Ladies and Gentlemen. We had, hands down, the best meals of our lives in Lima, Peru. Maido is ranked number 13 out of the world’s best restaurants and is considered the second best restaurant in Latin America. They provide an unbelievable fusion between Peruvian and Japanese cuisine, with the freshest seafood you’ll ever have the pleasure of eating. We dined on world-class sashimi, foie gras sushi, & dessert ceviche just to name a few.
When you book your trip, book your reservations to Maido. You’ll need a reservation in advance. It’s very pricy, but with a 13-course meal, it is so worth it. The typical Nikkei experience is 399 soles, or $122 per person, and if you choose to add the recommended wine pairings to the meal, it will end up costing around 589 soles, or $180 per person. It is basically a ticket to food heaven and back.
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side from our trip to food heaven, we spent our three days in Lima exploring Miraflores and Barranco, two beautiful neighborhoods right near the beaches of Lima. They are within walking distance of one another, and there are numerous farmers markets and shops to explore, perfect for our Christmas gift shopping! The Inca Mall and Larcomar are two of the most popular shopping destinations in these neighborhoods as well.
In Lima, we stayed in a hostel called Alpes Lima, which was a great experience! They have all kinds of activities that you can book through them, in addition to a rooftop bar where we got free Pisco Sours (the national drink in Peru). Through our hostel we went on a free walking tour of the city, which we would definitely recommend (there are tons of companies that offer them)! The guide will assist you in taking public transportation downtown to explore. Once you get the hang of the system, it is fairly easy to figure out, just keep in mind that some buses have separate stations for buses going in different directions, so the station you leave from is not the station you will necessarily return to. The President’s Palace is a sight to see, especially during the changing of the guard, and there are a multitude of museums to explore. Trips to Lima can definitely be tailored to specific interests, whether it is history, food, adventure, or all of the above.
Speaking of adventure…. We went paragliding! We also booked the paragliding through our hostel; although, if we could do it again we would probably book it through a well-known company instead. Regardless, the paragliding experience was definitely a memorable one. We were picked up in the morning by a paragliding professional, and driven an hour away to off-road to the top of these enormous hills with sheer cliffs and steep falls. Needless to say, before we even got to the paragliding it was an exhilarating and terrifying ride. Lexi got strapped on first, and soared in the skies, gaining an incredible view and a rush of adrenaline (although it’s nothing compared to bungee jumping of course). On the other hand, things did not go as smoothly with Lauren’s ride, the air currents were not strong enough to 
keep
the parachute afloat, so instead of rising above the hills, she slowly spiraled down and down towards the bottom of the mountain and had to make an emergency landing.
Meanwhile, Lexi is standing at the top of the mountain, alone, at a loss as to what to do while the “professional paraglider” and Lauren are at the bottom of the mountain. Obviously the best decision is to take sad selfies of herself alone on the hill while she watches the guide make slow progress as he walks back up the mountain to get her and the truck he left at the top. Fast-forward 40 minutes later, the paraglider, huffing and puffing, finishes his walk up the mountain, and Lauren and Lexi were reunited once again!
Lima was full of surprises, from the best meal of our lives, to being separated on a mountain. Tell us what adventures you’ve had in Lima! Any recommendations for next time?
XOXO,
Lauren & Lexi
