My sons (a teenager and a young man) want to spend a month this summer in Peru and Bolivia. Should I worry?

Question

I would really appreciate any infos from people who are there or who've been there so I can get a better idea.

Both of my sons speak English, one speaks some French and the other some Spanish.

Answer 1

ohh   your going to love Peru, its a fantastic  place to visit.

1. Don't bother with traveler's checks. You'll spend more time at the bank cashing them and paying an outrageous service fee.

2. Leave your valuables at the hotel or house. Only take enough money with you that you need.

3. Avoid at all costs drinking the water. Sometimes it's difficult if the food or drinks from the restaurant is made with tap water. You won't die but it will ruin your vacation having diarreha and a fever the entire time.

4. If you're going to Machu Piccu, buy a low cost rain poncho ahead of time, otherwise you'll get soaked buying one there (no pun intended hahah)

When departing back to the USA - arrive at the Jorge Chavez airport plenty of time in advance. The airport is always packed and the lines move slow.

If you're traveling to Cusco by train (and there is a good chance you are) don't forget the batteries for your camera. The train ride is spectacular.

FYI - They shut the water off in Cusco at 11pm.



Bo livia is great too.. I been there 1 month a go ... and  its ok ... I have holland and Canadian friends living in Bolivia for 3 months more  because their are volunnteer in a  CHAKANA-NGO holland bolivian institucion...  and their can help your sons when will in Bolivia...

Im in Peru now ..and I can help u  when u want...

I understand u  but dont worry  .....

kisses and Love

Trudy

[e-mail]

Answer 2

dont worry :),,,  and  if  they are not  so  wild,, then    they  will be ok :)

if u  want to be in touch with them,, then says to buy a  celular phone in peru :),, since 30 dollars   they  can get 1 :)

look this site  :  www.peru.info

suerte :)

Answer 3

I spent a semester in South America last yr  & I absolutely LOVED it & encountered no major problems despite being 15 at the time.

It's the 2nd most amazing experience of my life. (The 1st was being there when my brothers were born)

Peru is one of the most beautiful, fascinating, extraordinary countries I've ever been to & the people were so lovely, warm, generous and welcoming to me. I adored them. I was based in Cusco, which is one of the most cosmopolitan & tourist-friendly places in Peru, on a study abroad program. I felt completely safe there, though I did get haggled a ton by people in the more touristy areas. I'm a really tall, fair, green-eyed, "rubia" (blonde) girl so I got a TON of attention, but most of it was really sweet-natured, like wanting to help me find places or little girls wanting to touch my hair. I think boys might not get helped as much as girls would, but they aren't going to be gawked at either.

After the program I spent 2 weeks traveling around w my dad & his fiancee & we never had any problems. Ppl were so welcoming to us everywhere we went. They were so, so lovely. The Colca Canyon was one of our fav. spots. We also loved  the floating islands of the Uros people on Lake Titicaca & doing on a home stay. It's an incredibly eye-opening & humbling experience to stay w a family who has no running water or electricity & has never even heard of California, but has so much joy. I loved meeting girls my age there who were so not at all concerned about makeup & didn't have a clue who Miley Cyrus was. They giggled & ran around under the stars & were sooooo sweet to me.Those people are AWESOME.

There are a TON of young gringos in Peru, so your sons won't stand out at all & speaking Spanish is a total plus.

The biggest thing they'll have to worry about is theft. I know a TON of ppl who had things stolen, mainly while taking public buses. It's best to just take a private bus (not as authentic of an experience, but safer) or fly. Flights on LAN are pretty inexpensive. Tip: fares are lower on Wednesday for some reason. If they do take a bus they should get a lock for their bags & put the bag w their passport, ipod, camera, ect. right at their feet, locked up & with their leg looped through the strap of the pack. I'd also recommend staying in b&bs rather than hostels when possible. They are still super inexpensive, they'll pick you up from the airport, you'll get an awesome breakfast at most places & they're safer & way nicer.

I wasn't nearly as fond of Bolivia, but I am happy I went there. Some super sneaky pickpocketer managed to steal my dad's passport & wallet right out of his jacket & we ended up dealing w getting a replacement there. My dad's fiancee & I got hassled waaaay more there, too. The salt mines are really gorgeous, but F R E E Z I N G cold. A jacket is a must!

They should be sure to get shots before they leave from a travel clinic. Altitude sickness may be a problem, but it shouldn't be too intense for them coz their young. Mate tea helps a ton. My only big health problem was allergies & not being able to find meds that didn't make me soo loopy & sleeplessness. Next time I'm bringing Simply Sleep & some Claritin.

Before they leave they should:

Get travel insurance (I forget which one we had, but it specialized in covering laptops, cameras, ect)

Make copies of their passports & leave a copy w you.

Get an ISIC (International Student Identity Card) from STA. You get discounts all over the world w it & even like a huge discount for MP. It's like $24 & lasts a whole yr. If they're not in school still they can get a youth card if they're under 25.

Make copies of the front & back of their credit & ATM cards (they'll need the info on the back if the card gets stolen)

Get this spray from REI called Sawyer Insect Repellent Clothing spray that protects your clothes for like 6 weeks or 10 washings. A ton of ppl who did the Inka Trail got eaten alive, but we were totally fine. We also brought Deet w us. They sell that & sunblock all over Cusco, but it was still good to have a little on hand.

Don't worry! They'll have an awesome, inspiring time & they'll learn & experience so much. You'll be v happy for them & your eyes will go like OO when you see all their awesome pics!

: )

Answer 4

Peru should be no problem. Most people will understand some english and, obviously, all understand spanish. French, however, is totally useless in the region. In Peru, while in the cities, it is just like in the US. Stay away from bad neighbourhoods and mind your things when you're in tourist areas (pickpockets love tourists).

If you're going to from one city to another by bust, pick good bus-lines, like Ormeño and Cruz del Sur (the others tend to pick up people on the road and, smetimes, these people tend to be thieves). If they are going to fly around, remind them to keep some cash as the airport fees in Peru are not included in the plane ticket.

When in Lima, tell them to visit Larco Mar (I know it's full of tourists, but the view is worth it). Also, tell them to visit downtown (the "Plaza de Armas"). See the changing of the guards at about noon and visit the cathedral and the church of San Francisco. If they have lunch there, tell them to eat at T'anta (right behing the Municipality building). They should also try to visit Pachacamac.

In Cuzco, beside the usual Sacsahuaman and Machu Picchu (by the way, tell them to try to buy their train ticket to Machu Picchu on the internet as that is the main bottleneck in the trip. I'm enclosing the web-page), tell them not to miss the Coricancha (Inca Sun Temple) and the church of San Blas.

Bolivia is another matter. There is an ongoing feud between the current president of Bolivia (Evo Morales, an old coca grower) and the eastern provinces of the country (primarily Santa Cruz de la Sierra). Currently the president has forbidden the export of soy oil out of Bolivia. Soy is cultivated in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, so this is obviously a policy designed to affect the "unfriendly" province. eventually this is going to boil over and explode, asit has done already in the near past, so I would be carefull. If they do go to Bolivia, they have to visit the "Portada del Sol" which is a remain of the Tiahuanacu culture (predating the Incas). Beware of altitude sickness in La Paz (which is about 4,000 metres above sea level  or about 13,200 feet above sea level).

Hope this helps.

Answer 5

Peru is a great place to visit.

They will be fine if they dont get into trouble and keep to the main tourist areas etc

Its like visiting any other county...

Answer 6

A mother should always worry.  It keeps the devils away.  At least, that seemed to be my mother's philosophy.

We just sent half a dozen kids on a mission trip to Bolivia.  They had a good experience and were perfectly safe.

Answer 7

Hi Betty  i know pretty much Peru but a little bit of Bolivia.

Well i think the priority for this trip that you are planning is your first aid kid and medical preventions especially when it comes to travel with children who are tend to suffer altitude sicness the first couple of days in elevations above the 7000 feet, i mention this beacuse if you are comming to Peru for sure you will not want to miss Machupicchu and the beatiful scenery at Cusco. If you want to go after to Bolivia once everybody in your family are already aclimitized, so you can head upward to Lake titica a famous lake with flotant artificial islands of reeds made traditionally so far by ancestral communities, that is  above 13000 feet, which is a region shared by Peru and Bolivia. I f you are intersted in more information about pre departure journey go to this site: http://www.southamericamyjourney.com/res...

Answer 8

Hey! you should defenitely send them! its a beautiful country! its not dangerous at all. well, it depends where you're going. it you go to La Paz, or Cochabamba, or Santa crux, then you'll have no problem. its a safe place and its not like people think it is! its great! believe me. how do i know? cause i'm from BOLIVIA!!! i'm writing to you from Cochabamba right now! i lived here my entire life  and i'm a teenager like your son, (i'm 16) so ive gone out at nights with some friends and nothing happens! its perfectly safe. trust me!