Junin- Perú

There are no trees at this great altitude, but around the lake grows thick brush that is almost impenetrable. You won’t want to swim here, the mining residues that leak into the water havecaused a bit of havoc for the fish community.

However, the draw of the area is the incredible sight line into the distance. Towering white peaks stick out from the mountain ranges around. You might catch sight of a grazing vicuna, the altiplano Alpaca, or the high altitude mining cars of a passing train. Perhaps you’ll continue on quickly enough to your destination of Pucallpa or Tarma or Lima, but even passing here for the daylight views is worth it.

The towns along the highway boast restaurants that cater to a hungry traveler, as this is the main route for many Peruvian truckers. You might appreciate a good plate of pachamanca, which is pork cooked in an open fire pit served with steamed potatoes.

There are two main sights in particular if you have the time to debark from the bus and hang out for a spell. One of those sites requires a slight detour to the other side of the Lake. There, you’ll find immense forests of rock. That’s right; high monoliths of rock that appear like a forest from afar. They make for a bizarre and interesting excursion.

The other main sight along the pampas route (pampas meaning high plateau) is the battlefield. Here, during Peru’s struggle for independence, the loyalist cavalry and patriot’s cavalry engaged in a skirmish that was considered the battle that set the stage for the Battle of Ayacucho, which saw the biggest battle in the struggle.

Junin – Perú

Overall, the Junin stretch might not be a major destination, but it is one worth the expense.

Cusco – Perú

The Lares trek is also a less traveled trek so you don’t see other people on the way which is nice. The Lares trek was $535. You can rent a sleeping bag for extra if you don’t have one or decide not to lug it around your trip.

Some advice for packing: be prepared for all four seasons: t-shirt/tank, long-sleeved, warm fleece jacket, waterproof jacket, pants, shorts, swim suit and flip flops for hot springs, lots of comfy warm socks, gloves, warm beanie, plus your feet will thank you if you invest in a good pair of waterproof hiking shoes. The weather in a day can be hot so bring a hat and sunglasses and load up on the sunscreen. In the same day it can get freezing and rainy, so just be prepared. Bring insect repellent. Face wipes and baby wipes is also a good idea to stay fresh and clean.

Cusco – Peru

I bought a waterproof backpack which I carried my water, snacks, warmer set of clothes or lighter set of clothes depending on how the day starts off, sunblock, insect repellent, gloves, beanie, hat, sunglasses, ect. The porters carry the rest of your stuff and you can get it when you set up camp at the end of the hiking day.

They also failed to organise our zip lining with the company we paid for and we ended up having to go with a different company.

Nonetheless, the trip was still great. Our first day was spent biking down from 4000m to 1500m where we spent the night in a hostel. The second day we spent hiking up through cloud forest and saw monkeys and coca plantations. We were also told about the different types of plants and animals that we passed. The third day we went zip lining ($30 USD) over 3.5km of zip lines. It was great fun and the weather made the views spectacular. In the afternoon we hiked to Aguas Calientes where we stayed the night.

Aguas Calientes is a very touristy but still very nice little town, right at the base of the path to Machu Picchu. We woke at 4.30am and began walking at 5am to the ruins in order to catch the sunrise. Unfortunately it was raining the whole way there and for most of the day and so the ruins lost some of their wonder, however they were still spectacular. I would say that the view of the mountains and the river below is what really makes the place magical.

We returned on the train and arrived at Pariwana hostel Cusco late at night. The staff were quick and friendly and before long we were in our comfy beds. We are in a 6 bed dorm and are paying 31 soles a night, cheap for the facilities here and easily the best hostel I have stayed in throughout Argentina, Bolivia and Peru. Our total jungle trail trip cost $250 USD which included the train back, a guide for all four days, entrance to the ruins and food an accommodation for all 4 days. The zip lining was optional but I would recommend doing it if you haven´t before
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Cusco – Peru

I took a city tour with Free City Tours which started at 11am in San Francisco Plaza. The guide was a friendly guy who spoke good English. The tour began by sampling different local cuisines in restaurants and cafes, all free samples, with a short history of each type of food. The tour was really fun and a great chance to meet people and it was free too which was a bonus!

The art galleries and museums here are a little harder to explore. The best way to purchase your entry tickets is to get a pass which allows you to up to 4 places, or you can buy a 7 day unlimited pass.

Due to my time restrictions I haven´t been able to explore any yet but a friend of mine went to one just off the plaza which was 15 soles for a single entry. She said it was great though, with Inca clothes and other items to see.

The nightlife in Cusco is great too. I have been out twice here and enjoyed both times.

Pariwana´s Cusco bar

We began both nights in the bar in Pariwana hostel where the happy hour is from 7 to 9pm. We got 2 for 1 drinks during this time and played beer pong and drinking games with our new friends whom we met in the hostel. The first time we went to a club called Temple. It is a cool place with one big room and good music. The second time we went to Mama Africa´s which was a bit better because it had more rooms and more variety. Either way, both nights were great fun.

The Peruvian border crossing was even quicker; I waited for less than 5 minutes before getting my passport stamped with no problems.

I am from England and so was given a free visa for 90 days. This is perfect for me because it is enough time to see all the sights that Peru has to offer. The passport officer gave me an immigration card which I must keep until I leave the country.

It is also very useful for hostels like Pariwana in Cusco because when you present it to them they reduce your accommodation fee by removing the tax that you would normally have to pay if you were a citizen.

I arrived in Cusco at around 2am and decided to get a taxi to my hostel because I didn´t want to walk around with my belongings at night. The taxi cost 20 soles between 4 of us and was around 10 minutes long. Initially I stayed at another hostel but after several good reviews from friends and Trip Advisor we decided to change hostel. The staff at check in were very professional and efficient and we got our beds and lockers organized in a matter of minutes.

Pariwana is the best hostel I have stayed in so far. It has a kitchen which is a must for a backpacker on a budget, but also does great food in the bar. The atmosphere is really good too, everyone is really friendly and the bar puts on great events. The mix of music played throughout the day is also well thought out; they know what type of music people what at different times and it keeps you in a great mood.

Your online feedback has helped us achieve the recent hostelbookers.com award. Pariwana Hostel Cusco was selected as the best hostel in South America, out of a total 3,400 establishments in the region. For more information about this distinction follow this link.

Enjoy it!

Pariwana  Hostel Cusco fue seleccionado como el mejor hostel de Sudamérica, de un total de 3400 establecimientos en la región. Para más información de esta distinción seguir este link. 

Disfrútenlo!

A profound thank you to all the travelers who have rated and given us valuable feedback during the years. We work for our backpackers and continue commited to constantly improving our services while delivering a truly Peruvian product.

Hostelbookers.com handed their awards on March 1, 2013 to the best hostels in the world during 2012. Pariwana Cusco ranked #1 among hostels in South America with an overall rating of 95.1% during 2012. Similarly, Pariwana Hostel Lima remains at the top of its city ratings with an accumulated 93.0% since we opened in 2009.

This new award continues to highlight our focus to maintain a healthy balance between quality service and fun atmosphere. Pariwana Hostel Cusco has won previous awards as Best Hostel in Peru (2010) by Hostelworld.com and as 2nd Best Atmosphere Hostel in South America (2011). With this new prize, Pariwana Hostels wins its first regional award in the overall category.

Pariwana Hostels has established as a premium backpacking service in Peru. Thanks to our travelers, our team, and to all our followers in the social media.

We will continue working, and will soon bring news on our expansion plans.

  Congratulations to all! Pariwana Hostel

Today I decided to spend the day visiting the parks of Mira Flores.  Right in front of the Pariwana Hostel there is John F. Kennedy Park.  With plenty of benches, to sit on, and people selling their goods, talents, and crafts.  There is also a playground for children to have fun too.

The trees, flowers and walkways are all arranged in manner, which I can only describe as feng shui.  The park is placed right in the middle of Miraflores, between some very busy streets.  You would think that this would somehow take away from the tranquility one expects from most parks, but it doesn’t.

Miraflores main park- Pariwana´s front view

Something that caught my eye was the cats. Here the cats run free, having no owners and are not taken to the pound.  Instead the people feed them and give them water.  The cats hangout in the trees and hideout in the flower beds.  The cats are friendly and love to be petted.  Just like the cats at home.

I found a spot to set down and started to read a book.  The book I had just purchased at a store I found across the street for about 30 soles.  It was a very relaxing day and I enjoyed my book.  Unfortunately I never made it to any of the other parks nearby.  Perhaps tomorrow.

Gracias a todos los viajeros que nos han dado sus ratings y sugerencias para ayudarnos a lograr este premio. De parte de todo el equipo Pariwana queremos agradecerles por reconocer nuestro esfuerzo para brindar un servicio de alta calidad, mientras ofrecemos un producto orgullosamente peruano.

Hostelbookers.com ha entregado sus premios este 1 de Marzo (2013)  a los mejores hostels durante el 2012. Pariwana Cusco se encuentra en la cima de  los rankings en Sudamérica con un 95.1% durante el 2012, y como el hostel No. 1 en Cusco. De la misma manera, Pariwana Hostel Lima se mantiene en hostelbookers en la cima de los ratings de la cuidad con un 93.0% acumulado desde nuestra apertura.

Este premio se une a otros reconocimientos que Pariwana ha ganado: 2010 mejor hostel Perú por hostelworld.com, 2011 top hostel en la categoría de mejor ambiente en Sudamérica por hostelbookers.com. Con este nuevo premio 2013, por primera vez Pariwana gana un premio a nivel latinoamericano en la categoría general.

Pariwana se ha posicionado como un servicio de hostels premium en el Perú. Gracias a todos nuestros viajeros, al equipo de trabajo, los colaboradores, y a toda la familia mochilera que nos acompaña en las redes sociales.

Seguiremos trabajando. Pronto tendremos novedades de nuestro crecimiento.

Felicitaciones a todos!

Pariwana Hostel