EASTside Magazine’s Travel Editors Top Bucket List Destinations: 2023 Edition
Peru – All of it!
Though the most enticing places to visit for avid travelers are typically off the well-worn path, I am going to jump right on the tourist bandwagon with this one and say that Machu Picchu tops my list. As an UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of the World, it’s no surprise this fortress in the clouds is the number one tourist attraction in South America. You don’t have to be a history buff or a llama to appreciate the panoramic views that anchor this well- preserved Incan masterpiece uniquely situated above rolling greens and rocky peaks.
Next stop on the tourist train is Rainbow Mountain. Just a day trip from Cusco lies a colorful land, barren of trees. A hike up Rainbow Mountain yields a view true to its name, and those who’ve been say there is nothing quite like it. As tourists stumble upon Huacachina, they may have flashbacks of a movie scene as their parched mouths start to water. Huacachina is a mini tropical gem in the middle of shifting white sands, which houses an oasis in its beautiful city center. Though this popup lake is sandwiched in greenery, this tiny town is suited for visitors wanting to try their hand at sandboarding.
No trip to Peru is complete without a stop in its coastal capital city. Lima is a patchwork quilt seaming together old and new. Stitched within its fabric are elegant colonial remnants abutting modern skyscrapers and mouthwatering coastal cuisine heavily influenced by both its native land and sea and its Japanese migrants. But let’s face it. We’re not here for the salt and pepper architecture; it’s all about the South American ceviche and the Pico Sours that will leave visitors craving more of Peru long after vacation is over.
By Ashley Bowling
