According to one website (and our tour guides when we visited) Peru has 83 of the 104 ecosystems on the planet, and 28 of the 32 climates, making it the most ecologically diverse country on earth. It is full of amazing people with great stories to tell, fascinating plants and animals, rainforests, mountains, huge cities, and vast empty deserts. I completely believe that it's a place that everyone should experience.

I traveled to Peru two summers ago with my grandma, as her high school graduation gift to me. We went with a group of about 20 other people, who were all grandparents and teenage grandchildren. During our two weeks there, we were able to experience a wide range of the country's different regions and activities.

1. Take a boat ride into the rainforest

We had various guides during our trip who would lead the excursions or provide us with information. When we first got on our boat to go into the rain forest to our hotel, we were each handed a leaf with delicious, homemade fried rice wrapped inside. I have no idea why, but eating rice out of a leaf was an amazing way to start the ride. It took probably one or two hours to get to our hotel, but it was a beautiful trip down the river, and we passed by enormous trees, interesting animals, and other boats full of bananas and people waving.

These are much bigger luxury ships, but here is one tour group that does Amazon boat rides.

2. Visit a rain forest fruit farm and eat fresh fruit off the plants

I probably ate about 10 fresh starfruit this day. We were shown around the enormous farm by the owner, who would periodically pull a fruit off of a tree and start passing it around for people to try. This was one of the activities we did through the hotel we were staying in. A list of all their excursions is provided here--we did most of these during our few days at this hotel. If you want a more serious trip to the rainforest, here is another amazing opportunity where you can live and volunteer on an organic farm in Peru's rainforest.

3. Stay in an open air hotel, built of connected walkways

For four days, our group stayed at Posada Amazonas, an open air hotel nestled into the heart of the rainforest. The entire hotel has no walls, and all the rooms and public areas are connected by these walkways. The rooms are beautiful and you can often see monkeys, deer and birds from your windows. An extra bonus: the food here was some of the best any of us had ever had.

4. Climb canopy towers

Among the list of the activities offered by the hotel (all of which are excellent), these are two of the most memorable for me. We climbed to the top of this tower to see incredible views of the rainforest from above the trees. We also took a hike through the forest (accompanied by monkeys chattering all around us) to stand next to some of the most enormous trees I've ever seen.

5. Hike at night on the hunt for enormous, terrifying insects

This was definitely a terrifying experience, but if you like walks in the dark where you can look at giant spiders, you will love this. This is for real. Guides took us into the dark forest with flashlights, stopped out of nowhere and had us turn the flashlights off. When we turned them back on, they had lured a huge tarantula out of its nest three feet away--be prepared!

6. Drink "purple corn juice" at a restaurant in Lima

While this isn't actually a requirement of your trip, and I don't think anyone in our group actually liked it, "Chicha Morada" is a popular Peruvian beverage. If you're already in Peru, it is definitely worth trying some of the local food, much of which is absolutely excellent. You can also try bringing Peru to you by making Chicha Morada at home with this recipe.

7. Eat or shop at a mall cut into a cliff on Lima's shore

The entire coastal side of Lima is stunning. There are plenty of pathways and colorful statues along the coast, which makes it a great place to walk. At the end of this path is a large outdoor shopping mall cut right into the side of the cliffs. It is open to the warm air and lovely views of the sea, but is also a high-end mall filled with stores and restaurants. More information about the "Larcomar" can be found here.

8. Visit a huge church with underground catacombs

Yes, below this beautiful church in the heart of Lima is a huge network of catacombs containing thousands of bones. For around $3 you can take a tour of this enormous underground cemetery, and walk past rooms and caverns completely filled with bones. It is definitely worth seeing, as long as you don't have a fear of dark caves full of long-dead bodies.

9. Buy fresh foods out of huge bags at local markets

Later on in our trip, we spent several days in the Sacred Valley (my favorite region from our trip). We were led through a local market where hundreds of family farmers and vendors sold fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers, cheese, meat and spices out of sacks like these, or from wooden stands where they could prop up chicken legs or flowers. Lots of markets like these exist all over the Sacred Valley and take place daily.

10. Pet and feed llamas and alpacas in the Sacred Valley

As you may be imagining, there truly are alpacas everywhere in the Sacred Valley (as well as llamas, vicunas, goats and sheep). While driving through the valley, you're likely to see all kinds of hoofed animals and livestock, and every market and shop is packed full of (often) affordable, beautiful clothes handmade with alpaca, sheep or llama wool. Our bus stopped right next to the main road for us to visit at this llama sanctuary, where we fed the animals. And best of all, one of the grandmas got spit on and her reaction was priceless.

11. Stay at a hotel that is an old converted monastery (and the most beautiful hotel I've ever stayed in)

This hotel is surrounded by mountains and made up of various buildings, all part of a monastery from the 18th century. The property is covered in flowers, fountains and steppes with (of course) llamas grazing on them. Feel free to check out more photos of this amazing place here, but be warned that if you do, you'll find yourself booking a trip to Peru tonight.

12. Hike to the top of Machu Picchu

Of course this is the most well-known and touristed part of Peru, but that's the case for a reason! Machu Picchu is gorgeous and definitely worth seeing in your lifetime. Some things you don't always hear about Machu Picchu: 1) Getting there involves both buses and trains 2) The walk to the top is extremely exhausting, particularly at the high elevations--you'll question your decision many times before you get to the top, but you won't regret it once you do 3) You can get a special Machu Picchu stamp in your passport, so make sure you bring it when you go.

13. Drive to the ocean and stand on top of these cliffs

This is Paracas, Peru--the desert, coastal area of the country. We spent a few days here at yet another amazing hotel on the beach. The area is essentially vast stretches of nothing that lead right up to cliffs like these. There are certain viewpoints like this one that are just for admiring the scenery, and other places where you can pull up to the ocean and splash around in the Pacific. Be warned: this entire place is crazy windy and sandy, so wear sunglasses constantly.

14. Dip your toes in the Pacific Ocean at sunset (or at any time!)

I kind of think this one speaks for itself. Watch pelicans, look at seashells, sit on the sand and take this in.

Here is where we stayed in Paracas, and where I took this photo.

15. Take a roller coaster-like ride around the enormous sand dunes

This is one of the best adventures I've ever had. The professional guides (who drive the buggies for you) become crazy people once they're out on the dunes. It's difficult to see the horizon or what's up ahead, so you often suddenly find yourself flying down steep hills of sand at top speed. (However, they also had a more relaxed version that some of the grandparents preferred.) This is a company that offers an experience similar to the one we had.

16. Attempt to sand board

Halfway through the trip, the driver stops and you get out of the dune buggies and can give sandboarding a try. Essentially, it's snowboarding on sand dunes, and it is definitely a challenge. However, you don't have to stand up; sitting and kneeling can be easier.

17. Visit an Afro-Peruvian village and explore its unique culture

One of the last things we did on our trip was visit this Afro-Peruvian village for a dance performance put on by some of the local (and very talented) young people. It was very entertaining, and we discovered a culture none of us expected to find in Peru. The history of these communities is fascinating, and it's definitely worth stopping here on your way to your next adventure.

18. Drink milkshakes and explore the plazas of Cuzco

The milkshakes are definitely just a suggestion (at this point, we were all good friends and someone started talking about milkshakes so we set out to get some), but exploring Cuzco is definitely worth your time. The city is filled with plazas like this one, all of which have statues and fountains at the center, and shops and churches around the outside.

19. Learn about the history of fascinating places like Sacsayhuaman

This ancient site has an incredible and mysterious story to it, one you should definitely plan to learn about before you visit here. The rocks of the fortress are immensely heavy and are fit together so tightly that a butter knife can't fit between them. Yet, the rocks have been in these formations for thousands of years. There is still an element of mystery to how the people of the Inca Empire got the rocks here, and it's a great place to visit when you're in Cuzco.

20. Take in amazing views everywhere you go

It is totally impossible to ever forget places like these. It's also impossible to forget all the amazing people we interacted with in all the places we went. The memories of our adventures will last until we're old enough to take our grandkids on the same trip.

And how could I ever forget my wonderful friends, who I hope will all continue to be as notoriously bad at taking group photos as we wre on this vacation? This amazing country brought us together, but now I'm very glad we'll never get rid of each other.