|

PERU TRAVEL PLANNER
| |
Peru directory
ADDRESSES These are frequently written with just the street
name and number: for example, Pizarro 135. Officially, though, they're usually
prefixed by Calle, Jirón (street) or Avenida. The first digit of any street
number (or sometimes the first two digits) represents the block number within
the street as a whole. Note too that many of the major streets in Lima and also
in Cusco have two names - in Lima this is a relic of the military governments of
the 1970s, in Cusco it's more to do with a revival of the Inca past.
ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES
We arrange any kind of adventure activities within Peru so feels free to
contact us
ARTESANIA Traditional craft goods from most regions of Peru can be found in
markets and shops in Lima. Woollen and alpaca products, though, are usually
cheaper and often better quality in the sierra - particularly in Cusco, Juliaca
and Puno; carved gourds are imported from around Huancayo, while the best places
to buy ceramic replicas are Trujillo, Huaraz, Ica and Nasca. Jungle crafts are
best from Pucallpa and Iquitos.
BARGAINING In markets and with taxi drivers (before getting in), you are
generally expected to bargain. It's also sometimes possible to haggle over the
price of hotel rooms, especially if you're travelling in a group. Food and shop
prices, however, tend to be fixed.
CUSTOMS Regulations stipulate that no items of archeological or historical value
or interest may be removed from the country. Many of the jungle craft goods
which incorporate feathers, skins or shells of rare Amazonian animals are also
banned for export - it's best not to buy these if you are in any doubt about
their scarcity. If you do try to export anything of archeological or biological
value, and get caught, you'll have the goods confiscated at the very least, and
may find yourself in a Peruvian court.
DIVING AND FISHING We arrange any kind of diving and fishing activities within
Peru so feels free to contact us
ELECTRIC CURRENT 220 volt/60 cycles AC is the standard all over Peru, except in
Arequipa where it is 220 volt/50 cycles. In some of Lima's better hotels you may
also find 110 volt sockets to use with standard electric shavers. Don't count on
any Peruvian supply being one hundred percent reliable and, particularly in
cheap hostals and hotels be very wary of the wiring, especially in electric
shower fittings.
FOOTBALL Peru's major sport is football and you'll find men and boys playing it
in the streets of every city, town and settlement in the country down to the
remotest of jungle outposts. The big teams are Cristal, Alianza and El U (for
Universitario) in Lima and Ciencianco from Cusco. The "Classic" game is between
Alianza, the poor man's team from La Victoria suburb of Lima, and El U,
generally supported by the middle class. In recent years the sport has taken a
European turn in the unruly and violent nature of its fans. This is particularly
true of Lima where, in late 1995, the "Classic" had to be stopped because of
stones thrown at the players by supporters. Known as choligans (a mixture of the
English "hooligan" and the Peruvian cholo, which means dark-skinned
Quechua-blooded Peruvian), these unruly supporters have taken to painting their
faces, attacking the opposing fans and causing major riots outside the football
grounds.
GAY LIFE Homosexuality is pretty much kept underground in what is still a very
macho society, though in recent years Lima has seen a liberating advance and
transvestites can walk the streets in relative freedom from abuse. However,
there is little or no organized gay life. The Peruvian Homosexual and Lesbian
Movement can be contacted at Calle Mariscal Miller 828, in Jesus Maria (tel
433-5519).
INSULTS Travellers sometimes suffer insults from Peruvians who begrudge the
apparent relative wealth and freedom of tourists. Remember, however, that the
terms "gringo" or "mister" are not generally meant in an offensive way in Peru.
LANGUAGE LESSONS You can learn Peruvian Spanish all over Peru, but the best
range of schools are in Cusco, Arequipa and Huancayo. Check the relevant
sections throughout the guide.
LAUNDRY Most basic hotels have communal washrooms where you can do your washing;
failing this, labour is so cheap that it's no real expense to get your clothes
washed by the hotel or in a lavandería (laundry). Things tend to disappear from
public washing lines so be careful where you leave clothes drying.
NATURAL DISASTERS Peru has more than its fair share of avalanches, landslides
and earthquakes - and there's not a lot you can do about any of them. If you're
naturally cautious you might want to register on arrival with your embassy; they
like this, and it does help them in the event of a major quake (or an escalation
of terrorist activity). Landslides - huaycos - devastate the roads and rail
lines every rainy season, though alternative routes are usually found
surprisingly quickly.
PHOTOGRAPHY The light in Peru is very bright, with a strong contrast between
shade and sun. This can produce a nice effect and generally speaking it's easy
to take good pictures. One of the more complex problems is how to take photos of
people without upsetting them. You should always talk to a prospective subject
first, and ask if s/he minds if you take a quick photo ( una fotito, por favor -
"a little photo please"); most people react favourably to this approach even if
all the communication is in sign language. Slide film is expensive to buy, and
not readily available outside of the main cities; colour Kodac and Fuji films
are widely available, but black and white film is rare. If you can bear the
suspense it's best to save getting films developed until you're home - you'll
probably get better results. Pre-paid slide films can't be developed in Peru.
PUNCTUALITY Whilst buses, trains or planes won't wait a minute beyond their
scheduled departure time, people almost expect friends to be an hour or more
late for an appointment (don't arrange to meet a Peruvian on the street - make
it a bar or café). Peruvians stipulate that an engagement is a la hora inglesa
("by English time") if they genuinely want people to arrive on time, or, more
realistically, within half an hour of the time they fix.
TIME Peru keeps the same hours as Eastern Standard Time, which is (generally)
five hours behind GMT.
WORK Your only real chance of earning money in Peru is teaching English in Lima,
or with luck in Arequipa or Cusco. Given the state of the economy there's little
prospect in other fields, though in the more remote parts of the country it may
sometimes be possible to find board and lodging in return for a little building
work or general labouring. This is simply a question of keeping your eyes open
and making personal contacts. There is an enormous amount of bureaucracy
involved if you want to work (or live) officially in Peru. For biology,
geography or environmental science graduates there's a chance of free board and
lodging and maybe a small salary if you're willing to work very hard for at
least three months as a tour guide in a jungle lodge, under the Resident
Naturalist schemes. Several lodges along the Río Tambopata offer such schemes
and other research opportunities. For more details, write to the lodges
directly; for independent advice contact the Tambopata Reserve Society (TreeS),
64 Belsize Park, London, NW3 4EH, UK. Arrangements need to be made at least six
months in advance.
Cusco Peru travel
Peru Travel Directory
| |
Mon-Fri 9 Am - 6 Pm ET
please allow pop-ups


Published articles and reviews about us

2010
Testimonials
Norman Pedersen
Date:
Sun,18 Jul 2010
Machu Picchu and my entire visit to Peru were
wonderful. A dream come true.
I could not have been happier with everyone I met through your
arrangements.
The tours were very informative and showed me more than I knew
existed in this beautiful place.
All of the accommodations were very comfortable.
The luncheon buffet at the Alhambra was top rate. And the Ferré
Hotel in Lima was also a very good choice.Your personal assistance
throughout was exceptional!
Thank you for everything!
Melinda Hughes
Date:
Tues, 13 Jul 2010
I was one of
the “Joel Williams” party of four who was recently on a Peru Gateway
Travel tour of northern and southern Peru. I had to write so you
would know how satisfied we were with the hotel accommodations, the
tour guides, the restaurants they choose for our lunches and just
everything about the trip.
The hotels we stayed in were well located, clean and convenient in
every way. We have absolutely no complaints!
Our tour covered Peru from the north to the south. It had four
internal flights, so there were many connections, pick ups and
deliveries involved. Peru Gateway Travel made sure we were always
delivered on time to the airports and promptly met and picked up
when we landed. We never had a moments worry.
Since we had many different day tours, we had several different
guides. All were professional and spoke our language well. All were
very knowledgeable and eager to impart that knowledge to us. They
chose great places for our lunches and the cuisine was
unforgettable. We have traveled to many countries but found the food
in Peru to be absolutely wonderful.
I also wanted to mention the drivers who picked us up at all times
of the day and night, drove us to our next destination and the
delivered us safely to our hotels. We never had a driver who was
less than prompt, courteous and most importantly, a skilled and
careful driver.
The sites we saw were the places we chose to see. And they did not
disappoint us. From the desert to the Andes to the Jungle, we
enjoyed it all.
Please feel free to use this email on your website or as a
testimonial. All four of our group would recommend Peru Gateway
Travel to anyone planning a trip to Peru. We were well taken care
of, enjoyed delicious food, saw awesome sights and had a wonderful
time.
Sincerely.
Ajay Chopra
Date:
Fri, 02 Jul 2010
We are back in
Lima. Our trip to Machu Picchu was wonderful, thank you and your
team and the ground staff in Cuzco for all their help and care. A
special thanks to Angella for her help.
We hope to do business with you in the near future.
Best Regards
Saikat.
Date:
Fri, 02 Jul 2010
I just wanted to let you know that we had an amazing
and wonderful trip to your country.
I must state that the people of Peru impressed me very much - they
are so nice!
While I have already filled-up the feedback form, this is just a
personal note to say Thank you.
Do visit India sometime - we have a lot in common.
Regards,
Irina Pascu
Date:
Fri, 25 Jun 2010
I am now back
home but still not believed that the holiday is over. I just
write you to tell you that I had a wonderful time in Peru and to
thanks for
your support. The circuit was very well designed and I had the
opportunity
to visit all the important sites I envisaged and also the Sacred
Valley and
the Altiplano.
I was really impressed by the organization and your people, always
in time
for pick up and interested to offer the necessary information.
Finally I showed to my friends that Peru is not so far and a visit
there
could be a wonderful experience. For me was a dream come true.
Many thanks to you and to your team.
Melissa Polier
Date:
Tues, 22 Jun 2010
My 2 adult children and I recently returned from our
hike to Machu Picchu and I wanted to thank you for all your
assistance. Our trip was great. We very much enjoyed visiting your
beautiful country. I especially want to praise our guide, cook and
porters. They did a terrific job. The food was marvelous and after a
long hike it was definitely something to look forward to. The
porters were very kind and when I needed some assistance at the end
of the 3rd day one of the porters helped me a lot. Our guide was
great. He was very knowledgeable and fun to hike with and he seemed
to really love his job. Again, thanks so much for everything
Read More testimonials »
|
|