Travel Link Up: A Place You Can't Get Out of Your Head

It’s Travel Link Up time again and this month’s theme is a place you can’t get out of your head…a great topic chosen by this month’s co-host Liz from Passport Packed.  Come and join Emma, Rebecca, Liz and I as we discover which places are making us go crazy!

At the present moment I can’t get Peru out of my head…thankfully British Airways have just announced new direct flights to Lima starting from next May (and yes I have a mild dislike for BA at the moment but I have a few 2-4-1 vouchers to use up!) so thankfully someone has listened to my prayers for direct flights to Peru.

I’m going slightly crazy about Peru and am stalking all the Peru instagram hashtags…it’s gotten so bad that when I was having a pedicure a few weeks ago, Instagram locked my account as I was liking a few too many photos of Peru…honestly just looking at the #machupicchu, #peru and #cusco tags and you too will be liking way too many pics (so I had to send them a little message saying…Hiya, having a pedicure and have liked too many Peru photos…will put down the phone which is currently overheating in my hand…instant unlock…I’m sure they’re still laughing and thinking this girl is a right ol’ putz!)…plus a pedicure shouldn’t take 1.5 hours either…but I digress…

So I’ve made myself a little wish list of the places that I would love to visit in Peru and some of the hotels that I really really want to stay in…so are you ready…

Lima

I know a lot of tourists hate big cities but Lima appeals to me greatly…I love big cities!  The colourful architecture and historic significance of Lima is pretty darn impressive along with more churches than you can poke a stick at (I love churches), museums, art galleries and beaches…I’ve told G we are going…and it’s not worth arguing about as I’m going to win. (image credit)

The Belmond Miraflores Park is Lima’s top hotel and with a location to boot; right beside the Pacific Ocean…hello amazing sunsets.  I may need to stay here when we’re about to leave Peru so that I could hit all the shops which are located within walking distance of the hotel.

Machu Picchu

I don’t think I need to say why I want to visit this ancient wonder…I’ve just ordered a few books to learn more about Machu Picchu and the Incas (The Last Days of the Incas, Lost City of the Incas and Turn Right at Machu Picchu) as this area wasn’t really covered in my high school history class but I want to learn more. (image credit)

If I’m visiting Machu Picchu then there is only one hotel that I want to stay at and that’s the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge…as it’s the only hotel located adjacent to the famous citadel so it means you can visit Machu Picchu in the early morning or late afternoon when it’s crowd free…well worth the extra pennies for a once in a lifetime visit.  This is probably the one hotel that I would happily splurge on if I was still backpacking…location, location, location!

Cusco

Cusco is a base used by many to visit Machu Picchu; the architecture and the history of the area has really drawn me into visiting the city.  Apparently Cusco is great for textile shopping (I will need to do some research on how good the shoe shopping is though)…I like to shop while on holiday…sue me! (image credit)

Now Belmond have two luxury hotels in Cusco so choosing which one to stay in would be difficult…I’ve got itchy feet so it’s a possibility that I would book a night in each…much to the annoyance of G I’m sure but my mind would go into overdrive thinking that I’ve potentially missed out on something better in the other hotel…I told you Peru is making me go crazy!

The Belmond Hotel Monasterio is situated right in the heart of Cusco and is located in a former monastery and the rooms are enriched with oxygen to help it’s guests acclimatise to the high altitude.  Staying at this luxury hotel would be like spending a night inside a beautiful museum…all that history encased inside a beautiful hotel = bliss.

Now the other choice would be the Belmond Palacio Nazarenas and is one of Cusco’s most exclusive hotels located in a former covent and get this…the hotel features Inca Walls and colonial frescoes.

Decision, decision…which one would you stay in?

Sacred Valley

Obviously I would need to see more Inca Ruins than just Machu Picchu so the Sacred Valley is the place to be…how blooming gorgeous does the Sacred Valley look…I would definitely be taking my hiking boots with me! (image credit)

I should point out that this post isn’t an advert for Belmond; it’s just that their hotels in Peru appeal to me greatly. The Belmond Hotel Rio Sagrado looks to be a relaxing oasis located on the banks of Urubamba River…a perfect place to escape too for a few nights rest and relaxation.

^^I think I could rock that hammock…like I did in Malaysia…without falling out!

So Peru…I’m coming for you!

xx

Disclaimer: A big thank you to the lovely folks at Belmond for letting me use their hotel images for this post.

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