Hiking the Salkantay Trek has been one of my highlights from my travels so far. Peru is all about hiking and I showed up totally unprepared. I signed up to do the trek the night before and before I knew it I was leaving a few hours later...

Nestled at the heart of Arequipa, often referred to a city-within-a-city, The Monastery of Santa Catalina de Siena founded in 1579, less than 40 years after the Spanish arrived. Women from various backgrounds have entered the convent to serve as...

Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain was high on my list. Initially checking out the prices of tours with numerous agencies in Cusco, it just didn't feel worthwhile to spend between $20-40 only to get to Rainbow Mountain and find that...

Picture yourself looking down at dazzling turquoise waters lying beneath cascading waterfalls and gorgeous glaciers, occasionally hearing the loud thunder of a distant avalanche. It's no wonder that Laguna 69 is at the top of any hikers list visiting Huaraz and not to be missed.

Eager to visit and somewhat selfishly have it all to myself, I spent a few good hours researching online and talking to locals. Here's a step by step guide on how to visit away from the tour groups....

Located in the Huascarán National Park around 1.5 hours outside of Huaraz, Laguna Churup is one of the few lakes that can be done on your own without a guide or a tour bus. If you're looking to hike somewhere without the crowds of tour buses...