 In
addition to our convenient on-line reservation forms, if you prefer to
make make your reservation directly or get more information from our reservation
staff, call us. We know Peru, we are from Peru and we are here to help.
Foreword
Peru-hotels is a bit different
than other sites. We assume you have already picked Peru as your destination
be it for business or pleasure so the tourism information we provide is
limited. There are plenty of sites on the internet with all you want to
know about its history and culture. We provide links to those for your
use. Click here for those links. What we want
to do is give you information that will help you in your day to day wanderings
around Peru, so you will enjoy your stay and stay away from trouble.
Information For Travelers
No wonder Peru is a poor
country, all the Incas left it were ruins! Seriously, there is a lot more
to Peru than mysterious past civilizations and what they left behind. Although
Peru's past and the archeology sites are a great reason to go, Peru has
perhaps the most varied geography in South America. It has the jungles
of the Amazon to some of the highest mountains in the Western Hemisphere.
Some good beaches and some pretty fantastic archeology provide a lot of
reasons to visit Peru.
Weather
Peru is in the Southern
Hemisphere, with reversed seasons from the USA, although they really don't
have the extremes we have. There is no one perfect time to see all of Peru,
but February and March are a good choice. The rainy season is June-September
in Lima (humidity can be as high as 98% during this time) and November-March
in the mountains. In the Amazon area it's your typical Jungle out there
, hot, humid and hot and humid some more. A rule when traveling, anywhere,
anytime, no matter what else you take, take a swimming suit and a sweater.
May to November is cloudy and foggy in Lima, but it rarely rains.
Good Things to Know
Visas: With the exception
of New Zealanders and Spaniards most travelers do not need visas.
Time: GMT/UTC (Zulu)
minus 5 hours
Electricity: 220V,
60Hz (bring a transformer or you'll turn your 110 volt hairdryer into a
flame thrower)
Unit of Measure: Metric,
while a kilometer is much less than a mile a kilogram is much more than
a pound.
Medical Considerations:
In some areas there are sporadic outbreaks of cholera, hepatitis, malaria
(in the lowlands), rabies and typhoid. Get a yellow fever shot if you plan
to go to the eastern slopes of the Andes or the Amazon Basin.
Don't drink the tap water!
Get bottled water, it will cut down on your trips to the bathroom or worse.
Water with gas (con gas or agua mineral) is preferable just so you'll know
the bottle was not filled from some questionable source. An added plus,
the noise in your mouth when you use it to brush your teeth will insure
you are awake in the morning.
Bills and tipping:
An 18% tax is added to most bills and sometimes they will slide service
charges into the bills at restaurants on top of the tax. 5% is the accepted
tip, but cab drivers are generally not tipped.
Currency: Nuevo (New)
Sol, the exchange rate is fairly stable currently 3.5 sols to 1 U.S. Dollar.
Costs: Lima and Cuzco
are the most expensive cities in the country. If you're on a tight budget,
you can (but I wouldn't) scrape by on around $30 US per day, but for staying
in decent hotels and dining in restaurants $50 US is more like it.
Exchange: US Currency
is readily changed at banks, exchange houses or hotels. Other currencies
can be changed at banks. There is no "black market" so you really don't
save anything by changing with street changers, in fact they might cheat
you. Major credit cards like Visa, MasterCard and Amex are generally accepted
as are travelers checks.
Transportation
Air: Lima's international
airport, Jorge Chavez, is the main airport for flights to and from Lima
both international and domestic. There is a departure tax of approximately
US$25 on international flights and $4 on domestic. LAN Peru, Aero Continente,
TANS, and Aerocondor are the main domestic carriers, with flights to most
destinations in Peru. There's an 18% tax on domestic flights, but you can
avoid most of this if you buy tickets abroad.
Buses: Buses are
the usual mode of transport over long distances. They are cheap, frequent
and relatively comfortable. Always carry your passport because you will
need to show it to local police from time to time. Local buses are slow,
cheap and crowded; when you want to get off don't look for a bus stop just
yell out (before you jump make sure the bus is stopped).
Taxis:Taxi fares
need to be bargained, get an estimate before you ride, the cabs are not
metered.
Rail: The Central
Railroad, the world's highest railroad, goes from Lima to La Oroya, where
it branches north and south. The northbound line goes to Cerro de Pasco
and the southbound to Huancayo. The Southern Railroad also runs between
Arequipa to Lake Titicaca and Cuzco. Services are cheap, fairly comfortable,
but not particularly safe. Fall asleep in the second-class part of a night
train and you could be robbed.
Shopping: There
are a lot of handicraft markets in Peru and bargaining is expected and
almost an art. Here is where you will find some really incredible silver
jewelry and rugs of Alpaca, not to mention sweaters, pottery and copper
items. There is even gold, undoubtedly overlooked by Pizarro.
Safety
Peru like many countries
these days it has its share of pickpockets and thieves. Common sense needs
to be your guide. Be alert for pickpockets and common thieves. Don't allow
yourself to be distracted by the action around you. Many will stage a fight
or accident, for so they can make their move when you're focused on something
else like your money. Don't carry lots of cash, don't travel alone, don't
wear flashy jewelry, don't leave valuables in plain sight and don't travel
off the beaten track unless you know it's a safe area. For daily purchases,
have some small denomination bills handy in a wallet carried in an inside
Pocket so you don't have to flash a lot of money when searching for them.
Do keep your eye on your baggage. Don't go out alone if you're a woman.
Unescorted women are seen as available and become targets of unwanted attention
and actions. The best defense is to ignore all advances or comments.
Hotel rates
The hotel rates that we post
are the best and most current we have. But becuse hotels change rates and
do not notify us or there is a change in money exchange rates the rate
we send to you may be different. That is because we contact the hotel directly
with your specific request and demand that the hotel answers us directly
in writing. So we can be confident that the rate we send you is true and
as an adjunct when you get our voucher if you approve the charge.
We work for you, our passenger,
not the hotel. That is why we have an office in Peru at your service
and a US reservation center. Please call us at the contacts below. They
are not in Bangladesh or some other out surce, and their only job is to
serve you. They are not rewarded for the amont of sales they produce but
by service to people like you.
Our rates and issued vouchers
DO NOT INCLUDE IVA TAX. Why? Foreign nationals ( non Peru citizens) do
not have to pay that tax. Our Peruvian citizen customers will be charged
this tax by the hotel.
Click
Here to Go to to the Peru Hotels Home Page for travelers services for Peru.
Click
Here to Go to our map of Peru and its hotels, the quick way to choose yours!
Click
Here to Go to all our Tours of Peru.
Reservations
are handled by Viajes Pacificos and LatinTrip, Inc. fully licensed
and accredited travel providers in Peru and in The United States,
State of Florida, Seller of travel License #ST35323 located at 13876 SW
56 Street, #234, Miami, Florida 33175, toll free from the USA or Canada
1-800-811- 3077 from other countries call 1-786-272-9768 (in the USA),
fax 1-786-312-1640, address in Lima: Av La Mar 163, Miraflores,
Lima 18, Peru. Phone in Peru is 51 (country code Peru), 1 (city code
Lima), 705-9431. Email us at Reservations at Peru Hotels info@peru-hotels.com.
The
reservation center is open 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM East Coast USA Time, Mon
to Fri, 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM Saturdays. |
