A walk on the wild side in Peru

Not that this is somehow a tamed environment - guests must walk with a guide on the forest trails, not least because it is astonishingly easy to get lost. "One guest went off by himself," I was told. "We finally found him two days later - utterly terrified."

Before we'd even left the grounds, Elias had spotted a troop of squirrel monkeys, swinging through the trees with easy grace.

"Humans can eat what monkeys eat," he said, as we watched them nibble fruit. "If you don't know what foods in the forest are safe, then you must watch the monkeys."

I stored that away - in case I strayed and ended up survival self-catering.

Elias showed us how adding water to the crushed leaves of the sanipanga plant creates a red dye, used by tribes people as a temporary tattoo. He pointed out the garlic tree, the bark of which is a natural mosquito repellent, and the para para plant - the leaves of which are macerated, then blended with rum and honey to make a version of Viagra.

"Do you rub it on?" asked an interested guest, slightly disappointed when Elias says they simply drink it.

Later, on a twilight walk, we saw the rainforest in a different guise. As the darkness fell our torches revealed the gleaming eyes of caimans, a type of crocodile, lurking menacingly in the river; there was a furry tarantula with pink feet, sitting on the trunk of a tree, and a palm-sized chicken spider, emerging from its den to take the evening air.

Much of the action in the Amazon takes place in the trees, so Inkaterra has created a walkway 30 metres (nearly 100ft) up in the canopy to give visitors a parrot's eye view of the rainforest. Six safe - but fairly bouncy - bridges take you through the trees, with a final bridge leading to the reserve's latest addition; a cosy canopy tree house.

This comes complete with two comfy single beds, a washbasin and a chemical loo for guests wanting to spend the night among the stars.

Reluctantly I left the Amazon to take a 25-minute flight to Cusco, former capital of the Incas, where colonial Christianity mingles with more ancient ways. The painting of the Last Supper in the cathedral, with roast guinea-pig (or cuy) and beer in place of bread and wine, is a sight to behold.

The following day, I boarded a bus that wound through the Sacred Valley of the Incas to Ollantaytambo, and then took a train for the 90-minute journey to Aguas Calientes - the rail terminus for Machu Picchu. Inkaterra's Machu Picchu hotel is conveniently set beside the station, and just a 30-minute bus ride from the iconic citadel itself.

Set in the Andean cloudforest, it wasn't until 1911 that explorer Hiram Bingham discovered it. I visited the next day and strolled around its steep terraces, ceremonial baths and temples aligned to the sun.

But this misty cloudforest has other beauties too - creatures such as the endangered Spectacled Bear, woolly monkeys and rare orchids.

Back at my hotel the grounds felt like a lush nature reserve - with butterflies and birds in brilliant shades of sapphire, crimson and saffron.

Peru may behold archaeological wonder but its real treasure is the wildlife - much richer than I'd imagined.

DETAILS:

Journey Latin America (www.journeylatinamerica.co.uk) offers a 10-night trip including one night at the Country Club Lima Hotel, three at Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica, three at Inkaterra La Casona, Cusco, and one at Inkaterra Machu Picchu with Perurail (www.perurail.com) transfers — out on the Vistadome, return on the Hiram Bingham trains. From £3,833pp full-board including return flights and transfers. www.inkaterra.com.

www.peru.info