Karikuy

Located 25 minutes of the coast of Pisco, Peru; the Islas Ballestas also known as the Galapagos of Peru or the Poor Mans Galapagos is a small group of islands teeming with marine life. On the tour of the islands you can expect to see seals and sea lions as well as the Peruvian Pelican, Humboldt Penguins and the Blue Footed Booby.The best time to visit the Islands is in the morning when th waters are more tranquil surrounding the Islands. The Islas Ballestas are one of several looked over locations in Peru as tourists flock to Machu Picchu and the Jungle.For tours of the Islas Ballestas and others throughout Peru visit http://www.karikuy.org. We offer tours starting at $499.

http://www.karikuy.org Caral, one of the oldest cities in America dating back to 3,000 BC. This rarely visited site has the infrastructure and beauty to equal some of the other archeological sites in South America, however due to its route away from Cusco and Machu Picchu it is unfortunately ignored. Karikuy took some of our volunteer on a weekend trip to visit these ruins and more. In this clip volunteers Jenny Sherman and Josh Lowe check out the site of Caral from a lookout point across from the ruins. For tours including Caral and others throughout Peru visit http://www.karikuy.org. We now offer tour packages starting at $299.

http://www.karikuy.org On weekends in Peru, crowds gather together at Coliseos to watch groups of dressed up men and women perform their provincial traditional dances. Huayno music is played as the various groups compete for the crowds that cheer and dance for their favorite groups. On this particular Sunday our volunteer Josh Lowe attended one of these colorful dances and shot some video for you all. The competition was attended by over 1,000 people a couple blocks away from the Karikuy Bed & Breakfast. For tours including Lima and others throughout Peru visit http://www.karikuy.org. We now offer tour packages starting at $299.

http://www.karikuy.org Backpacking throughout Peru offers the opportunity to meet new people and see incredible sights. However some locales are a bit off the beaten path and that presents itself with plenty of downtime while waiting for transportation. in this clip we construct a little paper boat and set it sailing across the wild streams of Supe. Just one of the small things that makes traveling around the world so fun and makes you feel younger. Poor little paper boat. For tours including Supe, Caral and others throughout Peru visit http://www.karikuy.org. We now offer tour packages starting at $299.

http://www.karikuy.org Holy week in Peru is celebrated by the majority of Peruvians and is considered a National holiday. The 4 day weekend is full of church services and processions. It is a customary traditions for Christians to visit 7 churches on Good Friday. The festivities culminate on Easter Sunday as the saints from all churches are paraded through the streets in large processions. The origin of the devotion for the crucified Christ of Luren (Señor de Luren), patron of the city of Ica (300 km south of Lima), dates back to 1570, when the image was mysteriously lost in the desert during a trip from Lima to Ica, before reappearing in a desolate outpost called Luren. Later, Nicolás de Ribera the Elder, Lima's first mayor, had a small church built in this spot as well as a hospital for highland Indians. Today, the modern church, built in a Romanticist style, houses the carved wooden image of the dying Christ, as well as those of the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene. In this video the Christ is led through the streets of Ica on Easter Sunday. For tours including Ica and others throughout Peru visit http://www.karikuy.org. We now offer tour packages starting at $299!

http://www.karikuy.org On Saturdays music fills the streets in Lima as neighborhoods organize block parties and festivals. During the day a pollada is common where delicious "Pollo a la Braza" is sold to help fund the cause or go towards the next block party. At night the entertainment begins as live bands are contracted to play anything from Salsa, Merengue, Chicha, Rock & traditional Huayno. Chicha is a subgenre of cumbia, and it is very popular with the lower social classes. Peruvian cumbia started in the 1960s, higher classes generally view the music with contempt, though this subgenre is starting to become accepted among them, which is a sign of its increasing popularity. For tours including Lima and others throughout Peru visit http://www.karikuy.org. We offer tour packages starting at $499.

http://www.karikuy.org An hour north of Caraz there is a stretch of gravel highway that takes you through the incredible Cañon de Pato ( Duck Canyon ). Here the Cordillera Negra ( black mountains ) and Cordillera Blanca ( white mountains ) begin to merge into one another. At one point both mountain ranges are only meters apart, while the travelers are caught in the middle of this geological phenomenon. Running through the Canyon is the river Santa that makes its way to the coast near Chimbote. This river flows through the canyon with a tremendous force with unnavigable rapids crushing anything caught in their way. For tours including Cañon de Pato and others throughout Peru visit http://www.karikuy.org. We offer tour packages starting at $499.

http://www.karikuy.org Caraz with its mountainous backdrops and tranquil nature is a pleasant town to spend your time in while taking in the Cordillera Blanca. Caraz is a great alternative if you wish to avoid the touristy Huaraz. From Here you can choose to visit Lake Llaganuco or Yungay as well as head north to El Cañon del Pato (duck canyon) and beyond to Chimbote on the coast It is also from Caraz that you can access mountain climbing trails such as the Llaganuco to Santa Cruz trek and the famous mountain; Alpamayo, said to be the most beautiful mountain on Earth. For tours including Caraz and others throughout Peru visit http://www.karikuy.org. We offer tour packages starting at $499.

http://www.karikuy.org Combis, are a small van retrofitted to hold as many passengers as possible. It's not the safest way to travel in Peru but certainly the cheapest and fastest. In this clip Julio speeds down a hill while riding to Caraz through the Callejon de Huaylas during his Tariy '09 travels. Read about his Tariy adventures at http://www.karikuy.org/blog . For tours including Caraz and others throughout Peru visit http://www.karikuy.org. We offer tour packages starting at $499.

http://www.karikuy.org Caral is one of the most ancient cities of the America's and possibly of the entire world, and is a well-studied site of the Norte Chico civilization. As more of the city's secrets are uncovered, archaeologists at the ruins are pressing to make it one of Peru's top tourist attractions. Caral was inhabited between roughly 2600 BCE and 2000 BCE, enclosing an area of 66 hectares. Caral was described by its excavators as the oldest urban center in the Americas, a claim that was later challenged as other ancient sites were found nearby. In this video Julio climbs up the nearby mountain to get a better view of the site. To read more about Caral and the Backpacker Tariy Series visit http://www.karikuy.org/blog . For tours of Caral and others throughout Peru visit http://www.karikuy.org. We offer tour packages starting at $499.

http://www.karikuy.org The Callán Pass is the route taken between Casma and Huaraz. It's one of those off the beaten track routes that shouldn't be missed, very scenic and exhilarating. The route is made up of a primarily dirt road that climbs to altitudes of 4,622 meters or 13,866 ft above sea level. The trip concludes with a breathtaking view of the Cordillera Blanca (The White Mountains) of the Andes. Best time of year to make this journey is from May to September, for clear skies and no precipitation. You can read more about the Callán pass by reading the Tariy 2009 series at http://www.karikuy/blog For tours of Huaraz and others throughout Peru visit http://www.karikuy.org. We offer tour packages starting at $499.

http://www.karikuy.org In this clip Julio runs at full speed down the slopes of the Mountains overlooking Casma with his Nieces. Read the fulls story at http://www.karikuy.org/blog . Besides being a charming little town tucked in a fertile valley surrounded by desert, Casma is also the place to stay if you plan on visiting the Sechin ruins nearby. Recent discoveries at Sechin have revealed it to be the most important archeological site in the Americas, The Egypt of this hemisphere. Here lies proof in temples recently discovered that Sechin is in fact the oldest civilization in the Americas dating back to 5000 BC. For tours of Sechin and others throughout Peru visit http://www.karikuy.org. We offer tour packages starting at $499.

http://www.karikuy.org Located 25 minutes of the coast of Pisco, Peru; the Islas Ballestas also known as the Galapagos of Peru or the Poor Mans Galapagos is a small group of islands teeming with marine life. On the tour of the islands you can expect to see seals and sea lions as well as the Peruvian Pelican, Humboldt Penguins and the Blue Footed Booby. The best time to visit the Islands is in the morning when th waters are more tranquil surrounding the Islands. The Islas Ballestas are one of several looked over locations in Peru as tourists flock to Machu Picchu and the Jungle. For tours of the Islas Ballestas and others throughout Peru visit http://www.karikuy.org. We offer tours starting at $499.

http://www.karikuy.org Machu Picchu opens at 6am in the morning and is the best time to visit the ruins. Karikuy is one of the few tour companies that includes sunrise tours of the ruins, so if you are going to visit Machu Picchu demand a sunrise tour or book through us. Machu Picchu fills with tourists from 10am to 3pm on a daily basis, therefore the best time to go is in the morning. As you can see in this video there are allready quite a few people at the site. The morning is also the most spectacular time to go as you catch the sun rise over the Sun Gate on the opposite side of the mountain. The rays burn off the clouds as a majestic Machu Picchu is revealed before your eyes! For tours of Machu Picchu and others throughout Peru visit http://www.karikuy.org. We offer tours starting at $499.

http://www.karikuy.org Beyond the Huacachina Oasis lies the great desert of Hucachina and Ica. Some of the worlds largest sand dunes can be found here. Buggy tours from the Huacachina Oasis can be arranged, these tours allow you zip up and down the dunes experiencing roller coaster like adrenaline. Sandboarding is also extremely popular in this area. This new sport similar to Snowboarding has you climb the highest dunes only to plummet down them at full speed. For tours of Huacachina and others throughout Peru visit http://www.karikuy.org. We offer tours starting at $499