1,5 month in Peru

We were in Peru for a month (overstayed a little because we loved it so much). Your itinerary looks doable during that time, just remember that distances are large and so you could use up days travelling between destinations.

I would definitely recommend staying in Arequipa for your Spanish lessons. It's got great wool shopping (better than Cusco) and accommodation is alot cheaper. It's also got excursions to El Misti, a hikeable volcano.

You don't have to book the hike in advance, there are loads of operators doing them. Which hike will you be doing?

Also, I would highly recommend going to Huaraz if you're into hiking. Spectacular hikes to do up there, and significantly cheaper than the one to Machu Picchu.

I would recommend you exchange your money for Cusco in Arequipa first because the rates in Cusco are shit. Lima really doesn't need more than a few days to explore. Colca Canyon was also a little overrated, we planned on doing the 3 day hike but ended up going back up in one day.

Oh, and the best bus companies by far were Oltursa and Cruz del sur.

>>1147970
The distances are one of the reasons why I won't be picking up Bolivia as well. I'm mentally preparing for 10+ hour bus rides, already got my car sickness pills.

Good idea for staying longer in Arequipa. I feel that since Cuzco is much more touristic, the prices there are more expensive as well.

I don't have any idea of the different tours that there are to be booked there, although I heard as much tours ranging from 2D3N (which have my preference), other than the Inca trail.

I booked a hostel until the 18th in Lima, so I will be spending 2-3 days there, max. To acclimatize and to get to know the culture a little bit.

Thanks for the suggestions on the bus companies, I will note these.

>>1147977
Arequipa is also very touristic.

If you feel like you can add more destinations to your itinerary I'd suggest you add Chachapoyas. Northern Peru is often overlooked by travelers but has plenty of sights.

>>1147922
Travel only on the best brand buses. If you have a spanish speaking friend make him barter by telling that they got a better offer somewhere else (say with 30% off than what they are offering).

Also if your travel is longer than 4 hours, travel on night and sleep on the way.

>>1147922
>>1148317

if you are used to eat like you live on a shanty town or have survived india without going to the hospital, then it is ok to you to eat on cheap places with some reasonable common sense (beware of meats and unwashed stuff).

I beware you thot that while im no pussy or unexperienced traveler, i ate a huge complete menu of food on a restaurant in Puno for like 2 bucks but some hours later i was literally shitting my guts out and kept ill for a week after.

After that you may be tempted to eat all days on better off restaurants that as a whole are very cheap, even the nice ones (Mc Donalds looks like a Monaco Restaurant in price comparison to local stuff). but DONT; just dont, it may look cheap af but you will lose loads money for more important stuff like tours, rentals, good transportation and most importantly lodging. Everything is on sale for tourist, being cell phone/camera charger plugs to bathroom and having change makes a difference

BE A SCROOGE ON FOOD, heard off some friends that ate only on the cheap restaurants and spent like 40% of their budget on that

Its 20000 times better if you cook your own food, its cheaper, healthier and safer. We did so and never had problems with my pack (7 ppl)

Also, some cities feature a free walk tour service on mornings that you may find very cost-co if you are on a budget.

Cities are very very steep so you should be wise to tour lightweight.

If you are very white you may find yourself more susceptible to height sickness, so take all physicall effort with ease the first week and find ASAP coca leaves for chewing and chew them like a mad alpaca. Dont buy the pills since they are overpriced and the leaves have a much better effect

File: 1443042823779.jpg (391KB, 1374x1425px) Image search: [Google]

391KB, 1374x1425px

>>1147922
Also from best to worst on the cities you mentioned

Arequipa (dat valley) > Cuzco (dem horny cholas) >> Lima (where da white womyn at) > (POWER GAP) > Ica (literally who) > Puno (not worth it)

If you are in college, get an international college card ASAP since it gives a lot of benefits like Macchu picchu for a quarter of its price and almost free museum visits.

I dont know if you are going on high season, but its always wise to book EVERYTHING (lodge, transport, tickets) for Macchu Picchu beforehand since is a DAY of travel to there (worth it tho)

If you dont want to book the expensive gringo train, then you may hire a van that leaves you on a hydroelectric power plant like 10 kilometers away from aguas calientes and some camping spots but if you do, go with like 2 kg of cargo since the trek its hot, steep and did i say steep?

>>1148036
Thanks for the info

>>1148317
I speak very little Spanish and I'm travelling solo, so I figure I'm going to hassle quite a bit, or just go with the flow.

>>1148321
I've eaten in shanty towns and on the street in most of SEA and sometimes in Africa, so I'm used to something, I guess. But I'll definitely watch the food. I have some extra diarrhea pills with me and a lot of these nutritient crackers, so I hope I'll be fine with these.

I don't really see myself cooking my own food at hostels and shit, but if the opportunity arises to do it together with some people, I'll probably do it.

My max in backpack is probably around 15kg, while my daypack will probably do around 2kg.

Also have my car sickness pills here and there and will take the advice for height sickness into account. Thanks for the recommendation of taking coca leaves.

>>1148329
I am not sure which things are offered for tours to MP, but I'll try and check these beforehand. I'll probably go with buses for transport.

>>1148359
Buses cost around 50 soles and take about a full day to arrive at hidroeléctrica.

From there you use the last few hours of daylight for arriving to aguas calientes, sleep there and go to MP next day.

Peruvians (specially on small shops) are very wary of counterfeit money and they wont accept or trade bills in bad state or even with the most minimum damage. so if you exchange your money, do it on a reasonable jew place and ask for your bills to be stamped with a jew house seal and in the best state possible. avoid too large denominations

Also taxi prices are arranged on spot, so you just say "hey buddy, 10 soles to x place?"

>>1148359
Food wasn't an issue when we went, OP. In fact, the best places to eat were the cheapest, street stall Chifa (Chinese) restaurants. Massive portion sizes for 3 soles.

Also, after our failed independent Salkantay hike we did indeed take a bus to hidroelectrica. It was 50 soles and took a good few hours. The walk to Aguas Calientes was really easy, very flat and just following the rail line. It's not worth paying 90usd for the train, except the walk was really boring. It definitely is doable within a day but would recommend doing a longer hike (Salkantay, Lares, or the Inca Jungle are the ones to check out).

>>1148329
>Cuzco (dem horny cholas)
What are you talking about? Goddamnit! What did I miss?!

>Ica (literally who) > Puno (not worth it)
Ica is shit, but it's right inbetween Las Islas Ballestas and Nazca.

>>1148535
Cuzco has some discos and bars where you can find some delicious inca faced wenches ready and wet for the BBC.

They squirt at the sound of foreign accent, how can peruvians even compete

>>1148558
I want more information. Where do I look? How do I approach? Is this only in Cusco?

>>1148564
i cant remember the name of the places, but there is a zone in cuzco near the historical centre to the North west that is full of discos and hostals nearby for beds (Saphy street).

Also backpacker hostals have a large proportion of latinamerican ppl, and there you may find argentinian and chilean girls who starve for the aryan american BWC.

You approach as usual on spanish with the heaviest foreign accent possible but to make it understandable, "Hola señorrritas que guapas están, vamos a bailar(chad pose)" say the cheesiest fast pick up line you may find, its the accent and whiteness that does the trick. Darwin would be proud

Ive heard that Lima and Arequipa are also decent places (and starve for the aryan BWC too)

>>1148467
> Cheap Chifas
> Not deadly

also the stroll from hidroelectrica to aguas calientes is not that bad as long as you dont carry more than 3-5 kg of weight on your back.

The problem is that it is a rail road track made of chopped boulders and very tiresome to walk on feet, it is NOT flat

with my pals commited the stupid idea of carrying our whole monster backpacks and equipment (15 - 20 kg) and we were dying of heat and exthenuation until we arrived to the camping