One of my favorite places when I visited Peru in April was the famous Lake Titicaca in Puno. At 12,500 feet above sea level and nestled between Peru and Bolivia, Lake Titicaca is the highest commercially navigable lake in the world. The lake has a fascinating history: Incan mythology cites it as the place from which the rest of the world emerged. On any trip to Peru a visit to Lake Titicaca is a must-do, and make sure to wake up early enough one morning to catch a beautiful sunrise over the lake.

During a trip to Peru's Lake Titicaca, my husband and I debated whether to visit the Uros Floating Islands - we'd received mixed reviews from travelers who had already visited the islands. We decided to give it a shot and hired a private boat to get to the islands since it wasn't much more expensive than a group boat and we could be a bit more on our schedule. We were so glad we decided to visit the Uros Islands! Aside from learning about the Uros people's fascinating culture, one of the young Uros men, seeing how interested we were in their way of life, treated us to a really special experience - a boat ride in his traditional Uros reed boat! When in the Lake Titicaca region, I definitely suggest you check out the Uros Floating Islands, despite anything negative you might hear from others who've visited them before. It's a glimpse into a life lived literally on a lake, and it's unlike anything I've seen before or since.

Strolling through Puno, Peru, on the banks of the fascinating Lake Titicaca, we passed many stores displaying produce and fish for sale, but nothing looked or smelled as tempting as this freshly-baked bread. Curious to find out if it tasted as good as it looked, my husband and I bought a loaf and took it with us back to our hotel. Sure enough, the bread was even better than it looked: crisp and flaky on the outside, soft and tender on the inside. No matter what country you're in, nothing beats the taste and smell of fresh bread.

Lake Titicaca is the largest navigable lake in the world. It's worth taking advantage of it's navigability to find your way onto a boat to Isla Taquile from Puno. The island is inhabited by a cooperative society of people who welcome travelers to their terraced island where they grow several varieties of potatoes and corn. Climb to the top to one the many restaurants built upon these terraces and enjoy a lunch overlooking the expanse of Lake Titicaca.

When my husband and I visited Peru's Lake Titicaca in March 2011, we couldn't decide whether or not to take a trip out to the Uros Floating Islands. People who'd been there before us had offered mixed reviews. But we decided to give it a go and we were so happy we did! Aside from learning about the interesting culture of the Uros people, we were also able to take a once-in-a-lifetime boat ride in a traditional Uros reed boat. I loved this building's sunny yellow roof and door - it matched the cheerful attitude of the Uros people we met, who offered nothing but smiles. I highly recommend a trip to the Uros Floating Islands if you visit Lake Titicaca.

A view of Lake Titicaca, the town of Puno and the statue of Manco Capac. This picture was taken from Huajsapata Park completely worth the walk (or cab ride) up the steep hill.

Aside from exploring the most well-known attraction of Puno, Peru - the fascinating Lake Titicaca - the town is also a great place to watch the local Peruvian people go about their daily routines. I loved the colorful traditional clothing and boller hats (called "bombins" in Spanish) that Peruvian women wear, like these two women who appeared to be enjoying each other's company on a casual afternoon stroll through town. Peru truly is a feast for the senses, with Puno and the areas around Lake Titicaca being some of the most colorful and interesting Peru has to offer.

My husband and I visited Puno, Peru, in March to see Lake Titicaca, and at one point we decided that we wanted to spend a day exploring some of the small towns around the lake that most tourists skip. So we hired a wonderful guide and asked him to take us to his favorite off-the-beaten-path towns in the Lake Titicaca area. We explained that we really wanted to get a sense of what daily life was like for the people living at 12,000+ feet elevation around Lake Titicaca. He obliged and chose the towns of Lampas and Juli, about an hour outside Puno. At one point, our generous guide asked if we wanted to visit his friend's house near Lampas for a truly up-close view of Peruvian daily life, and of course we jumped at the chance! This was our guide's friend, and he turned out to be the warmest, most hospitable person we met in Peru. He had a permanent smile on his face and his good mood was contagious. Although he and his family didn't necessarily have a lot of material wealth, they seemed to be some of the happiest people I've ever met. The man was especially proud of his llamas, this white one being his favorite one. I couldn't get over how he and his llama had matching smiles - they made a perfect pair! The day we spent in Lampas and Juli with our wonderful guide and his friend was the highlight of our visit to the Lake Titicaca area, an experience I won't soon forget.

One of the things that surprised me most about Puno on the banks of Lake Titicaca was the unexpected bursts of color scattered throughout the town. My husband and I wandered a bit off the beaten path in Puno and were rewarded with beautiful buildings like this one, painted bright red with windows that reflected the ornate church tower across the courtyard. You might not want to wander too far off Puno's main, well-travelled streets at night, but during the day make sure to get out and see all the colors the town has to offer.

Visiting Puno, Peru, on the banks of Lake Titicaca in April, my husband and I were pleasantly surprised by the unexpected pops of color we found when we wandered off the beaten path and into the town's many alleyways and courtyards. I love that most of the houses in Peru displayed a rooftop icon similar to the one here, with bulls to represent prosperity, a cross to represent their belief in Christianity, and a ladder to represent progress. If you find yourself in wonderful Puno, make sure to take some time to walk the town's lesser-travelled streets (at least during the day, maybe not at night), where you'll be rewarded with unexpected finds like this one.

There is a bustling trade among the Uros Islanders. We saw many people come to buy fish, sweets, gasoline and more from our hosts throughout our stay. It was finally time for them to do a bit of shopping when the floating store pulled up alongside the lodge.

They are a half hour boat ride on Lake Titicaca from the town of Puno in the Andean Highlands and like nothing you have ever seen. La Isla Uros are man-made islands formed in a ring of about twenty. They are formed by the tribespeople laying down layer of reed upon reed upon reed, year after year to create islands about 3 meters thick. Residents of each island consist of six families who welcome tourists and share their way of life: fishing for food, weaving and needlework for income, and dancing and signing for celebrating.

The Uru are a pre-columbian people who originally relocated their settlements onto floating islands in order to isolate themselves from potential aggressors. The floating islands of Uros consist of more than 40 individual islands each made out of bundled reeds. The Uru are extremely resourceful and have also fashioned boats, houses, beds, watch towers and even medicine from the reeds that grow naturally in Lake Titicaca. Upon visiting the islands (tours can be purchased in Puno) it is possible to receive a demonstration as to how the islands are made and maintained. For an extra 10 soles you can take a short boat ride on one of the handmade reed boats. A true highlight!

We enjoyed the tranquility and incredible views from the Tupirmarka Lodge in Lake Titcaca's Uros Islands. Many people come for an hour or two, but there is nothing like staying for a few nights with the local hosts.

In March, my husband and I spent a few nights in Puno, Peru, on the banks of Lake Titicaca. One of the best things we did during our stay was to hire a guide for a day to drive us to some of the smaller towns outside Puno. We wanted to get a better sense of how the local people lived around Lake Titicaca, what day-to-day life was like at 12,000+ feet of elevation in rural Peru. We told our guide to take us somewhere visitors usually don't usually go, and he chose a delightful town called Lampas about an hour outside Puno. While wandering through charming Lampas, at one point I got the distinct feeling that I was being watched. I looked around and saw that I was, in fact, being scrutinized pretty closely by this young boy - he must have wondered why I was taking pictures of his town. There are many fascinating, beautiful towns around the more-popular Puno, so if you visit Lake Titicaca, take a day, hire a knowledgeable guide, and tell him or her to take you somewhere most people don't think to visit. You won't be disappointed.

If you didn't know better, you might think you were on the Mediterranean. It certainly didn't seem like we were on the world's highest navigable lake until you realized how short the tallest mountain peaks were relative to our sightline.

When visiting Lake Titicaca in Puno, Peru, in March, my husband and I decided that we wanted to spend a day getting off the beaten path, exploring some of the small towns around the lake that most tourists skip. We grabbed our cameras, hired a guide, and were on our way! We told the guide to take us to a town where we could see what a typical day was like for people living at 12,000+ feet around Lake Titicaca, and he chose the town of Lampas near Juli. At one point, our gregarious guide asked if we wanted to stop by his friend's house to really get a sense of rural Peruvian daily life, and of course we jumped at the chance! This was his friend's daughter, and she charmed us all. She was fascinated with my camera, and it thrilled her when I took a photo of her and showed it to her on the camera's screen. The day spent exploring Lampas and Juli with our wonderful guide was the highlight of our visit to the Lake Titicaca area - not something I'll soon forget.

On any trip to Lake Titicaca, a visit to the Uros Floating Islands is a must-do. You can hire a boat (a group boat if you want to save a bit of money or a private one that costs a bit more but allows you more freedom) for the short trip across the lake to the islands. You'll enjoy a first-hand view of the fascinating islands that are made from living reeds and meet the charming and resourceful Uros people who've lived on the islands for generations. The Uros make everything they need from the reeds, from their furniture to their homes to the boats they use to navigate around Lake Titicaca. That day on the Uros Floating Islands was a memorable one for my husband and me, a wonderful memory we won't forget any time soon.

When going to Amantani, a small island on Lake Titicaca in Peru, the last thing we expected was a massive party in the town square, but that is exactly what we got. My husband and I walked to the dock at Puno and spoke with some of the boat captains there to arrange a ride to the small "Island of Kantuta." There, they arranged for us to stay with a local family, and although we did not speak Quechua, we wanted to see the school and library that was being built. Since we did not organize our visit through a tour company, we did not expect any pomp and circumstance upon our arrival. When we arrived that evening, we went on a hike to see some Inca ruins, which were beautiful and felt rather devastating. After changing at our adobe homestay, we wandered into the town square, being lured there by the sound of horn instruments, drums, and excitement. There, it felt like the whole island was celebrating, drinking, and dancing. Our favorite person to watch, however, was this older woman who was literally pouring alcohol down everyone's throats in between makeout sessions with an older man. She was having an absolute ball and we only wish that we had her energy. We never did discover what all of the excitement was about, but we loved being included!