Featured writer: travelwithoutborders

Until today, the feeling is still very surreal for me after visiting Machu Picchu. The stunning Incan site is located at least a 20-hour flight away from East-Asia, I’ve never harboured the thought of having the picturesque landscape of Macchu Picchu in my own camera.

It’s no longer a hidden beauty, it shouldn’t be difficult for tourists to get to Machu Picchu with the frequent train services from Cuzco and Ollantaytambo. My utmost respect to the Incas who brilliantly hid Machu Picchu amongst the clouds up in the mountains. Even the Spaniards couldn’t find the lost ‘City of Inca’ during their massive invasion. It took a long 30 years to clean up the vegetation before we’d admire the current state of Machu Picchu.

To fully utilized your time at Machu Picchu, my advice is to board the earliest bus at 5.30pm from Aguas Calientes to avoid the crowd. The early mornings in Machu Picchu is usually misty, nevertheless, the view is worth the wait once the sun set in. It feels just too awesome to see the limestone temples, well-crafted granite, beautifully trimmed gardens, multi-layered terraces and steep staircases. And informative explanation by the guide has provided me everything I like to know about Machu Picchu.

With great number of visitors each year, it comes with a great responsibility to preserve the Machu Picchu from any sort of destructions. I’m glad that once proposed cable car services up to Macchu Picchu was scraped by the government. For me, natural beauty can’t be trade for any technology advancement.

To get the best view of Machu Picchu from the top, don’t forget to purchase the ticket to Wayna Picchu days in advance because daily admission is limited to 400 hikers. If time is not on your side, try to see Macchu Picchu from the Sun Gate, which is a 90-minute walk from the main entrance. Don’t miss out the steep Inca Bridge by the cliff; it gave me such an adrenaline rush!

Lastly, remember to pick poncho, insect repellent, walking stick, fleece, camera and sunblock lotion into your day pack. Trust me; they’re going to be useful!