Peru ABD - is there anything I should know?

[Bobo912]

This is our 4th trip, so we're not new to ABD. I've read all the info on the website. I discussed the Peru trip a little with past Adventure Guides. I know there are several folks on the board who have taken this trip, so I'm just posing this open ended question to see if there's anything I should bring that isn't llisted on the website or any other useful information you can offer. I know from reading past posts to keep my mouth shut during the rafting and to hold on to my backpack in public places, both of which are very important pieces of information but not something they would mention on the ABD website. Any other useful tips?

I booked a pre-day too, so any recommendations on how to fill that time or any good restaurants would also be appreciated.

 

[gigi from canada]

Have a great trip. I have been to Peru many times. In fact, I have been to Machu Picchu four times. I know Cuzco very well. I'm sure your guides will assist with everything. One tip that I have for you is to make sure you have small change to give to kids and women when you take their picture in the markets and tourists sites. Usually 50 centavos or one Sol is sufficient for a picture. I also suggest that you bring small flashlights as there may be power outages for no particular reason. I am not sure when you are going but if it is in June, July or August the evenings can get quite cold, Sometimes close to freezing temperatures.

I saw that you had booked a pre-day if this is in Lima I can suggest a few restaurants for you. Let me know.

 

[Bobo912]

Thanks! Yes, the pre-day is in Lima. The hotel is in the Miraflores district. Without the guides, I'm not very adventurous, so we probably won't venture too far from the hotel.

 

[Bobo912]

Is there a particular credit card that is more widely accepted in restaurants and hotels in Lima and Cuzco? My impression is that Visa is accepted in more places where I've traveled than Mastercard or American Express. I want to leave the least useful ones at home.

 

[kermit116]

Visa is mostly widely accepted in Peru. Mastercard is a close second. Most large retailers are getting better about taking American Express, but most smaller places will not take it. Also, you may want to just pack cash because some vendors and very small bakeries, restaurants (at least in Lima) will only take cash.

Is there a particular credit card that is more widely accepted in restaurants and hotels in Lima and Cuzco? My impression is that Visa is accepted in more places where I've traveled than Mastercard or American Express. I want to leave the least useful ones at home.

 

[kermit116]

Also, in Miraflores, depending on which hotel you are staying in, you'll probably be close to Larcomar, which is an outdoor shopping center. There are a number of restaurants there which would be good options. I would not suggest souvenir shopping there because the prices are high based on a captive audience of tourists.

 

[margie100]

Just back from the December Peru trip...(our 3rd ABD)...

Bring packets of Pedialyte powder you can add to water bottles, in case you are hit with altitude sickness. Maybe also some ginger candies. (By the time we got to Cusco, many in the trip were not feeling well.) Note: you might want to Google the use of Advil to reduce your chances of getting altitude sickness. I tried it, and didn't have any issues.

Bring really lightweight rain jackets you can stuff in your backpack. It can go from really rainy to really hot several times in a day.

SUNSCREEN!! Put it on EVERY day. We had some really red lobster faces (and backs of necks) in our group. The altitude and equatorial sun will get you.

Insect repellant. If you're scared of DEET, look into the options that use Lemon Eucalyptus. (That is what we did, and I don't think we ended up with any bites.)

A roll of travel toilet paper can't hurt. There were a couple of airport restrooms where they were out of paper. (Also, while we didn't encounter any squatty potties on the trip, a few didn't have toilet seats.)

For our pre-day we booked a three hour afternoon tour with LimaMentor.com that included the Church of San Francisco catacombs and library.

Have fun!

 

[dizneekrazee]

In Miraflores, there is restaurant in the LarcoMar shopping center called Mango's, they have incredible views. You sit looking over the cliff right out to the ocean. I recommend table 102, they accept reservations.

For Machu Picchu, in addition to sunblock and insect repellant, long pants & long sleeves. The bites, should you miss a spot with bug spray, can be bad. Mine lasted 7 weeks, with a visit to get some steroid cream.

 

[Boardwalk_bride]

I am going on the Peru trip this year, and also going to Cuba in a few weeks, so I went to a travel clinic to get some info for both. Basically, you should have all your Hep shots (I know in Canada most of us get Hep B in school, not sure about elsewhere) so I made sure to get vaccinated for Hep A as well. You should also be updated on all your other vaccines.

I was also warned about that bugs. One tip the nurses told me was to wait 30 mins after applying sunscreen to apply bug spray. Apparently, the sunscreen absorbs the deet into your skin quicker, which can cause headaches and nausea.

I would also be interested in suggestions for things to do in Lima on your own! I am still trying to decide how much extra time to spend there.

 

[dizneekrazee]

I am going on the Peru trip this year, and also going to Cuba in a few weeks, so I went to a travel clinic to get some info for both. Basically, you should have all your Hep shots (I know in Canada most of us get Hep B in school, not sure about elsewhere) so I made sure to get vaccinated for Hep A as well. You should also be updated on all your other vaccines.

I was also warned about that bugs. One tip the nurses told me was to wait 30 mins after applying sunscreen to apply bug spray. Apparently, the sunscreen absorbs the deet into your skin quicker, which can cause headaches and nausea.

I would also be interested in suggestions for things to do in Lima on your own! I am still trying to decide how much extra time to spend there.

I'm not sure what the ABD tour does in Lima, or how long you will have. We only had about a day & a half in Lima. I would not waste my time at the LarcoMar shopping center, it is just a regular, over priced shopping mall. Although, I highly recommend Mangos for the views, especially at dinner. Another restaurant, and probably our fave of all in our week long trip, was Haiti. Great service. Good for people watching. Has classic American breakfasts. I think we paid about $17USD for both if us for breakfast, including tip.

Do not miss the Plaza de Armas. The Lima Cathedral is open daily, except Sundays. Francisco Pizzaro's remains (conquered the Incan Kingdom) are in the chapel.
Next to the Cathedral is the Archbishop's Palace. Beautiful!! Of course, you can not enter, but you may take photos. I even took a picture with one of the Peruvian military men.

Also in Lima, you can find the Incan Market. It is like a huge flea market, with tons of vendors. Great for souvenir shopping. We bought our 100% baby alpaca blanket & scarves there. After a bit if haggling, we got a decent price. The man we dealt with was VERY nice, spoke perfectly good English, and was generally interested in our impressions if Cusco, his home town. Don't worry if you run out if cash, there is an ATM machine near one if the entrances lol.

Also, if you are in town on Sunday, several blocks of Jose Larco Ave are closed to motorists. This is one way the city of Lina helps its residents get active & healthy. There will be runners, joggers, bikers, roller skaters, etc. There are bike rental locations set up on various corners if you want to participate.

That's all I can think of off top of my head!! Enjoy your trip!!

 

[tufbuf]

Bring lots of soles to buy those beautiful baby alpaca wool weavings! They are much finer and much better quality than the ones we saw in Ecuador. Make room for them and look around your house where you may need a runner to showcase it. Beautiful sweaters and scarves abound as well.

Visa credit cards are a sure choice to use in Peru.

Be careful of the water in the Urubamba. Several in our party got sick after the water rafting activity. Just try not to swallow any of it since you will get splashed! It's very fun though so don't miss it!!!

 

[Bobo912]

Thanks everybody for the advice and info.

tufbuf - how much is a "lot of soles"? Can you remember some typical prices?

 

[dizneekrazee]

Don't forget, the majority of places will not accept (for payment or exchange), any US bills that are torn, tattered, stained, etc. Bring nice, clean bills for an easier time.

 

[Grifdog22]

Bobo

We took this trip several years ago - and it was fabulous. We had an extra day at the end, and our ABD guides got to know us well, and set up a fantastic tour, with a local guide, of Lima for the extra day. Strongly recommend it. Was almost as good as Disney's trip, but had only us. Another poster has mentioned some of the sites to see - and this is a great thing to do.

If you like to shop, you'll have a planned opportunity at an outdoor market - this was the best pricing we encountered - and we felt a little bad about how successful we were with the bartering...

In Cuzco, the museuems and such are open late - really late - and we had a blast having our own "night at the museum" as we were the only ones in the building. So much fun.

At Sol ly Luna, by all means, schedule the horseback riding. It was the best horseback riding we've ever had. The riding demonstration was good, but getting to ride the horses ourselves was unmatched. So bring jeans and boots for the riding.

 

[tufbuf]

Thanks everybody for the advice and info.

tufbuf - how much is a "lot of soles"? Can you remember some typical prices?

We got a beautiful runner (about 4' in length) made of baby alpaca wool. I cannot remember how much we bought it for but I do remember buying a small llama stuff toy for our daughter made with baby alpaca wool. The equivalent in US$ was 50, so about 150 soles +/-, I remember since I thought that was quite pricey for a stuff toy but it makes for a good keepsake. Now it's safely tucked in a glass cabinet. If you really want good quality, I will wait to buy at Awana Kancha. They have beautifully made ponchos and sweaters, excellent quality!

 

[Bobo912]

For charging electronic devices, will I need a voltage converter or just an adapter? I have one adapter and multiple electronic devices that will need to be charged, so maybe I need to buy another one. Do any of the hotels provide an adapter?

 

[dizneekrazee]

For charging electronic devices, will I need a voltage converter or just an adapter? I have one adapter and multiple electronic devices that will need to be charged, so maybe I need to buy another one. Do any of the hotels provide an adapter?

I'm on my phone, so I can't see what country you reside in. Their wall units work fine on items from the US, nothing additional was needed. However, they do look different.

 

[sayhello]

For charging electronic devices, will I need a voltage converter or just an adapter? I have one adapter and multiple electronic devices that will need to be charged, so maybe I need to buy another one. Do any of the hotels provide an adapter?

Bobo912, take a look at this. It's a Universal travel adapter power strip. You put whatever adapter you have on the plug for this, then you can plug anything that only requires an adapter into the outlets on the strip. That way, you get 3 plugs for 1 adapter. It's pretty compact. I used it on my Knights & Lights trip, and it worked wonderfully. All I needed was one British adapter and one French adapter.

http://www.amazon.com/Simran-SM-60-...TF8&qid=1358875040&sr=8-1&keywords=B003UHYDYO

These days, unless your electronics are really old, the only thing that needs a converter would be something powerful like a hair blow dryer. Most everything else these days (phones, cameras, tablets) only require an adapter. Now the question is whether you can get away without an adapter or not.

Sayhello

 

[Bobo912]

Bobo912, take a look at this. It's a Universal travel adapter power strip. You put whatever adapter you have on the plug for this, then you can plug anything that only requires an adapter into the outlets on the strip. That way, you get 3 plugs for 1 adapter. It's pretty compact. I used it on my Knights & Lights trip, and it worked wonderfully. All I needed was one British adapter and one French adapter.

http://www.amazon.com/Simran-SM-60-...TF8&qid=1358875040&sr=8-1&keywords=B003UHYDYO

These days, unless your electronics are really old, the only thing that needs a converter would be something powerful like a hair blow dryer. Most everything else these days (phones, cameras, tablets) only require an adapter. Now the question is whether you can get away without an adapter or not.

Sayhello

Thanks! It's reasonably priced too and eligible for free shipping with Amazon Prime. I never take up precious luggage space with a hair dryer. I'll just use whatever they have in the hotel. Mainly need to charge the phone, 2 Kindles, iPod and my DS's DS (the Nintendo kind), but hopefully, not all at the same time.

 

[Bobo912]

Anybody recall if there are safes the hotel rooms and, if so, how big they are?