Peru - Help needed!

Was planning on Colombia, but got an insane deal via airfarewatchdog ($238 RT from LAX to Lima)!! so went w/ Peru.

Planning on spending 15 days in Peru, Sept 1st-Sept 16th.

Day 1: Lima
Day 2: Lima
Day 3-8: Cusco and trek to Machu Picchu


From Day 9 on, no clue where I'm going. Would like to spend a couple days going into the Amazon if possible... Want to get off the beaten path a bit...eat good food...do things you think are worthwhile. Open to any and all suggestions..Thanks!

Read a bit about Colcas Canyon areas..Lake Titicaca, Pisco...not sure what really stands out and is doable on the 6 or so days I would have left...

There are definitely plenty of tour agencies that have trips to the Amazon that leave from Cusco. So that would be very easy to add to your trip. Depends on your funds though cause it'll cost about $3-500 for a 3-5 day trip.

Beyond that I'm not sure, since I don't know what you're into. If you want to get off the tourist trail a bit, you could book a home stay on one of the islands in Lake Titicaca. You can book those through travel agencies in Puno.

Anyway, I'd be happy to help more if you tell us what sort of activities you like.

Also, how are you planning on getting around? Peru has really nice buses but travel times can be quite lengthy. So factor that into your itinerary.

Thanks for your offer to help out here.. I've bolded specific questions to make it easier for you...

Like you, I'm VERY big on finding great food, street food, market food, etc.

My plan is...Day 1/2 in Lima..eat my way around the city, ceviche etc. Do you have any places in particular you recommend in Lima? How about any neighborhoods that are known for great street food?
Plan to fly to Cusco on Day 3. Would like to spend 2 days in Cusco by itself. Do you think this is enough time? Would like to make it up to Pisac for one day/night. Obviously, plan to see Machu Picchu, but truthfully, don't want to do the big 4 day Inca Trail (think it may already be sold out anyways). Am I really missing out by taking the train to Auguas Calientas and hiking in from there? Is there another way to go that won't eat up tons of time? If I do take a 1/2 day hike to MP, are there towns/villages to stop off in, or is it more or less just hiking and passing ruins along the way? I'm much more about the meeting people/eating food aspect of culture than I am looking at ruins/museum type culture.

Wanted to venture into the Amazon from Cusco, although won't have the budget for a big $500+ Amazon trek. Is there anything that can be independently done, or anything on a budget?

After returning to Cusco was hoping to make it down to Lake Titicaca and do a homestay on one of the islands..Right now Isla Amantria (spelling?) is my first choice. Is there a better place to do a homestay?

From Puno, figured we'd head to Arequipa and spend some time there and surrounding areas. Any suggestions on what to do/eat?

From Arequipa, we'd head back to Lima and catch our flight back home.

Loose intinerary would look something like this:

Day 1: Lima
Day 2: Lima
Day 3: Cusco
Day 4: Cusco
Day 5: Cusco and surrounding area
Day 6: Trek to MP
Day 7: Trek to MP
Day 8: Amazon
Day 9: Amazon
Day 10: Lake Titicaca
Day 11: Lake Titicaca
Day 12: Arequipa
Day 13: Arequipa
Day 14: Arequipa
Day 15: Back to Lima
Day 16: Head home

Too rushed? Anything you would cut out/add?

Thanks again so much for your help...answers to some or all of these questions will be a MAJOR help.

We took the train rather than the 4-day Inca Trail, and we thought it was great. We stayed overnight in Aguas Calientes and enjoyed soaking in the hot water pools.

We stayed in an eco-lodge in the Tambopata Nature Reserve, in the Amazon basin. It was called Posadas Amazones, and we booked it through a Peruvian travel company called Explorandes. You could probably book it on your own. We took a boat from Puerto Maldonado to get there.

1. Two days in Lima is fine for a trip of such short duration

2. I don't know of any 2 day hikes into Machu Picchu, most are 3 to four days, and from experience, I can tell you that those trails are best done in less than a hurry. They are beautiful, they require time to transit safely, and you will want time to relax and savor the magnificent views. These short hikes are also hard to get on short notice, so if you're set on this, reserve NOW.

3. Don't know about ceviche in Lima, I ate street food and other kinds of food there, However, there is plenty of it at higher prices in Aguas Calientes, where every range of food price and accomodations can be found within reason.. if you try Cuy, I recommend you eat it in a stew. it will probably be a lot less tough that way, and there is something just plain creepy about staring at a guinea pig devoid of fur and showing naked burned flesh.

4.There is either the multi day hike, or the train at cuzco. Machu Pichu is so amazing that if you lack time, it will be ENOUGH. I say this as someone who has seen almost all of the best easily accessible sites in Mexico and Guatemala, and yes, even Egypt.

5. You will need at least two days acclimation at Cuzco, for altitude sickness is a real phenomenon for very many people. In Machu Pichu, you will be scrambling up and down hills,and if you want, even the incredible peak that has a view of Machu pichuy that can't be missed. Get at Machu Pichu VERY early for the ticket to that hike, as in one of the first buses, if not the first buse from Aguas Calientes. You might be tempted to walk up the hill from Aguas Calientes, then the stairs, but then you might be too tired to traipse around on Machu Picchu itself.

6. You will arrive at Aguas calienties in the afternoon, and I suggest you do Machyu in the next morning,

7.I am NOT sure that your timeline is relaxing enough for full enjoyment. It takes about half a day for any trip in peru, and sometimes a full day in a bus. Figure a full day for leaving, travelling, and arriving and settling in. Those mountain passes can be slow to traverse for the bus.

8. Titicaca is pretty cool, and the town is nothing special, so a homestay on an island wouold be pretty cool, One day should be sufficient to get the idea, however.

9. Arequipa has a whole range of hikes, and I recommend one of the one day hikes or even two day hikes so you can see the Inca Trails you missed on Machu Pichu.

10. Colca canyon is spectacular. There is a REALLY rushed three day two night hike through it, IF you are already acclimated and are in good shape. maybe there are shorter ones at the tour agencies.

11.Pisco is pretty good too, but... Not sure if you have the time for that! It takes a week alone just to get aclimated, see Machu Pichu, and return to Cusco, well, 4-5 days in the least. Pisco is a very depressing place.. don't go out at night... The shore hostels by the bay and the birds are definitely a far more pleasant place to stay but,, Have been told you need to be careful there too.

So, if you cut out three days for travel, you have a rushed but possible tour, and it will be the tour of a life time.

There is a guide to Machu pichu by Tortuga_Traveller, which is me. they lost my password... still its me.

Look at it. Its pretty complete.

12. Be careful in Lima., Don't walk to the Fundadion..... anyways, its the best ceramic pre-columbian musuem I have ever seen, but walking there without speaking Spanish and asking where NOT to go can be dodgy. There are gangs in Lima, but you CAN avoid them, Best way? Take a cab to the distant places excedpt for Miraflores, and you'll be fine.

Miraflores is pretty safe and cool, however.
The mall by the sea wall is just plain amazing.

Thats it... but be careful, as I said, Some bus trips could take a day all told, so count that into your schedule., I use the Footprints South America. Travel times are pretty accurate in that book.

yours,

Tortuga Traveller in another guise.















4.

Fundadion in Lima? Never heard of it. Where is it? Ceramics museum? Could it be Museo Rafael Larco Herrera in Pueblo Libre?

Yes... that is the one. I tried to take a bus and then walk there, but on the way I had to change course due to the presence of ´churros´a few blocks away. But, he told me how to get there safely, and I am alive to talk about it.

Since Tortuga Traveler/Ddrezner has already answered a lot of your questions, I'll do my best to fill in the gaps.

1) As a vegetarian, I really can't help with food. Peru does have a lot of chinese restaurants (called Chifas) and they're quite good (I strongly dislike the chinese food in the US). Also, make sure to try Inca Cola. People either love it or hate it.

2) Try to avoid spending two nights in Aguas Calientes (a mistake I made). It's very expensive and touristy. Make sure to bring snacks and water from Cusco cause the prices in AC will be 50% higher. So...take the train to AC, spend the night, get up really early the next morning and go to Machu Picchu and return via train to Cusco later that day, spending one more night in Cusco. To get to MP from AC, you can either walk or take the bus. I walked (it's about 1,800 stairs up) and I'm glad I did. I'm 42 years old and don't consider myself in great shape and definitely felt a sense of accomplishment when I got to the top and saw all these younger people who had taken the bus.

3) You can actually buy your ticket for Machu Picchu in Cusco. If you do that, make sure to buy your train ticket first cause they may want to see that before they sell you the MP ticket. Also..VERY IMPORTANT....take your passport to MP. They will not let you in without it.

4) In Cusco, you can arrange a bus trip to see some of the other Inca sites nearby (Ollantaytambo, etc). There are agencies all over selling this trip so ask around and negotiate on the price. Just be aware that as part of the tour, they'll take you to an all-you-can eat buffet that will cost $15-20. I walked around town and found a nice Chinese place and paid only a couple of dollars for my meal.

5) Pretty sure it will be hard to get to the Amazon on your own. Travel times are really slow. Even with a travel agency most of your time will be taken up just by traveling on dirt roads and/or water. Ask around at some of the travel agencies in Cusco and see what price you can get. The other alternative would be to fly to Iquitos in Northern Peru. (note: you can only fly there as it's not connected via roads). You might be able to explore at least part of the Amazon independently from there.

6) Didn't do a homestay on Lake Titicaca myself so can't really make a recommendation.

7) Colca Canyon - you can do as a 1+ overnight trip from Arequipa. I would suggest more than one night and find one that includes a hike down into the canyon. It's really the only way to get a true sense of the canyon. It's very different from say the Grand Canyon and looking at it from the top you can't see down into it.

8) In Arequipa there's a huge monastary that houses cloistered nuns that you can visit. I'm pretty sure it's a UNESCO world heritage site. There's another museum that houses a famous Incan princess mummy.

9) To save on travel time, consider taking night buses. Buses in Peru are VERY comfortable with huge leather seats that recline almost into a bed. Based on your itinerary you'll probably be using Cruz Del Sur a lot. BTW, most cities in Peru lack a central bus station so you'll need to decide which bus company to take beforehand.

10) I lived in Lima for four months last year (two in Miraflores, two in a non-touristy area) and never felt unsafe. Never saw a gang either. Definitely go to the historic center. If you're there on a Sunday,they close off one of the streets for musicians and other performances. BTW expats have differing opinion re: safety in Miraflores. After all, thieves know that's where the $$$ and the gringos are.

11) Peru has more taxis than anyplace I've been. Basically anyone with a car can register it as a taxi. In Trujillo, I counted and 70-75% of the cars were taxis! Anyway, taxis are unmetered in Peru so negotiate the fare before you get in. And expect to pay a bit of a "gringo tax".

12) BTW bring warm clothes. Puno is VERY cold and even Lima can get chilly at night depending on the time of year.

Ddrezner: What is a "churro"? Never heard that word in Lima. Although Lima is not different from New York City and other towns in the sense that one has to be careful, the museum Rafael Larco Herrera is not in a district of Lima (Pueblo Libre) that is known to be particularly unsafe.
I am used to taking buses and walking in Lima and never feel unsafe, although I am aware that some areas are not recommended, such as Rimac and part of El Agostino. But normally one would not get there anyway.

Hein van Oosten wrote:Ddrezner: What is a "churro"? Never heard that word in Lima. Although Lima is not different from New York City and other towns in the sense that one has to be careful, the museum Rafael Larco Herrera is not in a district of Lima (Pueblo Libre) that is known to be particularly unsafe.
I am used to taking buses and walking in Lima and never feel unsafe, although I am aware that some areas are not recommended, such as Rimac and part of El Agostino. But normally one would not get there anyway.

Ddrezner alias Tortuga_traveler is a touch paranoid when leaving home as shown in his posts on San Salvador where he considers nothing safe.

If you want to go to the Amazonas, I recommend Iquitos. There are not many tourists there. We flew from Lima to Iquitos with Peruvian Airlines last year and booked a 4-days 3-nights trip to the jungle directly in Iquitos. It was amazing. The best trip ever. The first night we spent with a local family and 2 nights in the jungle sleeping in a hammock. No toilet, no shower, we washed ourselves in the river, cooked outside. Unforgetable. Our guide, Falco, who spent 2 year the the jungle during his army time was the best. We saw so many animals, we caught a sloth, anaconda, caiman...

There were also other agencies offering trips in lodges, with nice bathroom etc. but we preferred this one...

Hein van Oosten wrote:What is a "churro"?

take a phallus-shaped, caramelized sweet condensed milk-filled, doughy piece of crap then deep fry it and roll it in granulated sugar. ta-da, you have your churo.