Volunteering your time to an organization and dedicating some of your time to a cause is one of the most noble and meaningful things a person can do. Whether assisting the poor, taking care of abandoned children or helping communities grow, the simple and generous act of participation is a rewarding experience to both the volunteer and the people they help.

Being that our own volunteer program is only months away we thought it a good idea to highlight why volunteering in Peru is such a special and rewarding experience. Right now there are thousands of volunteers preparing to travel to Peru for the Summer and hundreds of organizations taking applications. Whether volunteering in a coastal city, a small Andean village or in the jungle, the same reasons hold true for all who decide to journey to Peru and help make a difference. [Continue Reading...]

If you were thinking about traveling to Peru this year or next you probably were planning on making the trip during the summer months of May through September. This is when generally the whole world descends upon Peru, the high season of Tourism in the country. This can mean inflated prices, crowded sites such as Machu Picchu and overbooked hotels. What you may not know is that for the majority of the country those are the winter months. November through March, the so-called low season, is most widely known as summer in Peru, and you can take advantage of the gorgeous coastal weather, low prices and festivities that occur during this time. Here is the Karikuy Top 10 Reasons to Visit Peru this Winter (November – March):
10. Freedom – During [Continue reading...]

The drive was long, slow and for the most part painful.  As mentioned in Andrew’s previous blog it took 16 + hours to arrive to our destination of Arequipa.   When we finally arrived at the city’s bus terminal the owner of the hostel that we would be staying at was there to greet us and to take us back to her lovely abode.  This was an incredibly nice gesture and overall our stay at this place was incredibly pleasant.  If you ever do choose to visit Arequipa I highly recommend the Sol de Oro hostel.  Okay, now that I am done giving free promotional plugs, let me move on…
Arequipa located in Southern Peru is the second largest city in Peru after Lima. It was nicknamed the “White City” because of [Continue reading...]

It is hard to pass a newspaper stand and not see Gaston Acurio’s face surrounded with a mop of curly hair on the front cover of a pocket sized recipe book hanging for sale.  The man is a legend within Peru, known for revolutionizing the way that Peruvians feel about their own cuisine as well as developing and reviving the art form.  So there was  no choice but to pay a visit to Astrid Y Gaston, Acurio’s original restaurant, which is regarded as one of the top restaurants in Lima.
The restaurant, located on a quiet street is set in an old colonial house in the Miraflores district of Lima.  The interior is comfortable, not stuffy like you can often expect from top end restaurants. The back end of the dining [Continue reading...]