The Peru Channel

My two biggest passions are Machu Picchu and the rainforest. When they come together as they did last week, it's a story I have to share! You can read the Show Notes here: Podcast Episode 18 - Finding Inca Ruins in the Rainforest .

Everyone who knows me, knows that my passion in Peru is Machu Picchu. I have probably spent more time there over the past five years than anyone except those who work there. I am constanetly researching, exploring, and studying the site and the surrounding National Sanctuary of which it is only one very small part. In this podcast I try to explain why it would be a shame to go all the way to visit...

While Cusco ands Machu Picchu are the most popular places to visit in Peru, the Amazon Rainforest is easily the second most famous place. Many people are uncertain about choosing between the country's two most popular places -- Iquitos in the northern rainforest and Puerto Maldonado in the southeastern jungle.  Because I know both of the regions extremely well, I thought it would be a good topic t...

Everyone who knows me knows that Machu Picchu is my passion. They also know that I have an obsession with truthfulness about the site and can't stand the massive amounts of misinformation shared -- even more so when it's done deliberately to make someone more money. In this episode I talk about a few facts about Machu Picchu that most people don't know. I found it difficult to go with only five, b...

Anyone concerned about coming to Peru after seeing all the negative news this year should know that right now things are as close to normal across almost all of the country as it has been since before the COVID pandemic over three years ago. In this episode I talk about what has happened, the current situation, and also answer a few questions relating to visiting Machu Picchu. You can read the sho...

As someone who flies more than just about any other traveler in Peru, in this episode I talk about frequent flyer benefits no matter what airline you use, transportation, the best seats to reserve, how I get the best airfare deals, airport security, luggage, the reality of some airport terminals, transportation from and to the airport, and a lot more. You can get links to all the airlines who fly...

It's hard to describe how deeply I love the rainforest, but in this episode I give it a try by talking about experiences with animals and how I dealt with my own personal deep phobia. You can read the Show Notes here and see a few of my favorite wildlife photos from the jungle: Episode 12 - Why I Love the Rainforest (Part 1) - Animals .

In this episode I talk a little more about visiting Machu Picchu including recommendations on how to get there and using guides. Show Notes are available at Some Thoughts on Visiting Machu Picchu .

I spent a couple of days in Arequipa focusing on photographing and finally visited the Monatserio Santa Catalina as well as the lesser known Convento la Recoleta. Both. while completely different, turned out to be two of the most interesting places i've ever visited in Peru. Santa Catalina, in particular, might be the most photogenic place I've ever visited in years of travel across the country. I...

Last week I took a short trip to the small town of Abancay about five hours from Cusco by bus. While it really wasn't long enough to do much exploring in the town itself., this episode focuses on information about the bus ride that might be useful to anyone thinking about traveling across the country in this slower and far cheaper mode of transportation. I also talk about a development with the av...

In this episode I talk about noise, traffic, and how Peruvians approach time -- all things that visitors commonly have a bit of uncertainty in dealing with as they are frequently quit a bit different from what visitors are used to in their home countries. You can check out the show notes here: Episode 8 - Peruvian Cultural Differences (Part 2)

In this episode I talk about some of the differences in Peruvian culture that might be a little more challenging to deal with by a visitor from a foreign place. Some of these may be inconsequential to you, but others may be a little harder to accept. As I always say, visitors must remember that they are guests in someone else's country and it is up to those guests to accept the culture of Peru wit...

The idea for this episode came from some social media posts I've seen recently by p[eople planning trips to Peru. Their concerns were very real and echoed comments I'd seen many times in the past, but some of the responses were, at best, incorrect, so I thought I'd share some facts and experiences from someone who lives here. In this epsiode I also briefly touch upon about how COVID has not reache...

In this epsiode I had a little fun sharing my thoughts on the eternal debate about tourists vs travelers.  You can catch up on some of the news and hopefully share your own thoughts with a comment at the bottom of the Episode 5 Show Notes page.

In this episode I talk about the two routes coming into Aguas Calientes which is the jumping off point for Machu Picchu. People can come in from either upriver by train or from downriver by train or hiking along the railway. There are no roads to Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu from anywhere outside. I also talk about the continued rapid rise in the spread of COVID across the country and the expa...

In this episode I start the series about visiting Machu Picchu in which I talk about the best times of the year and day to visit as well as if you should hire a guide. I also try to give a little clarity to the confusing routes that visitors must choose from when visiting the site. I also talk about the rising spread of COVID in Peru as well as potential travel disruptions that could be coming thi...

Two weeks ago I traveled back to the rainforest in southwestern Peru at Puerto Maldonado and nearby Lago Sandoval in the Tambopata National Reserve. In this podcast I talk about how to get to Puerto by air and on a bus, where I like to stay, and what to do there. My focus is on Lago Sandoval and the amazing experiences that you have at what is probably the best place to go to experience the rainfo...

In this first episode I talk about Machu Picchu myths that drive me crazy! (Look for a lot more discussion on some of these in more detail later, too.) News: Peru v. Australia World Cup news; strikes and protests will disrupt travel plans in the coming months; a new low-cost airline begins operations to and from Peru. Show notes can be found at Podcast Episode 1 – Machu Picchu Myths