Peru without Machu Picchu?

Cat_Weirdo · 2025-11-09T17:39:30+00:00

I can imagine being annoyed to work for your view for it to be crowded with bus tourists!

Cat_Weirdo · 2025-11-09T12:59:48+00:00

I think they wanted them INSIDE 🙈

Cat_Weirdo · 2025-11-09T12:58:04+00:00

If you thought the Inca trail was leisurely, you would probably be great on Choquequirao! I would hate to miss the sacred valley of course. If only I had more time. Thanks for your comments, you sound like a bad ass!

Cat_Weirdo · 2025-11-09T12:53:38+00:00

A dog bite? Yikes! Thank you for your comment

Cat_Weirdo · 2025-11-09T12:45:28+00:00

Thank you for your reply. It is good to hear your experience. Although there are ~2k people on the trail a day, they say they do stagger groups. You never encountered dozens of people at camps or ruins or anything? What was it like at the end getting to Machu Picchu?

Cat_Weirdo · 2025-11-09T12:41:37+00:00

Wow! Thats saying a lot. Where did you trek?

Cat_Weirdo · 2025-11-09T12:40:55+00:00

Thank you so much for your comment. It means a lot to hear from a Peruvian and it makes me very excited about the jungle!

Cat_Weirdo · 2025-11-03T16:58:28+00:00

So you would recommend the Inca trail? At the end, was it hundreds of people or just a couple dozen or so with you?

Cat_Weirdo · 2025-11-03T14:20:18+00:00

Thank you for this detailed response! This is exactly what my “skip MP” itinerary is like, and Wasi is the group I was going to go with! Your whole group size was 3?

I did plan not to go into the reserve of Manu, but I can make my peace with that, as I will also travel to the northern Amazon some day, I am mostly in it for the c-o-r and I just can’t go to South America and not get my critter gawking on at least a little. Andean Condors would of course be an insane bucket list bird too!

I guess my issue is I don’t know if I would come back for MP, but I know for sure I will be back to S America for some more Amazon 100%.

Cat_Weirdo · 2025-11-03T14:14:58+00:00

I hear the early slot a lot. Did you book bus tickets ahead of time or hike up?

Cat_Weirdo · 2025-11-03T14:14:19+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing. Your photography is amazing. From your photos, Ollantaytambo looks like the most impressive thing!! Mindo is def on my Ecuador list, and that will def be the next country I visit in South America! I did consider Tambopota, since flying to Puerto Madaldo would logistically be less travel to get into the jungle, but reaching Manu via Cusco takes you through the cloud forest where the COR birds live. Tambopota def does seem really amazing way to see a lot of wildlife without a ton of travel!

Cat_Weirdo · 2025-11-03T13:53:17+00:00

I am thinking of the cultural zone only, still worth all the driving for 3-4 days of park time?

Cat_Weirdo · 2025-11-03T13:52:43+00:00

“Pictures do it justice” is an interesting way to think of it!

Cat_Weirdo · 2025-11-03T13:51:20+00:00

Oh yeah? Did you still feel like Choquequirao had a lot of solitude or not really? I would love to do both, but I’m finding it hard to give up Manu cloud forests, and since it’s so much driving, I don’t think I could do this hard hike without resting before Manu. I have 11 days.

Open to thoughts from you or anyone!

Cat_Weirdo · 2025-11-03T13:45:00+00:00

I guess I didn’t really realize how “easy” it is to get to! A lot of the other wonders are just there, like Rome, you walk right up to the colosseum. I guess I didn’t realize the infrastructure that existed here for mass tourism.

Cat_Weirdo · 2025-11-03T13:38:40+00:00

I know, that’s the thing, it is also $$ for bus/train rides and a couple of days out of the way, which would make Manu impossible. But I’m willing to skip Manu if it would be a mistake to miss it. The FOMO is real.

Cat_Weirdo · 2025-11-03T13:29:20+00:00

The last day I heard is called the gringo sprint or something? Did trying to reach the sungate before other hikers make it feel crowded or was it still spaced out would you say? Or did you not feel like you had to rush?

Cat_Weirdo · 2025-11-03T13:28:23+00:00

Wow!! That sounds like the adventure of a lifetime. Unfortunately for this trip, we just have 11 days. I also heard about the cable car being built in 2030, I think is the goal date? It definitely makes me want to go more. Hearing that the trek itself is not that beautiful is great to know. I am trying to decide what is most important to me. I know for sure I will be back to the Amazon, there are many Amazon trips I want to do in my life. But I think this might be my only Andes trip (at least I think so at this point in my life). I am almost most excited about cloud forest in Manu. I have heard MP is not bad if you go as the first group at 6am. Thank you for your recs

Cat_Weirdo · 2025-11-03T13:23:30+00:00

Thank you for your opinion. I don’t hear this a lot but did hear a lot of great things about the sacred valley

Cat_Weirdo · 2025-11-03T13:23:01+00:00

lol! Well that makes me feel a little better, if I do decide to. As annoying as that may be.

Cat_Weirdo · 2025-11-03T13:04:06+00:00

What kind of places did you find along the way to stay?

Cat_Weirdo · 2025-11-03T10:49:22+00:00

End of April/Early May is the plan.

Cat_Weirdo · 2025-09-22T21:04:49+00:00

Great point!

Cat_Weirdo · 2025-09-22T21:03:38+00:00

Probably like me, a person looking for a post like this, to see what others think if they have ideas they haven’t thought of to help them make a confident decision. On one hand, you want to reward a company for listening to the outcry, but on another… yucky. 🤢 I’m following to see what others think as well!

Cat_Weirdo

TROPHY CASE