Peru Travel Review: Cusco, Arequipa, Colca Canyon, Lima, Machu Picchu, Mistra Food Festival, Cooking Lesson, Horseback Riding

One of the main priorities/foci of our trip was food.  Our travel agency did an incredible job pairing us with a knowledgeable guide during our restaurant hopping tour in Lima, Peru, and an equally incredible job pairing us up with local chefs in Arequipa and Cusco, who provided us with top-notch private experiences both in the local markets and within the kitchen.  The culinary experience in Arequipa was very intimate as we learned how to make a local Peruvian dish (rocoto relleno) at the home of one of the local chefs.  Our experience in Cusco was equally memorable as we were treated like VIPs by the owner and head chef of Peru's only French restaurant where we learned to make a 3-course meal of our own choosing.  The finale of our trip was getting to sample different Peruvian food at Mistura, the annual international food festival in Peru. 

Although food was a clear point of focus to our trip, there were so many other reasons this trip was so memorable.  We learned so much about the history and culture of each city that we visited - from Lima, to Arequipa, to Colca Canyon, Cusco, Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.  Our tour guides, especially our guide from Arequipa, were excellent and went above and beyond to welcome us and make us feel at home in Peru.  The natural landscape of the country was simply breathtaking as well as we moved from the coast, to the highlands, to the cloud forest of machu picchu.  Watching the majestic Andean condors fly over the colca canyon, going horseback riding through the sacred valley, and hiking up to the very top of machu picchu mountain are highlights of our trip that I will never forget.

Simply fantastic.  Thank you for not only making this trip a reality, but such a memorable one!!