PODCAST · society
The Peru Channel
by Philip Murray
The Peru Channel is all about Peru from someone who actually lives here! Information about the country (including important current events that affect travelers) are mixed in with my own stories of adventure and exploration.
Episodes
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Tragedy and Yet Another Machu Picchu Crisis
Another incident -- this time involving a death and dozens of injuries -- sees Machu Picchu close out a tumultuous year with it's international reputation quickly eroding as the facets of the tourist industry let greed and incompetence slowly makes Machu Picchu no longer the fabulous place to…
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One Month Into Lima's State of Emergency
About a month into Lima's current State of Emergency, there appears to be a lot of show and few results. While we await an official report, some new data shows that homicides have not significantly decreased. Also, there are some big train discounts for travelers planning their trips to Machu...
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Another Major Crisis in Peru
Friday morning Peru woke up to its 7th President in the last 9 years with only two actualluy being elected. In this episode I'll explain what has happened and what you can might expect in the coming days, week, and months. When more comes out -- and this is a very fluid situation at the moment --...
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Start Planning Your 2026 Trip to Machu Picchu Now!
Nothing will ruin a trip for which you may have spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars to visit one of the Seven Modern Wonders of the World only to find out you can't get a ticket or your dream of hiking the Inca Trail is not possible because tickets are sold out months in advance. In this...
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More Chaos in Machu Picchu Right Now
No matter how amazing Machu Picchu is, once again incompetence is making it look like a bad choice of places to visit. The possibility of a strike stopping transportation for yourists up and down the mountain in a few days is of great concern as walking is not recommended except for the very...
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My 9 Favorite Free Things in Cusco
This was a lot of fun and focuses on absolutely free things to see and experience mostly around Cusco's central historical center. Some you can probably guess, but not all. You can learn more at the Show Notes where I'll include some relevant links and pics of the different places I talk about.
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20 Years of Adventures Exploring in Peru
This episode took a long time to prepare as I simply have a LOT of adventures to tell you -- things like dealing with miners and loggers in the rainforest, searching for wild (and even sometimes dangerous) animals, and so much more. It was a lot of fun to prepare, but keeping things fairly...
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Most Asked Questions About Visiting Peru in 2025
In this episode I answer questions that I've seen come up the most so far in 2025 from people planning a trip to Peru. I read social media and watch YouTube videos constantly to get a feel for what people are thinking about when they plan a trip to Peru. Sadly, so much of what is shared is simply...
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Problems at the New Lima Airport and More Tourist Terror
With the new Lima airport opening a couple of days ago, another robbery and kidnapping of tourists near Iquitos, and the death of a U.S. tourist in Huacachina, the past few days have been extremely busy and I thought it would be a good idea to record another episiode a little quicker than usual…
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Lima Airport to Finally Open and Tourist Terror on the Amazon
There's a lot going on Peru as the tourist season really gets underway. The new Lima airport is set to open ina few days and problems with tourism continues to plague the industry based on crime and questionable tourism companies. You can read more about this week's episode with some useful links...
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Which Machu Picchu Route To Choose
Learn about the routes from someone who has actually been on every single one. In this episode I give a little description with some comments about each of the 10 routes through Machu Picchu to help you make a decision on which is best for you. You can read the Show Notes here: Episode 33 - Which...
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The Dark Side of Tourism in Peru
Tourism in Peru has some very real issues. While it's a magical place to visit, there are things that you should know about that might make your trip better and maybe even save your life. Show Notes: Podcast Episode 32 - The Dark Side of Tourism in Peru
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Some Thoughts on What's Coming in 2025
There's really not much on the Show Notes page this week, but you can access it here and leave any comments, questions, or suggestions. I promise -- everyhthing is really appreciated.
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Questions About Visiting Machu Picchu (Part 2)
This is the second part in the series about Machu Picchu in which I talk about more about getting there, the best time of the year to visit and even the best time of the day, plus some assorted tips including my two favorite restaurants where the food is plentiful and cheap, and finally what to…
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Questions About Visiting Machu Picchu (Part 1)
In this first episode of a series, I talk about about guides, tickets, buses, and trains. There's so much to talk about, that I had to start somewhere and these are some of the topics that come up most of all. There are a lot of links to things like where to buy tickets for Machu Picchu, the...
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Questions About Visiting Peru (Part 1)
In this epsiode I talk about a variety of topics that come up often for people considering Peru including tipping, money, all things money, weather and what clothes to wear, electricty concerns for electronics, and restrooms! You can leave any comments or questions on the Show Notes page here:...
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Some Thoughts on Living in Cusco
Visiting somewhere and actually living there are never the same. In this episode I talk about some of what life is like as an expat living in Cusco. While there's a lot to talk about, I focused on shopping, food, noise, and getting around with some quick comments about things like laundry and...
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Some Tips for Visiting Cusco (From Someone Who Lives Here)
Safety, getting around, and general experiencing travel -- lots of people tell you all kind of tips about visiting a place -- some good, some bad, some relevant, and some not... I wanted to discuss a few things that always seem to come up when people come to my city that might make your visit a...
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4 Questions I'm Often Asked About Peru
When to visit? Is Peru safe? Is Machu Picchu really worth it? Why do I live here? These are some of the most common questions I get and in this episode I try to answer each. Also, I talk about a new announcement affecting last minute ticket purchases for Machu Picchu -- a major issue since online...
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Traveling Peru by Road and River
I'm lucky to have been able to travel many places in Peru by just about every means possible from airplanes to buses to cars and even to boats along the Amazon. In this episode I talk about how it's not as challenging or confusing as you might think and how it's possible to go anywhere you want...
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The 7 Places You Have to Visit in Cusco
In this episode I talk about 7 places that will give you a taste of what the city, it's history, and its culture are really like. As someone who lives here, these are among my favorites because they are most representative of what Cusco really has to offer from modern life going back through its...
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Understanding the Current Social Protests in Peru
Peru has been a political volatile country for a long time, but recently things have been even more uncertain and undercurrents of social unrest and disenfranchisement are rising again. As new and potentially even bigger protests are planned for this coming week during Peru's Fiestas Patrias...
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How to Plan a Trip to Machu Picchu
This episode covers all of that you need to know to plan a trip to Machu yourself to avoid paying a someone else to do the exact same thing for you. For many people, planning a bucket list trip like giong to Machu Picchu can be very intimidating, but fortunately it's really not hard at all thanks...
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My Three Favorite Cities in Peru
My three favorite cities in Peru plus some important news about Machu Pichu and the serious health crisis that is affecting hundreds of thousands and will likely continue to do so well into next year. This episode could have been a LOT longer, but I had to keep telling myself to only summarize…
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The Story Behind the Modern Inti Raymi
June in Cusco is a magical time and it all is centered around the Inti Raymi celebration, but the story behind the big event is one that is little known even aming locals. This epsiode talks about the reality of Inti Raymi today and how it is not what most people believe. In the Show Notes…
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Finding Inca Ruins in the Rainforest
My two biggest passions are Machu Picchu and the rainforest. When they come together as they did last week, it's a story I have to share! You can read the Show Notes here: Podcast Episode 18 - Finding Inca Ruins in the Rainforest.
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Why You Should Spend More Time at Machu Picchu
Everyone who knows me, knows that my passion in Peru is Machu Picchu. I have probably spent more time there over the past five years than anyone except those who work there. I am constanetly researching, exploring, and studying the site and the surrounding National Sanctuary of which it is only…
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Iquitos or Puerto Maldonado: Which Jungle in Peru?
While Cusco ands Machu Picchu are the most popular places to visit in Peru, the Amazon Rainforest is easily the second most famous place. Many people are uncertain about choosing between the country's two most popular places -- Iquitos in the northern rainforest and Puerto Maldonado in the...
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5 Little Known Facts About Machu Picchu
Everyone who knows me knows that Machu Picchu is my passion. They also know that I have an obsession with truthfulness about the site and can't stand the massive amounts of misinformation shared -- even more so when it's done deliberately to make someone more money. In this episode I talk about a...
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Why Now is (Almost) the Perfect Time to Visit Peru
Anyone concerned about coming to Peru after seeing all the negative news this year should know that right now things are as close to normal across almost all of the country as it has been since before the COVID pandemic over three years ago. In this episode I talk about what has happened, the...
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Domestic Air Travel in Peru - Everything You Need to Know
As someone who flies more than just about any other traveler in Peru, in this episode I talk about frequent flyer benefits no matter what airline you use, transportation, the best seats to reserve, how I get the best airfare deals, airport security, luggage, the reality of some airport terminals,...
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Why I love The Rainforest (Part 1) - Animals
It's hard to describe how deeply I love the rainforest, but in this episode I give it a try by talking about experiences with animals and how I dealt with my own personal deep phobia. You can read the Show Notes here and see a few of my favorite wildlife photos from the jungle: Episode 12 - Why I...
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Some Thoughts on Visiting Machu Picchu
In this episode I talk a little more about visiting Machu Picchu including recommendations on how to get there and using guides. Show Notes are available at Some Thoughts on Visiting Machu Picchu.
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Monasteries and Convents in Arequipa
I spent a couple of days in Arequipa focusing on photographing and finally visited the Monatserio Santa Catalina as well as the lesser known Convento la Recoleta. Both. while completely different, turned out to be two of the most interesting places i've ever visited in Peru. Santa Catalina, in...
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Abancay and the South Central Andes by Bus
Last week I took a short trip to the small town of Abancay about five hours from Cusco by bus. While it really wasn't long enough to do much exploring in the town itself., this episode focuses on information about the bus ride that might be useful to anyone thinking about traveling across the...
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Peruvian Cultural Differences - Part 2
In this episode I talk about noise, traffic, and how Peruvians approach time -- all things that visitors commonly have a bit of uncertainty in dealing with as they are frequently quit a bit different from what visitors are used to in their home countries. You can check out the show notes here:...
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Peruvian Cultural Differences - Part 1
In this episode I talk about some of the differences in Peruvian culture that might be a little more challenging to deal with by a visitor from a foreign place. Some of these may be inconsequential to you, but others may be a little harder to accept. As I always say, visitors must remember that...
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Episode 6 - ATMs, Food, and Safety
The idea for this episode came from some social media posts I've seen recently by p[eople planning trips to Peru. Their concerns were very real and echoed comments I'd seen many times in the past, but some of the responses were, at best, incorrect, so I thought I'd share some facts and…
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Episode 5 - Tourists vs Travelers
In this epsiode I had a little fun sharing my thoughts on the eternal debate about tourists vs travelers. You can catch up on some of the news and hopefully share your own thoughts with a comment at the bottom of the Episode 5 Show Notes page.
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Episode 4 - Tips on Visiting Machu Picchu (Part 2)
In this episode I talk about the two routes coming into Aguas Calientes which is the jumping off point for Machu Picchu. People can come in from either upriver by train or from downriver by train or hiking along the railway. There are no roads to Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu from anywhere...
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Episode 3 - Tips on Visiting Machu Picchu (Part 1)
In this episode I start the series about visiting Machu Picchu in which I talk about the best times of the year and day to visit as well as if you should hire a guide. I also try to give a little clarity to the confusing routes that visitors must choose from when visiting the site. I also talk...
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Episode 2 - Puerto Maldonado and Lago Sandoval
Two weeks ago I traveled back to the rainforest in southwestern Peru at Puerto Maldonado and nearby Lago Sandoval in the Tambopata National Reserve. In this podcast I talk about how to get to Puerto by air and on a bus, where I like to stay, and what to do there. My focus is on Lago Sandoval and...
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Episode 1 - Machu Picchu Myths
In this first episode I talk about Machu Picchu myths that drive me crazy! (Look for a lot more discussion on some of these in more detail later, too.) News: Peru v. Australia World Cup news; strikes and protests will disrupt travel plans in the coming months; a new low-cost airline begins...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Peru Channel is all about Peru from someone who actually lives here! Information about the country (including important current events that affect travelers) are mixed in with my own stories of adventure and exploration.
HOSTED BY
Philip Murray
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Peru Channel have?
The Peru Channel currently has 43 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Peru Channel about?
The Peru Channel is all about Peru from someone who actually lives here! Information about the country (including important current events that affect travelers) are mixed in with my own stories of adventure and exploration.
How often does The Peru Channel release new episodes?
The Peru Channel has 43 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Peru Channel?
You can listen to The Peru Channel on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Peru Channel?
The Peru Channel is created and hosted by Philip Murray.
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