A Peru Bucket List Trip to Remember

What happens when fourteen international alpaca breeders come together for a two-week adventure in Peru? You get a bucket list trip of pure goodness.

In 2023 our friends Shelly and Mike Walsh visited Peru with Arturo Pena (a senior judge with the AOA). They raved about the trip, and we were so jealous. Shortly thereafter Arturo released his planned agenda for his guided Peru trip in 2024. Not only did it include the adventures Mike and Shelly took, but it also included the 2024 Alpaca Fiesta.

I was so excited at the thought of this trip, that I quickly worked through a budget and managed to get my husband onboard. And even though I was very worried about traveling across Peru, we quickly signed up for Arturo’s trip. Why was I nervous? I’m a type one diabetic who can struggle keeping sugar levels in safe ranges. The idea of putting myself in the hands of someone else wasn’t comforting. What changed my mind was the positive words Shelly and Mike had for Arturo and his sister Monica. Both are Peruvian, both are very experienced in Peruvian travel, and Monica lives in Peru. In my head I felt comfortable enough in this duo that if something happened to me medically, they would have my back.

So, I shoved my fears down and we pushed forward. I am so thankful we did. Our Peruvian adventure was truly a trip of a lifetime.

Arturo and Monica Get an A+ for Our Travel Agenda

Arturo and Monica are absolutely amazing in travel planning and execution. This brother and sister team had everything planned out for us and I didn’t have to worry once about hotel accommodations, travel, dinner reservations, or tickets. They had water and snacks ready for longer day trips, they had medical supplies ready should someone need them, and they provided a great deal of entertainment. Arturo brought energy and excitement, while Monica served as the resident mom taking care of everyone. You couldn’t help but fall in love with these two and everything they offered to make our experience special.

Here’s an overview of our Peru travel agenda:

Friday night arrival to Lima, Peru and overnight stay at the airport Wyndham hotel.
On Saturday we took a flight to Arequipa, Peru and spent the next few days getting accustomed to the higher elevation and the Peruvian culture.
On Monday we headed to the Colca Valley, and we stayed at a beautiful resort called the Colca Lodge. In route we saw alpacas, llamas, and vicunas in their natural habit, as well as stopped at local villages. Arturo and Monica had a private guide take the journey with us, which allowed us to learn all about the local culture and history.
On Tuesday we headed back to Arequipa and stopped to see the condors while in route. We stayed the next few nights at the San Agustin Posada Monasterio.
On Wednesday we had the pleasure of touring three different mills of Michell Group. We were able to see the sorting, scouring, combing, spinning, and finishing processes. It was amazing and I’ll provide more about this day in a later blog post.
On Thursday and Friday we headed to the Alpaca Fiesta and spent the day with alpacas and visiting with local manufacturers. Arturo created a special surprise for us, which was dinner with one of the top alpaca breeders in Peru. He also set it up so my husband was allowed to give out show ribbons to the Alpaca Fiesta winners. And while he was loving the alpaca show, I spent my time meeting with product manufacturers.
On Saturday we headed to the Sacred Valley and spent a few days visiting Machu Picchu and the salt mines. Arturo and Monica had a guide waiting for us to make sure we experienced everything Machu Picchu offered.
On Sunday we headed to Cusco, Peru for the sightseeing and soaking up the local culture.
On Wednesday we headed back to Lima so we could depart back for our home countries.

The above list doesn’t give justice to the sheer joy of this trip. The same is true for the photos that I provide below.

There is such beauty in Peru and so much rich culture to experience. And even though Arturo and Monica had a full agenda for us, I know we just scratched the surface of what Peru has to offer.

There’s So Much to Love About Peru

It’s hard to boil down the trip into digestible datapoints, but I want to articulate somethings so other alpaca breeders take the leap of faith like we did. Peru has so much to offer, and I truly don’t think the world knows enough about this hidden gem.

My top observations and takeaways:

As a travel destination, Peru offered a lot for your money. Meals and drinks were so cheap that I questioned our bill at times. I thought items were left off, because it was hard for me to comprehend that I was receiving so much for so little money.
The food is excellent. Arturo had dinner reservations for us already booked months in advance, which meant we were able to sample the best of Peru’s cuisine.
The drinks were lovely and I fell in love with pisco sours.
Dogs live their best lives in Peru. Dogs are all over, they are loved, and they happily live free. You can tell they have buddies and packs, they have favorite spots to meet humans and grab snacks, and they just seemed to have a joy about them. While they may not have human owners, this doesn’t stop them from having a very happy life.
Arequipa and the surrounding area stole my heart. I loved the culture, the kind people, and they beauty. I thought it was so much nicer than visiting a tourist heavy area like Cusco.
Little places could offer big amounts of happiness. Right outside our Arequipa hotel was a little restaurant called 12 Monjas. The staff was great, the food was delicious, and the drinks to die for. The staff noticed we were coming daily and they made every effort to accommodate us no matter how busy they were.
Visiting Peru, and in particular the rural areas, requires some flexibility. You have to remember that Peru is a much poorer country than the USA. Little things are just not available, and when in the country, you have to be prepared for things like no electricity, no air conditioning, and no toilet paper at public restrooms.
Alpaca is on the menu at virtually every restaurant. I mentally could not eat it so I had to be very careful about what I ordered. My rule is this: if you kiss me when you see me, I cannot eat your kind. My alpacas are like my pets. They want to be loved, hugged, and kissed. You cannot eat something you love, so no alpaca meat for me.
Peruvians make do with what they have and this was very evident in the buildings and the materials used.
Peruvians don’t have a lot, but they are happy. Unlike the USA where everyone seems to be chasing the acquisition of more and more stuff, the Peruvians don’t have a lot of stuff and they don’t need a lot. They are happy with what they have and they don’t need more. I kept thinking we Americans could learn a lot from this part of their culture.
Locations like Arequipa are a mix of contradictory elements. In one area it is growing rapidly and modern conveniences are all around, yet a few blocks away it looked like a third world country struggling with poverty. I was fascinated by this variation.
Peruvians love their potatoes and have endless varieties and recipes. I love potatoes so this made me and my stomach very happy. And I now know why Peruvian dolls may come with the dolls holding onto potatoes.
Minerals were plentiful and you can tell they play a major part within the economy.
Early settlers were very smart people. They used the little tools they had to create amazing ecosystems of terraces, micro habitats, and grazing areas to support the animals and humans while also protecting the land.
Craftsmanship is a core part of their culture. While at the Michell mills you could see the multigenerational influence of learning a craft and using it to create the best product possible. There is a reason why so many alpaca products in America come from Peru. Peru is the only place where machinery, expertise, and pride can combine together to create amazing alpaca products.
Not everything is as it seems. As I would walk through alpaca stores in the city centers I would be told items were 100% alpaca and baby alpaca, though I knew differently since I manufacturer my own alpaca products. I know 100% alpaca and baby alpaca by feel, so I could tell when there were fake goods. And there were a lot of fake goods. This why I am so cautious now when importing anything from Peru and it is why I will only purchase from artisans and mills that I know and trust.
You need to keep your mind open as you explore the region. I wasn’t excited about visiting the condors, but I changed my mind when I had a massive baby condor within feet of me. They were unreal. When we visited the Condor Crossing, we saw at least twenty-five condors flying high and low for us. It was as if they were providing a show. Then a baby decided to sit down close by us to just sit and stare at the humans, which was beyond cool. Nature is truly amazing.
Altitude sickness is no joke. We went from less than 1,000 feet in Michigan to 16,000 in Peru. It was an adjustment. Totally doable, but you have to give your body the grace of time to adapt.
The higher altitude makes your body burn calories faster. This allowed me to eat and drink my way through Peru without having to worry about my blood sugar.
The roads in the country are narrow, they wrap around mountains, they are close to high cliffs, and yet I wasn’t stressed at all. This is not my personality. If this would have been in the USA, I would have been terrified. There is a different vibe here and you could tell the drivers were professionals, they were well aware of their surroundings, and they knew how to keep everyone safe.

Some of My Favorite Photos of the Fiesta

Video of the Alpaca Fiesta

Favorite Candid Photos of Our Peru Trip

Favorite Photos of Machu Picchu

Proper Planning Makes a Difference

When we were planning for our trip, I kept a running list of things to pack in my phone. My husband thought I was over the top, and he is usually accurate in assuming my type A personality was being over prepared. In this case he was wrong. We used almost everything I brought, and we shared items with our travel buddies.

Here are things I brought that I would encourage you to also pack:

Suntan lotion – You are much closer to the sun, and you burn a lot easier than you would in the states.
Bug spray – The bugs at Arequipa’s Alpaca Fiesta were horrible. And just like in the USA, the bugs loved me. Even with strong bug spray on, the bugs wanted to carry me away. I had to leave certain areas to keep myself from turning into one giant bug bite.
Breakfast bars – These came in very handy while trekking up at Machu Picchu. Once we reached the top of our climb we were tired and managing through the heat and altitude. I ate a bar and handed them out to others to eat.
Wet wipes – Hotels didn’t have wash clothes, so if you wear make up, the wet wipes are needed.
Tissues – These were very helpful for the rural toilets that didn’t offer toilet paper.
Hand sanitizer – The same bathrooms without toilet paper would also be without soap. Hand sanitizer became my best friend. My immune system is compromised, so for me it was necessary.
Shampoo and conditioner – Many hotels didn’t offer conditioner and my long hair started to become a tangled mess. I was starting to look like Roseanne Roseannadanna.
220v converters – Some hotels had 110v, but most did not. My phone and my diabetes equipment both needed to charge each night, so plug usage was important. While my converted wasn’t the best, it took good care of me.
Swimsuit – This allowed us to take advantage of the mineral hot springs. It was such a cool experience and one I’m thankful I got to experience.
Cipro – This antibiotic was helpful when I mistakenly had ice at the airport and started to have stomach issues. I quickly started dosing the Cipro so I could stop the impact of my error.
IMODIUM® A-D – Like Cipro, I needed this and it helped control “things” while the Cipro kicked in.
Crossbody purse – This special travel purse made it easy to keep cash, passports, cell phones, and other items safe while out and about. Peru has a law that you need to keep your passport with you at all times, so tiny purses were not an option.
Travel insurance – I purchased a policy for travel insurance, medical insurance, and emergency evacuation. I knew this would be important should one of us get sick. And while you may say the chances are slim, I wasn’t willing to take those chances.

Since our agenda was full and we were moving with a group, there were no opportunities to stay in a hotel room sick. I was so thankful that we had antibiotics and IMODIUM ready when needed. Both of us needed it at one point or another. Take my advice and ask your doctor for medication before you go!

People Make the Trip

When looking back at the trip, I would have very few negative things to say. I loved Peru and everything about it.

The only real thing I did not like were the tourist. They were rude, messy, and many did not appreciate the land or the people. At Machu Picchu I was literally picking up tourist garbage and taking it with me in an effort to preserve the land. I could not get over the fact that the average tourist could not see that Machu Picchu is a World Wonder and it is sacred to the people of Peru.

While I think Peru would be special on any trip, I know our trip was a bit more special because of the people we were traveling with.

I mentioned already that Arturo and Monica were A+ hosts, but they were so much more than that. You could feel their love for the country and they created a magical experience for us.

Our new international friends added to the trip in many ways. We had a lot of fun being around European alpaca breeders. We were able to ask questions and learn more about how they raise alpacas and how run their businesses in Europe. And they were just good people.

My husband and I found ourselves spending more and more time with Babett and Wolfgang. This German couple stole our hearts like Peru did. Bobbitt was the sweetest woman who showed everything on her face and provided so many laughs for us. I instantly liked her. She was the perfect balance for the type A personality I possess. Wolfgang was like my extra husband who would keep an eye out for me, make sure I was hydrated, and that I was safe. I truly hope we have the opportunity to venture over to Europe to see these two again, experience their farm close up, and attend a European alpaca show.

It’s Time to Book Your Trip

If you are in the alpaca industry and you’re reading this, consider traveling to Peru with Arturo and Monica. Arturo does this trip once a year, but he has limited spots available, so you’ll need to plan early. At first his trip might seem pricy, but that is a false assumption. When you think through all that it includes, the price is very reasonable and well worth the money.

If you are not in the industry and you’re thinking of going, hire a travel agency to plan and execute this trip for you. This way you’ll be able to see the important aspects of Peru, but not get bogged down with the details.

My husband and I have already talked about going back. We saw so much, but know there is so much more to still be discovered.