Arequipa Travel Guide

When staying in Arequipa and you want to go to canyon colca, it might be better to book a room in Chivay for two nights. Then you can go to see the condors early in the morning (around 7) and afterwards you can continue the road to a next busstop where you can go all the way down into the canyon. Beware also that it takes at least 4 hours to make the way back up so I your still in it, wait for some local people to join then or make your way on a donkey. From chivay you can't take a direct bus to puno but you can take it partways and then jump on the one which comes from arequipa to save you some more hours. When it's full, for a few dollars you can have the place next to the driver which gives you some really marvellous views on the straight roads in front of you on the altiplano.

A visit to Juanita is an absolute MUST when you visit Arequipa! We stayed at Home Sweet Home, the lady who runs it is lovely and breakfast is great, but the atmosphere a bit hectic with people running in and out and the rooms are not really set back from the hecticness (maybe it was just my room.) Anyways, still reccomend Home Sweet Home regardless.

Only use licensed taxis. 2 of my friends got kidnapped by a taxi driver who took them to a place where 3 other men were waiting for them. They robbed them, beat them and molested them for 5 hours before they left them in the middle of the street with nothing! They were just trying to get to the airport and it was 7:30 in the morning.