Advice about Peru visit?

Question

I'm just wonderin if anyone has been to Peru and if so could you give me any info/tips as to what to expect. I will be in Peru for about 2 months

Answer 1

Pick a spot and jump in! I am kind of fond of Iquitos.

Answer 2

hi, im from Peru, so,,   2 months ?,, then, just to travel and visit  all the citys u can :)..., here some names >:  cusco - machupicchu, puno - titicaca lake, arequipa - misti  & colca,   iquitos, moyobamba, ,  cajamarca, huaraz,  punta sal, mancora  , and lima  ofcourse :)

check this oficial site: www.peru.com.pe ((english version))

suerte :)

Answer 3

Go to Cajamarca.

Answer 4

Be aware.

I am Peruvian but I grew up in the US, so everytime I went to Peru was with my parents (so I never paid attention to what they paid).

Last December I went for the first time as an adult to introduce my husband and the trip was fantastic.

However, during out trip we noticed that one type of ATM wasn't accepting our card, in which case we went to any other one.

When we were leaving Lima, at the airport and already at the area before they check your luggage, they told us that there was a 30$ fee/person in order to leave the airport, which by the way, wasn't announced anywhere else and it can only be paid in cash!!!

We had to get out of the line and go back to the duty free area were we saw ATMs, what do you know, they were the ATMs that didn't take our card.

Needless to say, with 30mins left to board, we had to beg people in line for money.

Next time we go, we're taking extra money to help whoever wasn't lucky enough to have cash in their bag... for karma purposes.

Answer 5

we love cusco.. treking.. the sacred valley.. ausangate...pisco... amazon.. machu pichhu.. lares

peru is excellent...

check out

http://www.peru-explorer.com/

http://www.cuscoperu.com/

http://www.botterill.com/8.html  (my travels)

http://www.botterill.com/7.html (peru earthquake relief we did)

www.sunriseperu.com  

its not expensive there and the people are nice and friendly

make sure to get all your travel shots depending on where you are going..

Answer 6

First, what you need will depend on when you come to Peru and were in Peru you are going. Peru is currently in summer, so it is very hot in the coastal region and it is raining in the mountains. If you come, say in June, it will be colder in the coast (although a light jacket should be enough to fend the cold), significantly colder in the mountains (heavy jacket recommended) but the rain will have stopped.

Second, what are you interested in?

If it is jungle you want, then you should try Tarapoto in the northenr Amazon, Iquitos (smack in the middle of the Amazon Basin and were the Pacaya Samiria reserve is located), or Madre de Dios (Southern Amazon and were the MANU reserve is located).

If you like ruins and archeology, Cuzco, Machu Picchu and Choquequirao in the Cuzco area are your thing. However, once youre done with that, try the area of Lambayeque and the museum of the "Tumbas Reales de Sipan" (Royal tombs of Sipan). If you're already there, try a quick trip to Kuellap, the fortres of the misterious Chachapoyas (known to the Incas as the "cloud dwellers". When you get there you'll figure out why). You could also try visiting the pyramids od Cao, Huaca Rajada, Sol and Luna. Actually, Lambayeque is strewn with hundreds of pyramids from pre-inca times and the oldest remains found in america of an ancient society have been found in that area.

You'll have to go through Lima, so try to see Pachacamac ( The temple of the pre-inca oracle. Sort of the American version of the temple of Delphos) and maybe have lunch or dinner al the restaurant "La Huaca" in miraflores (it overlooks an ancient sacred mound and the food is very good).

for colonial sites, visit downtown Lima, the palace of goverment, the cathedral, the Osambela house, the Church of San Francisco.

If it is beach you like, try Mancora ans Punta Sal, it is up the north coast, a bit more than a 1,000 kms. north of Lima and it is close enough to the equator to make it tropical.

If it is partying you like, try Larco Mar and al the clubs and watering holes in that area.

If you like trekking, try Huaraz. The view alone is worth the trip (all the main snowpeaks in Peru are in that area), and a walk around the Yanganuco lake or the trek around the Santa Cruz creek is fantastic.

There is also the Colca canyon in Arequipa, home of the condor and the deepest canyon in the world (twice as deep as the Grand Canyon).

Answer 7

Expect to have a really good time, as Peru is beautiful and the people are very friendly.  Two months--you're very lucky.

Some advice:

1.  You will probably go to Cusco and to Machu Picchu.  To avoid altitude sickness, DO NOT EAT ANYTHING your first day in Cusco, except perhaps some "caldo" (soup) in the evening.  This will be hard to do as Cusco is very interesting and has lots of good restaurants.  But you may ruin your trip if you get too sick.  

2.  Fly whenever possible.  The distances are vast and the travel time is even greater than the distances would indicate, particularly in the mountains.  You can fly to Cusco in an hour, but the bus takes around twenty-four hours.  And if you are going to Iquitos, you'll have to fly.

3.  Prepare for cold weather.  The mountains are always cold, and Lima and the coast can be cold and drizzly.  So a warm coat, sweater, gloves and hat are all necessary.

4.  Be very suspicious of "new found friends" and NEVER accept anything to eat or drink from people you just met--criminals put knock-out drops in them.  Many tourists have done this and have woken up later relieved of their valuables (or worse).    

5.  Be sure to check out some of the archaelogical sites other than Machu Picchu and the Nazca Lines.  The Inca arrived late on the scene, but there are approximately 5000 years of prehistory.  Chan Chan and the "Huacos" near Trujillo, the Lord of Sipan and Sipan itself near Chiclayo are world-class archaeological areas/museums.  And there are lots of archaelogical sites around Cusco that you can explore easily by bus.

6.  One of the first things to do is to go to the National Anthropological, Archaelogical and History Museum in Lima (Pueblo Libre) and get a chronological introduction to the cultures of Peru and the history from the arrival of the Spaniards.

7.  Try some ceviche on the coast and some cui and/or anticuchos in the mountains.   Seafood is really good and inexpensive on the coast.  Yum yum!

8.  Get cash from ATMs and don't try to exchange money on the street with the money changers.  You can get either dollars or soles at most ATMs.  Call your bank first to see what network you ATM card is in (usually Cirrus),  then use ATMs that display the Cirrus logo.  They are generally around the bigger banks in the bigger cities.  And withdraw quite a bit at a time, as the fees are based on number of withdrawals and not on the amount withdrawn.

9.  Deposit any unneeded cash, along with your passport, plane tix and unneeded credit cards, in hotel safe at the desk.  Carry a copy of your passport on the street and put a copy in each item of your luggage.

10.  Make sure you have enough smaller bills and coins for every day expenses.  Try to change big bills where you can--certainly go in the bank whose ATM you used and change at least one of the one hundred sole notes the ATM will dispense.    Peru is still a poor country where it is often difficult to get change for a one hundred sole note.  It is very frustrating to have traveled for hours to get to some out of the way attraction only to be refused entry because the ticket office doesn't have change for a big bill.  

11.  Be careful with cabs--use the "official" cabs inside the airport.  Agree with the driver in advance on the fare.  The buses and combis are a very good way to get around in the cities but don't try them unless you speak Spanish very well, as the routes are confusing (at least to this Yanqui).  

12.  Keep the departure tax referred to above in mind.   I always reserve the thirty American dollars and keep it in the hotel safe just so that I know I'll have it if I need it.  

Anyway, you will have a great time.   !Buen viaje!

Answer 8

Peru is awesome. People are very friendly there.

Cuzco, Lima, etc