Speaker: Chris Borland

Company: Tucan Travel

Date: Friday 1st February

Time: 12.00pm

Location: Theatre 2

The Inca trail & Machu Picchu is the biggest tourist draw for the whole of Latin America. I have trekked the Inca Trail 12 times in all conditions so I consider myself somewhat of an authority on it. I will talk about the level of difficulty; the altitude; the ever-changing views in the mountains; the best time of the year to do it; dispel any myths; and paint a picture of its beauty and attraction.

Machu Picchu has recently been declared one of the new 7 wonders of the world. The awe-inspiring location and spiritual mystique is the main reason for this and it is something that photos and postcards can never truly capture.

There have been rumours for a few years now that UNESCO want to close the Inca Trail permanently to preserve it, which is why Peru is opening up new trails all the time. The Lares Valley Trek is slowly becoming the “new Inca Trail” and is generally regarded as the trendy alternative and even better option. This trek is still an Inca trail, created by the Inca people; the main difference is that this trek does not finish at Machu Picchu ruins. This does not mean Lares trekkers do not visit Machu Picchu, they do. They simply take public transport to the site.

The Choquequirao Trek is a new trek offered by Tucan Travel in our “Independent Travel” section. It is a 4 night/5 day trek, with the ancient citadel of Choquequirao – considered by many as the second Machu Picchu – being the main attraction.