Follow Paddington's paw prints for 'bearly' beatable Peruvian adventures

Literary home of adventure-attracting accident-prone bear, right royal seal of approval recipient, is deal as "reel" as recent big screen smash hit.

Facts of the matter are better yet than late, great English author Michael Bond's fiction, Peruvians proving politer and kinder than beloved Brown bruin, South America's most delightful destination more kaleidoscopic than colourful character's signature blue toggled duffel, yellow sou'wester and red wellies.

New meets old as Lima's pristine Jorge Chávez International Airport, named after country's aviation hero, provides gateway to Inca dynasty dating back to 1400, today offering experiences richer than empire's fabled hidden gold.

Cue amazing journey of discovery, all senses stimulated en route, once in a lifetime encounters enjoyed, fresh tastes - locals' delicacies alpaca and guinea pig to brandy pisco sour and chicha morada mocktail - discovered, also learning cock-of-the-rock is outrageously plumed national bird, not Black Sabbath eccentric Ozzy Osbourne!

Here's tourism steers for Brits in search of, if not absent Aunt Lucy, multifarious memorable moments across red and white flagged vibrant nation, native home to actual authentic Andean Spectacled Bear.

To follow in Paddington's paw prints, visit https://www.peru.travel/en to plan your own Peruvian exploration success story, bigger and better than any box office blockbuster.

Top ten trip tips: 1) Good things come in threes touring trio of Lima's must-visit districts, Miraflores, Barranco and San Isidro, savouring stunning Pacific Ocean vistas from mosaic-adorned Love Park, whose heart is sculptor Victor Delfín's El Beso kissing couple statue, bohemian streets and Bridge of Sighs beckoning sightseers before elegant architecture, Huaca Huallamarca archaeological site and El Olivar park, home to 1,600 trees, surrounded by France, Finland, Colombia and Morocco stately embassies.

2) If confectionery making has always been on your (Charlie) bucket list, ChocoMuseo Lima experience is for you, organic cocoa beans sweet secrets revealed throughout artisanal roasting, grounding and fermenting procedure, while affording workshop opportunity to become briefly Willy Wonka, literally in the process, pouring aromatic molten chocolate into decorative moulds, topped with all manner of sprinkles to create bespoke souvenir that promises to remain sweetest memory long after last bite.

3) Any UK tourist worth their salt won't want to miss UNESCO World Heritage Site nominated Maras mineral evaporation ponds, all well with 400 families from the village and nearby Pichingoto who manage production of white gold that is sodium chloride crystals, while Chinchero, arguably Sacred Valley's most picturesque location, confirms "Land of the Rainbow" credentials in wondrous form of temple and mansion relics built on remnants of what was once Inca king Túpac Yupanqui's regal palace.

4) There's mainstream tourism, then there's Quechua community-based rural tourism, eco-friendly Paso of a different colour. Greener sustainable experiences benefiting "People, Planet and Posterity," exemplified by La Base de Lamay's responsible regenerative authentic interactions, indigenous mountain community welcoming with bright white smiles, almost as wide as national symbol high-flying condor's 3.3 metre-wide wingspan, proud to share age-old Andean agricultural activities, putting "great" into great outdoors.

5) Straddling Urubamba River, betwixt Quitamayo and Chongo tributaries, Pisac has well and truly gone to ruin, literally, ridge stepped terraces testament to conquering Inca emperor Pachacuti's multi-purpose construction, including citadel and observatory within secluded royal refuge where fellow nobility retreated and relaxed between military victories while undertaking ritual religious ceremonies. Clamber (carefully!) through cavernous stone labyrinth for vertiginous views of verdant valley beneath.

6) Huayllarcocha hosts Manos de la Comunidad, true to “Hands of the Community” ethos as sanctuary providing devoted "care, conservation and preservation" of, among others, illegally trafficked endangered animals. Don't know your vicuña from your guanaco? Fear not, Camelidae species including llamas and alpacas are all available to feed, pet and better understand amid bucolic beauty. Textile museum, illustrating very fabric of Inca culture, technicolour as Joseph's Amazing Dreamcoat, enhances indelible experience.

7) "Fortress of the royal falcon" Sacsayhuamán citadel climb is breathtaking, literally for asthmatic arthritic explorers among us! But well worth effort exerted, heady experience affording amazing views from altitude surmounting 3,700 metres above sea level. Colossal size of tightly bonded dry stone wall boulders merit UNESCO World Heritage status, lofty plateau providing "head" for Cuzco's lion city, tail where twin rivers unite, body comprising Inca community's central square and surrounding settlement.

8) Painting and picnicking mix as pigments on a palette through Andean artisan medium of Qenqo Eucalyptus Forest activity, Torito de Pucará ceramic decorative detail depicting bullish protection and prosperity "intertwining nature, food and self-expression" as well as (we know who we are!) CSE art exam failure. Bullocks meet Pollock as abstract drip technique colours roof-top time-honoured totems whose tints depict domestic meanings various from green fertility to blue trust, white peace to orange joy.

9) Joyous journeys come no more entertaining than transport of delight that is Vistadome Observatory Train, far cry from Manchester Airport transPennine commute. River-washed lush landscapes glide by, picture postcard charm appreciated from observation car, open to amazing elements, or through panoramic windows on bewitching world. All soundtracked by band, fuelling foolery of Sagra dance, "rogue restlessness" best enjoyed beer in hand, before aisles become catwalk for staff sporting garments smooth as rail ride itself.

10) Saving best 'til last, Machu Picchu. What sounds like overly masculine Pokémon character is way more impressive. Imposing beyond measure, jewel in Inca crown rightly ranks among New Seven Wonders of the World, stunning scenery rich and varied as archaeological artefacts, "Lost City" largely unknown to outside world until 1911 rediscovery by real-life Indiana Jones, US historian Hiram Bingham. Mystique and mystery, like enveloping cloud forest, surround spectacular site, likely abandoned due to dynastic civil war sparked by warring brothers Huascar and Atahualpa, Oasis' Noel and Liam Gallagher of their day, only more relevant.

Where to stay: Lima locations come no more central than Aloft Hotel, four-star comfort close to Miraflores and Barranco boardwalk, home of spectacular sunsets and hat-doffing, suitcase-toting Parque Salazar Paddington statue, resplendent in Union Flag coat, designed by Blighty polymath Sir Stephen Fry, gifted by nearby British Embassy. Enjoy restaurant bar, round-the-clock snack shop, gym and pool to "feel gastronomic, social and cultural pulse of the city".

Offering inviting accommodation, stylish and spacious in equally impressive measure, Hoteles Hacienda Valle Sagrado is Urubamba bolthole, complete with garden terrace, spa, pool, wellness and fitness centres, modern restaurant including vegetarian, vegan, gluten and dairy-free dishes, supplemented by on-site La Feria picantero buffet, serving impressive selection of local delicacies, accompanied for this diner by blackberry beer, darker and deeper than Paddington's Peru.

Perfectly placed Sonesta Hotel commands prime position for Cusco city centre exploration, nearby Plaza de Armas traditional eateries around towering Pachacuti statue alongside ubiquitous western staples McDonald's and KFC. But why wander when on-site sustenance is available in appealingly appetising shape of culinary excellence, bountiful breakfasts boasting cornucopia of savoury and sweet treats aplenty, including mountains of marmalade, ideal sandwich-filler for hairier guests!

Where to dine: Ladies (and lads) who like to lunch swarm like Manta Blanca to popular Miraflores restaurant Panchita that "pays homage to traditional food," family-friendly space celebrating cooking "and its ability to adapt to the times with joy," channelling "generosity of our grandmothers and evoking friendship" from artisanal aguadito thick chicken soup and arroz con pato duck, both complemented by rice, to yucas crunchy creamy chilli concoction and tacu tacu saltado sauté selection.

When is an excellent eatery not a hotel or restaurant? When it is Hacienda Sarapampa. Operational farm to fork cuisine, enjoyed in our case in al fresco ambiance, shaded by rolling range of majestic mountains, is unique recipe for three-generation family business success, dedicated to giant white corn production from pre-Columbian and colonial cultivation to today's international market trade, seamlessly segueing traditional agricultural heritage with modern technological advances.

If Carlsberg - better still local beer Cusqueña, Doradaular lager land's most popular, available alongside Roja red, Trigo white and Negra black brewery stablemates - did buffets, El Mapi Restaurant by Inkaterra Aguas Calientes four-star boutique hotel food fest would be it, all manner of organic and nutritious fare proving manna from heaven, or Hanan Pacha which, with Kay and Uku realms, comprised Inca cosmos, satisfying soup and varied rice dishes alone proving other-worldly ambrosia.

Food for thought meets thought for food at Cusco's Tunupa restaurant, whose mission statement encapsulates cultural folklore blended with culinary finesse to produce "journey of flavours, history and tradition". Papas Nativas, not Father Christmas but ground's gift of 4,000-plus potato varieties, are available in abundance. "Here we offer stories that transcend time, traditions celebrated in every bite, hospitality that envelops each visitor. From day one until today, we follow this same emotion".

Goal of 17th century terraced hotel's El Balcón Restaurant, overlooking 45,000 capacity Estadio Garcilaso football arena - named after nation's revered mestizo writer historian - among spectacular sprawling cityscape below, is finest food within friendly surrounds, soundtracked during our lunchtime visit by live melodious music. "A varied menu with typical products of Peruvian gastronomy made with bio-ecological products, all a taste for the palate" awaits most discerning of diners.

Cusco Museum of Pre-Columbian Art's mythical creative spirit transporting visitors back 3,000 years, central courtyard MAP Café serves flavoursome fusions similarly steeped in the past, fantastic five-stage tasting menu starring ceviche garlic shrimps, ancestral huatia tubers potato fest, meloso de paiche chorizo powder peas, stewed guinea pig taquito with crispy bacon avocado and 80 per cent rich selva querida chocolate bomb, coffee nougat and coconut ice cream confectionary explosion.