Hiking in Peru On Inca Trails is Popular with Adventure Travelers

Hikers who take the Inca Trail reach Machu Picchu via the Sun Gate, located far above the ruins
Machu Picchu Travel and Destination Guide

Hiking on tiny ledges weaving up and down 13,000-foot-high mountains, as you follow the ancient Inca trails to Machu Picchu is the most well-known and popular trip with many Americans. The number of groups allowed on the most popular route is limited, due to ecological reasons, but several adventure travel companies are now trekking on lesser known trails. Trips start at various points along the route from Cuzco to Machu Picchu that the Incas once created while moving between the two cities, so the number of days on the trails varies. No matter which trail you follow, as you walk through the Sun Gate and look down at the so-called Lost City, the view is unforgettable.

Hiking in Colca Canyon, believed to be the deepest canyon in the world, is a wonderful experience because you also get to see the giant condors fly. Views of the desolate countryside, the passes through 14,000-foot-high mountains, and the nature preserves where vicuna roam, during rugged 100-mile drive from Arequipa to the rim of Colca Canyon, make the trip worthwhile. Depending upon where one chooses to stay along the rim, you can hike from tiny town to town, soak in hot springs, go rafting on the river flowing through the canyon, and watch farmers till their lands on terraces first cleared by Inca farmers centuries ago.

Inca Trail Trekking and Destination Guide

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Inca Trail Tours. Weekly Small Group Tour Departures. Expert Guides, Porters and Cooks.

At its height the Inca road system covered over 20,000 km and stretched from Ecuador to Chile; most trails converged on Cuzco, capital of the empire. The stretch refered to as “the” Inca Trail today is in fact merely the final, dramatic and most popular stretch of the Incan road leading to Machu Picchu. A rite of passage for many visitors to Peru, the Inca Trail is a strenuous, 4-day trek from the Sacred Valley floor through cloud forest and jungle, traversing high mountain passes that test both mind and body. The end of the trail is the aptly-named Sun Gate, where a first misty glimpse of the lost city of Machu Picchu is made all the more meaningful when the journey was fueled by your own sweat and determination.

INCA TRAIL TRAVEL HIGHLIGHTS

Machu Picchu, Winay Wayna, Intipata, Dead Woman’s Pass, Aguas Calientas (Hot Springs)

Asia Travel and Destination Guide

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Asia Adventure Travel. Great Value Trips All Over Asia. Low Impact Tours with Expert Guides.

There is no simple way to describe the wealth of opportunity that Asia travel offers the adventure seeker. Markets and bazaars, souks and stupas, ancient ruins constructed by grand civilizations long gone, modern cities and villages where life goes on much as it has for centuries. From the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, Delhi, Beijing, Amman and Kathmandu to the overwhelming immensity of the Himalayas, an Asia tour provides the traveller with as much to marvel at as Marco Polo and the explorers of old. Whether you’re looking to cross Mongolia, follow the Silk Road to China, trek to Everest base camp, explore Tibet, visit Vietnam or island hop in southern Thailand, Asia is waiting to entrance you.

ASIA TRAVEL HIGHLIGHTS

Everest Base Camp (Nepal), Varanasi (India), Chiang Mai (Thailand), The Great Wall (China), Ankor Wat (Cambodia), Bagan (Burma), Mt. Fuji (Japan), Halong Bay (Vietnam), Ulaan Baatar (Mongolia), Lhasa (Tibet)

Discovery Adventures Latest G.A.P. Adventures Offering

G.A.P. Adventures is offering new, non-traditional Discovery Adventures to 18 destinations worldwide.  These adventures have been designed to encourage participants to become part of the local cultures that they have come to know through the Discovery Channel television shows. Each of the 31 adventure tours has been developed to include off-the-beaten-path experiences and deeper exploration into the history and traditions of each destination.

Some of the deeper cultural experiences travellers will partake in on a Discovery Adventures include: in Mexico, visit families on the canals of Xochimilco and enjoy a Mexican picnic on the very boats that the locals use every day; in South Africa, visit local village schools in Manyeleti Reserve, meet the children and teachers and learn what rural life is like; and in Southwest U.S., a guided tour of Monument Valley with Navajo Indian guide.

For more information about these Discovery Adventures and G.A.P. Adventures, a company that offers 1,200 adventures to 100 countries, visit Find Adventure Travel With G.A.P. Adventures.

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Top Tips for Smart and Safe Travelers

G.A.P Adventures has specialized in sustainable adventure travel since 1990 with a focus on cultural journeys and wildlife encounters. Our passion to take you off the beaten track into the heart of the destination and create lasting travel memories is evident on all our small group and independent travel tours. If you share our lust for life and curiosity for culture, we invite you to explore our wide selection of adventure tours, family vacations, and small ship cruises. We are The Great Adventure People - welcome to our world of adventure travel!

(ARA) – You booked your trip and the excitement for your upcoming vacation increases as you count down the days before your travel adventure starts. But to help ensure your vacation becomes a travel delight and not a travel nightmare, there are some things you should consider prior to takeoff.

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Here are seven tips all travelers should consider as they plan their trip:

Prep Your Passport

Make sure you sign your passport and fill out the emergency information page. Consider making a copy of this information and leaving it, along with your trip itinerary, with a family member or a friend.

Pack for Safety

What you pack can help you avoid being a target of crime. Research the appropriate attire of the location where you will be traveling. Dressing too flashy or too casually instantly tells locals you are a tourist. Also, consider leaving jewelry, watches and extra cash at home where they are safe.
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Secure All Luggage

Put your name, address and telephone number on the inside and outside of all pieces of luggage. Sometimes the traditional tags on the outside of luggage can get ripped off and then it is important that there is an alternative way to identify the owner. It also is a smart idea to put a copy of your travel itinerary inside your luggage, especially if you are on a tour. That way, if your luggage is lost, the airline can direct it to where you are located.
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Purchase Global Medical Assistance

Did you know that your medical insurance might not protect you while traveling and that only 8 percent of plans cover an evacuation for medical reasons while you’re in a foreign country? Medical problems of all types occur when traveling, so it’s a smart idea to purchase medical and travel assistance from a company like On Call International.

On Call provides peace of mind for travelers. Members get access to a 24-hour emergency response center to find doctors in your travel area, a 24-hour English-speaking nurse line to help identify symptoms, and coverage should you need to return home for medical reasons or have a family member flown out to your bedside if you’re hospitalized. On any given day, On Call is medically evacuating an average of five people, so it’s more common than you think.

Handle Prescription Medications with Care

To avoid problems with customs, keep any prescription medications in the original, labeled containers. If you require many prescription medications, consider bringing copies of your prescriptions along with the generic names in case questions arise.

Observe Local Laws

While visiting a foreign country, you are subject to its laws and regulations. You should research the local laws and customs prior to visiting a country so you know what to expect. Visit your local library, call your local tourist bureau or ask your travel agent for more information.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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