Unique luxury hotels, fashionable travel and much more

The Peruvian government says it expects the historic Inca citadel of Machu Picchu to re-open to tourists in about three weeks – earlier than expected.

Recent flooding and mudslides swept away parts of the railway leading to the sacred site. About 4,000 tourists and locals were evacuated by helicopter after being stranded there.

The Minister of Transport and Communications, Enrique Cornejo, said tourists would be able to get round blockages between Cusco and Machu Picchu by travelling part of the distance by road and the rest by train. He said two temporary bridges would be built to help by-pass the ten obstructions that are currently blocking access to the citadel.

The cost in damage to infrastructure, agriculture and tourism is estimated at 680 million soles (£152 million /$238 million).

Tourism is one of Peru’s largest sources of revenue, and Machu Picchu is the main attraction. According to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism, the 15th century Inca citadel attracts more than 850,000 tourists a year. More than 600,000 of those are foreign visitors.

by Andy Moreton

Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge – the only hotel adjacent to the heritage site – offers luxury accommodation and is bookable at the best rates through Luxique.

Zoos have long been an attraction for tourists and city residents alike. But what about a zoo where you’re encouraged to climb in with dangerous animals?

Some extraordinary holiday snaps have been appearing from visitors to the zoo at Lujan, 42 miles out of the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires: a woman sitting on the back of a lion, another bottle-feeding a young tiger, a 12-year-old boy getting close up and personal with a brown bear.

The zoo says it’s dedicated to the conservation of endangered species and adds that no-one has ever been injured through its interactive policy. The manager, Claudio Nieva, said: “We feed the animals so they aren’t hungry when a human is in the cage.”

But the animal protection charity, The Born Free Foundation, has condemned the zoo and urged tourists not to visit it.

The Foundation’s CEO, Will Travers, commented: “The zoo is, in my view, placing the lives of its visitors at great risk by encouraging them to have ‘close encounters’ with dangerous, potentially lethal, wild animals. Anyone who has any knowledge of big cats will understand that they are wild animals and, as such, are unpredictable.”

That doesn’t seem to have bothered various travel bloggers who’ve tried it. One said it was her best zoo experience yet.

by Andy Moreton

As well as the zoo, Lujan’s attractions include a large neo-Gothic Basilica, to which more than six million people make pilgrimages every year, many walking from Buenos Aires. Tour companies in the capital will arrange a day’s visit to the area and, of course, Luxique has the pick of luxury hotels in Buenos Aires.