“Arequipa doesn’t have a station,” wasn’t the ideal response an hour before our supposed departure on the Belmond Andean Explorer, having already paced the hotel room that morning agonising over what to wear aboard one of South America’s most luxurious train journeys.
After the pre-departure panic, we find ourselves (on a whim) at Arequipas cargo station, hoping for the best. Thankfully, we’re in the right place, and Belmond’s is the only tourist train operating out of this train station, equipped with an opulent waiting room where we meet our fellow travellers.
Train manager Luis greets us with a smile, having already arranged the arrival of our luggage in a twin cabin before boarding at 8.30am. Stepping on, we’re ushered to the Piano Bar for an informative briefing over a glass of bubbly.
We would later learn our fellow passengers consisted of 12 people and a support animal, including a young American couple who were about to get engaged; an American father and son celebrating milestone birthdays; a fancy Peruvian couple in furry uggs; three Chinese ladies who were friends from school, decked in designer bags and struggling with the altitude; a solo traveller who worked for Peru Rail; a mysterious couple who kept themselves to themselves but would occasionally play Taylor Swift hits out loud; and one cat who acted as a support animal to an American digital nomad living a life of luxury.
Pre-pandemic, the locomotive shuffled up to 80 passengers through the Peruvian landscape – our adventure is comparatively sleepy.
The evening begins with a four-course supper in the Muna restaurant cart towards the rear end of the train. We dine on pillowy stuffed pockets of pasta, soft chicken breast and local potato while swirling one too many glasses of full-bodied reds.
Bellies full, we’re guided to our twin room by a friendly staff member who informs us he has worked at the company since it started operating in Peru in 2017. He explains how the train has changed since then, highlighting the recent design tweaks and an elevated standard of service.
There are three types of rooms to choose from onboard – bunk rooms, twin rooms, and the biggest of all, a suite equipped with a double bed, two armchairs and plenty of storage space for bags. Rooms are named after Peruvian plants and animals. Our room, Ñucchu, is named after the medicinal Peruvian red flower.
Our retreat-on-rails, like the other bedrooms, is painted a light grey with ornate alcoves and brass fittings. Crisp white linen shrouds the beds, adorned in fluffy pillows and a heavy-weight duvet for colder evenings. Most importantly, there’s a vast oval window to admire breathtaking views from the comfort of your bed, which folds away to create seating.
The bathroom is compact but impressive. I knew there was a shower – I didn’t expect it to be better than the one in my London flat. Bathrooms are cosy oases, fresh flowers blooming on the sink and stacks of amenities, including moisturiser, lip balm, and fresh-smelling toiletries. Under two plush robes, we uncover some soft slippers and extra pillows.
Anything else? Perhaps a massage or a pisco sour? Give the bell above the bed a ring and wait for your dreams to come true. Our dreams incorporate Peru’s otherworldly landscapes as we drift into a deep sleep, lulled by the rocking motion of the moving locomotive as it dives deeper into the Andes.
Abruptly woken by the 7.30am alarm, we draw back the blind to reveal our new destination. Barren land dotted with small homes soon transforms into Puno City, where children head to school and dogs roam the streets.
We pull into Puno station at 8am on the dot, greeted by the beauty of Lake Titicaca. We devour pastries, fresh fruit and omelettes, sipping on coca and Muna tea – natural remedies to aid acclimatisation. Breakfast table talk is dominated by groggy mumbles: “Do you sell oxygen here?”, “Is it enriched?”, “All the meds and all the oxygen, please.”
The onboard nurse reveals himself, stocked with pills and oxygen cylinders for sufferers of altitude sickness – subsequently becoming everyone's new best friend. He does the rounds, taking heart rates and oxygen levels to check all is well. Mine is pretty low, and my head is fuzzy, so I take a three-pill concoction and cross my fingers that my body soon adapts.
Remedies secured, we’re met by our local guide – a popular man, if his rapport with the locals is anything to go by. He guides us to the dock, where we board a private boat. Onboard, we learn about the geography and history of the inhabitants of Lake Titicaca, known locally as Pachamama (Mother Earth).
A short ride later, we arrive at a man-made island built from the layering of hundreds of dried reeds three metres thick, cleverly crafted by the Indigenous Uros people who have inhabited these 120 islands for around 700 years. 3600 inhabitants call this lake home; 1500 on the lake, the rest on the shores.
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We learn about their day-to-day lives, admire their way of life, purchase handcrafted goods, and ride on a handmade boat decorated with cat heads. We did question the authenticity of the traditions in place today as the visit was a tourist hotspot – regardless, it’s an unforgettable experience upon a magical reed island.
Back onboard, we enjoy yet another delicious three-course lunch menu and set off for remote La Raya, the highest point on the two-day itinerary, at 4,338 metres above sea level.
Before nightfall, we ride through bustling Juliaca city, famed for its huge long market that runs right up to the train track. Stalls sell everything, from books to dried alpaca insides, coca leaves to car parts. The market runs parallel to the tracks for some time.
This was the evening we’d been waiting for. We dress in our finest clothes and head to the piano bar for live music, punchy cocktails, and a final multi-course blowout. The train manager informs us of our upgrade to a suite for the final night; after supper, we shift from the dining cart to the bar with our new friends for late-night cocktails. However, the altitude got the better of me, and my late night turned into a 9pm bedtime with a supply of oxygen.
After a fantastic night's sleep aboard the stationary train, we draw back the blinds to the mountainous landscape of La Raya, where a group of ladies stand before a little church, waving scarves for us to purchase.
A few of us, along with our guide, headed out into the warmth of sunrise at 6am to take a short walk to a llama farm. Fifty goofy llamas and alpacas came running at us a few minutes after stepping off the train.
On the farm, we’re greeted by a herd of llamas, receiving a kiss from a fluffy little unshaven fella. Stood among an otherworldly landscape dotted with llamas and alpacas, I knew instantly I’d look back on this moment as a highlight of the adventure.
La Raya, deep in the Peruvian Andes within the remote rolling wilderness, was the highlight of the trip. The stunning landscape dotted with llamas and alpacas is engraved in my memory.
As the engine revs, dusty yellows from La Raya change to greens as we head to a lower altitude. We spend the next few hours in the open-air viewing cart at the rear end of the train, soaking in the otherworldly Peruvian views with a cocktail in hand.
As the engine revs, dusty yellows from La Raya change to greens as we head to a lower altitude. We spend the next few hours in the open-air viewing cart at the rear end of the train, soaking in the vistas with a cocktail in hand. We follow the Urubamba River, meandering through farmland, corn fields, eucalyptus forests and picturesque towns until we reach Cusco.
As we bid farewell to our fellow passengers, the incredible staff who made the journey so comfortable, and the opulence of the Belmond Andean Explorer, the backpackers and daytrippers of Cusco come into view. With a journey to one of the wonders of the world in our sights, the mystical Macchu Picchu, we reflect on an adventure that prepared us for what’s to come – well-fed, watered, rested, and ready to tackle the legendary Lost City.