Top Peru hotels
Altitude Sickness - Soroche Cusco
28 Reviews This is very real and can be extremely dangerous if you don't take care. Most people will get mild symptoms including breathlesness and tiredness. The first day may also give you a headache and...
See All 59 Warnings Or Dangers in Cusco
Trail Dangers Machu Picchu
6 Reviews Being so high above the sea level, most visitors suffer the "altitude sickness". In the first 2-3 days you will feel a little headache and some stomach problems. To fight that is advisable to drink...
See All 37 Warnings Or Dangers in Machu Picchu
Weather Wise Machu Picchu
3 Reviews Visiting Machu Picchu in January, during the rainy season, we'd read to dress warm and expect rain and fog. The day we went it turned out warm, bright and very sunny. I knew about the higher altitude...
See All 37 Warnings Or Dangers in Machu Picchu
Food / Drink Machu Picchu
6 Reviews Coca tea and chewing coca will help you adjust to altitude sickness. For most, chewing coca will make you a little slap happy. I guess everyone reacts to it differently. I felt my heart racing like I...
See All 37 Warnings Or Dangers in Machu Picchu
Bathrooms Machu Picchu
4 Reviews Quite simply, there aren't any. You'll quickly lose your inhibitions about relieving yourself in the great outdoors, because you won't really have a choice when necessity calls. The trek group with...
See All 37 Warnings Or Dangers in Machu Picchu
Timing Machu Picchu
2 Reviews If you want to experience the mysticism of Machu Picchu without distractions, then you better plan to rise bright and early in order to catch a few quiet moments of sanctity and solitude....the tour...
See All 37 Warnings Or Dangers in Machu Picchu
Sponsored Links
If you go to the jungle, either near Cuzco or up in Iquitos, you will find many many mosquitos, so you better be prepared, take some repellent and get informed about anti-paludism medicines.In Iquitos most of the lodges and accomodations use to have mosquito nets, but if you do trips in the jungle, wear long sleeves and take the mosquito spray!
If you do the Inka Trail you will have a number of local porters in your group. They will carry the tents, cooking set... and you may even take a personal porter to carry your rucksack if it's heavy.Whichever company you choose for the trail, make sure they treat porters right. They do the hard part of the job, and many small companies are reported by treating them like ***, underpaying them and making they work over limits.Another way to benefit them directly is to give them a good tip after the trail, as this money goes directly to their pockets.In the pic you can see porters in Ollantaytambo, at the beginning of the trail, waiting to be picked by the tour guides. Many locals from the area come every morning to that point and wait until they are elected... or not.
If you plan to hike the Inca trail, my words of advice to you is to start climbing stairs. I have never seen so many jagged, uneven, steep uphill and downhill stairs in all my life....did I mention steep??? This is not to discourage you, but be prepared. In all honesty, there is no amount of stairs that you could possibly do to train you for this. I think it just becomes a mind over matter situation. But, if you have knee problems or an aversion to thousands of steps, you might want to watch out for this trail!
Taken from my Belize page but very relevant for any travel in the Amazon regions.---------While studying herbal medicine in Belize, a travel friend got an infestation of worms that worked their way through her blood system until ultimately, the worms crawled out from 100's of 'boil-like' growths all over her body. The infestation made her very sick for many months.The simple truth is, most pets (and some humans for that matter) are not very well cared for in developing nations and can carry a slew of diseases, parasites, worms, etc. Summary: It's extremely tempting (and natural) to want to kickback in the heat and lose the footwear but you've gotta' think of the life that lurks below your tootsies. So, unless you are willing to deal with the possibility of this (or something much worse) happening to you.... don't go barefoot. If you're cool with the possibilities, go nuts.The little guy...
I don't know how many times I heard the word esto falso. When you exchange money from little currency exchange shops instead of a bank, you take the risk of getting some false money usually coins. It depends on the shop and the city where the you are. Make sure you learn how to identify false money in the beginning so that you don't inadvertently accept it. I found that one of every 8 coins were falso. This seems to be a very high rate of falsos.
Insects are really dangerous in Amazonia, not only mosquitos but also poisonous spiders. Walk looking at your shoulder height on the branches of trees for hidden spiders, poisonous hunts and snakes.
I'm writing this as my very first Peru tip because I'm home now and still sick...We were very careful about what we were eating, and my husband and I still got painful gas and severe diarrhea (me first in Ica, maybe gave it to each other at some point). I recovered to some degree in Cusco but got sick again in Lima. We've both been sick off and on for a week now.We drank the bottled water and avoided veggies and fruits where possible - but fresh fruits are one of the nice things about Peru. We washed what ones we did eat twice, with soap. But we couldn't refuse fresh fruit juice in our friends' home...We also constantly used alcohol gel to clean our hands, even after washing with soap and water.So, although I'm against taking antibiotics as a preventative, it might be a good idea to bring a supply in case you do get sick. It's a LONG plane ride home.
Coming from north America, I was very scared of diarrhea ! So I tried to take care of all that I drank and ate. Not always easy, and usually you take less care as time goes by and you stay well ! As a matter of fact, most tourist worry about their "natural functions " And I got the feeling that more than we think have some problems at some point : when you are sick, you hide in your room, you get out and meet people just when you are well again !The second big issue is malaria. In Québec I was told the Iquitos area present risk to get this disease. Some german told me it was not so risky... For myself, I took Lariam for 9 weeks, before and after my stay in the Amazonian area. My brother took it for close to 6 months. None of us had any problems, but some people have very nasty side effects, even hallucination and depression ! I still am convinced Internet is not the best way to choose...
Coming from north America, I was very scared of diarrhea ! So I tried to take care of all that I drank and ate. Not always easy, and usually you take less care as time goes by and you stay well ! My real problem was with the altitude sickness ! I am quite fragile to that ! The best way is to plan your travel with progressive steps. They recommended me to have a first step around 2500 meters (8200 foot), then to stay there at least one day before getting higher. Even at this low altitude,I felt the difference, with a kind of head cramp, not painful, but strange. Then you try to plan progressive steps, taking care to sleep at an altitude lower then the highest you reached this day. I finally got sick when I visited the Cañon de Colca. We went through a 4800 meters (15 700 feet) pass, where I got a strong nausea, then went down to Chivay, 3600 meters, where I stayed in bed for 14 hours with...
Some sad events may happen when traveling. So, you have to check with your own government. For myself I did look at the canadian, american and french foreign affair websites. Reading that could be quite scary... And I was a bit nervous to take a taxi by night to join the Arequipa airport, the hotel clerk seemed nervous too. I have to say, someone told me about a violent robbing in Cuzco... but when you dig a bit, you found that the victims were walking in dark street at 4 AM, likely drunk. Well, they did not deserve it, but they were not careful ! For myself, I never felt in danger or threatened. I think the pickpocket type of robbing is more likely to happen than attack with weapons! The second time I went there, I spent lots of time walking in markets. But one have to use his mind, and stay aware. I made sure not to be out in a desert street by night. Remember : at 7 PM it is night ! I...
7 Reviews and 251 Opinions We did not stay here, but it was pointed out to us as the hotel used for some of the VIPs that came...
Hostal Rumi Punku Cusco
7 Reviews and 486 Opinions Very nice hotel including all amenities, even wi-fi. Recommend the tours booked via Sergio at the...
Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel Machu Picchu
303 Opinions
Reviews and photos of Peru attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Peru sightseeing.
More Cities in Peru
More Regions in Peru
Q: We will be traveling in Dec. can only spend about 6 days in Peru. Would appreciate any suggestions on how to best use our time. ...
A: Firstly, if you stay on the coast, be prepared for heat and humidity. If you go inland, be prepared for altitude. I imagine you will be arriving first off in Lima? Six...
Read 8 Replies
Sponsored Links
