Khristian Snyder – Travel Journal

The final destination of my journey was Arequipa. Having read numerous positive reviews about this colonial-era capital, I was excited to explore this historical gem. Arequipa was established around 1540 and was originally named “The Beautiful Town of Our Lady of the Valley of Arequipa.” The architecture was stunning, significantly…

I first heard about Colca Canyon while reading a guidebook on Peru. I hadn’t seen it anywhere else before! Initially, the dry desert landscape didn’t jump out at me, and I don’t seem to really be drawn to canyons. I haven’t even been to the Grand Canyon yet! But as…

After Machu Picchu, I decided to spend a few days in the Sacred Valley relaxing and exploring some other lesser-known Inca sites. I stayed at an awesome bed and breakfast just on the outskirts of town in the farmland, which was perfect and quiet, with stunning views of the mountains…

I tend to shy away from the popular “touristy” sights when traveling, but I felt that being in Peru made it imperative to see one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. I had a tour guide for the trip who really hooked it up! The bus ride up…

After a few awesome days exploring and eating my way through Cusco, I set off on a tour of the Sacred Valley. While definitely on the tourist route, mixed in with the endless sea of white Mercedes vans packed full of people, it was still a great way to learn…

Meet Janet. The car bounced along the endlessly steep, bumpy road high above Huilloc before stopping outside my final destination for the night. There, I met the Lanos family, with whom I would spend the afternoon and night at their beautiful property located at 12,500 ft. It instantly felt like…