After seeing so many beautiful photos of Machu Picchu, I decided to make Peru as one of my trips for this year. Machu Picchu is a 15th century Inca citadel set high in the Andes Mountains in Peru and known as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. I booked a 10 days trip to Peru for June based on my Peruvian friend’s recommendation. June is the best month to visit as the days are drier and brighter. I used American Express points to book non-stop, overnight flight from Los Angeles to Lima, which is the capital and the largest city of Peru. I also used Marriott and Chase points to redeem for hotels in Lima, Cusco and Aguas Calientes (closest town of Machu Picchu).
Before the trip, I checked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website and looked up health information for cities in Peru that my family would be visiting. We ended up getting vaccinations for hepatitis A, typhoid and prescription for malaria. We also got prescription for high altitude sickness for Cusco since it is 11,152 feet above sea level. Be sure to check the CDC website before traveling to another country for health information.
Peru is located just south of the Equator and it was winter when we went in June. Peru is divided into three distinct regions where Lima is considered in the desert coastline while Cusco/Machu Picchu is in the Andean Highlands and Puerto Maldonado is in the Amazon Rainforest. We had to pack warm clothes for Lima and Cusco since the temperature was in the 60sΒ°F and cool clothes for Puerto Maldonado since the temperature was in the 80s Β°F. Keep in mind the different climates when visiting different regions within the country when you pack for your trip.
We arrived in Lima around 8 A.M. Lima is located in the valleys of the ChillΓ³n, RΓmac and LurΓn rivers, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Once we got out of the custom gate, our private driver from Anywhere.com was there waiting for us. This was our second time booking private driver with Anywhere.com. I previous booked them for our Costa Rica trip and was happy with their service. Traffic was bad on the way to JW Marriott Lima Hotel in Miraflores. Our ride to the hotel took approximately 1 hour. The hotel is located minutes away from upscale Larcomar Shopping Center, dining and some of the most popular attractions.
As a Marriott platinum member (thanks to the Chase Ritz-Carlton credit card), we received complimentary upgrade to a one bedroom Execute Suite with an amazing views of the Pacific Ocean and coast of Lima and access to the lounge for complimentary breakfast, lunch and dinner. Our suite was on the 24th floor, which was a short distance from the lounge.
After we checked into our hotel, we headed for a private city tour. Our first stop was at the Plaza de Armas, which is the heart of Lima’s historic center. Unfortunately, the plaza was blocked off due to a protest that was going on that day. We could only see the Palacio de Gobierno (serves as the headquarters of the President of Peru), Archbishop’s Palace, Cathedral of Lima and the changing of the guard from a distance. The guard changes outside the presidential palace every day at noon at the Plaza de Armas.
From Plaza de Armas, we walked a few minutes to the Baslica y Convento de San Francisco (Monastery of San Francisco). The church and monastery are part of the Historic Center of Lima, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1991. Touring the inside of the monastery is a must, especially for the catacombs where an estimated 25,000 bodies were laid to rest under the church up. It was creepy, but interesting to see the bones laid in geometry shapes. No video or photography was allowed inside. If you have never seen a catacomb before, you should definitely check it out when you are in Lima.
On the way back, we stopped by the Mercardo No 1 to see where locals do their everyday shopping. There were a lot of stalls that offer fruits, veggies, meat, seafood as well as restaurants to eat.
We ended the tour having lunch at the La Mar restaurant, created by the famous chef Gaston Acurio. This is a lunch only establishment and offers one of the finest ceviche that Lima has to offer. We arrived around 2 P.M. and the restaurant was almost fully packed. Lucky, there were a couple tables left so we were seated immediately. We ordered sea bass ceviche, calamari, jumbo grilled shrimps (daily special) and cabrilla. We came here for the famous “pez diablo guisado” dish, which is a stewed anglerfish in 5-flavor Nikkei sauce. However, they ran out of diablo so the waiter suggested to replace it with cabrilla. Overall, the service and the quality of the food was good. However, we didn’t think the cabrilla was worth $60 USD. After lunch, we came back to our hotel to take a nap.
After our nap, we went to the Marriott lounge to checkout their dinner selection. The lounge opened from 7-9 P.M. for light dinner and it had a good selection of food. They had pork , pasta salad, chicken and desserts.
The next morning, we woke up and had breakfast at the lounge. Breakfast was excellent with varieties of food like a 5 stars hotel should be. After breakfast, we walked approximately 10 minutes to Claro store to buy a data SIM card and then walked to Larcomar Shopping Center, which was across the street JW Marriott hotel. There’s a small playground on top of the shopping plaza that my kids had a fun time playing with while I walked around the shops. The shopping mall is filled with brand named shops and restaurants. They have Kuna and Sol Alpaca stores that are reputable for selling alpaca clothes and accessories. Alpaca is as soft as cashmere and warmer than wool. Beware of fake alpaca clothes that are sold at the flee market.
After strolling the streets of Miraflores, we headed back to our hotel to have lunch at the lounge and rest.
We spent our last night in Lima by visiting the Magic Water Circuit and enjoying the Peruvian buffet dinner show at La Dama Juana restaurant. It was an unforgettable evening watching 1.5-hour show of traditional folkloric dancing. Stay tune for details on how I spent the next two nights in Cusco.
Have you been to Lima before? What was your favorite thing to do there?