Peru is home to mouth-watering fare that is certain to satisfy the most discerning palate. It is fast becoming a must-visit destination for food and drink enthusiasts.

Many traditional dishes go back to Incan times and you’ll find many unusual offerings, if you're adventurous enough to try them, including stuffed Guinea pig (Cuy), which is roasted over an open fire and served with potatoes. Ceviche is a hugely popular dish made with raw fish marinated in lime juice and served with onions, toasted corns and fried potatoes. Anticuchos de Corazon are delicious beef heart skewers, Chupe de Camarones is a scrumptious prawn chowder and Aji de Gallina is a flavoursome dish comprising shredded chicken in a thick sauce made with cream, cheese, ground walnuts and aji amarillo.

Popular desserts include Crema Volteada, a Peruvian version of caramel custard, and ice cream made from the exotic fruit Lucuma which is grown in the country's highland jungle. Peru's most famous drink is the Pisco Sour, a wonderful concoction which normally features Peruvian pisco lime juice, egg white, sugar, crushed ice and angostura bitters.

The winter season between May and September is the driest period in Peru and a great time to visit this amazing country. You'll experience sunny days, bright blue skies in the Andes and chilly evenings. Conditions at this time are ideal for getting about and exploring some of Peru's natural wonders. January and February are the wettest months but the scenery is greener at this time and visitor numbers are much lower.
Temperatures vary considerably across the country's different regions. The desert coast is very hot and sunny between December and March, but it's significantly cooler with a hazy mist between April and November. December to March is the wet season in the Andes region, while June to September is much drier. Conditions are similar in the Amazon Basin area of Peru, where it's hot all year round but there is more rain and much heavier downpours. The climate in the capital Lima is very pleasant between December and March when temperatures range between 24°C and 27°C. A low mist descends on the city from June to September when temperatures are between 12°C and 20°C.    

There’s so much to see and do in Peru, your only challenge may be trying to fit it all in during your cruise. The amazing Incan citadel Machu Picchu is well worthy of its status as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. This jawdropping centuries-old stone city, high in the Andes Mountains, will take your breath away. Many of the enchanting stone buildings and terraces remain as they were at the height of the Inca Empire.
 The capital city Lima is home to superb museums, colonial mansions and wonderful beaches, while Cusco, a magical city in the Peruvian Andes is definitely worth visiting, with its amazing archaeological remains and striking Spanish colonial architecture. The walled jungle fortress Kuélap in the northern highlands is most impressive, as is Laguna Parón, the largest lake in the Cordillera Blanca, a snowcapped range of the Andes. Parque Nacional Manum, a massive national park in the Amazon Basin, is one of the best places in South America to see an incredible variety of tropical wildlife. Other major attractions in Peru include Choquequirao Archaeological Park, Colca Canyon, Plaza De Armas, Larco Museum, San Pedro Market and the enthralling Nazca Lines, a series of pre-Columbian petroglyphs in the desert.