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Travelers
Tips and General Information
Peru
occupies an area twice the size of France or the state
of Texas, extending between the equator and 18°S.
It has a long coastline on the Pacific Ocean and is
bordered by Ecuador on the north, Brazil and Bolivia
on the east, and Chile on the south. The central portion
of Peru includes the great mountain and plateau region
of the Andes, with numerous peaks rising to over 6,000
m/20,000 ft and with extensive plateau districts between
3,000 m/10,000 ft and 4,300 m/14,000 ft. There is
a very narrow coastal plain on the Pacific shore,
while to the east of the Andes, the land drops steeply
to the forested lowlands of the Amazon basin.
The
Pacific coastal district has a most unusual type of
dry desert climate. This is caused by the cold waters
flowing in the Humboldt current, which runs northwards.
This area is a continuation of the coastal desert
of northern Chile. The cold ocean water maintains
low temperatures for tropical latitudes almost up
to the equator and there are very small differences
from month to month. The dryness is so marked that
in some places many years have passed without any
real rainfall. In the northern coastal districts,
however, there is a remarkable change of weather for
a few weeks every ten or fifteen years. Temperature
rises, clouds build up, and torrential rain may fall
for many days. It is as if the equatorial belt of
cloud and rain, which normally lies to the north on
the coasts of Ecuador and Colombia, had moved south.
Such unusual and unexpected heavy rain may cause widespread
damage. At the same time the sea temperature offshore
rises and the cold current retreats southwards. The
phenomenon is called El Niño, and is most likely
to occur in December and January. This otherwise arid
coastal strip experiences frequent low cloud and fog
from which a light drizzle, called locally garúa
, may fall. This is another unusual feature for such
a dry climate. The climatic table for Lima
is representative of the climate of the coastal district
although the city is a short distance inland. Midday
temperatures are here a little higher than on the
coast. Lima has an average of only one to two hours
of sunshine a day in the low-sun period, but this
rises to between five to seven hours a day during
the warmer months of December to April.
The
Andean mountain and plateau region of Peru has similar
weather and climate to that of the Andean region of
Bolivia. Here the main differences are a consequence
of the altitude. The climatic tables for Cuzco
illustrate the marked reduction of temperature in
all months and the single rainy season at the time
of high sun between November and March. The greater
cloudiness during the rainy season prevents the temperature
from rising higher at this time. As another consequence
of the high altitude there is a large daily range
of temperature which falls quite low at night. During
the dry season frosts may be a nightly occurrence
at these heights. Above 3,000 m/10,000 ft visitors
may feel temporary discomfort from the effects of
altitude.
The
city of Arequipa stands at 2350m and therefore has
slightly higher average temperatures than those shown
for Cusco and with much less rain. The city of Puno
on the banks of Lake Titicaca on the other hand experiences
lower average temperatures than Cusco and much stronger
sun.
Documents
and Vaccinations
All travelers need to carry a valid passport and any
of the visas that are required by individual nationalities,
please check carefully. If your flight transits the
USA you should check that your passport meets current
US Customs requirements.
Depending
upon your route in Peru, and South America in general,
you may require an international Yellow Fever certificate.
You should visit your doctor or clinic before traveling
to discuss any vaccinations required and any issues
related to altitude.
Valid
insurance is always required when traveling, and is
particularly important in developing countries like
Peru. Take your original policy with you on vacation.
Copies
of your passport, insurance policy and Peruvian entry
form should be carried in your luggage or day sack.
It is not necessary to carry originals around with
you all the time as, unless you are doing something
wrong, the police will not bother you!
Safety
Despite the poor reputations of neighbors Colombia
and Bolivia, Peru is actually a relatively safe place
to travel. Ex-pats that live here go for years and
years without experiencing any adverse incidents,
but you have to be aware of not putting yourself at
risk in the same way as in any new environment.
Lima
is the city with the worst reputation in Peru but
in reality the chances of getting into trouble are
slim if you sensible. When you arrive in Lima (if
you have not arranged a pick up with us) take an authorized
taxi (usually parked closest to the terminal) and
do not pay more than 25.00 USD to anywhere. Miraflores
is the most tourist-friendly area to stay, this area
is around 40 minutes drive from the airport. Arrival
in a new big city is always a little stressful but
just take your time and be aware of your surroundings
without being worried.
Other
cities are easily managed and the main consideration
is to not walk back to your hotel, late at night,
drunk. If you are returning late walk in twos or get
a taxi..
DO
NOT CARRY ALL YOUR VALUABLES AND DOCUMENTS WITH YOU
WHEN YOU CAN LEAVE THEM IN THE SAFE!
Lock
them in the hotel and just take what you need. In
this way what can anyone steal from you?
Peruvian
people are generally very nice, helpful and are very
happy to see you spending money in their country.
Be
prepared
Peru is a country where strikes and roadblocks can
appear at short notice. Be aware of this when traveling
about and be patient and flexible. If something holds
you up just have another drink and wait it out, things
are usually fixed fairly quickly and protests are
not generally violent.
Health
The biggest problem for travelers is the change in
diet. Peruvian food is fantastic but it will be a
big change for most people and therefore some mild
stomach problems are commonplace. If anything serious
occurs then clinics and doctors are on hand to help
out and this should be covered by your travel insurance.
Altitude
is always a concern for travelers to the Andes mountains.
One should avoid flying straight from Lima to Juliaca
(Puno) because this is huge change in altitude and
you will feel bad. The perfect way to go is to visit
Arequipa en route to Puno if you have time because
this will allow you to acclimatize well. If you fly
to Cusco then you should take it easy on the first
day, drink coca tea, plenty of water, not go crazy
with alcohol and eat light. You will feel a slight
headache but this is normal. Severe problems should
not be experienced until you get over 4500m.
Bottled
water should be consumed and is easily purchased everywhere.
The
custom in Peru is to put toilet paper in the waste
bin in the bathroom and not into the toilet bowl,
this avoids blocking up poor quality plumbing.
Transport
Driving is a little erratic here and if you rent a
car please be careful and drive very defensively,
using the horn a lot. Road rules are not complied
with and neither are red lights often. Taxis are abundant
and cheap. In Lima you should bargain the price before
getting in but in Cusco anywhere in the center costs
2 soles, and 3 or 4 soles after 10pm and to the bus
station and airport.
Buses
are cheap and our recommendation is to travel with
Cruz del Sur, who are very reliable and generally
safe.
LAN
airlines operate the most flights in the country but
are the most expensive. There are cheaper, less frequent
options such as AeroCondor and Star Peru. All have
websites.
Packing
You should pack clothing in layers so you can regulate
your temperature according to conditions. Sometimes
it will be hot and dusty, it may rain suddenly and
at night it can be quite cold depending upon your
location (see the climate notes above). If you need
specific medication please remember to pack it. Sturdy
walking footwear for visits to ancient sites and more
fashionable shoes for the cities if you wish and sandals
if its hot.
Money
US dollars cash is almost standard currency here.
Travelers Checks are not so useful but are accepted
in some places. ATMs are everywhere and are an excellent
option for withdrawing USD and local currency easily.
Local currency is the Sol (The Sun) and you can change
money everywhere you go.
Prices
Visitors from many countries think that Peru is a
relatively cheap place to visit. Food is certainly
cheaper, as is travel and most hotels but alcohol
is relatively expensive compared with other services.
Whatever the prices the country is fantastic to visit
and you will never regret your choice.
Click
Here to book your airline tickets to
South America
Click
Here to see all the Airline Schedules
to get to Peru
Click
Here to see detailed airport information
Click
Here to find airport hotels
Click
Here and Click
Here for general information on Peru
Click
Here to get to UK airports
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Here to rent a car hire at any airport
Any
questions that you still have can be answered by us,
just send us an email.
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