Hiking the Inca Trail with The Aussie Flashpacker | The Nomad Files

Today on the Nomad Files it is my pleasure to introduce to you a fellow Australian travel blogger who has left our shores for cloudy England. Simone has seen a lot of our world and I’m excited to hear what she has in store for us today.

Welcome to The Nomad Files Simone, tell me, when did you discover that you were a travel fiend and what was the influencing factor?

I was lucky enough to have parents who took us on a lot of holidays when we were growing up! We spent our school holidays on the coast and exploring Australia as a family. Once we were old enough to appreciate it they began taking us to New Zealand for winter holidays that were full of snow, adventure and fun. My favourite was our first trip to New Zealand when we hired a campervan and drove around the whole South Island.

I think the travel bug really began for me though when I was 17 and went on a school Ancient History/Art trip to Italy! I absolutely loved every second of this trip and have been back to Italy three times since and it is still one of my favourite places in the world. Wanderlust runs deep through my veins and I really have my parents to thank for that for taking us on so many adventures throughout our childhood & for awakening my restless spirit!

I have done that road trip through NZ and it is stunning! Is there a particular song/video/poem/quote that particularly inspires you to travel?

I find myself smiling and nodding to myself almost every single time I see a travel inspired quote. My favourite quote is “not all who wander are lost” because to me, travel is the best thing in the world. It is what makes me happy & how I’ve learnt the most about myself and the world. A lot of times travellers are seen as being lost, but we’re not! We’re just doing what we love.

The picture below is a quote from Henry Rollins which I love because I think portrays the importance of travel for young people and just how many important life lessons you can learn from travelling.

Can you let us in on a secret? What is one discovery you have made through your travels that really felt like ‘the road less travelled’?

One of my favourite trips to date is my trip around South America and my favourite country within that was Peru. It really depends if you consider it the “road less travelled” but whilst Machu Picchu is one of the most popular tourist sites in the world, only 500 people a day can actually hike the Inca Trail.

The four-day hike to Machu Picchu was one of best things I have ever done and it honestly did feel like the road less travelled. There were parts of the hike where I walked for hours and did not see a single other person. By the time we reached Machu Picchu it almost felt like a bit of culture shock to arrive after hardly seeing anyone during our four day pilgrimage to suddenly seeing tens of thousands of people who had come by bus and train to visit for the day.

I would recommend hiking the Inca Trail to anyone who is able to do so, it is a tough hike but it is such an incredible experience, and the reward of seeing Machu Picchu for the first time feels all that much sweeter when you finally make it (and makes all the blood, sweat & tears worth it)!

Apart from incredible Macchu Picchu at the end, is the Inca Trail known for anything in particular?

Peru is an incredible country, and a lot of people come to hike the Inca Trail to get to Machu Picchu. There is so much that you get to see along the trail that no one else sees because the only way to get to it is by walking! We saw incredible ruins, the most breathtaking scenery and a lot of llamas!

What about Peru in general? How else did you spend your time and why do I want to visit?

Peru is an amazing country and I recommend visiting it for its culture, people, natural beauty & history. I spent four weeks exploring Peru’s cities, villages, countryside and desert. My favourite part was of course the four days we spent hiking through mountains and jungles on the Inca Trail stumbling across beautiful ruins and marvelling at the landscape around us. It was tough physically and mentally, but one of the most incredible things I have done.

Other amazing parts of our trip were visiting Lake Titicaca and the Uros Floating Reed Islands along with the days we spent in the desert Oasis town of Huacachina, and sleeping under the stars in the desert after spending a day sand boarding and dune buggying.

Related: You might also want to consider The Ballestas Islands if you’re heading to Peru.

 

Was there anything in particular that really inspired you hike the Inca Trail?

Hiking the Inca Trail and visiting Machu Picchu has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. I have memories of gazing in awe at pictures of the magnificent ruins in the jungle in Peru from when I was a child. Studying Incan and Mayan art and architecture in my High School Art classes only intensified this dream. After finishing University my best friend and I took off on a six month trip around America & South America and it was almost surreal to finally be ticking it off the bucket list!

Tell me about the food. Was it different to anything you’d experienced before?

After the fairly bland food in Bolivia we were desperate for fruit and vegetables! I was blown away by the incredible food that our porters whipped up for us along the trail! By the time we arrived at our campsite they would have set up a tent for us and we’d be served up three course meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The food was incredible, we had wonderful curries, soups, stir frys, vegetables and desserts! The vegetarian food were actually my favourite. On our last night, our chef cooked us the most wonderful chocolate cake, in a sauce pan over the fire! It was incredible… he could teach western chefs a lot! Unfortunately it was before my blogging days so I don’t have photos of our incredible meals.

What was the Peruvian culture like? Did you have much interaction with the locals through your journey?

I found the Peruvian people very friendly, they have a wonderful culture with a lot of festivals and celebrations occurring regularly. We had a home stay in a Peruvian village a few day after our Inca Trail Hike and it was a wonderful experience to interact with the locals and live with them in their houses. They even dressed us up in their traditional clothing and took us to a party where we danced all night long.

 

Beyond the things to visit, do you have any tips on how one might best experience the Inca Trail?

Do you research and find a reputable company who will not only look after you but most importantly looks after its guides and porters. Our porters had a strict weight limit to how much they could carry, all had suitable footwear and decent packs with straps and support.

A lot of companies overload their porters, do not pay them well and don’t even ensure they have decent footwear. The Inca Trail can be dangerous without the right gear, and we are really glad we booked through a reputable company. Without the porters not many people would make it to the end of the trail!

In addition, make sure you prepare adequately. I was at the fittest I’d ever been and still struggled with aspects of the hike which was mostly due to the high altitude!

Changing lanes a little now, think of your favourite big city. Can you share with us a tip about this city that you would never find in a travel guide book?

My favourite city in the world is Rome! My biggest tip would be to explore this amazing city on foot! You could be wandering around heading towards the Colosseum and stumble across the most beautiful fountain, building or ruins. Rome is a city that surprises you at every corner. Take your time, wander the streets, eat, drink and people watch in cafes. I love the Italian culture and the best way to experience Rome is to fully immerse yourself in it, every single way possible!

Can you recommend any of your favourite travel blogs? (up to 3)

Three of my favouries are Tuula Vintage, Silverspoon London and Y Travel Blog. Tuula Vintage because she literally lives the most incredible life and is always visiting the most wonderful places and is an inspiration. I love Silverspoon London because it features the very best in luxury travel and fine dining and last but not least, Y Travel Blog which is one of my favourite Australian travel blogs. I love the fact that they are show that it is still possible to travel when you have a family!

Last question, where do you live on the internet and social media for us to all come visit?

Blog: http://www.theaussieflashpacker.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/theaussieflashpacker

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ausflashpacker

Instagram:  https://instagram.com/theaussieflashpacker/

Thanks for joining us today Simone, such an incredible story with some magnificent pictures. Make sure you visit Simone’s blog for more stories like this. 

I’d love to know if you’ve hiked the Inca Trail, leave a comment below on how your experience was.

And to make sure you never miss a post like this one, make sure to sign up to the mailing list below.