Now that we are safely in Ecuador and thinking about all the wonderful things we want to explore here, it got me reminiscing about all the things we wanted to see in Peru before we left for our life changing trip.

Machu Picchu was always at the top of my bucket list and our whole family had the chance to see it. We got to explore Cusco, experience the culture, taste the delicious food and visit amazing places like Lake Titicaca and Nazca; however I can still recall the excitement before we left to go on our trip.

I remember counting down the days to our big adventure.

I remember doing Google searches with the kids to find pictures of parks in Peru so they could share in some of the excitement.

I remember looking at the pictures of the Nazca Lines, the historic city of Cusco and the Uros Islands, dreaming off what lie ahead in our future.

And the best part, all of this happened and much more besides.

But of course, it's not just me who generates a high level of anticipation before a big trip.

Chatting with Adonis from Always Wanderlust, he kindly shared his reasons for why he wants to visit Peru. And even more exciting, he is due to visit following his upcoming Argentina and Chile trip. You can join along in his adventures here.

I want to visit Peru because of rich history spanning thousands of years.  I’ve always been fascinated by the ancient Inca ruins, the mysteries surrounding them, and the people that built them.  There are some that are seemingly built by methods so advanced for its time that some consider the technology be extraterrestrial in origin!  The Nazca lines, for example, they appear to be designed to be seen in the sky and airplanes wouldn’t even exist for another thousand years.

Aside from the sights, there’s the Peruvian cuisine I want to indulge in.  I’m into spicy and heavy food.  I’ve tried dishes like Peruvian Rotisserie chicken and Ceviche in restaurants, but I want to try other dishes that you can only find in Peru. 

I also want to immerse in the culture.  Many Peruvians have direct ties to their ancestors, the Inca.  Seeing how they live and sharing experiences with them would make an awesome experience.

​Simone from The Aussie Flashpacker had the chance to visit Peru and like me, Machu Picchu was also at the top of her bucket list. Here are here personal reasons for wanting to visit Peru (you can check out her Facebook page for more exciting adventures). 

Hiking the Inca Trail and visiting Machu Picchu has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. I have memories of gazing in awe at pictures of the magnificent ruins in the jungle in Peru from when I was a child. Studying Incan and Mayan art and architecture in my High School Art classes only intensified this dream.

Health and fitness became a huge part of my life in the year or two leading up to my South American trip and despite being at my fittest I had ever been, it was still incredibly tough hiking at altitude along the Inca Trail. This made the reward at the end once we reached Machu Picchu even sweeter because we truly felt we had earned the right to be there (through plenty of blood, sweat & tears)!

The three months in spent in South America were some of the favourites from my travels, with the highlight being our time in Peru. It is such a beautiful, unique country with a wonderful culture and the friendliest of people. I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting.