Hello - We are a couple visiting Peru for 12 days in May. We are traveling with a three year old (at that time).I am trying to decide if I should visit the amazon basin in Peru for two nights or the Colca Canyon and need some help in deciding which one would work better. This is our second leg of the vacation with the first 12 days in Chile. Here are the two options
Option 1: Arrive in Lima night of 5/2 --> 5/3 Early morning flight to Arequipa --> 5/4 us to Chivay --> 5/5 Colca Canyon Visit and then 4M bus to Puno --> 5/6 Puno visit --> 5/7 Inka Express bus to Cusco --> 5/8 to 5/13 Sacred Valley and Macchu Picchu --> 5/14 Flight back to Lima and then to US
Option 2: Arrive in Lima night of 5/2 --> 5/3 Early morning flight to Puerto Maldonado --> 5/5 Jungle Lodge --> 5/5 Fly to Cusco and stay till 5/11 in Sacred Valley and Macchu Picchu --> 5/12 Inka Express bus to Puno --> 5/13 Puno --> 5/14 Flight back to Lima and then to US
a) Is a stay in Amazon going to be more appealing than the Colca Canyon. I was originally interested in Canyon but read several reviews about it being a long dusty mountainous drive from Arequipa and the fact that the canyons themselves were not as awe inspiring a sight as say the Grand Canyons. Further many folks reported seeing only a handful of condors if that.
b) Any recommendations for lodges in PM. I cannot do Manu given the time constraints so that is out
c) Should be stay in Ollyantambo or Urubamba in the Sacred Valley. How many days in Cuzco vs SV?
Amazon Rainforest in Peru vs Colca Canyon
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I would suggest reversing your itinerary, fly to Cusco, go to the Sacred Valley (I prefer Ollantaytambo but you may find a wider range of accommodation in Urubamba), see MP, and then choose your extension. This way you have more leeway in case you have flight delays or cancellations. You will also be better acclimatized if you decide to go to Puno or Colca Canyon (both are HIGHER than Cusco).
Heat humidity insects rain mud in the jungle. You will need to use insect repellent and check on whether you need extra jabs or malaria protection. I can't speak to PM specifically since I went to Iquitos. For comfort you might look at Ceiba Tops near Iquitos instead which has A/C and is on the real Amazon.
The road is paved all the way from Arequipa to Chivay and from Chivay to Puno. It is the road from Chivay to the villages that is gravel (I don't remember it being especially bad, though). I booked Arequipa to Colca Canyon with Giardino Tours, which uses a lodge in Corporaque, and then spent a second night independently in Yanque. I used 4-M to Puno (and also on return Puno to AQP direct). The service was very good, although be warned that the bathroom is for 'emergency use only'.
What I most enjoyed about Colca Canyon was just the peaceful atmosphere (Yanque not Chivay), & the guided walks through the terraces. There are some nice lodgings in Yanque, I really liked Killawasi. However you really need two nights and a bit of acclimatization to full enjoy this (hence why I suggest doing it after Cusco). I went in nesting season and we still saw a handful of condors, but there were many people that day who were with tours that left too soon or arrived too late (the birds were right on the dot at 9 am). May is supposed to be a good month to see them.
One thing I would recommend is to plan for delays, May is the time of year that LAN seems to like to redo their schedule so watch out for flight changes after you've booked. I used Star Peru between LIM and AQP and they were fine.
Recent photos from Colca Canyon. The rains had just started, should be greener in May.
http://picasaweb.google.com/kiwifann/ColcaCanyon
Dumb!
weather2travel.com Climate guide lots of rain in the
Jungle Reserva Amazonica is the best lodge at PM
but not a lot of wild life compared to Manu.
manuadventures.com and pmexplorers.com has some overland
Manu that would be good.To adjust to altitude best with 3
I would shuttle or Bus Paracas(Bellestas) Ica(dunes) Nasca
lines Arequipa casa-andina.com Chivay or colca-lodge.com was
great very scenic 4m-express.com to titicacaperu.com
inkaexpressbus.com to Cusco for MP/ skip jungle too many bugs
rain hassle with a toddler. www.casa-andina.com or apulodge.com more budget for ollantaytambo.org.
Have fun,
Peru Itinerary: Gringo Trail - World Nomads Adventures
adventures.worldnomads.com/destination/168/itinerary/23.aspx
What many do to adjust to altitude best and see it all.
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Thanks mlgb and qwo for sharing these details. Looks like I have some thinking to do. What I am gleaning in general is that Colca Canyon remains the better bet than a visit to the Amazon. Would love to hear more thoughts from others.
I haven't been to Colca Canyon, so that needs to be considered, but I love the Amazon so much that I'm planning my fourth trip back sometime in the next two years. One consideration is that you definitely need different clothes than you do for the higher altitudes, so if traveling light is a priority it is something to consider, especially with the little one.
I stayed in the Explorama lodges out of Iquitos; I would think that a three year old would love the macaws and capybaras and sloths of the rainforest, but it is an adjustment--though not as much as Colca Canyon's higher altitude might be.
Amazon is pretty but for a three year old , Colca canyon is better.
mlgb - to your earlier response, one of the reasons I was keeping MP for the last was because I am told that April is rainy in MP and will be winding down so I wanted to add some more days in between before visiting. Do you think the first week of May will be fine in MP from a precipitation standpoint?