Have you been to the Amazon? For someone who loves the outdoors, the Peru Amazon is a great place to go. Options are Iquitos in the north or Manu & Puerto Maldonado in the south. You have a choice between lodges that are closer or further from the city, but I think Manu offers the best options in terms of access to remote places.

Also, Kuelap is a pretty amazing place. This archeological site in the Amazonas province has been compared to MP and some say that this place is even more incredible.

Those are my top 2. I'm sure others on this forum have more suggestions.

Happy travel planning!

mlgb's trip to huancayo looks very interesting and something I am very tempted by!

http://www.fodors.com/community/south-america/the-high-altitude-train-to-huancayo.cfm

I am definitely going to look into the Peru Amazon, it sounds awesome. And I have heard before that Kuelap is a must, so I think I will add that to my list of possibilities! I know what you mean crellston! I just checked that out and it sounds awesome! I will definitely try and do that I think! I was also thinking about maybe looking into if there is any kind of volunteering I could do while I am there too, does anyone know of any good places to volunteer in Peru? This would be something completely different for me too. I always just travel to travel...

The train is seasonal, runs only until mid November. But there is a good paved road to Huancayo. You can also travel (road permitting) between Huancayo and Ayacucho. I stayed at Samay Guesthouse, the owner is knowledgeable about the region as far as tourism and volunteer opps. Facilities are fine, although lots of barking dogs and up an alley, glad there were other guests at the time so I could walk into town with them at night. I booked them on hostelbookers. Taxi drivers do NOT know where their street is!

Yokena did a report for off the beaten path travel, Trujillo/Chiclayo are good year round. If you are taking bus trips into the Andes in wet season be sure to check road conditions. If you do go off the gringo trail I'd get Footprint guidebook.

http://www.fodors.com/community/south-america/northern-peru-lima-to-huaraz-trujillo-chiclayo-chachapoyas-and-more.cfm

mlgb- Oh really? Good to know! I don't know if I will be there in time then for the train then... I may have to change my schedule a little though so that maybe I can go at the beginning of November and still get to do the train. Is it worth it do you think? If it really isn't worth it I won't change my schedule, but from reading your stories I think I really want to do it!

Yeah I have stayed in a few places like that, it's the kind of place where basic needs are met and it is just comfortable, nothing extra really, just a place to rest, but still a good place to be

I will have to look into Trujillo/Chiclayo too. With the buses I made that mistake last time, never checked the roads and it took almost twice as long to get where I had to go because they were so bad!

I know I can find volunteer opps once I am there, but is there any that you know of already? I kind of want to have that set up before I go if I am going to do it.... Thanks for all the advice!

If you click on the link I provided re the train the last one for this season is one going to Huancayo on the 17 th of November and the return to Lima is the Monday the 19th.
They are both daytime trains.

I did really enjoy it and think its worthwhile. I preferred the bench seating in the classic cars with the tables and windows that open, but I think only the tourist class gives access to the open bar car which is by far the best place to stay for the whole trip.

To prepare for the altitude of the pass I went to the SV /Cuzco first, and flew back to Lima for night (or it might havd been two).

If you aren't going to do this there is a nurse on board with ixygen and pills (not sure what). One kid threw up and there were some adults with their heads down (you probably know how you do at altitude if you were in Ecuador).

If you like hiking: Choquekirau, and then continue to Salkantay and then Machu Picchu. Will knock your socks off.
Then, hike down and along the Colca in Arequipa (not talking the touristy 2 day)
Then you have Huaraz and the White range North of Lima, a hike up the Llanganuco lagoon into the Huascaran base is also another sock knocker
Then had North into Trujillo and Lambayeque. In Trujillo you have Chan-Chan still well prserved and amazing, as well as the pyramids of the Sun and Moon among other attractions. Follow with a couple of days in Huanchaco (beach) and then Lambayeque (Sipan, Jequetepeque, etc...many Mayan names around this area...makes you wonder whether there was some connections
Someone mentioned Kuelap, a good segway into your way to Iquitos. If you got the time, take a boat from Pucallpa, once in Iquitos, take a boat along the Amazon to the border to Brazil/COlombia (a good way to follow the path taken by Ernesto Guevara as shown in the Motorcycle Diaries)

And that is only the surface!!

Hello onthemove247!
Not sure if you have looked into Huaraz or Tipon, but I would definitely suggest doing so if you are looking for things that are a little less touristy, also I have heard some great stories about sandboarding in Nazca. You may want to check out this blog I read about the sandboarding, it sounds perfect for you if you are looking for adventures! My cousin did it last year and talks about it all the time! Sometimes too much Anyways this is the link about sandboarding, I would check it out if I were you, I am not big into extreme-type sports but it sounds like you would like it! http://www.southamericatravelblog.com/travel-blog/2010/12/sandboarding-in-nazca-peru/ Have a great time in Peru!!

I will have to make sure to get there for the train then! I think I can get there by like the 13th of November so that should be perfect! Get a little acclimated and then go, I do pretty well with altitude, after about a day I am fine. Haha and the bar sounds good to me
mjolk, that sounds like an awesome plan, I may need to incorporate some of that into my plans! I watched Motorcycle Diaries once, that path would be a great one too, especially since there is a little history behind it, but it is still an adventure.
Sunnyville, thanks for the blog, I looked through some of the entries and I am definitely going to try that sandboarding you were talking about, I love snowboarding, so I am sure that I will love sandboarding too! You are right, it is exactly the kind of thing I am looking for while I am traveling.
Now I have so many suggestions thanks to you guys that I don't know what I am going to do! I may have to extend my trip and try and fit in everything! Though it will definitely be tough and I will be exhausted at the end, a good exhaustion though

The ruins at Tiahuanaco. They are about a 2-3 hr drive each way from Puno. In addition, it requires crossing into Bolivia. That in itself is kind of an adventure. The town at the border is a market town with very interesting sights.
There are two main ruin sites at Tiahuanaco, plus a small museum. There are all kinds of enigmatic carved pieces of stone lying about and large stone structures. The incredible detail and sharp edges of the carving suggest something done from very soft material, but in fact, they are very hard volcanic stone. Some archeologists feel this culture actually created much of what you see in Cusco and the Sacred valley and the Inca culture was laid on top of their foundations. I have heard the Inca records state this area was already in ruins when they arrived. The day we were there, there were only a small handful of other people at the site.

finnagain maybe you aren't aware that it costs a US citizen $135 visa fee just to enter Bolivia! I think it is worthwhile if you to go to Bolivia on a longer trip, but not just to go to Tiahuanaco and/or Sun Island for a few hours.

Hi Finnagain, Thanks for the suggestion, I have heard of the Tiahuanaco Ruins and the intricate differences between the Inca rock constructions mainly found in Peru, and that of those particular ruins in Bolivia. I have been to Bolivia already, so luckily I have my Visa, but as I am a bit more of an adventure sports girl I think I will have to leave this detour out of my travel plan. Might have to leave this particular archeological site to Indiana Jones! Gotta stick with the budget Sometimes there are only so many ruins one can visit. I really wanna try out the zip lining and sandboarding this time round

As for the Amamzon, to get to Iquitos would you suggest travelling directly from Lima or going up the coast and then going from there? Or, I have heard of the possibility of taking a boat from Puerto Maldonado to Iquitos, does anyone have any suggestions, cautions or stories that can help me with my quest?

You can fly (or bus) to places like Pucallpa and take a long boat trip downriver to Iquitos. A bit too adventurous for me as a solo female traveler.

I'm not sure about PM to Iquitos.