[ntan]

Originally Posted by unit

porters carry your tents, sleeping pads, and eating shelters, plus everything meal related including prepping and cleaning. the only things you have to carry are your sleeping bag and personal items, and even then you can pay for an additional porter who will carry an additional 14kg. you can split one with your friend and offload 7kg each. if you do this you can basically just carry your water, some snacks, and whatever else you need with you on the trail.

i recommend machu picchu for those who are really interested in the inca history and for those who really want to visit peru in general. i loved the city of cusco and i think that was almost worth the visit alone. it's touristy but just an amazing place.

if you want something that's not guided, you should try hiking in patagonia. the classic W trail is 4 nights (or 3 if you don't want to see the torres sunrise), and it's just incredibly varied in it's surroundings (jungle, desert, icebergs all in one). the camp sites are all pre-determined since it's a strict national park, but they're mostly pretty basic. i preferred it to the inca trail personally, also you don't have to book it like 6 months in advance

Did you find Machu Picchu / Cusco / Peru in general unsafe? How about Patagonia?