Peru Trip

RoadSweeper

Hey guys

I'm looking to head to Peru in January for 2 weeks and am looking at the following itinerary.

Day 1 - Lima
Day 2 - Fly to Cusco
Day 3 - Cusco, Sacsayhuaman

Day 4 - 7 inclusive hike to and visit Macchu Picchu ( 4 days)

Day 8 -


I would like go to the Amazon regions for 3-5 days and am not sure on the best place to go. There is Manu, Tambopata Puerto Maldonado and Iquitos. I don't know the difference between what is on offer in each so maybe someone has experiences they can share.

I would prefer fly to and from Cusco to the Amazon destination.

Any help appreciated.

Tails142

You might be better taking more time in Cusco to acclimatise before starting the trail.

I went to puerto maldonado/tampobata reserve which I would reccommend, can't say about the others.

We booked our trip with G adventures and found them to be great, they really made the trip much better for us as the days were packed with activities and everything was arranged for us so it meant we got a lot done in the time we had. You should check out their website.

Do not go to the jungle first, the jungle is very hot and tiring and totally different to the rest of peru, i couldn't imagine going straight from the jungle to the trail as it would be horrible. When we were in the jungle we met some groups that had just started their holiday and were heading next straight for the inca trail and we felt bad for them!

We did the absolute peru trip that g adventures provide but i thought it was a lot of travel south to go to colca canyon and if I was to reccommend a trip to someone, I would say leave out the trips that go to colca canyon/chivay, but i would really reccommend arequipa as it is a truly beautiful city.

I found cusco to be really touristy compared to the other towns/cities which we visited with lots of traders and beggers and it was the only place where people offered us drugs on the street and prostitutes, reminded me of amsterdam. Didn't come across anything like that elsewhere in peru.

Anyway, let me know if you've any other questions, peru is a great country though you will really enjoy it.

Tails142

Don't know what your budget is but take a look at this trip: https://www.gadventures.com/trips/peru-panorama/PPP/2013/

Would really reccommend lake titicaca and the uros islands, puno is a nice city too. The couple of days at this altitude would really help with acclimatising for the hike too.

RoadSweeper

Thanks Tails.

How long would you recommend to acclimatise? I thought 2 days in Cusco before the trail was okay form what I have read elsewhere? Also what time of year did you go in?

I am not planning to go through a tour operator although I have seen alot of praise for G adventures.

How did you travel inside Peru, especially to Arequipa? I hope to fly where possible.


I have already taken colca canyon/chivay out of the equation

Tails142

We went in October so it is still all fresh in my memory

Some of our group got really sick when we hit altitude in chivay and puno, in terms of nausea and stomach trouble, the big D. the more time you have to acclimatise the better. I didn't have any trouble myself, we played a soccer match with locals on lake titicaca which I think really helped in getting the blood pumping and red blood cells built up. I would reccommend as much time at altitude as you can.

We travelled on the night bus to arequipa, the buses are REALLY comfortable, they're not like a normal coach, they have wider seats (only 3 across the width of the bus) and recline all the way so it's a good, comfortable way to travel plus you save a night of accommodation costs.

We also took a day time coach from puno to cusco which was even more comfortable than the night bus so I would definetly think about it.


One tip I would give you is about spending money, you can only take out about €100 (300 soles) a day on the atm so you might want to bring some cash with you. Dollars would be best BUT they are ridiculously picky about what notes they will accept, if there is the slightest tear or nick in the note, and I mean something TINY, nobody will accept the note. It is ridiculous. I was able to change some euros at the airport but the atm limit is something to keep in mind as we were relying on my atm card to get money out for myself and my girlfriend so it got a bit tight, especially as we went to a couple of places where there were no ATMs. There didn't seem to be any limit on the amount you could withdraw a day on a credit card though so you could think about loading cash onto it beforehand, also for each withdrawal at an ATM you are charged 3 euro fee on your account.

candlemouse

I'm heading there in mid Jan and wonder if I need to get an 'adapter' ? Guess so according to this!

Electricity Voltage in Ireland is 220V AC, at 50Hz.
Electricity in Peru is 220 Volts and 60 Hertz (cycles per second).

There are two types of electrical outlets in Peru. One accepts two-pronged plugs with flat, parallel blades, while the other takes plugs with two round prongs. Many Peruvian electrical outlets are designed to accept both types http://goperu.about.com/od/planningandpacking/a/Electricity-In-Peru-Outlets-And-Voltage.htm


"Using a plug adapter just changes the shape of the prongs. Countries with different voltages and frequencies may use similar plugs, so check to need if you need a power converter and not simply a plug adapter. Read the fine print in your power-source, many devices will accept both 110v and 220v, requiring only a plug adapter. http://www.travel-images.com/electric-plugs.html"