Reaching the abandoned Incan city of Machu Picchu in Peru is best achieved by walking the famed Inca Trail. Photo / 123rf
Reaching the abandoned Incan city of Machu Picchu in Peru is best achieved by walking the famed Inca Trail. Photo / 123rf
Discover a famed Incan city and one of the planet's wildlife hotspots on a virtual journey to two South American countries framed by the Andes and the Pacific Ocean.
Where to go in Ecuador and Peru
Bucket list destinations include the incredible wildlife diversity of Ecuador's Galapagos Islands – exploringthe archipelago on a boat is recommended versus doing day trips from the main island of Santa Cruz – while reaching the abandoned Incan city of Machu Picchu in Peru is best achieved by walking the famed Inca Trail, or riding on the Hiram Bingham, a luxury train linking Cusco to the mountaintop site. City breaks to explore include Lima for innovative Peruvian dining at Virgilio Martínez's world-leading Central restaurant, and the colonial old town of Quito, Ecuador's capital city set at an altitude of 2850m. Down at sea level, raffish Guayaquil is the usual departure point for flights to the Galapagos, and is also developing a reputation as a South American foodie hotspot.
Bucket list destinations include the incredible wildlife diversity of Ecuador's Galapagos Islands. Photo / Brett Atkinson
for Street View-style exploration of the Inca Trail, and detailed highlights of the Machu Picchu Museum.
Available on Apple TV, episode seven of the Long Way Up sees Scottish actor Ewan McGregor and his motorcycling sidekick Charley Boorman visit Machu Picchu, while in episode eight they learn about the Panama hat-making scene north across the border in Ecuador. After a few hours negotiating one of Harley-Davidson's new Livewire bikes through the mountains, descend to sea level and discover Peru's diverse food scene on Netflix. Episode six of series three of Chef's Table on Netflix follows Lima chef Virgilio Martínez as he explores the country, while classic Peruvian dishes like ceviche and anticuhos (grilled skewers) are showcased in episode four of Netflix's Street Food: Latin America. To see what the world's most profane Scottish chef makes of Peruvian cuisine, watch episode one of series one of Gordon Ramsay Uncharted on Disney+
City breaks in Lima reward visitors with history, striking architecture and innovative Peruvian dining. Photo / 123rf
What to read about Ecuador and Peru
Following a journey to uncover the origins of Ecuador's hat-making industry,
The Panama Hat Trail
(1986) by Tom Miller is a classic travel book diving deep into the country's Andean and Amazonian regions. For a different angle on the Galapagos Islands, read
The Galapagos Affair
(1983), by John Treherne, the stranger than fiction true story of utopia-seeking settlers to the remote northern Pacific archipelago during the 1930s. The bizarre tale combining spurned lovers, alleged murders and a quirky German Baroness is also the subject of the documentary,
, (2013), available on DVD from Wellington's Aro Video.
For travel books exploring Peru, check out Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time (2012) by Mark Adams, and the Amazonian adventures of Mother of God: An Extraordinary Journey Into the Uncharted (2014) by Paul Rosalie.
What to eat to experience Ecuador and Peru
Roasted guinea pig – known in Spanish as cuy, apparently for the squeaking sound they make – is a popular celebratory meal in South America's Andean countries, and while Google does reveal some online recipes, in New Zealand you're probably better off focusing on a few other dishes.
Ceviche - raw seafood cured in lime juice and coconut milk - is zingy and refreshing, while traditional anticuchos, grilled skewers marinated in chilli, cumin and garlic, are easy to recreate on the barbecue. In Auckland, Madame George along Karangahape Rd has the city's best ceviche and also serves up excellent anticuhos with scallops. Besos Latinos in Auckland's Wynyard Corner have a special ceviche bar serving four different versions of the classic dish, while Inca at Westfield Newmarket serves ceviche, tiradito and other shared dishes influenced by South American street food.
For a taste of Lima's Nikkei cuisine, a unique hybrid of Japanese and Peruvian flavours, try Madame George's sashimi-like tiradito, or head along to Azabu's two Auckland locations in Ponsonby and Mission Bay. Madame George, Besos Latinos and Azabu are all offering contactless takeaway dining under level 3.
Pisco, the national drink of both Ecuador and Peru, is most popular served as a pisco sour. Photo / 123rf
What to drink
A clear brandy made from grapes, pisco is the national drink of both Ecuador and Peru. The popular Peruvian brand Casa Lapostolle is available at Auckland's Glengarry Wines, while Regional Wines & Spirits in Wellington has a wider range including pisco made on Chile's Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Like Italian grappa or French eau de vie, pisco can enjoyed as a digestif at the end of the meal, but it's most popular blended with bitters, lemon juice and an egg white as a pisco sour. Madame George serves up classic pisco sours as well as other cocktails harnessing the popular South American spirit.
