As the wanderlust & travel addicts that we are, we’re constantly looking for exciting countries to visit, new cultures to immerse ourselves into & a fascinating experience like no other. Thus, we were more than happy to take the help of one of our favourite designers for some major #TravelInspo. The super-talented designer Marcia Kemp, of the accessory sensation Nannacay, gives us a little sneak peek into how to spend the perfect day in her favourite Peru (we won’t be surprised if we find you booking your trip ASAP), with the perfect Nannacay bag for each part of your trip.
Photo: Courtesy of Nannacay
One of my favourite places is Peru; a country of many colours and ancient rich culture. It was the heart of the Inca Empire and to this day is filled with mysterious places to visit. I recommend staying two days in Lima and then you can visit Cuzco – Machu Picchu , Lake Titicaca or Paracas . For those who don’t like altitude I would head to Paracas. It’s one of my favourite places to rest and not so well known by tourists.
When in Lima, you can go to nice restaurants and taste dazzling displays of creativity by Peruvian chefs. To name a few: lunch at El Mercado, a beachy cebicheria from Rafael Osterling, one of Lima’s original celebrity chefs. It is a fine place to spend the day with a extensive menu – sushi, sandwiches, and a very long list of ceviches and tiraditos. Maido, a great nikkei experience cuisine, where chef Mitsuharu Tsumura serves exquisite Japanese-Peruvian fusion food in a stylish modernist space. At Huaca Pucallana, you can enjoy your lunch while observing a 1,500-year-old adobe and clay pyramid, Antigua Taberna Queirolo (that exists since 1880 and is a traditional bar attached to a pisco bodega). Last but not least, Amaz restaurant for Amazonian cuisine – a chic spot below the Hilton Hotel where you can taste infusions of Amazonian herbs and wild touch food from jungle to classic Latin America dishes. My two favourite hotels are Hilton Miraflores and Belmond Miraflores Park.
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If you are short on time, in my opinion, there are 2 unmissable places to visit in Lima: The Museo Larco Herrera housed in a 1700 mansion surrounded by lush gardens and founded by archeologist Rafael Larco. Showcasing a collection focused on Peruvian art before the Spanish arrival, it has the most extensive collection of Peru silverware and gold items used by leaders of Pre-Colombian Peru. You’ll see crowns, clothing, masks, precious stones , rituals objects and erotic pottery from Moche people. The other place would be Mate Museum; set up by Peruvian fashion photographer Mario Testino in Barranco neighborhood known for its bohemian cool atmosphere.
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After staying two days in Lima, you can head to Paracas and stay at Hotel Paracas , a luxury resort and five star hotel near Pisco City and four hours from Lima. The hotel is surrounded by desert at Paracas Bay on the Pacific Coast and you can set sail to the Ballestas Islands to watch thousands of birds, sea lions and penguins. On the way there you’ll see the Paracas Candelabra, an amazing prehistoric geoglyph. Once there you can also charter a 30 minutes flight over the mysterious Pre Inca Nazca Lines, amazing ancient drawings of monkeys, spider, hummingbird and other forms drawn on the desert floor.
Near there you can also visit Ica town, famous for its production of wines and Pisco. The Paracas National Reserve is a marine protected area with home of the Pre Inca culture as well breathtaking landscapes. When there, my most enjoyable activity is going a fisherman house where they’ll make you an authentic Peruvian ceviche.
Photo: Courtesy of Nannacay
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