The magic of the highlands of Peru - seen from a luxury sleeper train

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The colourful Peruvian city of Cusco is best known as the gateway to Machu Picchu. It’s also the starting point to a slower adventure, one that ascends over 2,000 metres above even the Lost City of the Incas. Along one of the world’s highest train routes, the Andean Explorer, A Belmond Train takes three days to travel fewer than 200 miles, winding its way through the Peruvian highlands and expanses of the Andes that would otherwise be inaccessible. The ‘explorer’ part of the train’s name is key. This isn’t just a mode of transport, it’s an experience that immerses travellers in the landscapes and Andean way of life, from the moment your eyes first fall on a herd of wild llamas roaming the grasslands to the final pisco sour in the Piano Bar.

Think luxury train travel and you probably picture the Agatha Christie era Orient Express snaking its way splendidly through Europe. This is exactly the elegance that Belmond wanted for its Andean Explorer, which arrived in 2017 as the first luxe sleeper train in South America. The lengths to which they were prepared to go to get that elegance were remarkable: all 20 midnight-blue carriages came from Australia via a three-month voyage across the Pacific. In situ, that blue hue pops against the earthy oranges of the Peruvian plains, perfectly mimicking the night sky above. Interior design details were inspired by the texture of Peru’s traditional hand-woven fabrics, the soft tones of alpaca wool and the slate greys of the Andes. Best of all, though, the 35 private cabins – there are double suites, twins or bunk beds – come with large windows to gaze out of. On one joyful morning I saw hares, chinchillas and alpacas in the space of just five minutes.

The days begin early in the Andes and on both mornings we were up at 5.15am for sunrise. Clouds over Lake Titicaca conspired against us on day one but the team went out of its way to make the punchy wake-up call worthwhile, building fires, handing out blankets and pouring coffee. At Saracocha on day two, where we’d been able to count constellations with our guide William the night before, we were rewarded with far-reaching views across Lake Lagunillas as the daylight spread around the mountains beyond.

These guided activities are highlights of the Peruvian Highlands itinerary. There are archaeological wonders to be seen at the Inca complex of Raqch’i. A full day is dedicated to Lake Titicaca. After a half-hour boat ride from the shore we stepped onto one of its man-made islands. Known for their distinctive cat-shaped boats, the Uros have lived on the lake for centuries, on islands created with layers upon layers of totora reeds. We were shown around by island president Caesar, watching on as girls in colourful dresses cooked up a pot of ducks they’d caught that morning.

Uros floating island near Puno city, Peru

Another boat ride away was the bay of Collata, the world’s highest beach, on Taquile Island. The water was warm enough to swim in – just the way to work up an appetite for lunch at La Receta, a family-run restaurant that showcases the heritage of the local Huillanopampa people: think choclo corn and cachangas (fried bread) with chilli salsa, followed by grilled trout and rice.

Back on board, there’s something fun about rattling along as you eat, martini glass pleasantly vibrating against the table. And, like most things on the Andean Explorer, every ingredient on your plate has a story. There are over 3,000 varieties of potato in Peru. We tried them many ways in the dining carriage, most memorably one lunchtime in a beautiful curried soup with seaweed. Another meal brought a chance to try the Arequipa delicacy of queso helado, a cheese ice cream, here served with cinnamon meringue and lucuma. Breakfasts could kick off with quinoa porridge. And then there was trout. Introduced to Lake Titicaca from Massachusetts in the 1960s, they’ve now overtaken the native catfish, so fishing for trout is the locals’ way of protecting the indigenous fish. As ceviche for lunch, smoked and delicately shaped into a flower as a starter, or simply grilled with yuca purée, I was happy to do my bit.

Andean flowers and herbs are important enough to life here that each of the train’s carriages is named after one. As we hiked into the belly of a canyon we were given homemade hibiscus water to refresh ourselves. Back at the top there was a concoction of watermelon juice and lemongrass waiting for us on the train. During an evening stop at La Raya Pass, trays of hot sweetened almond milk circulated as we gazed up at snow-capped Chimboya mountain, which looms large as the trip’s highest peak at 5,489 metres. Herbs are also prized for their medicinal qualities. In the Picaflor spa car an altitude-acclimatising massage featured a bowl of infused, locally gathered herbs to inhale. Muña (an Andean mint) and coca tea are always available to settle any unease from the elevation. Though if you ask the bar staff they might also tell you that cocktails are the best medicine and hand you a Selva Alta of gin, cacao, black tea, highaltitude citrus and pineapple.

Any altitude upsets are also likely to diminish in the face of the scale and wonder of these surroundings. I actually squealed with joy when I spotted my first pack of alpacas, and we soon learned the difference between the different camelids (llamas are the biggest, then alpacas, then vicuñas). A hike to the Sumbay Caves in the Salinas y Aguada Blanca National Reserve was awesome in the deepest sense of that word. We saw more than 500 ancient cave paintings, mainly of camelids, made by the region’s first human inhabitants more than 8,000 years ago. Look closely and you can spot one person and one puma among them.

Traditionally Dressed Peruvian Women and Llamas await the next batch of Tourists at Waiting for the Tourists, Sacsayhuaman, Cusco.

As the train rumbled along we relaxed into a rhythm and learnt to sway with the carriages. The place to be was often the outdoor observation deck at the very back of the train. With a coffee, an Inca Kola or a pisco sour, I read a book as we rolled past peaks and canyons. I loved leaning over the railings, watching the train snaking before me through the changing panoramas. It felt as bittersweet as coca tea when William pointed out the three volcanos – the largest of them, magnificent Misti, capped in snow – that signal the end of the journey in Arequipa.

I was a solo traveller but by the end of the three days I’d befriended two sets of honeymooning newlyweds from the USA. As is often the case we came together over the dinner table, breaking into each meal’s sculptural bread, trading tasting notes on watermelon ceviche, sharing bottles of Peruvian sauvignon blanc and drinking martinis in anoraks. As we disembarked, the entire train crew lined up and applauded as we walked past. But, of course, it’s they who really deserve the plaudits, for showing off the very best of their magical country.