Peru in December - Some Practical Questions

[Moms]

We are booked, the trip is paid for, and I am ready to start planning for packing for our Peru trip in December. We have read a multitude of reviews and trip reports so are prepared for an awesome "adventure" but have some questions regarding more practical matters for those who have done this trip.

1. I am having a hard time wrapping my head around the whole winter/summer thing ... while we will be leaving the Northern Hemisphere in the winter we will be entering the Southern Hemisphere during their summer. What does this mean for packing? I am guessing that layering might still be in order but how warm do we need to go? I was planning on mostly jeans, cargo crops and t-shirts with a sweatshirt or two and of course the waterproof jacket. Will this be sufficient?

2. We are extending our trip on the front end so we will have a full day in Lima. My daughter wants to try one of the "nicer" (not McDonalds!) restaurants and we plan to take one "nicer" outfit each which would consist of nicer slacks and top and a sandal. Will that work? Are there enough occasions for "something other than jeans" to consider packing more than one nicer outfit each?

3. I read that there are tents for changing on the day of the rafting trip. How wet do you get (assuming you don't go into the river), and what do you wear under the wet-suits? I guess what I am getting at is a swimsuit necessary? Frankly I don't currently own one and the thought of shopping for one is not a pleasant one!

4. There have been some threads where tipping is discussed. I know that it is expected that we tip our Disney guides and that we will certainly do but according to the literature, other tipping (local guides, bus drivers, etc.) is taken care of by Disney and is included. It seems though that some have opted to tip these individuals themselves. Is this the case? Is it common for ABD travellers to tip the "locals" throughout the trip? I have no issues with doing so but would want to be prepared with appropriate currency and smaller denominations so we don't look like the "cheapskates".

5. Finally ... is the shopping fabulous? Will be trying to pack light but will pack light in a larger suitcase if there is the potential for some things we simply cannot live without!

Thanks!

 

[tufbuf]

1. I am having a hard time wrapping my head around the whole winter/summer thing ... while we will be leaving the Northern Hemisphere in the winter we will be entering the Southern Hemisphere during their summer. What does this mean for packing? I am guessing that layering might still be in order but how warm do we need to go? I was planning on mostly jeans, cargo crops and t-shirts with a sweatshirt or two and of course the waterproof jacket. Will this be sufficient?

Pack for all weather and season. You will be in high altitude most of the time so it's generally mild. It may be cool in the shade and feels 10 degrees warmer in the sun. What I did was layer a fleece vest underneath a jacket. A two-layered jacket will be fine, maybe with a fleece lining for additional warmth. We went in June and the early morning and evenings are cool. I know of someone who went to Dec. last year and they had rain, so I would pack a lightweight raincoat as well. Sol y Luna has no air conditioner and they have portable heaters which may be enough for some but if you want to feel warmer, you might want to bring your own fleece blanket or flannel pajamas.

2. We are extending our trip on the front end so we will have a full day in Lima. My daughter wants to try one of the "nicer" (not McDonalds!) restaurants and we plan to take one "nicer" outfit each which would consist of nicer slacks and top and a sandal. Will that work? Are there enough occasions for "something other than jeans" to consider packing more than one nicer outfit each?

You can wear your "nicer" outfit during the dinner at the Libertador in Cuzco as well as the farewell lunch. The set up for this ABD is different from the regular ABDs and I believe it's due to the flights coming into Lima and out. Other meals are very casual.

3. I read that there are tents for changing on the day of the rafting trip. How wet do you get (assuming you don't go into the river), and what do you wear under the wet-suits? I guess what I am getting at is a swimsuit necessary? Frankly I don't currently own one and the thought of shopping for one is not a pleasant one!

You will be changing into wet suits and I would think anything bulky would be difficult to put on underneath. You could probably get away wearing a rash guard underneath (short sleeves) and tight shorts. You will get splashed, some people jumped in the water (I won't recommend it) but I just got a little wet. It's nice though to continue on nice and dry.

4. There have been some threads where tipping is discussed. I know that it is expected that we tip our Disney guides and that we will certainly do but according to the literature, other tipping (local guides, bus drivers, etc.) is taken care of by Disney and is included. It seems though that some have opted to tip these individuals themselves. Is this the case? Is it common for ABD travellers to tip the "locals" throughout the trip? I have no issues with doing so but would want to be prepared with appropriate currency and smaller denominations so we don't look like the "cheapskates".

Yes, all "internal" gratuities are covered except for the two ABD guides. It is in your discretion if you wish to give more to the local guides, porters, housekeeping, etc. but from our experience, we have only seen one person give extra. Maybe there are more whom we have not seen but those are all covered.

5. Finally ... is the shopping fabulous? Will be trying to pack light but will pack light in a larger suitcase if there is the potential for some things we simply cannot live without!

I don't know what you look for in shopping but I loved our Peru ABD and the products they have. What to look for - beautiful baby alpaca wool products! I would wait until you get to Awana Kancha to buy wool products. They have a beautiful store with a wide selection of high quality products. You could get decent souvenirs from the Pisac Market and shop in Lima at the end of the trip. They make gorgeous ponchos (if it's your thing), table runners, bed covers, etc. Other products to consider is silver jewelry especially those made by Ilaria. They have a store in Cuzco as well as in the Cuzco airport. Peru cuisine is also exquisite!

Hope that helps! We did this trip 3 years ago, itinerary is the same and they changed the Cuzco hotel to the Libertador, which I believe is the 5-star hotel in the area. If it's the white building, then that's the one. This is a fun and exciting trip! Just be well prepared for the altitude and drinks lots and lots of water! Enjoy!!

 

[standardgirl]

There are many nice restaurants in Lima depending on what you like and your budget

being a foodie, we went to the following three:
- Central
- Astrid n Gaston
- Maido

Maido is Japanese with Peruvian fusion while the other two are Peruvian food. We love all three and would recommend any of them all have very nice reviews on Tripadvisor as well and they are all within walking distance from the hotel ABD uses.