Peru
Since Hiram Bingham, the American explorer, described Machu Picchu as a “wonderland”, the fabled Inca city has become perhaps the single image that says ‘Peru’. But it’s not even half the story. Peru has more ancient archaeological sites than any other country in South America, with more being discovered all the time. There is much more to Peru than old stones, however. Peru has life zones from mangroves to cloudforest, mist-fuelled oases in the desert to glacial lakes. Jungle covers 60% of the country, and while less than 6% of its population lives there, the forest provides a home for the greatest diversity of plants and wildlife on the planet. The variety that Peru offers the visitor is enormous.
At the end of the Inca Trail is Inti Punku, the Gate of the Sun. Through it you not only see Machu Picchu for the first time, but you are transported back through history to the cultures from which the Inca civilization developed. Machu Picchu’s near neighbour, Cusco, is the gateway to natural history. Its festivals are a microcosm of 3000 others across the country