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This post is about The Salkantay Trek, and talks about which trek to choose, what company to go for and what to expect.

Salkantay Trek Machu Picchu

Disclaimer: this post is based on my experience doing the Salkantay Trek with Salkantay Trekking in September 2018

1. WHAT IS THE SALKANTAY TREK?

If you’re like me, and you like hiking, the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu is right up your street. There is something about earning your visit to Machu Picchu, instead of just taking the train and bus. Hiking to this new wonder of the world is very rewarding and an amazing experience.

The majority of people opt for the Inca Trail, but the spots for this trek fill up very quickly. There are plenty of alternatives which are as nice, or maybe even nicer. We opted for the Salkantay Trek, which takes you from the snowy Andes mountains, through the Peruvian jungle all the way to Machu Picchu. 

The Salkantay Trek is a multiday hike (either 4 or 5 days long) which leaves from Mollepata and finishes in Machu Picchu. You will conquer 72 km in 5 days, climb to 4600 metres altitude (the Salkantay Pass) and descend to Aguas Calientes (the closest town to Machu Picchu).

Your legs will ache and at times you’ll wonder why you signed up for this. But on the last day,  all your efforts and pain will be worth it: you will see Machu Picchu with your own eyes.

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu

2. 4 DAYS VS. 5 DAYS

Like I said earlier, you can do the Salkantay Trek in either 4 or 5 days. What exactly is the difference between these two?

Does the 4-day trek leave from a different starting point? 

No. Both the 4 and the 5-day trek leave from Mollepata. The difference is that during the 4-day trek, you will skip the jungle day (day 3). Instead, you will take the bus to the next starting point.

For me personally, the jungle day can easily be skipped since the jungle part isn’t that interesting and day 3 is basically a rest day. During this day you will do 4 hours of hiking, a coffee tour and get a chance to go zip lining or take a dip in the hot springs. It’s not a big loss if you skip this day and opt for a 4-day Salkantay Trek.

3. WHICH COMPANY TO CHOOSE?

As you can imagine, there are plenty of companies to choose from. 

We opted for Salkantay Trekking. This is considered one of the pricier ones. Since we were celebrating my birthday, and we were going to see Machu Picchu (the one place I’ve always wanted to go to), we decided to splurge a little bit.

There are plenty of cheaper options available, both online as in Cusco. We booked several months in advance to make sure it didn’t sell out, but once we were in Cusco we realised this wasn’t necessary. There were plenty of companies offering the Salkantay Trek with departures the following days. 

These companies offer the trek at a much lower rate (around 150-200 dollars for 5 days). Do keep in mind that this means the overal quality of the trek won’t be as nice. You might be sleeping in tents, the toilet situation might be a bit off, the food might not be as much, etc. 

4. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

The 5 day/4 night trip with Salkantay Trekking set us back 460 dollars per person. It’s obviously not cheap, but this company will make it worth your while!

What did we get for our 460 dollars?

  • A guide who accompanied us and the rest of our group along the way. 
  • Two cooks, who prepared a three course meal for every meal. 
  • Daily snacks and drinking water.
  • You don’t have to carry your big backpacks yourself. Before you leave, you will be handed a duffle bag which will be carried by donkeys. The only thing you have to carry while hiking is your daypack.
  • Some of the most amazing accommodation you’ve ever slept in during a multiday hike. We slept in sky domes, cute jungle huts and hotels. Definitely beats tenting!
  • Entrance tickets to Machu Picchu
  • Transport: van to the starting point and train/van back to Cusco
  • Huayna Picchu entrance ticket
  • Walking poles
  • Sleeping bags

5. DAY BY DAY: SALKANTAY TREK ITINERARY

Day -1:

The day before you leave for the Salkantay Trek, you will be asked to meet up at the office for a briefing and to meet your team members. You will also receive your duffle bag so you can pack for the next couple of days. Keep reading for tips about what to pack for the Salkantay Trek.

salkantay_Machu_Picchu

Day 1: Mollepata to Soraypampa (8 km)

Your first day will be an early one. At 4 AM you will meet up at the office, from where you will be picked up and driven to Mollepata. The drive takes about 3 hours and you will stop for some breakfast (not included) along the way.

Once you get to the starting point, your guide will hand you some snacks and walking poles. He/She will give you some more information and will warn you that you might feel the effects of altitude sickness. I sure did…

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu

Day 1 is the shortest day of them all: only 8 km and 500 metres dislevel. However, don’t be fooled. You are walking at a very high altitude. I was used to hiking in the Alps and did some hiking in the Himalayas as well, but suddenly I was hit with altitude sickness. I felt nauseous within the first 15 minutes. This didn’t bode well for the rest of the trek… Luckily our guide gave me and other people who were struggling some coca leaves and he made sure to stop regularly so I could catch my breath.

After 4 hours of walking you will reach your first camp: the sky domes. This was my favourite accommodation of the whole trek. Once you get there, you will get some lunch and some time to relax. You can either choose to stay at the sky domes or start another hike: to Humantay Lake.

Despite feeling bad, I joined the rest of the group to Humantay Lake. Luckily it takes only 1 hour to get from camp 1 to the lake. You will be rewarded with the most gorgeous views: the lake and Salkantay Mountain! 

Here you will get some free time and plenty of time to take amazing pictures. Afterwards, it’s time to go back to camp, enjoy an amazing dinner and get ready for the hardest day of the Salkantay Trek: day 2.

 

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu
Camp 1: Sky domes

Day 2: Soraypampa to Chaullay (24 km)

Rise and shine! You will be woken up at 5 AM for some coca tea and breakfast. You will need the massive amounts of food they will serve you because day 2 takes you to the highest point of the trek: 4600 metres. Not only will you climb the Salkantay Pass, you will also hike for 24 kilometres. 

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu

Before starting your day, you will be offered the option of taking a horse up to the pass. However, it feels a lot better if you conquer the Salkantay Pass and the Trail of the Seven Snakes all by yourself!

The start of day 2 isn’t too challenging. The trail slowly makes its way up and you have time to adjust to the altitude. However, once you reach the 7 snakes (or also called “The Gringo Killer”, a set of switchbacks), you will really feel your legs and you might also feel short of breath. The guide will take his/her time to make sure you get past the Gringo Killer. Now you’re already at 4400 metres altitude. Only 200 metres to go to get to the Salkantay Pass!

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu
I made it to the Salkantay Pass!

You will most likely feel the altitude by now and your pace might drop a bit. But no worries, you will get to the Pass! And once you get there, you will be treated to some more coca tea, a sandwich and more snacks. 

After about an hour, enough time to relax and take lots of pictures, you will start the descent towards Wayracmachay. Here you will have lunch. 

After a tasty lunch, you will descend another 1000 metres until you reach camp 2: the Andean huts. Here, you will get the opportunity to take a shower for 2.50 euro. 

Once again you will be treated to a delicious dinner before retreating into your huts.

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu
Camp 2: Andean Huts

Day 3: Chaullay to Lucmabamba (13 km)

Day 3 is considered a “resting day“. This is also the day you will skip if you decide to do the 4 day Salkantay Trek.

Don’t be fooled, however, you will still be walking for 4 hours today. Most of the way to Lucmabamba is downhill or flat, with some uphill stretches in between. 

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu

At around 11 AM you the hiking part of the day will already be over.

What will you be doing the rest of the day? Plucking coffee beans to make your own coffee, going ziplining or taking a dip in the hot springs. Your legs will be thankful!

You will spend the night in the jungle domes. You will be very happy to have half a day off because day 4 is another very challenging day…

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu

Day 4: Lucmabamba to Aguas Calientes (27 km)

On day 4 you will have to get up even earlier. You will be woken up at 4 AM by the Salkantay Trekking team. But it will be worth it because today you will catch a first glimpse of Machu Picchu!

Day 4 is a very long and tiring day. The first part of the day will be heavy and long: you will hike up 800 metres on a steep hill. After 2h and 40 minutes, you will arrive at the top of the hill from where you’ll get to see Machu Picchu!

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu
Machu Picchu in the background!

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu

The second part of the day consists of a 1000 metre downhill. Your knees will probably ache, and if you’re a bit like me, your feet will be covered in blisters.

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu

The last part of the day is a 3-hour walk next to the train tracks leading to Aguas Calientes, which will be your “camp” for the day. You can avoid this (boring) part by taking the train for 30 dollars.

In Aguas Calientes you will be staying in a hotel which means you will be able to take a shower! You will also go for a very tasty dinner with your team members and your guide. 

Day 5: Machu Picchu & Huayna Picchu/Machu Picchu Mountain

On day 5, your alarm clock will ring at approximately 3.15 AM. You will have to get up this early to make it on time to the gate which will open at 5 AM. At precisely 5 AM the gate will open, and you and hundreds of other people will hike up the last hill to Machu Picchu. You can also skip this part and take the bus up for 12 dollars, if you’d like.

The gates of Machu Picchu open at exactly 6 AM. The hike up takes about 45 min to an hour, and you will be very sweaty and tired. 

Once you arrive at the gates, you will meet up with your team members and the time has finally come to enter Machu Picchu!

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu

Your guide will take you through the whole site and give you lots of information for about 1-1.5 hours. Afterwards, he/she will make his way down and you will be left on your own. Now you can either hike up Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu mountain, or you can just explore the park until 1 PM.

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu
View of Machu Picchu from Huayna Picchu

The train back to Aguas Calientes will leave at around 4.15 PM. Since the guide has left by this time, you have to make sure to get there by yourself, but luckily it’s not too difficult. The guide will give you all the necessary documents and information. 

AT 9 PM you will be back at your ho(s)tel in Cusco. 

6. HOW TO PREPARE?

Fitness levels:

I get it, hiking for 5 days up to 4600 metres altitude sounds daunting… I totally understand if you feel like you won’t be able to do that. However, it’s definitely possible to train for the Salkantay Trek.

By the time we did the 5-day trek, we had already been travelling for more than 2 months. We were in pure holiday mode and had definitely indulged in lots of tasty Mexican food and cocktails. It’s not like we were in super shape. So what did we do to prepare for the Salkantay Trek?

We started preparing for it about 1 month in advance. We did several (short) hikes in Ecuador and then signed up for the Colca Canyon hike in Arequipa, Peru. This hike is considered one of the best ways to prepare for the Salkantay Trek or the Inca Trail. You can either do the 2 or 3-day trek. We opted for the 2 day trek since that one is more challenging. 

We definitely struggled during the Colca Canyon hike, especially the second day. Despite that, it was a very good way to prepare for Salkantay. I would recommend it to anyone! 

If you don’t have time to add the Colcan Canyon trek, I would advise to go for long walks for several weeks before leaving for Peru. Try to add a couple of jog sessions and make sure to raise your fitness levels.

Altitude sickness:

One of the other things people are a bit scared of, is the altitude. Like I mentioned before, I struggled quite a lot with the altitude on the first day of the Salkantay Trek. There isn’t really much you can do to prepare for it except for bringing medication and coca leaves. The coca leaves really helped me conquer those high altitudes. You can easily buy them in local stores in Peru.

7. WHAT TO BRING?

During the multiday hike, your main luggage will be stored in your hotel. If you’re changing hotels after you come back from the trip, the company will bring it to the new hotel for you.

You will be handed a duffle bag which will be carried by the donkeys. Make sure to also bring a day pack so you can bring snacks, water and some fresh clothes (t-shirt, socks) with you.

Here’s a list of what you should bring on the Salkantay Trek:

  • Good hiking boots
  • Hiking clothes: long pants, fleece, jacket, 4-5 t-shirts/tops, underwear, hat, gloves, buff, hiking socks, thermal underwear 
  • Torch
  • Flip flops
  • Sleeping bag (can be rented)
  • Walking poles (can be rented)
  • Sunglasses
  • Micro fibre towel
  • First aid kit: we brought a first aid kit we bought on Amazon, and it was a life saver. I struggled a lot with blisters and I was very happy we brought tons of bandaids!
  • Sun block / lip balm
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Camera + charger/batteries
  • Power bank(s)
  • Phone + charger
  • Passport

8. PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Before leaving for the Salkantay Trek, I was a bit worried about the “toilet situation“. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect and was honestly dreading that part of the hike.

Luckily, the toilets at the camps are very nice and well maintained. Especially the toilets at the sky dome camp were completely new and very clean. We had some clogged toilets at the jungle camp, but nothing too major. I was very pleasantly surprised, and clearly worried for no reason.

Disclaimer: This could differ for other companies. Since we booked with Salkantay Trekking (which is considered one of the more high end companies), the whole trip had a very high overall standard.

Speaking of bathrooms, I’m sure a lot of people are also wondering how often you get a chance to take a shower:

  1. There are no shower opportunities on day 1 (but then you will have showered in the morning at your hotel before leaving).
  2. You will get a chance to take a shower on day 2 at the Andean hut camp. To use the shower, you have to pay 2.5 euros. When you pay the fee, you have to write down your name on a list. Once the shower is available, your name will be called.
  3. On day 3 there is no opportunity to shower.
  4. On day 4 you will be sleeping in a hotel, so you will have access to a shower.

9. OVERALL COST 

Here is a breakdown of the overall cost of the 5 day Salkantay Trek (per person):

  • Salkantay Trek 5D/4N + Huayna Picchu: 460 euros
  • Bank fees to withdraw money: +/- 12 euros
  • Shower on day 2: 2.50 euros
  • Drinks along the way: 17 euros
  • Entrance to the Salkantay trail: 2.70 euros
  • Breakfast on day 1 and lunch & dinner on day 5: 35 euros
  • Tips for the guides and cook: 40 euros

Total: 569.20 euros per person

 

If you have any more questions or you feel like I didn’t tackle a certain topic, please feel free to leave a comment or reach out!

]]> Rainbow mountain and Lake Titicaca https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/2018/10/11/rainbow-mountain-lake-titicaca/ Thu, 11 Oct 2018 16:53:25 +0000 http://www.wondersoftraveling.com/?p=1602 After the Salkantay Trek we needed some time to recover. After about 6 days we were ready for another hike: Rainbow Mountain. We booked the trip through Peru Hop for 30 dollars, which was a bargain compared to other tours which charge up to 130 dollars! On Monday we got picked up at 3 AM to make our way to Vinicunca or Rainbow Mountain.

Easy walk up to Rainbow Mountain

The drive up to the start of the hike took about 3 hours. On the way we spotted hundreds of llama’s and alpacas grazing terraced fields with snow-capped mountains in the background. So beautiful…! We started the hike at around 7.30 and were told by the guide it would only take about 1 – 1.5h to get to the summit. Because Rainbow Mountain is located at 5200 metre above sea level, we took our precautions again and brought coca candy and leaves. I didn’t want to risk feeling as sick again as I did during Salkantay or as Simen felt during our Quilotoa hike.

The first part of the hike was very easy, the trail was mainly flat and we gradually ascended the mountain. Up until this part, the hike wasn’t very difficult and the trail was very accessible. The views were already amazing from the start! On the way to Rainbow Mountain we could constantly spot one of Peru’s highest mountains, Ausangate. It was absolutely beautiful!

After the easy and flat part, the intensity gradually picked up. The trail became a lot steeper and we were nearing the 5000 metre mark. Everyone started walking slower and breathing heavier. We took our time up the hills, making sure to take breaks every 10 minutes. We could really feel the altitude! Especially the last part of the hike was very steep and difficult because of the altitude. On the way down we even saw a girl faint… Luckily the guides had brought oxygen so they could help her out immediately.

Beautiful colours and amazing views

We had read online that Rainbow Mountain was a bit a hit or miss. Some people loved it, others not so much. One of the most common complaints is that the colours aren’t as amazing as they are portrayed online. Of course, most Instagram pictures are heavily edited. So, we noticed while ascending that the colours weren’t as bright as on Instagram, but they were still very beautiful! We were not disappointed at all! The last couple of metres we hiked up to the mountain which faces Rainbow Mountain and from where you get an amazing view of the colours. Once we reached the summit, we not only saw Rainbow Mountain, but also tons of other snow-capped mountains. The scenery was spectacular!
DSCN4922

Red Valley

We spent about 15 minutes on the summit taking pictures (or: trying to take pictures without too many people in it) and admiring the view. Afterwards we started the hike to the Red Valley. The Red Valley is located about 15-20 min away from Rainbow mountain and is, once again, very easily accessible. To enter the Red Valley you have to pay 10 soles (about 2.5 euros). Once we entered we got a beautiful view over the entire valley. It was really spectacular to see how red these mountains were! Everyone who walked through the valley was very impressed and stunned. It was gorgeous and absolutely worth the 15 minute detour and the 2.5 euro entrance fee. I would advise anyone who goes to Rainbow Mountain to also go to the Red Valley!
Rainbow Mountain and Lake Titicaca

After visiting the Red Valley, it was time to start our descent. By 10 AM we were back at the van. The whole tour took us about 2.5 hours, which is very doable. The hike up is not strenuous at all and if you’re reasonably fit you should definitely manage. If not, there’s always the possibility to rent a horse, however they don’t go all the way to the summit. The last 10-15 minutes, and basically the hardest part of the trek, you still have to walk up. After the hike we were brought to a restaurant where we could enjoy a tasty buffet, which was included in the 30 dollars we paid for the tour. Definitely worth the money!

Stranded in Puno

After more than 2 weeks in Cusco, it was time to move on to Puno. We took the night bus there on Tuesday evening and arrived on Wednesday morning at 5 AM. We had contacted our hostel in Puno to tell them we’d arrive very early on Wednesday morning. They assured us this was no problem and someone would let us in at 5 AM so we could get some more sleep.

Once we arrive at our hostel, it first took us about 15 min to find the right hostel (for some reason some hostels here have different names than the one they use online…). When we finally figured out which one was ours, we knocked on the door, impatiently waiting to catch up on some sleep. No answer. We knocked several times, Simen called them about 5 times… No answer. After about 20 minutes we realised no one was going to let us in.

At least we got to stay for free

We decided to try some other hostels in the area, but all of them were closed. It was now 6 AM and we both were exhausted from the 8 hour night bus to Puno. We decided to try to find a café where we could wait for the next couple of hours. Luckily we found a very nice breakfast bar where we spent about 4 hours waiting until we could go back to the hostel.

The receptionist seemed to not be aware of the fact that we were arriving at 5 AM and apologised. We were both already annoyed because of the lack of sleep and because we were going to have to pay for this night… To make matters worse, there was also no hot water in the room. We were not very pleased, to say the least… Luckily, the owner of the hostel was so embarrassed she let us stay for free!
DSCN5015

Lake Titicaca

The rest of the day we spent sleeping and resting. We basically only left our room to eat. On the second day we had booked a tour to the Uros Islands and Taquile Island (17 dollars pp). We took the boat at around 7.15 and were on our way to the Uros Islands, or floating islands. These are artificial islands made with reed. The inhabitants built the first “island” about 600 years ago! However, nowadays you can only visit recently built islands. The one we visited was 15 years old and inhabited by 1 family. The minute we got of the boat, I realised how touristic these islands were.
Rainbow Mountain and Lake Titicaca
We were greeted by the inhabitants, who put on a show for us. It felt very fake and not authentic at all. They wanted us to dress up in their clothes, show us around in their small huts and most importantly, they wanted to sell us as much as possible. At some point I told Simen I felt like I was watching animals in the zoo… After visiting this small island, we were brought to another island where we could buy some snacks or souvenirs. It was very clear these islands were only built for tourism…
Rainbow Mountain and Lake Titicaca

Taquile Island

After the floating islands, the boat took us to Taquile Island (about 2.5 h away). Both Simen & I were under the impression we’d finally get some “free time” to explore this island by ourselves. However, we were wrong… We didn’t realise we had booked a proper guided tour where everything was organised for us and they were basically taking us by the hand every step of the way. These are the kind of tours we really don’t like… Once we arrived on the Island, we were brought to a family which also put on a show for us. They danced and showed us how they knitted and weaved. It once again, didn’t feel authentic at all. We had lunch at their house, which was very tasty. But we both felt a bit disappointed.

Luckily Taquile Island was breathtaking! Beautiful green hills flanked by gorgeous blue water. It was gorgeous! I was happy that at least the island itself didn’t disappoint. After lunch we explored the island a bit more (with our group of course) and then took the boat back to Puno.
Rainbow Mountain and Lake Titicaca

Bye bye Peru, Hello Bolivia!

In the meantime we’ve arrived in Bolivia. We had 4 amazing weeks in Peru full of unforgettable experiences. Nothing about Peru disappointed us! We would recommend it to anyone. From the desert in Huacachina, to the snow-capped mountains around Cusco, it’s absolutely beautiful!

We will keep you up to date about our adventures in Copacabana and Isla del Sol!

]]> Hiking the Salkantay trek (5D/4N) to Machu Picchu https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/2018/09/27/hiking-salkantay-trek-machu-picchu/ https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/2018/09/27/hiking-salkantay-trek-machu-picchu/#comments Thu, 27 Sep 2018 22:55:37 +0000 http://www.wondersoftraveling.com/?p=1580 On Friday 21/09 we started the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu. The day before we already met our team members, 4 other couples (our nickname was “Honeymooners”), who were all very nice and friendly. It was a great group to hike with for 5 days! 

After meeting up at the Salkantay Trekking office at 4 AM, we drove for about 3 hours before we reached Challacancha, from where we started our 5 day hike. I was very excited to finally start this trek, since I had been looking forward to it for almost half a year. Simen, on the other hand, felt a bit more apprehensive since he was worried he’d be struggling with the altitude. The Salkantay Trek is the only trek that goes up to 4600 metres, so our guide Roy warned us we could potentially suffer from altitude sickness.

Day 1: Mollampata to Soraypampa (8 km)

Before starting the hike, Roy provided us with some snacks and walking poles. Around 9 AM we were ready to leave, and I was really looking forward to it. Day 1 was supposed to be the easiest one, we’d only walk for about 8 KM and hike up for about 500 metres. It sounded very doable. The start of the hike consisted of a switchback trail which only went up about 100 metres, so I wasn’t expecting any issues.

Machu Picchu

Altitude sickness strikes again

However, the minute we started, I felt I had some issues breathing properly. After only 15 minutes, I felt my stomach twist and turn. It felt like I was going to throw up… I felt horrible and we had only just started the hike. It was enough for me to get worried about the rest of the hike, because if I already felt bad during the first 15 minutes of the easiest day, what was going to happen the next couple of days? Was I even going to manage the trek at all?

We decided to walk a bit slower. I also ate some coca candy to hopefully get rid of the altitude sickness. Luckily, our guide Roy was very understanding and stopped every 10 minutes to make sure we could catch our breaths. After about 4 hours of walking we reached our first camp: the sky domes. These are domes made of glass which give you an amazing view over Humantay mountain and Salkantay Mountain. We rested for a bit, had an amazing lunch and got ready for the second part of the day: the hike up to Humantay Lake.

Machu Picchu
Humantay Lake

Gorgeous views at Humantay Lake

After eating, I felt a bit better. However, the minute we started hiking, I could feel my body protest again. My legs didn’t want to cooperate and I advanced very, very slowly. I felt a bit bad for making the majority of the group wait for me, but Roy told us to take our time and not worry. About 1 hour later, we reached Humantay Lake. It was absolutely breathtaking! We stayed here for about an hour, taking pictures and walking around, before heading back down and getting some much needed rest. Since day 2 of the Salkantay Trek was supposed to be the hardest of them all, we were definitely going to need that.

Day 2: Soraypampa to Chaullay (24 km)

The Salkantay Trekking team woke us up at around 5 AM with a hot cup of coca tea. Since I had been struggling the previous day, I decided to take my precautions. Not only did I drink the coca tea, I also made sure to chew coca leaves regularly during the hike. Roy had warned us the night before that day 2 was going to be exhausting. As if walking for 24km wasn’t enough, we were also going up to 4600 metres! We were offered the possibility of renting a horse, but because we both wanted to walk the whole trek, we declined. This meant we had to walk all the way up to the Salkantay Pass, because once we started hiking, we had to finish as well. There was no possibility of renting a horse on the way to the Salkantay Pass.

Machu Picchu Machu Picchu

The Gringo Killer

Luckily, I noticed almost immediately that my body felt a bit more normal again. I didn’t struggle as much keeping up with everyone else (although they were still quite a lot faster than us!). The first part of day 2 was quite easy, the trail was pretty flat and we ascended gradually. After the flat part, it was time for the hardest part of the day: the trail of the 7 snakes, or also known as “the Gringo Killer”. This is a switchback trail which took us up to 4400 metres altitude. Thanks to a lot of breaks, we managed to conquer the Gringo Killer and were now almost at the Salkantay Pass. Now everyone started to feel the altitude as the pace dropped a bit and everyone’s breathing got heavier. About 3h and 20 minutes after leaving, we all reached the Salkantay Pass!
Machu Picchu
 
Machu Picchu

Very long hike downhill

Here we were treated to another cup of hot coca tea and a tasty sandwich, carried up by one of the chefs. We rested for about an hour, taking pictures and admiring the beautiful views on Salkantay Mountain. Afterwards, we started the descent towards Wayracmachay, where we were going to have lunch. I was happy to walk downhill for a bit, until I realised the blisters which had been bothering me during Colca Canyon, were back. They were getting very painful, and we started losing ground on the rest of the group. Every step was agonizing…

Luckily, Roy came to my rescue. However, after taking one good look at my feet he called me a “blister factory” while another guide said I was “blister woman”…  I guess that makes sense when you have about 20 blisters on your feet! After lunch, we had to descend another 1000 metres (we had already done 800 m down). After walking for 24 km and about 8 hours we finally reached camp 2. Here we slept in small Andean huts and had the opportunity to take a shower for €2.50.

Day 3: Chaullay to Lucmabamba (13 km)

Roy had told us day 3 was a rest day, since we were “only” going to walk for about 4 hours. The way to Lucmabamba was mainly flat and downhill with some uphill stretches. At around 11 AM we were already done walking for the day, which was a nice surprise. We stopped for a coffee tour on the way, where we got to pluck our own coffee beans and watch how they make coffee from start to finish. Afterwards we were all allowed to try the coffee, which was apparently the most amazing coffee people had ever had.
Machu Picchu
We got picked up by a van and were brought to our campsite of the night: the jungle domes. These domes resembled the sky domes from day 1, only they weren’t seethrough. During the afternoon we had the option of going to the hotsprings (50 soles) or go ziplining (110 soles). However, Simen wasn’t feeling great so we decided to stay at the campsite and get some rest instead. Day 4 was waiting for us, which was the longest day of them all: a staggering 27 km!

Machu Picchu
Simen grinding coffee beans

Day 4: Lucmabamba to Aguas Calientes (27 km)

On day 4 we got up even earlier, at around 4 AM. We had a very long, but also exciting day ahead of us. Today we were going to catch a first glimpse of Machu Picchu! The first part of the day was very heavy, since we had to hike up 800 metres on a very steep hill. After a lot of swearing and cursing, we finally arrived at the top of the hill about 2h and 40 min later. We stopped at the ruins of Llactapata where we got to see Machu Picchu for the first time. It felt really nice to finally see it, after almost 4 days of hiking.

Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu in the background

The second part of the day was a 1000 metres downhill, which was not good for my blisters. My feet were aching again and I had to stop on the way to pop them because I could barely walk down properly. The last part of the day was a 3 hour walk next to the train tracks leading to Aguas Calientes, our “camp” for that day.
Machu Picchu
This last part was the most boring part of the whole trek, since we didn’t get to see that much and we were just following the train tracks for a very long time. We could’ve avoided this part by taking the train for 30 dollars, but we really wanted to walk the whole trek ourselves. At about 3.30 PM we finally arrived at Aguas Calientes, ready for a refreshing shower and a tasty dinner. Roy told us that we were going to have to get up very early the next day to be able to beat the crowds at the entrance towards Machu Picchu. We had to make sure we left the hostel at 3.40 AM!
Machu Picchu

Day 5: Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu (15 km)

After a very short night sleep, our alarm clocks went off at 3.15. I had never woken up this early on my birthday. We walked towards the entrance in the dark, and were among the first to arrive. Three other couples from our team had already arrived and were the first ones to get in. It was now 4.10 and the gates didn’t open until 5 AM. At around 4.30 the majority of the people started to arrive and people were queueing as far as the eye could see. I was dreading this last part of the trek because Roy had told us it was straight up for about an hour (500 metres up). We could also take the bus for 12 dollars, but we felt like we were this close and didn’t want to “give up”.

Heavy hike up to the entrance of Machu Picchu

At exactly 5 AM the gates opened, our passports and tickets were checked and we were allowed entrance to hike up to Machu Picchu. Roy had told us people usually sprint up the mountain to be the first to actually enter Machu Picchu, but my legs were aching so we decided to take it a bit slower. We got passed by quite a lot of people, and by the time we reached the actual entrance about a hundred people were already queueing. In the meantime the buses had also arrived, so it was clear we weren’t going to be the first ones to enter the complex.
Machu Picchu

After 5 days of hiking we finally go to see Machu Picchu!

I heard a Belgian girl complain that all the “hikers” were cutting in line, which she didn’t appreciate. She took the easy way out and took the bus up and expected to have preference over people who had been hiking for days and hiked straight up the hill for an hour! At 6 AM the gates to Machu Picchu were opened and we were finally granted entrance. I was so excited! I had been waiting for this moment for years. It was so amazing to see Machu Picchu with my own eyes. It’s even more impressive in real life! After taking lots of pictures from different places and angles, Roy gave us a tour through the whole complex before saying our goodbyes.
DSCN4775

Hiking up Huayna Picchu

Everyone in our group was still planning on doing one more hike: to Machu Picchu mountain or Huayna Picchu. We had opted for Huayna Picchu. After 5 days of strenuous hiking, Simen wasn’t really feeling hiking up Huayna Picchu anymore. However, I managed to convince him and at around 10.15 we started the hike up. We had to climb another 500 metres straight up. The trail leading up to the mountain consisted of mainly steps. There were chains which you could hold on to or pull yourself up with.

The last part was particularly steep, with super small steps and no chains to hold on to anymore. Everyone was crawling up on all fours because of the steepness! I’ve never had to do that before. After about 40 minutes we reached the summit from where we got a great view on Machu Picchu. We stayed there for about 15-20 minutes, taking pictures before heading down again. We had now been at Machu Picchu for about 6 hours and were absolutely exhausted, and it felt like it was time to head back to Aguas Calientes. Simen’s knee started acting up during the descent of Huayna Picchu, so we decided to take the bus down to Aguas Calientes for 12 dollars. At around 2 PM we arrived at our hotel, very satisfied and happy, but also very tired. What a birthday…!

Machu Picchu
View on Machu Picchu from Huayna Picchu

We took the train back at 4.12 PM and finally arrived back in Cusco at around 9 PM. Now we need a couple of days to recover from our amazing Salkantay and Machu Picchu adventure.

Salkantay Trekking

We chose Salkantay Trekking because of everything this tour operator has to offer. Quite a lot of the other operators don’t offer such amazing accommodation as Salkantay Trekking. The sky domes, Andean huts and jungle domes were very fancy and comfortable. The food Salkantay Trekking offers is also absolutely outstanding. It’s like eating at a fancy restaurant! You won’t go hungry at all. Our guide Roy was also amazing. He was very funny, kind and understanding. He taught us a lot about the Inca’s and Andean culture and was just a great guide to hike with for 5 days! 10/10 would recommend this company!

]]> https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/2018/09/27/hiking-salkantay-trek-machu-picchu/feed/ 3207 Hiking Colca Canyon (2D/1N) in Arequipa https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/2018/09/19/hiking-colca-canyon-arequipa/ https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/2018/09/19/hiking-colca-canyon-arequipa/#comments Wed, 19 Sep 2018 02:35:54 +0000 http://www.wondersoftraveling.com/?p=1557 After doing the Nazca flight, we travelled towards Arequipa. Unfortunately, we had to take a night bus to get there and Simen managed to get the only seat in the bus that didn’t recline… To make matters worse, there was a very tall Dutch guy in front of him who did recline his seat. Simen was basically stuck in an upright position for 11 hours!
Colca Canyon and Arequipa
Colca Canyon and Arequipa

Beautiful and charming Arequipa

We only spent 1 day exploring the city of Arequipa. This is the 2nd biggest city of Peru, and attracts a lot of tourists. While we were travelling through Ecuador, quite a lot of people had told us how beautiful Arequipa is. So, needless to say we had high expectations! We mainly explored the city centre of Arequipa, which is very pretty. Especially the main square is very beautiful. The church is impressive and the whole square is surrounded by arcades full of restaurants and shops. We took it quite slow that day, considering we hadn’t slept much on the bus and we had to get up at 2 AM the next day to start our Colca Canyon trek (40 dollars per person). Arequipa isn’t that big, so it felt like 1 day was enough to get an idea of what the city looked like.
Colca Canyon and Arequipa

Condor spotting in Colca Canyon

Since Colca Canyon is located about 5 hours away from Arequipa, we got picked up by our guide at 3 AM. When we got in the van, we realised we were part of quite a big group (13 people) who had all signed up for this trek. After a 3 hour drive, we stopped for breakfast, where we got to know our “team members” a bit more. It was very obvious we were a very international group. There were people from Canada, the US, Peru, Austria, Switzerland, the UK and the Netherlands.

After breakfast, we drove through the main view point of the Colca Canyon, Cruz del Condor. Colca Canyon is not only the 2nd deepest canyon in the world (deeper than the Grand Canyon!), it’s also a good spot to see Condors. We got about 40 minutes at the viewpoint, to see if we could spot any condors. We only managed to spot 2, but it was really cool to see these majestic birds from this close!
Colca Canyon and Arequipa

2 day hike through Colca Canyon: day 1

Afterwards we drove another 50 minutes to get to the starting point of our trek. The first day of the trek is mainly downhill, until we reached the bottom of the canyon. This took about 3 hours, and we realised immediately we were part of a very fit group since people were almost flying down the trail! After lunch we still had to walk for another 3 hours to reach the oasis, where we were going to spend the night. The trail was described by the guide as “Peruvian flat” (a little but uphill, a little bit downhill), but to be fair, it was mainly uphill!

We walked parallel with the river, and got to see some really nice views of the canyon. On the way to the oasis the guide told us all about the condors, the canyon and the people who live in these desolate part of the world. After a while we let the very fit people hike on their own while we took it a bit slower. We arrived at the oasis at about 4 PM.

We were lucky since all the couples got our own private room while everyone else had to share a dorm. The accommodation was very basic (there was literally only a bed in the room, nothing else). However, after talking to the other trekkers, we realised we actually had one of the better rooms. Why? Because we had light in our room! The other ones had no electricity, or were sleeping on the grass. We clearly couldn’t complain!

Very heavy second day

That night we all had dinner together, which was very nice since we got a chance to really get to know everyone else a bit better. We were very lucky to have ended up in a very nice group! Everyone went to bed early because the next day we had to get up at 4.15 to start our hike at 4.45. The second day of hiking was just straight uphill. It was “only” 5 km (compared to the 17 km we did on day 1), but we had to hike up 1100 metres. The trail zigzagged across the mountain, as we started our ascent in the darkness.

Colca Canyon
The oasis where we spent the night (on the left you can see the start of the zigzag trail)

Since we had noticed that most people in the group were fitter than us, we almost immediately took it at our own pace. I didn’t want to run the risk of burning myself too early, or risking Simen to suffer from altitude sickness again. It took us almost 3 hours to get all the way to the top, which I think is not too bad. When we arrived, however, we heard that the majority of the group had done the hike in 1.50 – 2 hours! We were very exhausted by the time we had arrived at the top, and the 30 min walk to the breakfast place felt a lot heavier than it normally would’ve.
Colca Canyon and Arequipa

Relaxing in the hot springs

After breakfast we got picked up by the van which brought us to some hot springs where we could relax our muscles! For 15 soles (€4) we could use all 9 pools which had temperatures in between 34 to 44 degrees! It was a great way to relax and give our muscles some rest. We stayed here for about an hour until it was time to go for lunch. We paid €8 for an all you can eat buffet, which we welcomed with open arms.
Colca Canyon and Arequipa
Colca Canyon and Arequipa
After lunch it was time to head back to Arequipa. During the 3 hour drive we stopped at a 5000 metre high viewpoint where we could see the surrounding volcanoes before stopping at an alpaca and llama farm. We arrived in Arequipa at around 5 PM, feeling completely exhausted but also very satisfied. This 2 day Colca Canyon trek felt like the perfect preparation for the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu!

Our next stop is Cusco, to see the amazing Machu Picchu!

]]> https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/2018/09/19/hiking-colca-canyon-arequipa/feed/ 1806 Huacachina and Nazca https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/2018/09/19/huacachina-nazca/ https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/2018/09/19/huacachina-nazca/#comments Wed, 19 Sep 2018 02:32:23 +0000 http://www.wondersoftraveling.com/?p=1551 After our visit to Paracas and the Ballestas Islands, we hopped on the bus to Huacachina. Huacachina is a beautiful oasis in the middle of the Peruvian desert. This place is known for its sandboarding and its tours through the desert. We booked a tour through Peru Hop for only €12.50. The tour lasted about 2 hours and took us through most of the desert surrounding Huacachina.
Huacachina and Nazca

Cruising the desert in dune buggies

About 1 hour after arriving in Huacachina, we were already on our way to the dune buggies. We were quite a big group of Peru Hop people who were all divided in small dune buggies (8 people per buggy). On the way to the buggies, I spotted some people carrying ski’s and snowboards. I didn’t realise you could actually rent equipment to ski or sandboard down the dunes. It looked really cool, but since I didn’t know that was a possibility, we just stuck to the normal tour.

Huacachina and Nazca
We were paired up with 3 other couples and hopped on the dune buggies. After making sure our safety belts were secured tightly, we were on our way. I was slightly nervous while Simen was smiling from ear to ear from excitement. We had only just left the meeting point when our driver immediately drove straight down a very steep dune. It felt like being in a rollercoaser! He cruised through the whole desert, driving straight down various very, very steep dunes at quite a high speed. It was so much fun! Everyone was constantly screaming.
Huacachina and Nazca

From snow to sand

After about an hour cruising through the Peruvian desert, the driver parked the dune buggy on top of a high hill and took out the sandboards. He made us apply wax to make sure we were going down the dunes even faster. Simen was the guinea pig of the group and slid down on his belly down the hill. The other couples and me stared down the hill, not entirely convinced. We hadn’t thought the first hill was going to be this steep! After contemplating for a bit, I handed my sandboard over to the driver, lied down my belly and slid down the hill myself. It was really cool!

Huacachina and Nazca
We were both hooked from the start. While everyone else took their time deciding if they wanted to go down the hill, we immediately tried out all the other hills. After the first couple of hills the driver took us to some other, even steeper hills so we could sandboard a bit more. After the sandboarding the driver drove us to a beautiful spot where we could watch the sunset. It was really nice to see the sun go down on top of the dunes. After watching the sunset, the tour was over and everyone returned to the hotels with smiles on their faces.

Huacachina and Nazca

A must in Peru

I would definitely recommend going to Huacachina to go for a ride in a dune buggy (you can’t drive them yourself) and to sandboard down the hills. A couple of days before going to Huacachina I had read in the Belgian news that a Belgian girl had died in Huacachina after trying out sandboarding, which of course made me a bit nervous. After doing it ourselves, we couldn’t really understand why the agency had allowed her to slide down the hills that close to the hotels! We were brought to the middle of the desert, with no hotels around. It was completely safe. It was very irresponsible of that agency to allow her to sandboard in the vicinity of Huacachina! We’d recommend going with a reliable agency, even if you have to pay a bit more. We didn’t feel unsafe at all during our tour of the desert.

Huacachina and Nazca

Seeing the Nazca Lines from the sky

The day after our desert adventure, we got on the bus towards Nazca. This is not a complimentary stop with Peru Hop, but after a lot of contemplating, I had decided I wanted to do the Nazca Flight. So, we hopped off at Nazca while the entire bus continued their journey to Arequipa. The Nazca Lines are lines which are about 2000 years old. No one knows how they got there or what purpose they have. Since they can only be viewed from the air, I booked a ticket with AeroNasca for about €72 (+ €8 airport tax, to be paid at the airport).

Peru Hop made a stop at the view tower, from where you can see 3 of the figures, but to be honest, you could barely see anything. So, I was happy I had the flight scheduled the next day. Simen didn’t feel like it was worth €80 so he decided to stay at the hostel. The next morning I got picked up at 7.50 for my flight. On the way there I met a nice German couple who was also travelling the world for a year and kept me company during the flight.

Huacachina and Nazca
The Monkey

Huacachina and Nazca
The Spider

I had read that quite a lot of accidents had happened in the past and that several planes have crashed before. I booked my ticket on findlocaltrips, through Peru Hop, which only works with reliable companies. That being said, I was still quite nervous when I arrived at the airport. I checked in, paid the airport tax and went through security before being brought to the plane. I had never been in a plane that small before. There was only room for 6 passengers + the pilot and copilot.

The actual flight

Before boarding, the pilot asked if we had been on a small plane like this before. When I said no, he told me there were puke bags in the seat in front of me in case I got nauseous, which apparently happens a lot in these small planes. That sounded promising… The minute we took off, I could tell why they provided plastic bags. The plane was very shaky and moved a lot. Luckily, I hadn’t eaten anything before the flight. I think if I had eaten, I might have thrown up! Luckily, my stomach felt normal, even when the plane turned from left to right to make sure we could spot all the figures.

Huacachina and Nazca
The plane takes plenty of time to make sure every passenger is able to spot the figures. The whole flight took about 35 minutes, and I not only got to see the Nazca Lines but also the beautiful surroundings. I definitely got to see more than the girl in front of me, who spent quite some time staring down her plastic bag… After seeing the Lines we flew towards the aqueducts in Nazca, and then back to the airport.

After our stop in Nazca we travelled to Arequipa, where we signed up for a 2 day trek through the Colca Canyon. Stay tuned for my next blog about this trek!

]]> https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/2018/09/19/huacachina-nazca/feed/ 1856 Lima and Paracas https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/2018/09/19/lima-and-paracas/ https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/2018/09/19/lima-and-paracas/#comments Wed, 19 Sep 2018 02:26:19 +0000 http://www.wondersoftraveling.com/?p=1517 After an extremely long bus ride of 18 hours, we finally arrived in Lima on 07/09. We were both happy to leave Ecuador behind, and to explore a new country. We went straight to Lima because we have the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu booked from 21-25/09. This meant we had to skip the northern part of Peru, because otherwise we wouldn’t be able to get to Cusco in time. We decided to book our transport through Peru Hop, and chose the “Lima to Cusco to La Paz” route. 
Lima and Paracas

California vibes on the Malecon

The first day in Lima we didn’t do that much. We were both exhausted from our 2 long bus rides and stayed in our hostel for most of the day. On the second day, however, we decided to explore Peru’s capital city a bit more. We started by walking down the Malecon, the boardwalk which overlooks the pacific coastline. The weather in Lima is quite foggy and cloudy, so unfortunately, we didn’t get amazing weather. However, the walk down the Malecon was still very nice. It reminded me a lot of the Californian coastline. After walking down the boardwalk for about 3 hours, we stumbled upon a cosy artisanal market where Simen had to stop himself from buying several new t-shirts. Since it wasn’t really part of the budget, he managed (with a heavy heart) to not buy the “coolest t-shirt ever”. To get his mind of the t-shirts, we hopped in a taxi to the Historical Centre.
Lima and Paracas

Or at least, we thought we were going to the historical centre. After repeating “centro historico” and “plaza de las armas” several times, the taxi driver nodded and said he could drive us there. However, he dropped us off in some unknown borough about 15 min away from the historical centre. We had generously tipped the friendly cab driver, which we regretted the minute we realised he had dropped us off in a random pace. We stopped another cab, and were now finally on our way to the historical centre.

Monastery with 30.000 skeletons

lima
Monastery of San Francisco

Lima’s historical centre is quite impressive, with 2 very big main squares which are surrounded by grand colonial buildings. We wandered the streets for a bit until we bumped into the Monastery of San Francisco. Simen remembered reading that this was the resting place of about 30.000 people, so we decided to buy a ticket and take a guided tour (15 soles – €4).

The guide walked us through this old and beautiful monastery, but of course the main highlight of the tour were the catacombs. You can still see the bones and skeletons of people who were laid to rest here hundreds of years ago. Sometimes it was a bit creepy because there were hundreds of skulls lying around. The tour lasted about 1 hour and was definitely worth the money. The church itself was also very pretty and is worth a visit.
 
Lima and Paracas
Lima and Paracas

Paracas: poor man’s Galapagos

On Sunday we took the Peru Hop bus in the direction of Paracas, also known as “poor man’s Galapagos” or “budget-friendly Galapagos”. Since visiting the Galapagos is extremely expensive, we decided to skip it. We opted for the Ballestas Islands instead, off the coast of Paracas. On Monday we took a boat tour to the Ballestas Islands for 50 soles pp (€12.50). On the way to the Islands we passed by Paracas National Park where we saw the “Chandelier”, a geoglyph presumably dating back to 200 BC. Once we arrived at the Islands, they took us all the way around (you’re not allowed to go on the islands), and we managed to spot tons of sea lions, a couple of penguins, pelicans and tons of peruvian boobies and other birds whose names I can’t remember.

Paracas National Park
Paracas National Park

On our second day in Paracas we took the free Peru Hop tour to Paracas National Park. Here we stopped at 3 view points, overlooking the sea and the amazing Peruvian coastline. Afterwards, we made our way to Huacachina, which I will write more about in my next blog!

]]> https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/2018/09/19/lima-and-paracas/feed/ 1807 Wonders of Traveling is going on a trip around the world! https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/2018/04/12/wonders-of-traveling-rtw-trip/ https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/2018/04/12/wonders-of-traveling-rtw-trip/#comments Thu, 12 Apr 2018 06:00:36 +0000 http://www.wondersoftraveling.com/?p=955 After months of keeping it a secret, I can finally announce that I will be leaving soon to go on a trip around the world! Together with my boyfriend Simen I’m going to leave Malta in July to go traveling for a year. Curious about the countries we will be visiting during our RTW trip? Then definitely continue reading because I will tell you all about our plans.

Traveling the world has always been a dream of mine. I figured now was the best time to do it, before I officially settle down somewhere. I spent the last 3 years saving up for this once in a lifetime trip, and I’m so excited that in only 3 months I will finally be able to make my dream come true. It took me a little while to get Simen on board, but ever since he said yes, we’ve both been super excited and are really looking forward to July 12th.

Our travel style

Since Simen had only about half the amount of time to save up for this trip (compared to me), we decided to backpack. Our aim is not to sleep in fancy hotels. We’re going to try to not spend too much money, which means we might be spending some nights in hostels or even tents. We’ve also opted to go to cheaper countries because of this reason. However, we are going to go to some more expensive countries as well (they were high up my list), which is why we might have to resort to camping. I personally love sleeping in a tent, but Simen isn’t such a big fan, so we’ll see how this is going to go!

RTW trip

From Central America

The first stop of our RTW trip will be Mexico. For a long time, Mexico wasn’t even on our list. We were thinking more about Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama. However, after hearing a lot of people talk about how beautiful Mexico was, we started considering adding it to our trip. After doing some more research and looking at pictures on Instagram and Pinterest, we were both completely convinced. Now it’s even the country Simen is looking forward to the most!

After Mexico, we will be heading to Cuba! To be honest, going to Cuba hadn’t been on my list for a very long time. However, it would be cool to see the country as it is today, before it starts changing. I feel like we will be traveling back in time when visiting Cuba, and I’m now super excited about exploring this beautiful and mysterious country.

RTW trip

To South America

I have been dreaming of going to South America for years, so after Cuba we will be flying to Ecuador. Here we’re planning on going to Banos, Vilcabamba, Cotopaxi, Cajas National Park, and many other highlights. After Ecuador, we will be traveling down towards Peru, of course to see Machu Picchu. However, there are so many more things I’m looking forward to in Peru: Nazca Lines, Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca, Cordillera Blanca, etc. We will be crossing the border with Bolivia and stay here to check out La Paz, Salar de Uyuni, Potosi, and tons of other highlights. After Bolivia we will go to Argentina and Chile (Patagonia!), including Easter Island.

RTW trip

Next stop: Oceania

After 6 months in South America we will be flying to New Zealand. Here, my parents will join us for a little bit. Our initial plans were to only stay in NZ for 3 weeks, but we quickly adapted those plans. We will most likely get a working holiday visa so we can stay in NZ a bit longer without breaking the bank too much. This is also the reason why we won’t make a stop in Australia. If we do NZ and Australia, this will cost us too much money (and to be honest, I’m too scared of the huge spiders they have down there!).

RTW trip

Last stop: South East Asia

The last continent we want to explore on our RTW trip is South East Asia. After NZ we will be flying to Indonesia (Bali), where we will be staying for about 2 weeks. Here we will also meet up with Simen’s family who will be celebrating Easter with us. After Bali we will make our way to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. We might visit some more countries (I’m also very curious about Myanmar), but that will depend on time and money. The aim is to fly back to Europe some time June/July 2019.

Preparations for our RTW trip

Since we’re only 3 months away from our departure date, this means the preparations are in full swing. We’ve booked our first 4 flights, scheduled appointments to get all the necessary vaccinations, ordered new bank cards, etc. There is still a lot that needs to be organized, but I feel like we’re right on schedule. If you’re curious about the practicalities of going on a RTW trip, make sure to check this site regularly because I will share all those things with you!

If you have any tips for traveling as a couple or RTW traveling, please feel free to leave a comment below. Also, if you have already been to one of the countries we’re going to and have recommendations I would love to hear them, so please don’t be shy!

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