INDIGENOUS RIGHTS AND THE DESTRUCTION OF THE RAINFOREST
Within the next few decades Peru’s jungle tribes may cease to exist as independent cultural and racial entities in the face of persistent and increasing pressure from external colonization. The indigenous people of the Peruvian jungles are being pushed off their land by an endless combination of slash-and-burn colonization, big oil companies, gold miners, timber […]
INCA LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENT
In less than a century, the Incas developed and knitted together a vast empire peopled by something like twenty million Indians. They established an imperial religion in some harmony with those of their subject tribes; erected monolithic fortresses, salubrious palaces and temples; and, astonishingly, evolved a viable economy—strong enough to maintain a top-heavy elite in […]
Important facts about Peru
ADDRESSES These are frequently written with just the street name and number: for example, Pizarro 135. Officially, though, they’re usually prefixed by Calle, Jirón (street) or Avenida. The first digit of any street number (or sometimes the first two digits) represents the block number within the street as a whole. Note too that many of […]
GEOGRAPHY, CLIMATE AND SEASONS
Peru is one of the larger South American countries – some ten times the size of England – covering an area of 1,285,000 square kilometres and with a population of over 26 million. Around seventy percent of its inhabitants live in cities, which are mainly located along the coast and limited almost exclusively to half […]
Helth in Peru
No inoculations are currently required for Peru, but it’s a good idea to check with the embassy or a reliable travel agent before you go. Your doctor will probably advise you to have some anyway: typhoid, cholera and yellow fever shots are all sensible precautions, and it’s well worth ensuring that your polio and tetanus-diphtheria […]
Best of Peru
Batán Grande Comprised of twenty pre-Inca adobe pyramids and sitting at the heart of an ancient algarrobo forest, Batán Grande was the source of most of the fabulous golden grave treasure discovered during the twentieth century. Huacachina The legendary lagoon at Huacachina is a quiet, secluded spot with salty waters and mud that have been […]
Women Travellers
So many limitations are imposed on women’s freedom to travel together or alone that any advice or warning seems merely to reinforce the situation. However, machismo is well ingrained in the Peruvian male mentality, particularly in the towns, and female foreigners are almost universally seen as liberated and therefore sexually available. Having said that, in […]
Travelling With Children in Peru
South Americans hold the family unit in high regard and children are central to this, but outlined below are some pointers to help prepare for a family visit to Peru. Consult your doctor before leaving home regarding health issues . Sunscreen is an important consideration, as are sun-hats (cheap and readily available in Peru) and […]
Crime -Personal Safety in Peru
The biggest problem for travellers in Peru is, without a doubt, thieves, for which the country has one of the worst reputations in South America – on one particular train journey (the Arequipa-Puno night service) many tourists have been robbed over the years. As far as violent attacks go, you’re probably safer in Peru than […]
Communications – Media in Peru
The Peruvian postal service is reasonably efficient, if slightly irregular. Letters from Europe and the US generally take around one or two weeks – occasionally less – while outbound letters to Europe or the US seem to take between ten days and three weeks. Stamps for airmail letters to the UK, the US, and to […]
Eating and Drink in Peru
As with almost every activity, the style and pattern of eating and drinking varies considerably between the three main regions of Peru. Depending on the very different ingredients available locally, food in each area is essentially a mestizo creation, combining indigenous Indian cooking with four hundred years of European – mostly Spanish – influence. Guinea […]
Peru Getting Around
Most Peruvians get around the country by bus, as these go just about everywhere and are extremely good value. However, wherever possible, visitors tend to use one of the country’s trains – an experience in itself – despite being considerably slower than the equivalent bus journey. With the distances in Peru being so vast, many […]
Insurance in Peru
During the late 1980s Peru’s rate of inflation was running at thousands of percent, but President Fujimori’s economic shock tactics of the early 1990s brought it fairly tightly under control, so that by 1999 it was below the four percent mark. Devaluation is a regular occurrence, however, and in 1986 the whole currency was changed […]
Costs Money and Bank
During the late 1980s Peru’s rate of inflation was running at thousands of percent, but President Fujimori’s economic shock tactics of the early 1990s brought it fairly tightly under control, so that by 1999 it was below the four percent mark. Devaluation is a regular occurrence, however, and in 1986 the whole currency was changed […]
Getting there to Peru
To begin, select a topic in the navigation bar to the left Getting there from North America Most flights from North America to Lima go via Miami. Although prices vary depending on the time of year, and the type of ticket, the main operators seem to hold fares fairly steady. High season is usually mid-December […]
When to go to Peru
Picking the best time to visit Peru’s various regions is complicated by the country’s physical characteristics. Summer along the desert coast more or less fits the expected image of the southern hemisphere – extremely hot and sunny between December and March (especially in the north), cooler and with a frequent hazy mist between April and […]
Where to go in Peru
With each region offering so many different attractions, it’s hard to generalize about the places you should visit first. Apart from the ostensibly unattractive capital, Lima , where you may well arrive, Cusco is perhaps the most obvious place to start. It’s a beautiful and bustling colonial city, the ancient heart of the Inca Empire, […]
About Cusco
The land of gold and of the sun-worshipping Incas, Peru was sixteenth-century Europe’s major source of treasure, and once the home of the largest empire in the world. Since then the riches of the Incas have fuelled the European imagination, although in many ways the country’s real appeal lies in the sheer beauty of its […]
BEST Sites to Visit in Peru
Listen, Peru is way more than just that famous spot. Lucky for us, more and more travelers are wising up. They’re ditching the usual tourist traps and digging into the real Peru. Ancient ruins that’ll make your jaw drop, landscapes that look like they’re straight outta a movie, cities stuck in time… and the food? […]
Going Solo to Colca Canyon
So, some people figure out how to visit Colca Valley on their own. It’s a bit more of a hassle, but totally doable. Thing is, there aren’t a ton of public buses (those faster ones) and regular buses heading out from Arequipa. Plus, once you’re actually in the valley, getting around on public transport isn’t […]
