes the ruins and the museum which costs the same, but you will have to buy a ticket for it as the spaces are limited. You can’t expect this wonder of the world to have empty slots in the ticket window, so consider booking the tickets in advance from the Machu Picchu website as mandatory.
Best way to reach
- The ruins are located a few miles from the town of Aguas Calientes. The most convenient way of reaching this town is taking a train from Cusco city, as it is a major town and well connected by air and road.
- There are three train companies to choose from: Peru Rail, Inca Rail, and Belmond Hiram Bingham train. Peru rail offers good service and is generally the cheapest option with tickets ranging from 30-60 USD per way. Inca rail offers similar services and offers the ticket starting from around 60 USD per way. Belmond Hiram Bingham train is a super luxurious train which offers tickets starting from around 550 USD per way.
- Once you reach Aguas Calientes, you can take a local taxi/bus to which will take you to the gate of the ruins in 15-20 mins.
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3. Huacachina
- Huacachina is a beautiful tiny village near the city of Ica. This village is built around a desert oasis and is surrounded by sand dunes.
- Things to do here include boating in the cute little oasis, adrenaline rushing sand buggy tour, sand boarding, hiking and watching sunset from the top a sand dune.
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4. Explore the largest jungle in the world: The Amazon
- The gigantic Amazon forest extends to numerous countries in South America including Bolivia. While the most famous entry point to Amazon is Brazil, Bolivia is no less pretty and way cheaper.
- The entry point to Amazon from Bolivia is via the city of Rurrenabaque. Unless you are someone like Bear Grylls, you will need to sign up f0r a tour to visit the jungle. There are two types of tours available from Rurrenabaque: Pampas and Jungle tour.
- Pampas tour focuses on maximum wildlife spotting while you explore and learn about the jungle. The general duration for the tour is 2-3 nights. The tour takes you deep into the jungle via boat. Accommodation is provided in cabins which includes all the breakfast, lunch and dinner. The tour includes excursions like piranha fishing, spotting of anaconda, exotic birds, crocodiles, pink dolphin, jungle exploring and much more. The price for this starts at around 200-300 USD for 3 nights tour. The price increases as you upgrade the cabin.
- Jungle tour focused less on wildlife and more on learning about the jungle and the biodiversity. This tour generally includes stay in camps rather than cabins. This tour involves hiking in deep jungles and learning about it, like learning about medicinal plants. It also involves spotting wildlife like monkeys, exotic birds, beer and more. The tour is slightly pricier than Pampas tour for about 3-5 night duration.
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5. Sacred valley
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6. Maras Salt Mines
- The spectacular Sacred valley in Peru is home to the town of Maras. This town is most famous for its salt mines, which is not a traditional mine, but a series salt evaporation ponds dug out on a hillside. The salt production technique is as simple as it gets: The ponds are filled are filled with salty water coming a underground natural spring. This spring water is directed though a channel into the various terraced ponds. The water is evaporated leaving behind the salt which is scratched out.
- These ponds were built around 200-500 AD, which is 1800 years ago! These ponds were used to supply salt to the entire Inca empire and even the Viceroyalty of Peru. Today, this salt, known as Maras salt, is one of most healthiest and nutritious on the planet.
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7. Sleep on a cliff
- Yes. You can literally sleep on the side of a mountain in Peru, and that too with the view of the magical sacred valley. The unique and adventurous hotel, Skylodge Adventure Suites, offers three transparent capsules hanging from the top of a 1200 feet mountain in the Sacred Valley. This unique capsule shaped room is fitted with all necessities of a bedroom including bed, table and toilet. The all glass exterior provides 300 degree view of the breathtaking sacred valley and the surrounding mountains. Not only that, just imagine gazing at a thousand stars from here!
- Reaching this room is not easy as there no cable cars. There are two ways to for traversing up and down: ziplines and via ferrata. The hotel obviously provides with the climbing tools and necessary guides.
- Booking this room for a nights costs 1485 soles (around 417 USD). This comes with the choice of choosing zipline or via ferrata for both the ways (up and down). If you want to experience both 1 way each, then you have to pay 100 soles extra.
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8. Colca Canyon
- With a depth of 3270 meters, Colca canyon is one of the deepest canyons in the world. To give you an idea of its depth, this canyon is twice as deep as the famous Grand Canyon!
- The canyon is best accessed via Arequipa, Peru’s second largest city. From here, you can either hop on one of the many public buses running daily (if you are on a budget) or you can sign for a tour 1-4 day tour available via many travel agents across Arequipa. You can choose between 2-4 day hiking tours or a 1 day tour which covers all the important spots.
- The canyon is surrounded by many towns and villages.
- This spectacular canyon is a great trekking destination. You can spend days hiking the rugged landscapes and soaking in the magnificent surrounding views along with the astounding depth.
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9. Nazca Lines
- Nazca lines are a group of large geoglyphs located in the Nazca desert in Peru. While some these geoglyphs are simple linear lines, the others form shapes representing flowers, birds, insects and more. These beautiful lines are known to be created between 500 BC and 500 AD. The most fascinating part about them is that nobody till date knows their significance.
- Since these shapes are drawn on the ground, the best way to see them is from a height. There are two options for that: climbing to the top of the observation tower or taking a scenic flight.
- If you are travelling on a budget, climb the observation tower. It will give you a good view of three Nazca figures for a very small entrance fee. Yes you wouldn’t be able to see them all, but at least you won’t miss it completely. A stop to the observation tower is included if you are travelling with Peruhop.
- The best option is obviously the scenic flight which takes around 30 mins to give you a good view of all the shapes. It is definitely an unmissable sight! My recommended flight operators are AeroNazca, AeroParacas, and Movil Air. They charge around 80-100 USD.
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