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These tourist hotspots are either too crowded – or too arduous to get through – for most regular folk, making virtual tours the best option.

The post These virtual tours let you travel from the comfort of your home appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

These tourist hotspots are either too crowded – or too arduous to get through – for most regular folk, making virtual tours the best option.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

Peru's famed tourist site Machu Picchu has finally reopened after months of coronavirus closure, but for just a single visitor — a Japanese man stranded in the country by the pandemic.

"The first person on Earth who went to Machu Picchu since the lockdown is meeeeeee," Jesse Katayama posted on his Instagram account alongside pictures of himself at the deserted site.

"This is truly amazing! Thank you," he added in a video posted on the Facebook pages of the local tourism authority in Cusco, where the famed site is located. Katayama spoke against the backdrop of the majestic mountaintop dotted with ancient ruins that once attracted thousands of tourists a day but has been closed since March because of the coronavirus.

The Japanese boxing instructor, identified by local media as a 26-year-old from Nara, has been stuck in Peru since March, when he bought a ticket for the tourist site just days before the country declared a health emergency. He told a Peruvian newspaper he had only planned to spend three days in the area, but with flights cancelled and movement limited by the virus, he found himself stuck there for months.

Eventually, his plight reached the local tourism authority, which agreed to give him special permission to visit the Inca city, reopening the site just for him. "I thought that I wouldn't be able to go, but thanks to all of you who pleaded with the mayor and the government, I was given this super special opportunity," he wrote in Japanese on his Instagram account.

Machu Picchu is the most enduring legacy of the Inca empire that ruled a large swathe of western South America for 100 years before the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. The ruins of the Inca settlement were rediscovered in 1911 by the American explorer Hiram Bingham, and in 1983, UNESCO declared Machu Picchu a World Heritage Site.

It was originally scheduled to reopen to visitors in July, but that has now been pushed back to November. Just 675 tourists a day will be allowed in, 30 percent of the number allowed before the pandemic, with visitors expected to maintain social distancing.

Since it first opened to tourists in 1948, it has been closed just once before, for two months in 2010 when a flood destroyed the railway tracks connecting it to Cusco.

(Main and featured image: vitmark/ iStock)

The post Peru has Reopened Machu Picchu for a Lone Tourist Stranded in the Country appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Immerse in Peruvian art and culture on the Belmond Hiram Bingham train journey to Machu Picchu.

The post Belmond’s luxury rail ride in Peru launches refreshing art experience appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Immerse in Peruvian art and culture on the Belmond Hiram Bingham train journey to Machu Picchu.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

Travelling the world for food, nature, and beyond.

The post Four jetsetters on their favourite travel destinations appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Travelling the world for food, nature, and beyond.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

People are travelling more than before and the historic, cultural and natural treasures they long to see risk destruction if the industry is not careful, say experts

The post Could our over-travelling lead to destruction of natural sights? appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

People are travelling more than before and the historic, cultural and natural treasures they long to see risk destruction if the industry is not careful, say experts

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

The recent late-February weather surge has left outdoor enthusiasts in the tri-state area anticipating warmer weather. With temperatures reaching as high as 70 degrees, it’s hard not to think of our favorite outdoor activities—camping, hiking, fishing and most importantly, traveling. VUE composed a list of the 7 best places to hike across the globe for […]

The post 7 Best Hiking Trails Around the World appeared first on VUE magazine.

This luxury sleeper train will take you to through some of the most impressive scenery the world has to offer – in absolute luxury.

The post Railway Luxury: Belmond Andean Explorer appeared first on LUXUO.

With the ancient ruins topping TripAdvisor's ranking, these are some of the luxurious hotels and packages that you might want to look into for your own trip.

The post Top 10 World Landmarks 2016 Revealed appeared first on LUXUO.