Best and worst of travel in Peru?

Question

I am thinking of travelling around Peru and just want some input from people who have been there as to the best and worst aspects of Peru from a tourists perspective, i.e. friendliness of locals, safety, transport/airports, food, shopping. I am interested in more of an 'off the beaten track' holiday and am considering Intrepid Travel tours, so would also like to know if they are good to travel with. Or if you had a good experience with another agency...?

Answer 1

sorry Ive not been to Peru didn't have time to get there on my last trip but you might want to check out the source link below for some pretty good info on Peru

really hope this helps

enjoy

Answer 2

One thing that cannot be emphasised enough.  DO NOT DRINK THE WATER.  That goes further than you think. Do not brush your teeth with the local water used bottled for everything.  Do not let any water from teh shower get in your mouth.  IF you drink coffee or tea with milk make sure they heat or boil the milk first.  Don't eat any salad because the lettuce was probably washed in the local water.

When I was last there a woman in our tour group got a few drops of water in her mouth from the shower.  She became so sick she had to be hospitalized.  She had picked up some parasites and was in the hospital for 4 days and missed Macchu Piccu entirely.  So be warned.

Answer 3

Best  

Fiestas & Folklore around Lake Titicaca

Around Lake Titicaca and Puno city the folklore is manifested in two big ways, one in the customs and ancestral rites in the forms of life of some towns, among those highlight the communities of the Uros, Taquile and Amantani, and the other one in its artistic manifestations.

Macaw Clay l**k in Tambopata

A spectacular natural show. The number of birds at the l**k is not correlated with the number of people observing the l**k. This means that approximately the same number of birds go to the clay l**k regardless of the number of people watching the birds.

Botton of the line

Thieves are the biggest problem in Peru, with one of the worst reputations in South America. Be especially cautious in crowded areas, on public transport, bus and train stations, and in the centre of Lima at night.

Thieves and muggers also operate in Huaraz and Arequipa. Women should take particular care to only take taxis that have been pre-booked by a hotel or official company, and travellers arriving at Lima International Airport should be wary of thieves posing as taxi drivers or tour operators.

There has also been an increase in the number of crimes associated with taxis in the main cities.

Answer 4

I guess the best part of Peru was the people, really friendly and always trying to please you... Probably you are planning visiting Cuzco and Lima, and you must - best places to visit in this cities are: Lima centro (the cathedral, the main plaza, San Francisco church and the catacombs) and usually then you immediately leave to Cuzco, but don´t miss museums in Lima (the best is Larco Museum - and you must know all the history about the incas before you go to Machu Picchu) and try all the creole food you can in Lima´s restaurants. You MUST try cebiche, lomo saltado, aji de gallina and the traditional drink pisco sour.

Then go to Cuzco, LAN airlines is the only trusty airline to get there (and it is not cheap).

Stay in hotels near the Plaza de Armas and do not miss the cathedral and all the little plazas (like the one in San Blas neighborhood)..

There are some treks near Cusco to get to other inca ruins (like Choquequirao) that normaly tourists don´t go and it´s totally worth it.

You must buy alpaca knitwear and get some pisco back home!

Answer 5

Italian Guy has the best answer for sure.  We went in April and loved it.  We took everyone's advice for safety, what not to eat, shots, altitude, etc.  I recommend you do the same.

We met a lot of people from all over the world that used a group called Gap Adventure, http://www.gapadventures.com/ . You can customize your itinerary and either travel alone or with a group on many different budget levels.  Have a great time when you go.  For sure you will love it.  Stay on the beaten path for a couple days and be sure to see Machu Picchu OK?  It's well worth it, even if you take the train instead of the 4 day hike, LOL!