Manu is one of the most remote parts of the Peruvian Amazon that is still accessible to travellers. It takes 6 hours from the closest town by car and boat to reach our lodge. It is this remoteness that makes Manu such an attractive place to visit as unlike the more accessible regions of the forest, Manu is still a pristine wilderness that has been barely touched by human development and is teeming with wildlife.

By James Imbriani, Aracari Travel

With plenty of investment in transport and tourism infrastructure it is now possible to see the highlights of Peru, including the relatively remote Machu Picchu, in just a few short days. Spend just a little more time, however, and you will begin to uncover some of the ‘hidden’ Peru – people and places that most visitors don’t get to experience, all while contributing to local livelihoods and communities.

By Maureen Santucci

On one hand the growth of trekking in Peru has brought numerous benefits for the country and many of its people, creating jobs and industries to cater for all those mini-adventures. The ratio of tourists to support staff on the trail is something like 3 workers for each trekker, meaning huge employment opportunities for local people. But those benefits have often come at a price.

By James Lantz

Located in the high jungle of Peru, Tingana was started by seven families with the objective of preserving the natural resources of a municipal conservation area called Asociacion Hidrica Aguajal Renacal del Alto Mayo. With the support and leadership of the community, Tingana was developed to promote conservation and ecotourism. Tingana’s 8,596 acres not only offer an important piece of conservation for the local wildlife, but helps protect the local water supplies for nearby cities.

Since 2009, Vida Digna, an animal welfare association based in Lima, Peru, has organized an annual health campaign for horses that work the tourist trails on the Cusco highlands of the Peruvian Andes. This campaign is supported by the US-based animal welfare organization Humane Society International. As part of this effort, every year in the month of August, ten American doctors, veterinary students and a professional farrier are sent to Cusco on a two-week mission, bring with them all the necessary medicines and equipment.

By Piero Ponce

Ayacucho is a region located in the central Peruvian Andes and encompasses the province of Puquio, an extensive area with historical archeological sites and home of a living culture that mainly speaks the Inca language Runasimi. Through a visit to that area, I could experience a close touch with the rural world and Andean nature. Puquio can only be reached by bus, thus it offers the chance to see marvelous landscapes among the route.

It is no secret among the surf community that the Pacific coast of Peru is something of a surfers paradise, with consistent off shore winds and few crowds. With a few exceptions, many waves can be found still breaking clean and empty for the more intrepid surfers to discover and enjoy. Word spreads and things are changing fast though; every year brings new surf businesses, foreign investments, more accessible waves.

(English translation follows Spanish text) El diseño de nuevos circuitos turísticos en el Valle del Colca es una tarea que demanda un análisis cuidadoso de los recursos, financiamiento y expectativas locales. Los circuitos, corredores económicos típicos ancestrales y hasta senderos peatonales de uso cotidiano, sirven como uno de los primeros elementos, a los que se van sumando atractivos no conocidos, actividades distribuidas a lo largo de un año cronológico como festividades religiosas, actividades agrícolas, eventos sociales, entre otros; a fin de generar una…

Inkaterra develops and implements, through the NGO Inkaterra Association, various projects to help preserve the local environment and manage economic development in a sustainable manner. These projects take place at the bank of Madre de Dios River in the rainforest – where Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica lodge is located – and at the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, in the Machu Picchu cloud forest.

Boasting a species list of over 1,800, including over 120 endemic species, Peru either is or should be on anybody’s destination list who is even vaguely interested in birds. From coastal deserts to high Andes mountains, to the cloud forest, to the extensive lowland Amazon that covers 60% of the country, the range of habitats is immense. Each ecozone in Peru is home to unique birds, and nowhere are the numbers of birds greater than in the lowland Amazon rainforests.