In a world where an increasing number of us are feeling the stresses of being permanently online and connected, it is becoming clear that going off the grid for hours of the day - and days of the year - is vital for our mental well-being.
Luckily, this is an area that PeruNorth can certainly help with!
Given the remoteness of many of Northern Peru destinations, there are still places where the office can’t get in touch and there is no way for the kids to ask for a loan! Essentially, this means areas without internet or mobile coverage, and include:
Amazon Lodges (there are a couple with WiFi, but it is so slow that it is really pointless trying to connect!)
Hiking destinations.
These places give you a chance to be reminded of what really matters in life:
Hearty meals, especially during a trek or a day’s rafting, when you’ve worked up a proper hunger.
A shower after a day of excursions in the sweaty Amazon rainforest.
A warm sleeping bag when camping in the Andes mountains … or a fan above your bed in an Amazon lodge.
A hot, mulled wine or a cold beer, depending on temperature.
Even a sit-down toilet becomes an item of pure luxury, if you haven’t had access to one for a couple of days!
Moreover, these destinations often provide access to indigenous people, who have a very different way of life and worldview … and learning about these shines a light on our own modes of thinking.
At PeruNorth, we believe that you should return from your holiday physically tired - having made the most of your time in the country - but psychologically refreshed. And we know that it only takes a couple of good nights’ rest in your own bed for the tiredness to go … but the mental reinvigoration lasts for weeks.
Recharging with the kids in front of Gocta Waterfall.
With the above in mind, we showcase the itineraries that we consider most off-the-beaten-path, and where you are unlikely to meet other Western travellers. They may be quite physically demanding, but reward the intrepid visitor with truly unique experiences and encounters.
With so many wilderness mountain areas, trekking in Peru offers a wonderful way to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern life. Outside of Cusco, no trail can be described as ‘busy’, but on the below hikes, you will be going through Andean villages still unaccustomed to seeing Western faces:
The Amazon jungle is another vast, underpopulated region where life away from the urban centres is quite rudimentary. With very few roads, motorboats are the main means of transport … or on foot. The Matses Trek 12D offers an intense immersion into the lifestyle of the Amazon inhabitants, spending time in the villages of the mysterious Matses people.
The archaeology of the Chachapoyas region is both abundant and still little-understood. It is a region where you can visit overgrown, recently-discovered ruins in the knowledge that you are one of only a handful of visitors in the modern age. This is the impetus behind our Hidden Chachapoyas 7D itinerary.
While the waterways in the low Amazon are the transport network of the region, those higher in the Andes are too fast-flowing for conventional river transport … but ideal for white-water rafting. Day trips, by necessity, are close to population centres, such as Cusco and Tarapoto; but multi-day trips enable rafters to access some of the remotest - and most spectacular - scenery in the country, and deepest canyons in the world, with only condors for company:
Bear in mind that infrastructure in Peru is continually improving and off-the-grid areas are becoming fewer and fewer. So don’t delay - get in touch today!
