Introduction to Shadow of The Tomb Raider

Rough Guides authors and editors have made some pretty unconventional journeys over the years, but crash-landing in the steamy Peruvian jungle is a new one on us. That said, for an adventure as epic as the one you’re about to take, it’s an entirely appropriate beginning. For from the moment you set off from the crash site, your senses tingling and on high alert, you’ll be moving from one increasingly eventful encounter to another. To put it another way, you’re not going to be short of things to write about on the postcards you send home…

So what exactly will you be doing on this trip of a lifetime? Well, there’ll be everything from rum-soaked Day of the Dead festivities and excursions to remote outposts rarely visited by outsiders to poignant explorations of Croft Manor and an unforgettable trip to the legendary lost city of Paititi. Oh and don’t forget the raids on some particularly choice doom-laden tombs along the way.

But it’s a jungle out there in more ways than one. So keep your head down (like, become-one-with-the-forest keeping your head down) and enjoy the ride. This is new territory for us, too. We have a book, The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget, which is invaluable to those who want to get about the continent on a relative shoestring. Well, here we go with The Rough Guide to South America on an Absolute Mission.

Things not to miss

1. Church of San Juan

Derelict it may be, but that doesn’t dim this holy spot’s spirit-lifting atmosphere of history and community.

Church of San Juan

2. Kuwaq Yaku

Backs of beyond don’t get much beyonder than this, yet Kuwaq Yaku remains an invaluable stop to stock up on supplies.

3. Peruvian Jungle Crash Site

It really might have been better all round if you did miss this one… Still, there’s always a silver lining and here it is in the form of a supernaturally charged tomb.

4. Paititi

A “lost city” that you’ll be very, very glad you found. The views from up above are simply unforgettable.

5 Cozumel Town

Enjoy festivals? Then Cozumel, where every day is the Day of the Dead, is the town for you.

6. Croft Manor

The childhood home you always dreamt about, complete with hidden nooks and crannies – yours to explore at your leisure.

Croft Manor looking eerier in the evening

7. Porvenir Oil Fields

A flame-spewing oil refinery amid lush, tropical forest – what’s not to like?