“We have to take a family vacation to Peru!” said Mrs Brown in the third Paddington film. And of course they do it, easily like that – and follow riotous and ridiculous bear -related adventures.
It can all be well in Hollywood, but is it really an option in the real world?
Well, we gave it to our 10-year-old son, Alfie and our 8-year-old daughter, Poppy.
And yes, the statement is that it is not just feasible, it is indeed a fantastic, fun, beautiful country that, with a little gravel and determination, is worth it. Here are the top five things to do with children in Paddington.
1. Jungle Fever
Go to Puerto Maldonado (accessible by a short flight from the capital Lima or Cusco in the Andes) to experience a beautiful wildlife in the heat of the Amazon sink.
The senses of the children will be in an overdrive, as they take the incredible abundance of all shapes and sizes, making all kinds of noises when they feel that they are plunged into the jungle.
We discussed with Jungle Pro what we met at Puerto Maldonado Airport in the south-east of Peru, and within ten minutes we went on a long boat to start our three-hour journey to our lodge in the heart of the jungle.
Poppy with her catch of the day at a lake near the Tambopata River in southeastern Peru
Alfie stops his freshly captured Piranha – before throwing it back quickly!
The River River Aotter emerges to say hello in the lake near the Tambopata River
Along the banks of the incredibly broad and brown Tambopata River, which feeds the Amazon, Capybara and Caiman, begged, while sloths slept in trees and played squirrel monkeys in the branches.
Shortly after our arrival, we left for Night Walk where we saw, to the children’s joy, pink tarantulas, chicken tarantulas (apparently it is known to have eaten our feathers friends, hence the name!) And the Amazon horn frog. Everything wonderful finds for the children to fall in their travel journals.
Other activities during our three-day residence were to look for Anacondas (unfortunately no happiness, though they only saw where they were lying in the flattened reeds, were quite nervous), which saw the giant River River and Piranhas with rudimentary fish rods in a lake-the children could no longer be entertained.
You have to pack the mosquito repellent, but it is an experience that the little ones will never forget.
2. Magical Machu Picchu
Even children who find ‘old buildings dull’ cannot help but be blown away by the world -famous Inca website located high in the Andes.
We took the beautiful train with a ceiling ceiling from Ollantaytambo that takes along the river Vilcanota to Aguas Calientes snakes, where a short but hairy (or exciting if you have a 10-year) bus ride, we to the Machu Picchu gates.
Our guide Marco, provided by Peru Travel Experts Hardborn Mule, was incredibly knowledgeable, friendly and a dab -hand to take family snaps!
Alfie and Poppy enjoy the sights of Machu Picchu
Poppy enjoys a game Uno on the train in the direction of Machu Picchu
Magical Machu Picchu, the incredible incan ruined high in the Andes
It’s a long day for the kids – so pack a lot of snacks and water – but one they loved, especially as the strange llama wandered past the remains of this wonder of the world.
3.. Lake Titicaca
From Cusco we jumped on board with Peru Hop bus travel, which offers an excellent hop-on and hop-off way to get to the areas of this vast and diverse country.
The first stop was Puno, the gateway to the enormous Lake Titicaca that stretches Peru and Bolivia in the Andes. We stayed in a lodge on one of the Uros ‘floating islands’, of which the children loved as our room swung and cracked with the movement of the water.
The islands are small and man-made, created by layers on low-cut Totora rites that grow in the level of the lake.
The indigenous Uros people have inhabited the islands for hundreds of years, and their everyday life includes travel to floating schools and churches by boat.
It is truly a unique experience for the whole family to see a fascinating culture and another way of life.
Don’t worry, although the ‘buildings’ move with the water, they are anchored, so you won’t wake up in Bolivia (but don’t tell the kids!)
The incredible floating houses of the Titicaca lake where visitors can stay
Alfie stands proudly by his dune car that zipped around paracas
The incredible oasis city huacachina deep in the desert in southern Peru
4. The deserts of Huacachina
Back on the Peru Hop bus and the next stop was the desert.
The children love the adrenaline-buzz of dune buggy row (the adults do management, the kids are the co-pilots in these noisy roaring cage-karts) in the coast or in Huacachina an hour where you can fly next to the dunes.
Your little ones do not have to be experts. They can just lie on their stomach on the board and pin down these incredible giant dunes around the Oasis city. It is an exciting ride they will not forget.
5.. The Ballstas Islands
This is called the Galápagos Islands of Peru. It is a group of small islands near the cute coastal town of paracas on the south coast. Although the wildlife does not have the wild animals, the Galapagos is a two -hour boat trip worthwhile and is another excitement for the children.
We saw Humboldt penguins, although from afar, and saw how hundreds of South American sea lions were off our boat from our boat, and met on the beach, while the men roared to establish and defend their territory.
Although not as colorful as their Galapagos friends, gray-foot boobies can also nest on the rocks. It’s an incredible journey, almost too fast, but worth visiting.
The South American Seels Comes together on the beaches of the Ballstas Islands
