Until we came we couldn’t believe how amazing Ica and the Huacachina desert were. Located about 5 hours by bus from Lima, this is a small town that was hit by an earthquake in 2007 and is still struggling to rebuild itself and recover. Nonetheless this is certainly a destination that every visitor should see when in Peru, due to the amazing oasis in the middle of the desert.

Our journey started in the comfortable seats of the bus company Cruz del Sur. We will give more details on how to travel around Peru once we get to know the country better, but so far we can say that the largest bus companies (Cruz del Sur and Oltursa) offer outstanding seats for the journey from Lima and other places. Prices are also affordable and you can choose different classes to match your budget.

We paid about 120 Soles (about US$ 35) for a journey that could have cost us just 85 (around US$ 25). We didn’t realize that Noah could have sat with us, rather than having his own seat. In terms of controlling costs (the world tour will be long …), any cent saved is welcome. But this was a mistake that we avoided on the return trip to Lima. Nevertheless, the 140 degrees reclining seats were very large, extremely comfortable and helped us to put up with the 5-hour journey.

Ica, Huacachina Oasis and the Hotel Villa Jazmin

Ica has traffic like Lima but on a smaller scale, so I guess this is a pattern in Peru … The hotel we chose, recommended by our friends in Lima, is located in a residential area called La Angostura. The Hotel Villa Jazmin is a very charming place, run by a Belgian who chose the Peruvian atmosphere over the frenetic European lifestyle. With 2 swimming pools, large bedrooms, very friendly staff and tasty food in large portions the hotel has all the amenities that the guest should expect. We therefore pay forward the recommendation from Susy and Ben and show some pics that back up our opinions.

Swimming pool at Villa Jazmin

But the best was yet to come.

We took a taxi to the entrance of the Huacachina oasis and then realized that the best thing we did was NOT booking the tour online. Prices at the counter were so much cheaper. There are many companies offering the buggy tour to the oasis of Huacachina and you can book a shared one or a private one, either for a thrilling ride or a leisurely tour.

As we thought that Noah would not enjoy being in a buggy full of people, going up and down the sands very quickly, we booked a private tour for 100 Soles. What a huge mistake that was … not because of the price (which was very good) but because we assumed that Noah would not appreciate the speed or the “thrill”. There was one point when we had to ask the driver to go a bit faster as Noah was going nuts about the tour.

The driver, Goyo, took us to some amazing spots in Huacachina for pictures and also to try a bit of sandboarding. Even our crazy son, with adrenaline coursing through his veins, tried it.

To end this amazing tour to the oasis of Huacachina on a high note, Goyo took us to a place in the middle of the desert to enjoy the sunset. Unfortunately there were some clouds covering the sun but the views were still impressive.

A day to remember and a place to come back to again.

Some important facts about this trip

• Bus company from Lima to Ica: Cruz del Sur, with a trip of about 4 and 1/2 hours
• Price of the seats: S/ 120 for the 3 of us in a VIP class (however we could’ve taken Noah on our lap, rather than a single seat, and instead of S/ 40 the fare for him would’ve been S/ 5)
• Hotel in Ica: Hotel Villa Jazmin in La Angostura, we paid US$ 45, but it was a very good offer via Booking.com. Breakfast costs about US$ 8 per person
• Taxi from Ica bus station to the hotel: S/ 6
• Taxi from hotel to Huacachina: S/10
• 2-hour private tour in Huacachina with sunset: S/ 100 (for the 3 of us), booked via Hotel Huacachinero