First time in Peru?? Check this 10 tips before traveling

Are you the type of traveler who likes to have everything planned or those who prefer to go on an adventure? Be that as it may, it is always good to know some things about the country you are going to visit. Therefore, today we are going to tell you 10 tips that you should keep in mind during your visit to Peru.

Transportation from the airport

Most tourists who arrive in Peru by plane land in the city of Lima, capital of the country. To get from the airport to your hotel or hostel, you have two options:

• Taxi: before taking a taxi at the airport, you must make sure that it is a totally safe transport. For this, we recommend you to take the taxi inside the airport, in the different modules that offer this service. Also, if you are traveling with a large group, there are vans in which you can move all together.
  
  The price of this transport will depend on the destination, but it usually cost between 50 and 70 soles per trip.

• Bus: if your hostel or hotel is located in the district of Miraflores, you can go there by bus. It is a good option for those who are looking for a convenient and cheap transport.

Plugs

One of the big doubts for any trip: how are the plugs and what is the power. In Peru, the official is the plane one (type A), although you can also find some places adapted for the round one (type C) or the triple one (type B).

The voltage is 220 volts and 60 cycles throughout the country, except in Arequipa, which is 50 cycles.

Non-potable water

Peru’s water is not potable, so we recommend that you always buy bottled water (you will find it in every corner of the country). If you are going to do a trekking for several days and you can not load with liters and liters of water, the best option is to take water purification tablets.

Plan your trip before traveling

Unless you go as a backpacker and without certain dates, we recommend to plan your trip before coming to Peru. Our country is very extense so it takes a lot of time to travel from one point to another and it becomes difficult to improvise if you have a limited time.

For example, if you have thought about visiting the center and south of the country, a good route would be: Lima, Paracas, Ica, Arequipa, Cusco, Puno. Or if you want to visit cities like Iquitos, where you can only arrive by plane, you will have to fly from Lima, so you need some extra days in the capital.

Remember: good planning will make your trip a success.

Transport

To move around Peru, you can do it by plane or by bus, but it depends on the days you will spend in our country, it will be convenient to do it in one way or another. For example, getting to Cusco by bus takes about 24 hours, so if you only have a few days, it may be better to do it by plane.

Vaccines

A very common doubt among those who want to visit Peru is the need to get some vaccine before the trip. Our country does not require any tourist to have any specific vaccine, but if you plan to travel to the Amazon rainforest, we recommend to vaccinate against yellow fever and buy malaria pills. You must be vaccinated against yellow fever at least 10 days before you visit the jungle and you have to take the malaria pills before, during and after the trip.

On the other hand, although it is not mandatory, health organizations in our country recommend those who have not had chickenpox be vaccinated against this disease, whatever their destination in Peru, as well as hepatitis A.

Also, they recommend travelers who are going to have prolonged contact with people from the departments of Amazonas, Loreto, San Martin, Ucayali and Madre de Dios to get the hepatitis B vaccine.

Altitude sickness

Have you heard about the famous soroche or altitude sickness? For some tourists who come to Peru, it is one of the main fears, but it is not a big deal, you just have to be prepared!

This disorder occurs in those places that are located at high altitude above sea level, like Cusco or Machu Picchu. Although most people who come to these places do not feel any symptoms, we recommend the first days do activities that do not require much effort to acclimate and always be prepared with leaves or coca tea or with pills against altitude sickness. Following these tips we are sure that you can enjoy your trip 100%.

Clothes

The climate in Peru is quite variable depending on the area. While in cities such as Mancora, in the north of the country, the sun shines practically all year round, in places like Cusco the nights are always cold.

Therefore, we recommend you to wear a good coat, as well as light clothing, trekking shoes and a hat that protects you from the sun.

Hot water

Before booking an accommodation, especially in the cities located in the mountains, ask if they have hot water. There are many hostels or hotels that do not have this service and certain places of Peru has a very cold climate.

Gastronomy

Surely you’ve already heard about the wonders of Peruvian cuisine. Anywhere in the country you will find incredible restaurants where you can enjoy all kinds of food.

If you don’t want the pleasure of eating become a nightmare, we give you some basic tips:

• Avoid eating ceviche at night; during the day the fish is fresher and, in addition to being more delicious, it will be less risky for you to get sick.

• Street food does not have to be of poor quality but it’s good to avoid it whenever you can.

• Beware of “ají”: try it in small quantities, in addition to being spicy, if you’re not used to it, you may have a stomach ache.

Now, you are totally prepared to visit Peru. Welcome to a country full of wonders!