Travel Tip 120
How to plan travel you can live with
You may have to fly to Peru but you can take the train to Machu Picchu!
Do forest fires and rising sea levels kill the vibe?
The more climate disasters dominate the news, along with political meltdown and war, the more travelers are wondering how to reduce their energy use and rethinking how they want to move around the world. I don’t think staying home is the answer. You know I wouldn’t.
I think we need to look at all our options for travel and make choices that we can live with.
I love train travel and would do it all the time if the trains here went anywhere besides Machu Picchu.
Here are some ways to lower your carbon footprint.
Travel by Train or Bus
Anyway you calculate it, your carbon footprint from train or bus travel is insignificant compared to flying and even driving, depending on the car’s energy source. One of the big wins is train travel, promoted by many influencers like SlowTravelTrain.
In most parts of the world, this means staying closer to home. So, next time you decide to go to be a tourist in your own city, or have a stay cation, see if you can use public transportation.
Slow Travel
Rather than three or four short trips, see if you can pool your vacation days and take one long trip. I know that’s logistically impossible for some people due to work or school schedules, but look for ways to travel longer and less frequently. I went all out on this in 2022, making each trip 3-4 weeks but it was unsustainable. I traveled more in 2022 than I was home in Cusco and it was too much, even for me. (Keep reading for more on how I can afford to travel so much).
Fly Economy
Did you know that flying economy is both cheap and virtuous? Look at the carbon footprint above for economy vs. business class flights from Cusco to Buenos Aires. (Click on the image to pop it out). The expansive and expensive seat in business class has a carbon footprint more than twice the size of economy.
Also, how cool is it that Google flights shows you the estimate of how much CO2 each flight emits per passenger?
New Podcast!
Zero to Travel
Speaking of travel you can live with, if you’re coming to Peru, please don’t hike the Inca Trail. In this episode with host Josh Moore, I break down why even tour agencies with the best intentions are caught in an unsustainable system - and what you can do about it!
I also share the fun story of how I became a travel writer and go through several of my favorite places to travel in Peru: Ayacucho, Ica, Chiclayo and the rainforest. Click on the link above to listen to the full podcast!
How do I afford to travel all the time?
Besides traveling in Peru, which is a deal compared to North America or Europe, I partner with hotels and tour agencies. They invite me to stay at their hotels or go on their tours for free or with a big discount, and I give them some publicity. This means I’ll never write for the New York Times (who won’t work with travel writers who accept any free perks) but that’s how I travel so much.
Here are two blogs about places I went in northern Peru in September, Kuélap and Leymebamba, and four hotels who were kind enough to put me up so I could afford to travel for three weeks. I only accept these deals at places I think I’ll like enough to promote and I can honestly say I loved all the places pictured below.
Kuélap was the star of my trip to northern Peru. I loved this 6th century city so much that I went back for a second day.
This community-owned museum is home to over 200 mummies rescued from looters, and a lot of other cool stuff.
Gocta Lab has artist residencies, a nature lodge, yoga retreats, ceramics workshops, an experimental farm, a mycology laboratory and so much more, all with a view of Gocta Falls.
Utcubamba River Lodge is so close to Kuélap that I walked directly from the hotel to the cable car. It’s also by the river and surrounded by amazing birds.
Fundo Achamaqui is also by the Utcubamba River, but closer to the city of Chachapoyas. It’s a peaceful old ranch perfectly located for all the places I went around Chachapoyas.
This is the most well-hidden gem I’ve found anywhere in Peru. If you want to escape the world and have a view of Kuélap, this is it.
