Gregory and Marthese, a young couple from Malta, had originally planned to visit Southern Peru, but the political unrest of late 2022 made them switch to a 10-day trip exploring the coastal cities of Trujillo, Chiclayo and Piura … with an emphasis on the rich Moche, Sican and Chimu archaeology of the area.

Here is their feedback:

“The northern part of Peru has a lot to offer and is very rich culturally, historically and in terms of nature.

There are many pre Inka remains that are well preserved and others still in excavation process. The cities all have their distinct histories and cultural background.

We feel lucky to have been able to visit and explore this wonderful part of Peru.

• What were your favourite cultural destinations in the itinerary? 

It's difficult to choose as all destinations were of interest to us and very enjoyable. 

• What were your favourite natural destinations in the itinerary? 

We didn't opt for natural destinations as such as part of our itinerary however the trip to the fishing village and beach in Pimentel was quite an experience.

• Who were your guides? How did they perform?

Napoleon and Mitzy. Both were amazing! Very friendly, courteous and always punctual.

They offered us great insight into the history, culture and also current affairs of Peru.

They are very good communicators in English. 

• Which was your favourite accommodation and why?

Casa Andina Standard Piura - the rooms are nice and comfortable. The staff were very friendly and helpful.

They even noticed that it was my birthday on the day of departure and ensured that it started off memorably by surprising us by singing happy birthday in English and Spanish whilst delivering a custom made cake to our table.

Food was delicious, service was impeccable.

• Which was your favourite restaurant / dish / drink? Did you lose or gain weight over the course of the holiday!?

No favorite restaurant, we would have preferred to eat by the beach in Pimentel to try out the fresh fish and sea food.

All food in Peru was amazing, including pisco and ceviche.

Weight remained the same as we ate quite a bit but walked a lot as well.

• What forms of transport did you use? Pros/cons?

Taxis & assigned taxi & minibus.

Larger cars are ideal when carrying a big bag and backpack as they barely fit in the luggage boot of an average car.

• Did your itinerary involve any hiking? How would you rate it in terms of difficulty? 

No hiking except for the climb up the hill and accross the complex in Tucume on a very sunny and hot day. 

• What was the most pointless item in your luggage!?

Winter clothing that we had planned on using if we went south according to our original plan. 

• What were your favourite natural encounters?

The farm animals, blue lizard and various birds we encountered in Tucume 

• Did you suffer any insect bites? Other physical discomforts? 

We always used DDTs spray.

We recommend sun protection as we became slightly sun burnt at the beginning.

• Did you have much interaction with locals? Where and how did this occur? 

We met some locals in the shops, markets and restaurants. 

• Did you feel your money was going to local businesses and people? 

We hope so and it felt like it did. 

• Were you given any information regarding sustainability during the course of your trip (e.g. talks on environmental issues from guides)? 

Yes we debated quite a few issues with both guides covering cultural and historical tourism and sustainability, as well as the development of the agrarian sector and management thereof.