The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, Peru

We will get to the packing lists and how to prepare blogs on the Inca Trail in good time, but for now I'm just going to tell you, without giving too much away, my experience of the Inca Trail.

You might be reading this because you're thinking of doing the Inca Trail, or just because you're interested in hearing about it, but here's the honest truth.

The Inca trail is hard

Waking up before 6am and walking for 5+ hours isn't many people's idea of a holiday, and it's hard work to get yourself up, prepared and motivated each morning. If you're coming from the UK you have jet lag on your side, so take my advice and keep waking up at 5am before you start the trail.

The Inca trail is longer than it sounds

26 miles does not seem long - its a 30 minute drive. People run marathons in a matter of hours! Wrong. You tackle these 26 miles at a fraction of the speed you might normally. The combination of altitude, incline, the bag on your back and the prospect of 4 more days of the same mean you need to pace yourself, and if that means going 2mph - so be it. Enjoy the scenery, stop to breathe it in, then carry on putting one foot in front of the other.

The Inca trail is beautiful

Possibly never again will you feel like or be, just a tiny speck of a person in the middle of enormous mountains and deep valleys. The wildlife, the flowers, and clouds even are all the motivation you will need and with every meter gained or lost, your whole environment will change. From clouds and rock to humidity and orchids; it's a beautiful trail.

The Inca trail is major bragging rights

Nothing will make you feel more smug than reaching the outskirts of Machu Picchu and hearing the day trippers coughing and spluttering over the few steps they've climbed to reach the perfect selfie spot. Like the marathon runners finishing alongside the 5k runners, you admire the fact they've made the trip, but there's something extraordinary about the physical and emotional journey you've been on.

The Inca trail is worth it

It's so worth it. The biggest fear I had on the Inca Trail was that once I reached the end, it would be an anticlimax. But on that morning, after the 3am wake up call, the queuing, and the final hike, reaching Machu Picchu and seeing it emerge from the clouds, as we emerged from the trail, it all came together. The challenges of the trail are worth it, and the journey is the destination.

Watch our story of the trail below.

Walking Dorset's Coast: Sandbanks to Middle Beach

Over the summer we will be walking the c.100 miles of Dorset coast in training for our 4 day hike in Peru. Keep track and find inspiration in our Walking Dorset's Coast series, covering routes, handy pubs and fuss-free camping.

Mark and I have both run the 7 miles of Bournemouth and Poole's sea front countless times, so we're giving these miles a miss in favour of more challenging spots, and after braving Hengistbury Head a few weeks ago we took on the sandy shores of Studland.

Parking in Sandbanks and taking the ferry (£1 per person from Sandbanks to Studland, free on the return journey) across the mouth of Poole Harbour to Studland, we walked 3 miles to Middle Beach; the end of the sandy road. From here the South West Coastal Path continues up along the Jurassic Coast.

Studland is famous for it's nudist beach, but I think you'd have to be pretty ballsy to brave the sea on any March day, let along in the nuddy! The craziest thing we saw was a handful of ultra runners competing in the Jurassic Coast Challenge. They were in the last few miles of a marathon, having done 2 marathons in the two days before. I was glad we were spreading our challenge out this time! Being able to walk at a conversational pace, hand in hand with Mark makes such a difference from the strain of running, where we're often miles apart.

With the 3 mile walk back and a chilly wind in our minds, we re-fuelled at the National Trust Knoll Beach Cafe with hot tea and sumptuous slices of cake whilst warming our nipped fingers and dusting the sand from our boots.

On the return leg, the tide started to come and I spotted these little jelly droplets in the sea floor's ripples. If anyone has any idea what they are please share!

By the end of the walk I was ready to put my feet up (6 miles on sand will do that) but felt the sun's effects on my cheeks and am already looking forward to tackling more challenging walks over the coming months. 

Sandbanks to Middle Beach Walking Route Map

My 2016 Travel Plans

My favourite part about the new year is planning our exciting adventures for the next 12 months. A fresh dose of annual leave and the blight of Christmas and MOT spending behind me sees me flicking through Traveller magazine for inspiration and scouring the web for deals. 

I like taking the time to reflect on the experiences and memories I've collected over the year, which for 2015 includes our first camping stay-cation, the bright lights of New York and the magic of the Marrakesh Medina. 

2015 has been an important year for us; back home after 6 months of whirlwind travelling, building a home and working on our careers. But now we've settled our souls and I'm chomping at the bit to plan the coming year, so much so I'm almost done already! 

So without further ado, here are some of my travel plans and dreams for 2016...

Barcelona

I'm kicking off the year with a cheeky January weekend away in Barcelona with my husband. I can think of nothing better than the colours of Park Guell and the rich flavours of paella to brush off the January blues. Barcelona was the first place I visited as a young traveller, when I was naive and broke so I'm looking forward to getting to know the city all over again!

Walking Dorset

Over the Spring months I'll be testing out my new Berghaus walking boots on the peaks and cliffs of the Dorset Jurassic Coast and South West Coastal Path. Walking will be a big change of pace from my regular running but I'm looking forward to the opportunity to take in the beautiful scenery and enjoy the gorgeous countryside I'm blessed to live among. 

Peru

All the walking will be excellent training for the biggest trip of my year; Peru! In September we will be jetting off to the dizzying heights of Cuzco to begin hiking the Inca Trail with Alpaca Expeditions. The Inca Trail and Machu Picchu have been on my list for as long as I've had one and I'm so excited to finally be on my way to South America. So much so I'm already brushing up on my Spanish!

Summer Holiday

If there's one thing that was missing from 2015 it was horizontal holidays. We both work very and like to play hard too, but every now and then everyone needs to take some time to laze under the sun with a cold drink and endless supply of books. I've been cautioned against booking or looking until after 25th December but I'm dreaming of a Grecian or Croatian escape, white washed buildings and the big blue sea.

Camping

Despite a fairly rough camping experience last summer, I'm determined to make the most of every available sunny Dorset weekend by packing up the car and checking into a campsite. The perfect excuse to combine Peru training with a monthly mini-holiday and all the excitement that goes with it! 

Well, that's 17 of my 22 days annual leave allocated and I haven't even booked Christmas yet, so be warned mid-week-weddings! 

I know that we are very lucky to be able to travel to much and so well, but believe me with careful planning and budgeting it's possible to make all your travel dreams a reality. 

What are your travel dreams for 2016?

Buen Viaje!

Dalat

27-30 March

We arrive in Dalat after 5pm, which is never ideal as it makes it so difficult to get your bearings. The journey into the mountains was slow but scenic, and not quite as scary as we had been told. On the way we pass a dam and a line of pipe which cuts through the forest lookimg like it's straight out of a bond movie.

Once in Dalat we check into our hotel (possibly the worst yet) and head into the town. Searching for somewhere nice to eat after a 5 hour journey, and having no idea where to go makes everything seem 10 times harder. We eventually find a cluster of places amongst the countless cafes and settle in.

We try to get some sleep through the inexplicable banging and crashing that goes on through the night.

In the morning we are ready to give Dalat a second chance, knowing places by day can be a totally different story to their nighttime versions. We start by getting our tickets for the bus out and grab a very tasty breakfast at the popular V Cafe. Eggs and bacon are on the menu, and the stereo is playing a mix of jazz and blues. Perhaps Dalat is Le Petite Paris after all?

Filled up we start the day walking to Crazy House, which deserves its name. Anyone who's been to the Antoni Gaudi house in Barcelona will have an idea of what its like. For those who haven't it's a house designed to break architectural rules. The stairs sometimes climb over the roof and there are niches which have been turned into rooms. Its exciting and we dive in happy to see a little character.

After, we walk back to the lake and try to find the famed flower gardens. Our map is'nt very good and we end up walking around a golf course, of which one of the roads is complete, the other a dusty work in progress. Eventually though we find the gardens. They end up being no more than nicely planted pots, and we decide not to go in. Instead we walk back along the lake instead, passing an ice cream bike, and man taking a nap in the middle of the pavement (and why wouldn't you).

All this time I havent realised how strong the sun has been on my shoulders; its about 10 degrees cooler here. By the end of the day im a bit worse for wear!

The following day we'd booked a trek with Groovy Gecko Tours. We are picked up at 9.30 and driven out into the countryside then we are off!

The trek starts with a very steep ascent to somewhere around 1600ft. Its a hard climb, and I start to realise how long its been since I did a strong cardio workout. Im definitely getting one now! At the top we get a stunning view of Dalat nestled between the surrounding hills. Jungle and forest spread as far as the eye can see, breaking only for the man made lake.

As we start our decent, the forest quickly turns to jungle. Its immediately cooler and wetter and we are told to watch out for leeches. We trek through listening to the sounds of the birds. As the jungle thins the route gets steeper, then suddenly we are on the banks of the lake. Walking through the last of the trees I spot something in the distance. I ask in shock if it's real and Mark assures me it is. Stood in front of me in an elephant! He is clearly there for tourist rides, and looks a little sad about it, but it's the last thing I was expecting to see!

Our guide prepares our lunch whilst we gaze at the lake, and I eat so much fresh mango I nearly pop. It was a great day and just what we needed after weeks of towns and city.

We dont have much trouble getting an early night after such an exhausting day. Good thing too, we've another early start in the morning as we travel to Nha Trang!