Peru travel tips for holiday adventuresIf you've bought airline tickets to different South American countries or just a ticket to Peru, you're bound to encounter a llama during your travel. Being llama lovers ourselves, we've searched the web and found the best site for more information on these animals is at LlamaWeb. |
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CLICK ON THE PICTURE above for more world tour photographs with travel tips about cheap adventure holidays and travel agency links for airline tickets, hotel reservations and car rentals. What's on the next page? Cusco Travel Guide If you're looking for cheap airline tickets to Peru, discount hotel rooms, travel books, maps, car rentals, etc, visit our Travel Shop Thumbnail Picture Index Last Minute Travel Tips Useful Peru Links Maps of Peru |
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Peru holiday travel tips
Peru travel tip: Travel to the area around Machu Picchu has resumed after floods stranded about 2000 tourists and caused widespread infrastructure damage in January 2010. Because of the diverse weather extremes in Peru, it can be difficult packing the appropriate travel clothing into your suitcase or holiday backpack before flying off for your South American holiday adventure. A travel tip from regular visitors is that it's better to dress with several layers of lighter clothing rather than a heavy single item as this gives you greater versatility - particularly when hiking. In the mountainous highlands of Peru, it's often sensible to wear layers of protective clothing that can be peeled off or worn to suit the rapidly changing climate during any given day. For example, during your holiday adventure to Machu Picchu it can be very cold at night but very warm or hot at midday. If worse comes to worse, you can always buy a warm alpaca jumper at a bargain price in just about any Peruvian city or town. If you travel in Peru's jungle lowlands, it's sensible to take lightweight cotton clothing with long-sleeve shirts and long pants for protection against insects. Malaria and yellow fever are a problem in parts of the Amazon in South America. Other necessities for adventure travel in the jungles of Peru are water-resistant shoes or boots, a flashlight, sunglasses, a raincoat, sunscreen lotion and insect repellent. The most comfortable time for holiday travel in Peru is during the dry season from May to September. However, the more enjoyable weather means there are far more tourists and travel prices rise accordingly. Peru holiday adventure travel tips The electricity current in Peru is 220 volts. Peru's currency is the Nuevo Sol, which is broken down into 100 centimos, and banknotes are 200, 100, 50, 20 and 10 nuevos soles. US dollars are accepted in most hotels and major stores in the large cities. All goods and services in Peru are taxed at 18% with restaurants and hotels adding a 10% service fee. Staff in Peru's upmarket restaurants and hotels also expect a tip. Peru's economy (GDP) grew at a rapid 8.8% in 2010, following a decade of rapid expansion. The 2010 average unemployment rate in Peru was 7.9% and in 2009 an estimated 34.8% of the population lived below the poverty line.
Most museums in Peru are open Monday to Saturday from 9am to midday and 3pm to 6pm. Internet cafes are available in all of Peru's major cities and towns. Your fruit, vegetables and meat can be purchased from the many market stalls to be found on most street corners. Food in Peru is cheap but travellers should be vigilant about hygiene. Banks in Peru are usually open from 9am to 6pm without lunch breaks and some financial institutions are open Saturday mornings. Most major credit cards are accepted and these can be used at the many ATMs found throughout Peru. Travellers cheques can be exchanged at the airport (7% commission fee), banks (2% to 6%) or at cambios (2%). Peru holiday adventure tips Local newspapers are in Spanish but an English-language monthly is available from hotels, newsagents and bookstores in Peru that stock major international newspapers and magazines. Peruvians have a generally informal, laid-back attitude to clothing and life itself. Shaking hands is the customary way to greet people. Peruvians kick up their heels to celebrate Carnival (usually in late February), local fiestas (often with bullfights) and public holidays, the latter falling mostly over Christmas, Easter and the month of October. Most public utilities and businesses shut their doors during these celebrations and it's wise to plan your Peru travel so you're not inconvenienced during your Peruvian adventure. Prices often go up and accommodation can be scarce during fiestas. Cusco is particularly big on religous ceremonies and festivals. It's not advisable to drink tap water in any city during your travel through Peru. Even Peruvians avoid it, boil it or buy bottled water instead. Apart from Machu Picchu and other major sites, smaller ruins in Peru are freely accessible 24 hours a day. Holiday hiking tours can be organised in Cusco. Although pre-Colombian art is freely sold at numerous outlets, be aware that its export from Peru is strictly prohibited. The major sport in Peru is football (soccer) and you'll find it being played in streets and parks wherever you travel. Peru holiday travel tips Peru travel tip ... It's courteous to ask Peruvians if you can take their photograph, even if you have to use sign language. They'll usually say yes, particularly with some baksheesh (a tip). The national drink of Peru is Pisco Sour, a heady mix of fermented wine, lime juice and ice. Spanish and Quechua are the official languages and it's important to learn at least a few Spanish phrases before your holiday travel to Peru. You can expect plenty of people to speak English in tourist areas but that's not the case in most of Peru. Quechua and Aymara are native tongues and in some areas off the beaten track these are the only languages spoken. The country code is 51 (prefix 00 for outgoing international calls) and telephone cards can be purchased mostly in the major cities. Cell phones have become established with a fairly reliable communication network in Peru over the past decade. Area codes for different regions of Peru are: Amazonas - 41Arequipa - 54 Ayacucho - 66 Cajamarca - 76 Chiclayo - 74 Cusco - 84 Huaraz - 43 Ica - 56 Iquitos - 65 Lima - 1 Piura - 73 Puerto Maldonado - 84 Puno - 51 Tacna - 52 Tarapoto - 42 Trujillo - 44 Tumbes - 72 Peru travel tip ... If sending postcards or letters back home during your South American holiday adventure, be aware that airmail from Peru to western Europe takes up to a week and postal facilities are limited in many areas outside cities and major towns. Hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu Peru weather for holiday travel To book cheap airline tickets, hotels, car rentals, etc. for Peru and most South American cities, visit our Travel Shop. |
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