I weighed the advice of a local tour operator in Cusco, Peru. He was helping me plan the next leg of my trip to La Paz, Bolivia. “I suggest you take an airplane,” he said. I considered my options: a 14-hour overnight bus ride or a one-hour flight. “I think I’ll… take the bus,” I said. I made my decision for a combination of reasons, including my concerns about airplane travel: its heavy carbon emissions and its insulation from the local experience of place and journey in which I believe.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of people – locals and foreigners alike – flock to Cusco, Peru, for Inti Raymi, one of the biggest annual festivals in South America. A solstice celebration of ancient Incan origin, it survived colonial Spain’s attempt to stifle it in the 16th century to become the grandest traditional display of Inca culture that still flourishes in living colour today.

This shot captures a beaming smile from a young girl from Cusco as she struggles not to laugh while having her photo taken. Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire is located in southeastern Peru, high in the Andes Mountains at more than three kilometres above sea level.

When it comes to life’s simple pleasures, food definitely ranks near (if not at) the top of the list for most people. It’s probably fair to say that the way to a whole nation’s heart is through its stomach, so finding out what makes a country tick is often as simple as checking out what dishes regularly make it onto the dinner table. Thanks to the efforts of our local partners around the globe, we’ve assembled an extensive selection of typical local appetisers, soups and stews, main dishes, vegetarian dishes, desserts, drinks and snacks and street foods.

“The months January and February in Cusco are known for the rain,” said Raymond Scholten of Chaska Tours, an ecotourism and adventure tour operator – your whl.travel local connection – based in this famous city of southern Peru. “Everybody is prepared for the rain, but this year the amount broke all records. It rained endlessly for almost…