What started with one New Zealander taking a few people on a bus tour through Europe is now – 50 years later! – a seriously well organised travel machine exploring not just Europe, but also Asia, North America, Australia, New Zealand, Egypt and Mexico.

Contiki have just launched six new tours through South American too, and in honour of that I was invited to experience Peru, Argentina and Brazil with them earlier this year.

I'd never been to Latin America before, nor had I journeyed with Contiki, so this offer was both exciting and intriguing (and one that I enthusiastically replied "Yes!" to as quickly as possible).

Over the trip's 10 days I walked through the Sacred Valley at sunset, climbed Machu Picchu at sunrise, attempted to salsa in Cusco and tango in Buenos Aires, rode a horse, petted an alpaca and ate guinea pig. It was, without a doubt, the most amazing adventure I've ever been on.

Below is a quick look at what I saw on my travels, and in the gallery above there are some of my photos from the trip.

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Day 1: Planes, trains and automobiles (but mostly planes)
Bags packed and passport stealthily concealed on my person, I flew from Melbourne to Auckland to Santiago, and finally, some 30+ hours later I arrived in Lima. I was picked up, along with my fellow Australian cohort, and taken to Hotel Girasoles, Room 104.


A little welcome to Lima snack.

Day 2: Ceviche
After a slightly confused sleep, I embarked on a bus tour journeying all around Lima, seeing sights and taking photos. For lunch, we ate a buffet that included the tastiest ceviche (raw fish) I've ever had and, in a separate and confusingly tasty dish, what may have been (it was) congealed blood. To wash that down, I had my first ever taste of Inka Cola, which is as bright as it is delightful (very). Later we visited a museum, and a town square, and then went out for a celebratory drink to a bar that played everything from Rihanna to Queen and served various miscellaneous cocktails. It was off to a very good start.

Day 3: Hips don't lie
Back to the airport at 9am to board a plane to Cusco. This is all I knew of Cusco:



As it happens, Cusco is 3700 metres above sea level (to put that into perspective, Sydney is only 185 meters above sea level) and at those dizzying heights it's pretty easy to get altitude sickness so H20 is very, very importante! I think I drank about four litres that day, which is about 3.8 more than I would usually. Once there, we headed to the Andes where walked up, down and all around the Sacred Valley, being reborn along the way. There was a man playing pan-pipes to soundtrack our walk, and we watched the sun set as we climbed down the steps. It was immense and vast and spectacular to say the least. The Sacred Valley is believed to be the heartland of the ancient Inca Empire, and has been a key agricultural area since as early as the 12th century. It's a really special place to visit.


That's a lot of steps.

That night we stayed at La Casona de Yucay which was incredible. A family owned and run Colonial Home built in 1810, which had huge grounds and beautiful rooms. When we arrived our dinner was being cooked in the ground –  a traditional way to prepare the meal referred to as 'Pachamanca' – cooked in Pachamama, or as we know her, Mother Earth. (Pro tip: when in Peru, show some respect for the goddess Pachamama by spilling a bit of your beer on her. It shows you care.)

After dinner we were assembled together in a field, under the stars and were introduced (via a translator) to three Shaman from the Peruvian mountains. Three actual Shaman! They performed a blessing for each of us with flowers and flower water and other magical things and it was very spiritual and very amazing. I nearly cried because it was also very emotional. The moral of the story? We are all brothers and sister under Mother Earth! *group hug*

Also, it was on this night that I heard Shakira's 'Hips Don't Lie' played on the pan-pipes for the first time, which was as dazzling as I'm sure you can imagine (very).

Day 4: Inkalicious
With calves sore from the Sacred Valley hike, we awoke to find a beautifully sunny day and blue skies. We ate breakfast outside, looking out on to incredible mountain vistas. Yep, vistas! The group then split, some choosing to go water-rafting (not I) on the Urubamba River, others horse riding (giddy up!) just north of the city. I jumped on a horse named Bronco and clip-clopped through the town, it was incredible.

We ate lunch at a place called 'Inkalicious', which was in fact quite delicious, before boarding a bus, then a train (which was not dissimilar to the Hogwarts Express) up the mountain to get to Machu Picchu Pueblo, the town at the base of the ruins. To settle in we paid a visit to the nearby hot springs, which unfortunately, were more like a smelly sulfur bath than the idyllic scene I had envisaged, so we returned to the hotel to prep for dinner at the renowned Toto House.

I later threw up, but that had a lot more to do with altitude sickness than anything that happened at Toto House.

Day 5: Magic and energy
The day had finally arrived. We set our alarms for a 4.30am start to be some of the first to enter Machu Picchu or 'The Lost City of the Incas' that day. And it. Was. Amazing. It's difficult to articulate exactly how incredible it really is, but know this: I'm not really one to get all otherworldly, but that place has ENERGY. Built in the 15th century at the height of the Inca Empire, it is architecturally phenomenal and completely stunning. We hiked up to the Sun Gate and hiked down with a new found respect for the Inca people, we continued to toured the ruins with our loveable and exceptionally knowledgeable tour leader Gaby (did you know tour guides study for five years to take people up Machu Picchu? Truth.), felt the energy from the sacred rock, learned about pumas and condors and architecture and astronomy and numerology and it was the most magical place I have ever been to. Go there.


Machu Picchu magic. I still can't believe I was there.

Back down the mountain we caught a train to Ollantaytambo and then a bus to Cusco where we checked into a new hotel. Zzzz.

Day 6: Pisco sour
Today was our Cusco city tour. We walked through narrow city streets, with Gaby at the helm to point out important architectural and cultural matters. We visited cathedrals, temples, and even the shrine to Patron Saint Antonio of Single People. (Fun fact: while there, if you write down the name of your crush and throw it at him, rumour has it he will grant it.) We learned about the Spanish conquest, and the way in which stars, lightning, rainbows, the sun, moon and milky way play an important part in Peruvian culture. (I also discovered that what appears to be Pride flags flying everywhere, are not actually Pride flags flying everywhere.)

Lunch was cuy. Cuy is guinea pig. Guinea pig is a treat in Peru (not a pet) and is surprisingly also quite delicious. Then we wandered through the food and artisan markets, which were bright and filled with excellent fresh produce and handicrafts.

Dinner involved quinoa, alpaca, potatoes, and salads, then we were treated to a post-dinner dance from men and women in traditional garb and (mildly terrifying) masks. After all the festivities, we moved onto a club that had salsa lessons, a lot of flashing lights and, perhaps curiously also housed a kitten. Pisco sours for everyone.

Day 7: Inclement weather
Woke up at 4am. Took a bus to the airport at 6:30am. Had our flights cancelled at 7:30am. As we passed the time drinking coffee and using Starbucks free WiFi, Contiki tried to get us on another flight, but it wasn't to be. Flights to Lima were few and far between and the inclement weather meant that we'd now be skipping Brazil and Iguazu Falls entirely. But what can you do? Just fly straight to Buenos Aires? OK, sure. But not until tomorrow, so until then, it was back to Lima and to a new hotel for the night. After a long day of sitting tight, we showered, bought beer and sat on the rooftop until late discussing our many feelings.

Day 8: The best pizza ever
Another early start and a bus to the airport, this time around we got to hang about in the VIP lounge (I made the most of the free orange juice, toast and WiFi, don't you worry) before finally boarding our plane. I let my inner child watch Ratatouille, then let the adult in me have a little sleep. Once off the plane we excitedly exchanged some Pesos and high-fived for Argentina! Not only were we staying in a great hotel, but it so happens that Buenos Aires has the best pizza ever. Not even kidding. It was so cheesy and so, so good. But what Argentina is really famous for is its red wine and juicy steaks, so naturally we went to an amazing local restaurant that took part in just that. Wine was by the bottle, and there were three men standing behind a huge barbeque cooking every meat know to Pachamama. All you had to do was point to the meat that you wanted and hope for the best. It was a good day.

Day 9: Don't cry for me, Argentina
Our tour through the very cosmopolitan city of Buenos Aires showed us the Obelisk, colonial mansions, Evita's tomb, and a tango photo booth that I took full advantage of (a picture of which is in the gallery above) before it was time to fend for ourselves. Having become addicted after yesterday's Best Pizza Ever, we tried to recreate the magic, but it wasn't to be. Still, any ol' slice, a glass of wine and some WiFi are always welcomed. That night we were taken to a tango club where we saw a show, had dinner, took a tango lesson and even received a certificate for our efforts. Straight to the pool room, for that one. It was a great night, but if I can offer one bit of advice it would be this: never order fish in a tango club.


RIP Evita.
Day 10: Homeward bound
And that's a wrap. All packed up we said our goodbyes to all our new friends and hopped in a cab to the airport for the long (albeit much shorter than the journey there) trip home. I found myself in a car with a pseudo-Rasta driver who drove very fast, sung badly and gave me an overwhelming sense of fear, but he got us there early!

As I walked through queue after customs queue all I could do was think about all the fun things, amazing things, and once in a lifetime things that I'd been able to experience in the past week.


Clouds for days.

Previously I'd dismissed Contiki as something that wasn't for me, but I was so wrong. The reality was that there's a lot more that happens on tour than just getting drunk and travelling around on a bus. Each day the itinerary was well-curated and excellently organised with a healthy mix of sightseeing, free time, arts, and adventure. Contiki knew where to stay, where to play and how to get enough culture in ya to suitably impress your friends once you got back home. I honestly can't recommend it enough. It was, with out a doubt, the best adventure I've ever been on and I can't wait to get back there because Latin America is where's it's at.


I'd like to send a very big thank you to Rae White, Vy Truong, Brent Imhof, Alexis Sitaropoulos, and Gaby for taking me on such an incredible, once in a lifetime adventure.

For more details about Contiki holidays, visit their website.