Peru is a beautiful country with so many interesting things to see and do.

However, you need to do a little bit of planning to see this country with so many top sites at high altitude, especially if, like me, you prefer to travel independently and not book a tour.

I spent November to December 2014 in Peru and loved it (except for the cold I caught in Cuzco, which curtailed my exploration of the coast and the Nazca Lines).

Want to go to Peru?  Here are some stories to tempt your travels and to help you plan.

• For Forbes, Taste for Travel: Street Foods for Travel Dreaming.
• Featured in this piece simultaneously published by MSN and Reader’s Digest:
  • • I’ve been to 60 countries but these 6 changed me forever (MSN version, a slideshow).
    • I’ve been to 60 countries but these 6 changed me forever (Reader’s Digest version, all on one page).

• For USA Today’s 10Best, Lima: It is and isn’t about the limes.

• Four crucial things no one tells you about visiting Machu Picchu, for Flung Magazine.

• How to see Machu Picchu without booking a tour: step-by-step instructions and costs to get from Lima to Machu Picchu (and out) independently, and at minimal cost. Plus tips on what to bring, and not bring, with you to Machu Picchu and how to avoid the nasty no-see-um bites.

• How to save cash in Cusco (for Canadian Traveller, winter 2015-16) for directions to an almost unknown (and free!) labyrinth-like ruin, where to get photos of llamas and alpacas without needing to pay, and why it can be good for the local economy when you spend wisely.

• Avoiding altitude sickness:
  • How to avoid altitude sickness in Peru (for Passport Health).
  • How to see Peru without getting altitude sickness (for LuxuryAndBoutiqueHotels.com).

• Seizing sideline charms in Peru’s Sacred Valley (for the Kiwi Collection).

• Two awesome markets — in Cuzco and in Lima — featured in Favourite food markets around the world on TravelWithKat.com.

• How altitude affects your eating and chefs’ cooking: Dining challenges in Cusco, Peru (for LuxuryAndBoutiqueHotels.com).

• To come: Must eats and drinks in Lima, and Making Peru’s national dishes: pisco sours and ceviché.

• Looking for a place to stay? Hotel reviews:
  • Luxury hotels near Machu Picchu: Sumaq Machu Picchu (Aguas Calientés) and Tambo del Inka (Urubamba in the Sacred Valley)
  • Boutique hotels in Cuzco: El Mercado Tunqui, Andean Wings, Encantada Boutique Spa
  • Taypikala Lago, at Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world
  • A boutique hotel in Lima: Casa Inca Boutique Hotel

Have you been to Peru? Do you have advice to share?

Are you going to Peru? Happy to answer any questions you may have.