Peru or Bolivia?

Question

My husband and I are planning to take a trip either in July or at the beginning of August but I am stuck in trying to decide what country to go to as both are intriguing. We plan to be visit either country for approx. 2 weeks to 2 1/2 weeks. Factors that I am considering are price, ease of traveling between cities, and safety.

Also for those of you who have traveled to either country, would you recommend a travel agent booking your flight and accommodations or do you recommend any travel websites with which to book a flight and hotels?

Thanks all for your help

- newbie to So. America

Answer 1

hi ! i dont speak english very well but im going to try xD.... now in bolivia its raining cats an dogs  and despite the fact that their culture is very similar peru is more modern than bolivia and more beautiful xD, you should go to peru because is summer and u can go to the beach and enjoy yout tanning ... then you can visit mancora (in the north), nazca, cuzco, puno, arequipa..... live in lima is cheap ..

Answer 2

I would recommend Peru for sure.  I went there in 2004 with my high school for 26 days.  It was the best trip I have ever been on for sure.  I always felt safe while we were there.  We visited Lima (stayed in a beautiful hostel in Miraflores), Cusco, Puno and some other little villages.  We flew into Lima and took an in country flight from Lima to Puno and ten from Puno we took the train to Cuzco.  The train ride was not exact ally short,  around 10 hours I think, but the scenery was beautiful and the seats were fairly comfortable!

Miraflores was great because it was a big more upscale then some of the other neighborhoods, but still had little markets in the back alleys where we could get great fruit in the mornings.  There was great restaurants all over the place.  Also in Lima there was alot of great sightseeing to do, many old cathedrals to visit and great vibrant colours.  

Cusco was also awesome, they are very used to North American tourists there.  Amazing restaurants, a great hotel in a nice area.  The markets in Cuzco were great and then you are able to take the train up to Macchu Picchu from  Cuzco.  My trip up there was cancelled due to major flooding on the train tracks, which kind of put a damper on our trip but we got to see some other very interesting ruins such as Sacsayhuaman and many others that have names too hard to spell.  ;)  We took a guided bus trip that day which included an authentic lunch.  A great tour guide was a great addition to the tour as we were able to hear about local culture.  

Puno was a much different pace from the other cities we were in, much slower.  The markets in Puno were very different then the other two.  We did stay at a BEAUTIFUL Best Western in Puno.  My favorite part of this city was the floating islands on Lake Titicaca.  We took a guided tour the lake, and stopped on some of the islands, it was an unforgettable experience.  

I would defiantly recommend seeing a travel agent before leaving so that you are able to get all the sights in.  I know that we were away for 26 days and the total cost of our trip was only 3000$ each so I don't believe that the in country flight or train or even the hotels were expensive.  

Where ever you decide to go I hope you have a great trip.

Answer 3

Peru and Bolivia are quite similar countries, but do not miss Machupicchu in Cuzco, Peru (One of the 7 wonders of the world). I recomend you to take a travel agent. More safe and have useful informations. July is South America is winter but not as cold as in Canada. Don't worry about hotels price. (unless you're rich, you can go to 5 stars) Prudence in your trip. Nice trip!

Answer 4

peru and bolivia in aprox. 18 dias ??  mmmmmmm   very  short  :P

anyway,,   , peru got machupicchu and  titicaca lake,,  and many people decide to  visit, they both, then  cross to bolivia :)

and  i know  if u  go  with a tour  from website(internet))  then u will pay  the  double price,.  better,  when u arrive  in lima, then go to cusco,,  there in cusco, in the plaza,  there are  many agencys  u personally  will see the  diference and  many prioces,, u will decide personally what to pay :)

for tours , hotel, food  etc :)

check the oficial site:  www.peru.com.pe

u will find  there  more info too :)

Answer 5

Hey, peru is beautifull, lots of history and awesome places to visit in the city. The dollar is about 2.90, so for every american dollar you get about 3 soles, that is the currency they use. Oh and dont bring any singles for exchanging money cuz they'll give you less, use 5, 10, 20 or 100. And make sure there're not ripped or marked w/marker cuz you'll either get less or they'll not take it. I suggest you brush up on your spanish. Since its your first time to SA maybe it would be ideal to talk with a travel agent, but trust me after that you wont need to again.

Peru's peak tourist season is from June to August, which is the dry season in the Andean highlands. It's also the best time to go if you're interested in hiking or mountain climbing. While travelers visit the highlands year-round, the wettest months, December to March, make trekking a muddy proposition. Many of the major fiestas occur around this time and continue undiminished in spite of heavy rain.

On the coast, Peruvians visit the beach during the sunny, humid months from late December through March. The rest of the year, the coast is clothed in mist. In the eastern rain forests, it naturally rains a lot. The wettest months are December to May, but travelers visit year-round; it rarely rains for more than a few hours at a time and there's plenty of sunshine to enjoy.

You can also look into visiting Cuzco, Machupichu, Nazca Lines, but if you go to Lima, the nice "ritsy" areas to visit is Miraflores, Pueblo Libre, Playas de Asia (beaches),  Asia, Chiclayo that is in the coast.

About safty, always stick together with your partner or friends, try not to be alone at night in a secludded area and be very alert of your surroundings. Try to always take taxis when possible in the city, they charge a little more but its safer and make sure they are marked and have their id's posted. Oh and when you get off the airport if you take a taxi to your hotel dont have them sucker you into paying with american dollar, It should be in soles.

Have fun and enjoy! trust me you will cuz im from there!

Answer 6

peru!!! is the best of all i love every thing from peru i hope i can go there soon....:(

Answer 7

I think Peru is more beautiful and has Machu Picchu (Cuzco) one the new seven wonders of the world. You can start with Peru: Lima, then Nazca, Arequipa, Cuzco, Puno, then you cross the border to Bolivia and spend some days in Bolivia.

If you want a travel agent to help you with thta contact Sandra - PJR International Travel  [e-mail]

Answer 8

Peru, definitely, you have wonderful beaches, the Amazonia and one of the 7 Wonders of the world: Machu Picchu. Besides all that, the prices are good and the big cities like Lima, Cusco and Arequipa are generally safe.

A good place for travel in general (not only to Latin America) is www.kayak.com

Good luck!