• Redefinition of what luxury means to modern traveller.

• More about unique experiences than supreme comfort.

• Northern Peru full of this type of luxury!

In late 2017, Peru’s tourism body, PROMPERU, launched the ‘Peru, the richest country in the world‘ international marketing campaign.

The campaign embraces a new concept for the term ‘wealth’, reimagining what ‘being rich’ really means.

It is based on a current trend: the perception that wealth is based on experiences, especially travel, rather than the acquisition of material possessions.

This being the case, PROMPERU can rightly point to an extensive list of destinations and experiences in Peru that truly enrich the visitor:

• Archaeology: the Caral civilization is the oldest known in the Americas, thought to be more than 5,000 years old.
  
  Since then, numerous empires have risen and fallen within - and sometimes beyond - the boundaries of present-day Peru, leaving behind a fascinating archaeological footprint.
  
  The best-known are the Inca, whose empire centred on Cusco was destroyed by the Conquistadors; but they themselves had conquered or co-opted other civilisations, such as the Chimu around Trujillo and the Chachapoya around Chachapoyas.
  
  New discoveries continue to be made, on an almost monthly basis, at various digs around Peru, changing the accepted archaeological wisdom.
  

• Nature: Peru is one of the 10 mega-diverse countries in the world, with a bewildering array of flora and fauna. Much of this can be found in the Amazon Rainforest which covers some 60% of the country, at various altitudes.
  

• Adventure Activities: the geographical richness of mountains, rivers, beaches and lakes provides almost infinite possibilities for hiking, rafting, surfing and fishing.
  

• Gastronomy: Peru has been awarded World’s Leading Culinary Destination at the World Travel Awards for the last eight years (2012 - 2019). The Pacific Ocean, Amazon jungle and Andes Mountains provide a huge range of ingredients which have been manipulated into delicious local and national recipes.
  

• People: Peru’s population of 33 million includes 44 indigenous, ethnic groups and 14 linguistic families. Successive waves of immigration from Europe, Africa and Asia have all left their mark on the culture.

With a different idea of a country’s wealth, comes different definitions of luxury: it is not just about the plushest hotel rooms, gourmet meals and a high ratio of staff to clients; but experiences that are unique, authentic and have the power to ‘make you a better person’.

Northern Peru fits into this concept very well.

There are some traditional ‘luxury’ services, most notably amongst the Amazon River Cruises, such as Delfin I, which has only four spacious cabins, two of which have their own plunge pool (pictured above).

But what is more abundant are personalised and one-of-a-kind experiences:

• Local farmer cutting path with machete on a day hike in Atuen Valley (see video).

• Staying in a treehouse in the Amazon rainforest canopy.

• Spending the night at the guide’s house below Kuelap on the Gran Vilaya Trek.

• Being towed in a Zodiac to surf the world’s longest wave at Chicama.

• Staying in the grounds of Leymebamba’s ‘Mummy Museum’ or in the shadow of archaeological sites, such as Huaca de la Luna and Tucume.

• Having luggage and camping equipment carried by llama on the Qhapaq Ñan Trek.

• Swimming with sea turtles at Ñuro, during a Pacific Beach Break.

• Being one of a handful of non-Peruvians at Yerbabuena’s Sunday market, on way to Revash Mausoleums

• Al-fresco breakfast overlooking Gocta Waterfall.

There are in fact only a very few shared - or ‘pool’ - services available in Northern Peru … and even if you take these, you are likely to be accompanied by Peruvians keen to learn more about the ‘gringos’ in their midst!

So to experience the luxury of a sensory overload, just get in touch with PeruNorth!