- Important points
- Choosing wings
- A hotel at the foot of a dream
- Transport subtleties
- Nightingales are not fed with fables
- Useful details
- The perfect trip to Peru
Even if you have never heard of the Urubamba River Valley and Machu Picchu, the name of Lake Titicaca in the course of school geography lessons could not fail to attract your attention. It is on it on the floating islands that the descendants of the mysterious Inca tribe live, who invented a knotted letter and a poncho made of llama wool. During a trip to Peru, tourists manage to touch so many secrets, legends and incomprehensible phenomena that even the secret of the construction of the Egyptian pyramids ceases to bother the inquisitive minds of the explorers of planet Earth who have gone so far.
Important points
- A Russian tourist can travel to Peru without obtaining a visa. For a trip of 90 days or less, it is not required.
- Don't forget to leave some local currency to pay the airport tax upon departure. The fee will range from $ 10 to $ 28. Domestic passengers will have to prepare $ 5 for these purposes.
- Plan all internal transfers when traveling in Peru with a fair amount of time. Local transport timetables are not strictly observed and delays of trains, buses and planes are in the order of things.
- The state of the mountain roads in the Peruvian province can be called terrible and it is highly undesirable to rent a car here.
- The safety of tourists in Peru is the work of tourists themselves, and therefore you should be especially careful in crowded places where pickpockets are often wielded.
Choosing wings
The few disadvantages of a trip to South America are traditionally long flights and inhumane airfare. But with sufficient experience in booking on special sites and preparing in advance for the trip, the degree of inconvenience can be significantly reduced:
- British Airways offers the cheapest flight options. Its schedule includes connecting flights with two transfers from Moscow to Lima. Connections take place in London and Miami and tickets start at $ 730. The disadvantages of such a flight include a rather long journey - from 24 hours - and the need to obtain a US visa for a transit stop.
- A flight with Air Europa will not require a transit visa to connect in Madrid, but you will have to spend about 12 hours connecting at the airport. The price of such a ticket is from $ 900.
- Many airlines fly to Lima with transfers in Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt and other cities, but it is difficult to count on a price of less than $ 1000 per ticket.
A hotel at the foot of a dream
Hotels in Peru hardly differ in the degree of comfort from their European or North American counterparts. If you are not aspiring to luxury travel, in Peru you will be enough to stay in a hotel with a three stars on the front. So in Lima, a room in a "three-ruble note" category "Bed and Breakfast" will cost from $ 35 per night, while guests can use their own kitchen and bathroom. Most often, these hotels offer a garden, a terrace and free Wi-Fi.
Roughly the same conditions in "treshki" in Cusco, but "five" in the tourist Mecca of Peru are very expensive and the price per room starts at $ 150.
Those wishing to stay at the famous 5 * hotel in Urubamba, 2 km from Machu Picchu, will have to fork out. The night will cost from $ 400 for a double room, depending on the season. Budget-minded tourists should not despair, because on the approaches to the most important attraction of Peru, budget hostels are open at prices ranging from $ 20 to $ 40 per day and with no less beautiful mountain views opening from the terraces.
Transport subtleties
The predominance of mountains in the relief of Peru significantly complicates the organization of land transport. The most reliable timetables are local domestic airlines, and all other carriers do not guarantee perfect adherence. Nevertheless, both by buses and trains, Peruvians and tourists are willing to move around.
When buying a ticket for an intercity bus, it is better to use the services of cashiers at bus stations. All you need to do is to have the simplest Russian-Spanish phrasebook. Travel agencies will add a substantial margin to the ticket price.
You can get to the most popular destinations in Peru by train, but the train schedule rarely coincides with reality. In addition, train tickets are very cheap and the carriages are often overcrowded.
In cities, you should prefer an inexpensive taxi or minibus, since bus transport is not very comfortable and appears at stops very rarely. \
Nightingales are not fed with fables
Peruvian cuisine has not only preserved local Indian traditions, but has also been significantly enriched with European recipes for delicious dishes. The combination of both has had a beneficial effect on the variety of menus in Peruvian cafes and restaurants.
Prices for quality and hearty food in Peru will appeal to any tourist. A standard lunch of a huge portion of hot with salad and soup in street cafes where locals eat will cost $ 1 -2 $. At the same time, the plate with the second course will contain a solid piece of meat or fish, an egg, a good portion of rice, green salad and potatoes.
Chinese aficionados will be able to dine at the appropriate restaurant for $ 2- $ 3.
Fruit shakes, common among Peruvians, are widely prepared right on the street and a half-liter portion of the drink will cost half a dollar.
If the conditions and sanitary conditions of the street folk cafes seem too questionable to you, you can have lunch or dinner at the restaurant. A buffet will cost about $ 7, soup - about $ 2, the same rice with fish and salad - no more than $ 6, and a Peruvian signature dish "Kui" or fried guinea pig - from $ 10 to $ 20, depending on the status of the institution.
Useful details
- Souvenirs in Peru are not too cheap in Cusco and Machu Picchu, but prices in Lima will appeal to even the budget traveler. Branded Indian ponchos can be bought for $ 10, an alpaca wool blanket - for $ 30, and candy with coca as a gift to friends will cost only $ 2 in the capital.
- To reduce the price of an air tour over the Nazca Desert, where the famous mega-pictures are located, do not hesitate to negotiate desperately at the local offices of tour operators. The most persistent travelers manage to take off for half the usual cost, but the airport tax of $ 5 cannot be canceled in any case.
The perfect trip to Peru
The climate in the country is very diverse and the weather on the coast can be diametrically different from the conditions in the jungle or in the highlands.
Peruvians living in the southern hemisphere meet winter in June, when dry weather sets in on the Pacific coast, and thermometers show about + 18 ° C during the day. In summer, it is not much hotter here and the average thermometer readings fluctuate around + 25 ° C.
In the mountains in winter there are frosts down to -10 ° C, and in summer it is rarely warmer than the same values, but only with a "plus" sign. In the jungle all year round about + 18 ° С - + 25 ° С.
The wet season in Peru begins in November and ends in April. At this time of the year, the probability of precipitation is greatest, and their maximum occurs in February.
