AP PHOTOS: Shantytown tours offer different view of Peru

The sights and tastes of Lima's huge shantytowns are not the standard fare of tourists, who are mostly drawn to Peru to see the majestic Incan citadel of Machu Picchu or sample the country's renowned cuisine.

Peru is a country full of 'young towns,' said Edwin Rojas, founder of Haku Tours, using the Peruvian term for the sprawling shantytowns that sprang up around Lima and other cities as people fled the countryside amid the brutal war with Shining Path and Tupac Amaru guerrillas.

Participants sometimes visit slum markets or they eat meals with local families, sampling daily fare very different from the exquisite dishes served in posh Lima restaurants and increasingly around the world.