Peru which is officially known as the Republic of Peru is a country situated in western South America. This country is enclosed by Ecuador and Colombia in the north, by Brazil in the east, by Bolivia in the southeast, by Chile in the south and by the Pacific Ocean in the west. Peru is a tropical, and humid country with its northern tip almost touches the Equator. Regardless of being geographically tropical, Peru has a great diversity of climate, a way of life and economic activity as a result of extremes of elevation and southwest winds that travel across the cold Peru Current that flows along its Pacific coastline. The name “Peru” is derived from a Quechua Indian word which means land of abundance as a reference to the prosperous economy achieved by the rich and well-organised Inca civilisation that governed the region for centuries. Peru’s economic growth is contributed by its rich mineral, agricultural, marine resources and tourism.

The history of Peru is unique and fascinating. The Fertile Crescent, historic region of the Middle East, is conventionally seen as the birthplace of civilisation. However, the current archaeological evidence proves the other way. It is understood that civilisation occurred in multiple regions at the same time. The North Chico developed the urban settlements in Peru in the early 3200 B.C.E. Before the Spanish conquest of Peru; many prominent cultures flowed. The most famous is the Inca. The Inca Empire which is also known as Tawantin Suyu was one of the biggest combined nations in the world. It was remembered as wealthy and organised. The most remarkable part of the Inca Empire is that they had achieved so much without any interferences of technologies which were considered vital for civilisation. The Inca Empire succeeded without the presence of wheeled vehicles, pack animals, access to iron and system of writing. They used a complex tool called Quipu that encoded numerical data in knots on a string as record keeping including jotting census figures, making trade agreements, recording historical events and performing involved math functions. Up to this day, scholars are still trying to decode the knots to give us a clearer image of the prosperous empire. In the 1530s, Spanish explorers heard about the vast wealth of the Inca. Just like what they did in Mexico, they aimed to widen the crown’s assets by taking control of the local government, conquering the labour force and manipulating the region’s established economy. In 1531, a Spanish explorer named Francisco Pizarro plotted to take over the country and establish the viceroyalty of New Castile. The brothers’ disagreement weakened central authority and worsened the country’s ability to react to the crisis. Adding into the issue was that many elites keenly invited the Spanish to topple their political rivals. Before the invasion, Pizarro met Atahualpa where the prince agreed to meet the Spaniards. He took handful troops to meet Pizarro. The Spanish demanded the Inca to surrender to them, but Atahualpa declined. Angry Pizarro then kidnapped him and held him for ransom. Pizarro still held Atahualpa as a prisoner even when the ransom was paid. The Spanish organised Huascar’s assassination and blamed the innocent young brother. The Spanish then reigned. Atahualpa was executed in 1533 for supposed crimes including murdering his brother. Upon the tragedy, some of the Inca evacuated to the mountains to avoid Spanish rule. The start of colonial rule in Peru followed the years immediately before. The Spanish leaders in the new colony were against each other. Pizarro’s enemy with another explorer, Diego de Almagro, involved in armed conflict. In 1538, Pizarro had Almagro executed. Later in 1541, supporters of Diego Almagro II assassinated Pizarro. They then lost in a battle and executed by the new Spanish governor of New Castile. When the fight was over, New Castile became the biggest and most significant colony in the Spanish Empire. Peru declared its independence but was not fully from Spanish’s claws until 1824. From then on, a new war against Spain happened in 1864 to 1866 and a defeated war against Chile also known as the War of the Pacific, took place from 1879 to 1883. In 1945, Peru rose from twenty years of dictatorship with the appointment of President Jose Luis Bustamente y Rivero from the first free election after so many decades. Despite having a fragile democracy, Peru managed to sustain it.  Belaunde Terry was the first elected president who turned power to a constitutionally chosen heir since 1945. Five years later which was in 1990, Alberto Fujimori won the election. With ongoing terrorism, drug trafficking and corruption, Fujimori called off Congress and forced control in April 1992. A year later, a new constitution was agreed. In 1995, Fujimori was reelected and again in 2000. In September 2000, Fujimori’s intelligence chief was taped bribing a member of Congress which resulted in dismantling the National Intelligence Service for its human rights violations. A couple of months later, he shocked everyone in his nation by resigning during his trip to Japan. It was then exposed that Fujimori held Japanese citizenship and could not be extradited to face corruption charges which angered the public.

Moving on, Peru houses almost 32 million inhabitants. The main areas in Peru in the sequence of the most inhabited are Lima, Arequipa, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Iquitos, Piura, Cusco, Chimbote, Huancayo, Tacna, Juliaca and Ica. If you are travelling to Peru from Singapore as a tourist, there is no visa required. However, your passport has to be a minimum of six months of validity from the date of entry. You can stay up to a maximum 183 days. You are going to need a visa if you are travelling to Peru from Singapore for business. Your passport, too, has to be a minimum of six months of validity from the date of entry with stay up to maximum 183 days. Based on the Peruvian Constitution of 1993, the official languages for Peru are Spanish, Quechua, Aymara and other indigenous languages according to their areas. Spanish is spoken the most by 84.1% of the population followed by Quechua by 13% and Aymara by 1.7%. Other languages make up the remaining 1.2%.

The four seasons in Peru are spring (March-May), winter (June-August), autumn (September-October) and summer (December-February). The Peruvian cuisine is the combination of Amerindian and Spanish food with assimilation from Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Arab and African cooking. Common dishes served are anticuchos, ceviche, and pachamanca. Its diverse climate permits the growth of plants and animals which are crucial in cooking.

How to Get There?

By Flight

The easiest and hassle-free way to get to Peru from Singapore is by plane. Flight duration from Singapore to Lima is roughly 30 hours and 35 minutes. One-stop flights and connecting flights could take up to 35 hours. From Singapore Changi Airport to Peru with a stop, a one-way ticket would cost around SGD 2829. Cheaper flights with two stops are available from SGD 1516.

What to Do There?

Machu Picchu

Be sure to visit the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu. It is a trek along the ancient and adventurous route between astounding mountains to get to a secret city. Be adventurous and active by hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Known as the new Seven Wonder of the World, the extraordinary and challenging four-day walk is something that you should not miss. Numbers of visitors are limited per day, so if you want to visit, make sure you book it earlier.

Floating Islands of Lake Titicaca

Being the highest commercially manoeuvrable lake in the world, Lake Titicaca is well-known for its floating reed islands. The islands mentioned house the Uros tribe, the one that precedes the Incan civilisation. As a famous tourist spot in Peru, touring the floating islands offers a glimpse of view into the lives of Peru’s aboriginal people. It is mind-blowing and unbelievable to see an island that is made up of reeds.  You don’t need to book before your visit so there should be no excuse from you!

Where to Stay?

Inkari Luxury

Situated in Lima, this four-star hotel provides you with a comfortable stay throughout your trip. Priced from SGD 157.26 per night, guests would be served with efficient hotel services like 24-hour receptionist, laundry service, multilingual staff, 24-hour security, bellhop, money changer and concierge. Its public facilities include public Wi-Fi, elevator, parking, room service and a restaurant. Guests are also provided with in-room facilities like bathtub, TV, cable TV and minibar. Not only that, guests who are on working trips will be able to enjoy the business facilities provided.

Hotel Las Dunas

Located in Ica, this resort offers a tranquillising stay that you are yearning for. Priced from SGD 333, this resort offers a whole lot of things to do like spa, water-sliding, swimming, playing tennis, playing golf and many more. Its hotel services like concierge, laundry service, luggage storage, porter, wedding services and tours are made available for the guests to indulge. The nearby facilities like shops, ATM and hair salon, would make your visit more complete. If you plan to take a romantic stroll with your partner, you can leave your kids at the supervised childcare provided. Also, it also offers an area shuttle with surcharge. With all mentioned above, this resort is worth staying to create a remarkable experience.