ADVENTURE WALK

Inca Trail to Machupicchu

Salkantay Mountain & Machupicchu

Lares Valley to Machupicchu

Choquequirao to Machupicchu

Peru Inka trail

Ausangate Mountain Tour

USEFUL INFORMATION

Orientation, time money, &.....

USEFUL INFORMATION

ORIENTATION
Peru is located on the central west coast of South America. Its neighboring countries are: Ecuador and Colombia to the N; Chile to the S; Brazil and Bolivia to the E; and the Pacific Ocean to the W. It is the third largest country in South America, with a surface area of 1 285 215,6 km2 (larger than France, Spain, and Germany combined) distributed approximately in the following manner: 12% coastal territory, 28% Andean highlands and 60% Amazon jungle. Its capital, Lima, is located in the coastal area, where the country's greatest economic activities take place.

TIME ZONE
Peruvian time is five hours past Greenwich Mean Time and is similar to Eastern Standard Time in the United States (except when the U.S. goes on daylight savings time from April to October). In reference to other cities, when it is noon in Peru, it is:

TEMPERATURE
Being such a geographically diverse country within the tropical belt, the weather in Peru is determined both by altitude and season. However, it also means that there is almost invariably sunshine somewhere in Peru ! Below is a summary of the weather conditions you can expect to find in each different region of the country at different times of the year.

Coast (Ica, Chiclayo, Lima, Piura, Trujillo, Tumbes)
Northern region: warm year-round with highs of up to 35°C in the summer.
Central and southern regions: two well-defined seasons, winter between April and October, and summer between November and March.

Highlands (Ancash, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Cusco, Puno)
This region has two seasons, dry season between April and rainy season between November and March.

Rainforest (Iquitos, Madre de Dios, Manu)
High rainforest (over 2,300 feet asl): has a temperate, subtropical climate with abundant rainfall.

ABOUT TAMBOPATA
The lower forest of Tambopata extends over the south of Ecuador, which provides a cold and dry winter between May and October, turning it into the best season for international tourism.
The average temperature in Tambopata during the day is of between 82 and 93º F (25 and 31º C), while the average temperature drops to between 62 and 73º F (16 and 22º C) during the night. On the other hand, the cold coming from Argentina between the months of May and September drop these temperatures even further, to 50º F (9º C) during the day and 43º F (5º C) during the night. Therefore, one must be prepared for drizzles and the cold during this period; the rainy season is between November and April, and one must always be prepared for strong downpours that may go on for hours or even days. About 80% of the annual average of 2000 mm falls during this period; however, this average is a lot less than the average of 3000 mm of rain that falls in areas close to Ecuador.

LUGGAGE
Lugagge is hand-carried from the boats to your rooms. We strongly recommend you to limit the weight of your luggage to 15 kilograms (32 POUNDS ) a piece.

Those travellers visiting other destinations in Peru that need to carry with them other items of clothing, can pack different items of clothing in different pieces of luggage and bags, and keep those not needed safely at our offices in Puerto Maldonado on day one of our itinerary, so they may not be carrying useless weigh where it is not necessary, while at the same time we prevent it from getting wet in the forest, and avoid overloading the boat. Your extra luggage will be waiting for you at the airport in Puerto Maldonado on the day of your departure.

WE RECOMMEND YOU TO
- Use comfortable shoes the whole time during walking tours.
- Take lots of liquids during long excursions.
- In Manu, have, at least, a set of dry clothes in your room.

WHAT TO BRING
- Warm clothes in case of cold weather (a sweater and a jacket).
- Rain wear for rainy season.
- Long-sleeved shirts.
- Long pants or slacks
- Insect Repellent.
- Suntan lotion, a hat with big brims for sunny days.
- One or two pairs of trainers or tennis shoes
- A pair of light boots and sandals.
- Lanterns, batteries and bulbs.
- Binoculars
- Sunglasses and plastic bags
- A towel and swim suit.
- A rucksack or light bag per person
- Camera and films ASA 200 and 400.
- Personal toilet items and first-aid kit.
- Medicine to arrest or prevent the so called ”Soroche” or altitude sickness.
  Please consult your physician what medicine is best suited for your organism.

WEATHER
Peru's climate may be divided into two: The Western Andes and the Desert Coast. On the Coast, it does not rain and the temperature is warm throughout the year. On the other hand, in the Andes, there are two seasons: Rainy and Dry.

Arequipa, Puno and Cusco are located in the Eastern Andes, so their rainy season is from October to May, the rest of the year it is dry.

Rainy time, starting in October/ November has its own maximum time in January, continuing until March/ April. In years of pouring rain there are landslides, floods, etc.

I n the Highlands, it is cold in the evenings but sunny and warm in the mornings. It is even possible to wear t-shirts, but when the sun sets it gets really chilly so please bring a warm sweater (or buy an alpaca one in Cusco) and a good jacket.

The weather in the Amazon is warm, wet and rainy with average temperatures of 28 °centigrade during all year.
Rainy season: November to April
Dry season: May to September
During rainy months from November to April, be always prepared for heavy rains that can last hours or days.

Finally, the weather in general does not represent a limit to provide any tourist services, except some particularily bad years.

YELLOW FEVER INOCULATION REQUIREMENTS
Yellow fever inoculation is recommended for travel to Peruvian Jungle. Get your vaccine at least 10 days before your arrival. You must bring your yellow fever inoculation certificate with you to prove to the airport officials in Puerto Maldonado that you are vaccinated.

ALTITUDE
Lima: Sea level, 54 m.a.s.l.
Nazca: 588 m.a.s.l.
Paracas: Sea level, 5 m.a.s.l.
Cusco: 3360 m.a.s.l.
Machu Picchu: 2400 m.a.s.l.
Urubamba Valley: 2850 m.a.s.l.
Arequipa: 2350 m.a.s.l.
Puno: 3860 m.a.s.l.
Puerto Maldonado: 183 m.a.s.l.
Tambopata-Candamo Reserved Zone: 200 m.a.s.l.

WATER
Tap water in most of Peru is potable, but the chemical content varies from place to place. To avoid problems, we recommend you to always drink bottled water.

VISAS
All travellers should contact the nearest Peruvian consulate in order to ascertain what visa rules apply, since these may change without previous notice.

AIRPORT

Hand luggage regulations

a) All liquids must be carried in containers whose capacity can not exceed of 100 ml (or its equivalent in other volumetric units, such as liquid ounces for instance). No liquids will be allowed in containers of more capacity than the said 100 ml, even if the container is not completely full.

b) The containers must be placed in reclosable plastic bags with a maximum capacity of 1 liter. The containers must fit effortlessly in the transparent plastic bag, which must be perfectly sealed.

c) The plastic bag must be presented at the inspection post for its visual examination. Only one plastic bag per passenger can be allowed.

d) Exceptions must be made in case of medications, milk and baby food, as well as in case of passengers who require a special diet. There must be the appropriate means in place to verify the nature of these liquids.

Likewise, exceptions must be made regarding liquids purchased in the duty free shops at the airport or on board an aircraft, provided that these liquids are packed in a sealed plastic container foolproof against undue manipulations, and that a satisfactory proof (receipt) is produced showing that the article was acquired at the airport’s duty free shops, or aboard an aircraft on the traveling day(s) for passengers leaving an airport or being there on transit.

LANGUAGE
The official languages of Peru are Spanish, spoken by 73% of the population, and Quechua spoken by 24% of Peruvians. English is widely spoken in hotels and shops.

CURRENCY
Peru's official currency is the Nuevo sol ; its symbol is S/. The denominations in circulation are bills of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 nuevos soles; coins of 1, 2, and 5 nuevos soles; and coins of 5, 10, 20 and 50 céntimos of a nuevo sol. US$ are widely accepted.
At the moment, US$ 1.00 is worth around 2.90 Nuevos Soles.

TIPPING
Whilst tipping is a personal matter, we are happy to give some guidelines:
Most restaurants add a 10% tip. The total tip should be about 15%.
Doorkeepers should be tipped 1 US$ per bag. Taxi drivers do not expect a tip.

Full-day excursion : US$6.00 per person
Half-day excursion : US$3.00 per person

PHOTOGRAPHY
If you are taking photographs of local people, always ask their permission beforehand. Your guide can assist you in this. Do not take photographs of military installations or airports. Film is readily available in all tourist areas. It is advisable to carry your camera in a dust-proof bag. Photography or camera fees are applicable at most sights and museums; your guide can give you details of the latest charges.

ELECTRICITY
Power voltage in Peru is 220 Volts AC, 60 Hz. Most modern electrical appliances do not need adapters since they will accept both 110 as well as 220 AC voltages. Please make sure to check the voltage options of those artefacts you intend to take with you during your trip, such as hair dryers, battery chargers, notebooks and lap tops, video cameras, etc. Most of these do not usually need a special adapter, but it is important that you make sure of that before leaving your country of origin in order not to have to buy special 110 V / 220 V AC adapters, which, however, can be found in the local market here in Peru.

HEALTH
Vaccinations
Full details of the latest health requirements should be obtained from an authorized medical source, such as your doctor. There are no mandatory health requirements for Peru.
Because you are visiting Andean areas, don't forget to take precautions to avoid altitude sickness. Be sure to try hot tea or infusion of coca leaves on your arrival in the altitude; during your first day move slowly and eat lightly.

PERUVIAN GASTRONOMY
Peruvian cuisine is highly varied and spicy. Some of our typical dishes are: "cebiche" (raw fish marinated in lemon juice), "aji de gallina" (de-boned chicken cooked in a milk and aji sauce), and "anticuchos" (shish kebabs of beef heart and meat), apart from the typical dishes from each region.
Be sure to try "Pisco Sour", Peru's typical mixed drink prepared with pisco, lemon, egg white and sugar.

DRESS CODE
Dress in general is very casual unless you want to eat in one of the more expensive restaurants in Lima for example, in which case a tie and/or jacket will be required and smarter ladies' wear. Due to the altitude, it is important to remember whatever the season, to take some warmer woollens for the nighttimes drop in temperature.

IMPORTANT: We reserve the right to make changes to the order of the trip, without prior notice, due to changes in climate conditions, river water levels, flight or bus arrival and departure times or any other reason relevant to the best development of the trip.