The Life List. Everyone has made a list of some sort or other in their lives. It is a list of goals and dreams that most of the time is put away in a drawer and forgotten about. But don't wait too long like Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson did in the movie The Bucket List. You might not be as lucky to find a millionaire to whisk you around the world checking off your wish list in a few short months before you kick the bucket. It is time to start fulfilling your dreams and one of the best places to start is in the country of Peru.
Even if you only have two weeks in Peru, you can return home knowing that you have just kick started your life list and put a good dent into checking off some of the most incredible activities you will ever do in your life.
Machu Picchu is at the top of most peoples list. If there is one thing that you must see in your life is one of the greatest ruins on the planet and this one is as good as it gets. Located in the Andes Mountains it is a mesmerizing Inca Ruin top a 2500 meter mountain. Take in the sight as you sit on another peak overlooking Machu Picchu and try to imagine how it was built over 600 years ago with no technology. Make sure to arrive early to beat the crowds and feel the magic as the cloud and mist burns off. Machu Picchu consists of 200 buildings that terrace down the side of a steep mountain leading in to the deep valley below. Whether you hike the Inca Trail visit Macchu Picchu, or take the train on a breathtaking journey through the Andes, you will not be disappointed.
Is sky diving at the top of your life list? People are often looking for something that will make them feel alive, something that will give them an adrenaline rush and thrill and something that is unique and exciting. If you are in Lima, head down to the waterfront of Mira Flores. You will see dozens of parachutes floating above the city. Just follow them and you will find a patch of grass on a high cliff overlooking the ocean. It is here that for just $20 you will be able to take a tandem jump off of the cliff to catch some air riding high over skyscrapers, the ocean and along Lima's coast.
Many people want to see one of the great deserts of the world. The Sahara or Kalahari are a couple of famous ones, but did you know that Peru has some of the largest sand dunes on the planet? Located in the region of Ica, you can go on a tour deep into the desert by dune buggy. This isn't your every day relaxing buggy ride however, you will be plunging down near vertical cliffs only to spin out at the bottom and take off again at top speed over the desert dunes. Not only that, you will be treated to an introduction to sand boarding. Feel the freedom as you surf in the sand or hop on your board like a sled and whiz down the hill into the valley below. It will make you feel like a kid again.
Not many people are lucky enough to visit a real oasis in their lives. But in the middle of this vast desert is the Oasis of America. The small village of Huacachina is built around the water and you will find a few guest houses and restaurants to relax at and enjoy the view. You can rent a boat to paddle around the Oasis or simply relax at your hotel by the pool as the giant dunes tower overhead.
Have you ever wanted to go to the Galapagos Islands or to the Antarctica to see wildlife? Well, while you are in Peru, you can visit Isla Ballestas and get a taste of what it would be like. This wildlife reserve is home to hundreds of sea lions and penguins. Take a boat out to these beautiful rock formations and witness wildlife int their natural setting. Birds by the millions inhabit their shores and you will be treated to the sea life playing and basking on the rocks. They are in a vast protected area, so they are not threatened by man, but make sure that your boat doesn't venture too close to the sea lions. Their exhaust and engines can really pollute the air and they can be loud. It is great to witness this spectacle, just have respect for the wild life.
These are just a few of the things that you can do in Peru to kick start your "Bucket List". There are so many other things to see and do like visit Lake Titicaca, the highest lake in the world, see real life catacombs in Lima or take a flight over the Nazca Lines. These lines are a mystery of the world etched in the sand over 2000 years ago. Shaped in the forms of spiders, monkeys, sharks and lizards, nobody really know what their purpose is or how they were made. Want to visit the jungle? A good portion of Peru is located in the Amazon basin where you can explore one of the most fabled and vast rainforests on the planet.
So stop wishing that you could check off some of your life list, visit Peru and actually start living your life list. You will never be disappointed fulfilling your goals and dreams.
Even if you only have two weeks in Peru, you can return home knowing that you have just kick started your life list and put a good dent into checking off some of the most incredible activities you will ever do in your life.
Machu Picchu is at the top of most peoples list. If there is one thing that you must see in your life is one of the greatest ruins on the planet and this one is as good as it gets. Located in the Andes Mountains it is a mesmerizing Inca Ruin top a 2500 meter mountain. Take in the sight as you sit on another peak overlooking Machu Picchu and try to imagine how it was built over 600 years ago with no technology. Make sure to arrive early to beat the crowds and feel the magic as the cloud and mist burns off. Machu Picchu consists of 200 buildings that terrace down the side of a steep mountain leading in to the deep valley below. Whether you hike the Inca Trail visit Macchu Picchu, or take the train on a breathtaking journey through the Andes, you will not be disappointed.
Is sky diving at the top of your life list? People are often looking for something that will make them feel alive, something that will give them an adrenaline rush and thrill and something that is unique and exciting. If you are in Lima, head down to the waterfront of Mira Flores. You will see dozens of parachutes floating above the city. Just follow them and you will find a patch of grass on a high cliff overlooking the ocean. It is here that for just $20 you will be able to take a tandem jump off of the cliff to catch some air riding high over skyscrapers, the ocean and along Lima's coast.
Many people want to see one of the great deserts of the world. The Sahara or Kalahari are a couple of famous ones, but did you know that Peru has some of the largest sand dunes on the planet? Located in the region of Ica, you can go on a tour deep into the desert by dune buggy. This isn't your every day relaxing buggy ride however, you will be plunging down near vertical cliffs only to spin out at the bottom and take off again at top speed over the desert dunes. Not only that, you will be treated to an introduction to sand boarding. Feel the freedom as you surf in the sand or hop on your board like a sled and whiz down the hill into the valley below. It will make you feel like a kid again.
Not many people are lucky enough to visit a real oasis in their lives. But in the middle of this vast desert is the Oasis of America. The small village of Huacachina is built around the water and you will find a few guest houses and restaurants to relax at and enjoy the view. You can rent a boat to paddle around the Oasis or simply relax at your hotel by the pool as the giant dunes tower overhead.
Have you ever wanted to go to the Galapagos Islands or to the Antarctica to see wildlife? Well, while you are in Peru, you can visit Isla Ballestas and get a taste of what it would be like. This wildlife reserve is home to hundreds of sea lions and penguins. Take a boat out to these beautiful rock formations and witness wildlife int their natural setting. Birds by the millions inhabit their shores and you will be treated to the sea life playing and basking on the rocks. They are in a vast protected area, so they are not threatened by man, but make sure that your boat doesn't venture too close to the sea lions. Their exhaust and engines can really pollute the air and they can be loud. It is great to witness this spectacle, just have respect for the wild life.
These are just a few of the things that you can do in Peru to kick start your "Bucket List". There are so many other things to see and do like visit Lake Titicaca, the highest lake in the world, see real life catacombs in Lima or take a flight over the Nazca Lines. These lines are a mystery of the world etched in the sand over 2000 years ago. Shaped in the forms of spiders, monkeys, sharks and lizards, nobody really know what their purpose is or how they were made. Want to visit the jungle? A good portion of Peru is located in the Amazon basin where you can explore one of the most fabled and vast rainforests on the planet.
So stop wishing that you could check off some of your life list, visit Peru and actually start living your life list. You will never be disappointed fulfilling your goals and dreams.
About the Author:
Deb Corbeil and Dave Bouskill are an adventure travel duo from Canada. Together they have trekked, hiked, biked and climbed to over 30 countries all over the globe. Check out their website theplanetd.com for more tips, advice and information on travel and adventure destinations. To see their photography gallery from their world travels click on picturetheplanet.com
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