I have just booked this tour which is the special Inti Raymi Festival departure date.   I have also opted for the Amazon add on.  :rolleyes:

Not my first time with JY , China 2010  and India 2016.  I find the community so useful when preparing for a trip. Hopefully chat with others who are going, or have been on the previous holiday.  

When I finalised the booking I was told that there were at least 6 others doing the same trip. So hello to those other 5, looking forward to meeting you all.  

Anybody that has any good tips, that would be most welcome. I've read all the previous postings from past years, but anything new would be great. 

Looking forward to a great holiday.   🙂

Peru is one destination I would like to do in the very near future. If I ever get an opportunity to go then I would definitely do the Amazon add-on.

Have a wonderful time and do write a review on your return.

Best wishes

Jaya

I'm booked on this tour with the amazon add on, hopefully it goes ahead, I booked last year but it got cancelled.

I've also completed a number of JY tours and am off to Nepal next month

Tim

I have received a e mail from the booking agent I spoke to, which confirms that the trip has been cleared to go ahead.  So it looks good to go.   🙂

Hi Willpower

Peru is one destination I would like to do in the very near future.  If I ever get an opportunity to go then I would definitely do the Amazon add-on.  

Have a wonderful time and do write a review on your return.

Best wishes

Jaya

Thanks  Jaya.  I'm surprised with your active JY experience that you haven't done this yet.  But there are so many good holidays available, it's sometimes difficult to choose where to go next. Thanks for your kind comment.

:)

Hi Tim  

I have received a e mail from the booking agent I spoke to, which confirms that the trip has been cleared to go ahead.  So it looks good to go.   :)

thats great news

Yes it is surprising that I have not managed to do this trip yet. It is Just You's fault as they keep on introducing new holidays and it gets harder and harder to decide where to go next! Hopefully Peru will remain a popular trip for the next few years and not put to rest as I would be very disappointed. I know you are going to have a lovely time.

Regards

Jaya

Regarding the possibility of encountering altitude sickness in Peru, how did other community members deal with this ? I have read much about Coca Tea, does it actually work?

Also has anyone used the prescription drug Diamox, which after talking with my doctor he is willing to prescribe but warns that there may be side effects.  

For the Moderators. I understand that the journey from Cuzco to Puno is completed by coach and that the altitude changes from 12,000 feet in Cuzco to 14,000 + feet at Abra La Raya, before descending  once again to Puno.

Can you tell me the time taken to complete this journey and the stops along the way, as it is advised to progress slowly whilst gaining altitude.  It is also advised that should the effects become unbearable, that you should retreat to a lower altitude to acclimatise and recover before continuing. Can you advise what contingency plans Just You have in place, should this become necessary.    

Thank you in advance for your answers. 🙂

It is a full day’s travel with at least 4 or 5 stops along the way for coffee, toilets lunch etc.

Condor do carry oxygen on their coaches and they also offer assistance called Condor Assist. Should customers be uncomfortable then doctors can be called when they are at the hotels. Customers should keep their fluid/water intake up, this is an important part of coping with altitude sickness.

I hope this helps.

Kind Regards,

Mildred

we did this tour with Travelsphere in 2014 and there were a few of the group who suffered with Altitude sickness, the coach does carry oxygen which I recall the coach stopping for a short time at one point to administer this, the medical services are extremely good throughout Peru and the TM at any time of day or night did not hesitate in calling a doctor out, one or two even had to visit the hospital but were ok to continue on the tour, yes cocoa tea does help and is available in all the hotels, often in the lounge as well as oxygen, also keep drinking lots and lots of water and not so much alcohol, do not rush around, taking it easy as you walk about is also helpful

you'll probably find it's not as bad as you think, Peru is a wonderful country so don't let this put you off or worry you, you'll absolutely love it

Regards

Dave

The airport is some way north of Puno and we landed at the higher altitude and as far as I can recall no-one had any problems. In fact we did the visit to tha Inca tombs (at least I think that was what they were - its now a distant memory) on the way to Puno and were there about 9am. The two ladies setting up their tea stall had a bit of a shock as a coachload of thirsty passengers descended on them before their water had boiled!

Thank you Peter appreciate your words.

Anybody had any experience with Diamox ?

Also as it is getting closer now, have you allocated a TM yet and how are we doing on participant demographics ?

I'm looking forward to meeting fellow travellers on this adventure.

I did the main tour at the end of last year and loved it - I hope you have a wonderful time on this special departure.

The optional excursion to Ollantaytambo is usually on day 6, however, your Tour Manager may move days around to suit local conditions (although as this is the special departure it is likely to remain on day 6).

Speaking of the tour manager, provisionally allocated to this tour is Rosario Malca, you'll be in safe hands - she's a local and absolutely lovely.

Finally, the group is made up of 17 travellers (6 men and 11 women) with ages from early-40s through to mid-70s. I appear to be missing a few ages in our system so this may be slightly different.

Again, I hope you have a wonderful time,

Kindest regards,

Julia

I am aware that heavy rains are normal at this time of year i.e. the rainy season,  but the extent of the flooding at this time is beyond the norm. 

I have looked on the Gov.UK site and apart from a general statement there is no specific advice concerning travel to Peru at this time.

As Just You have been travelling to this area for some time and have a lot more experience in these circumstances, can you advise if it is considered that things will return to some normality before June. Or in view of the dangers, is there any likelihood of the tour being cancelled ?

I'm sure that Just You will be taking every precaution to safeguard the safety of it's clients. But obviously you understand that this situation is exceptional, hence my enquiry.

A mudslide on the famed Inca trail to Machu Picchu has killed an Argentine tourist and a Peruvian guide, as authorities evacuated hundreds of tourists by helicopter from a flood zone where more than 1,500 others were still stranded.

Of the 2,000 stranded tourists in the villages of Machu Picchu Pueblo and Aguas Calientes near the citadel, government and private helicopters managed to fly 475 to safety on Tuesday

Hundreds of tourists were caught in the villages because mudslides blocked the railway to Cuzco, which is the only way in or out of the Machu Picchu area.

Could some one please respond to my previous post dated 18th. As it seems that Peru as a country cannot possibly recover to uphold the advertised tour as described by Just You thereby failing your customers.

Thank you

Obviously I can't give an official response as I don't work for JY, but I imagine that all should be fine for your tour as you're not going until June.  The Machu Picchu site is of such immense importance to the Peruvian tourist industry that I am sure they will fast track any repairs needed to the railway line or roads giving access to the site as a matter of top priority and tours to the area will have resumed long before your departure.

Regarding Diamox, I've heard from other people that it was fine to use although it does make your lips tingle - a minor side effect.  I'm hoping to visit Peru in a couple of years, so I keep an eye on anything to do with it or related issues.

All the best,

Bob

I have been watching the news and reading everything about the dreadful situation in Peru. It looks as if they may have another couple of weeks of heavy rain.

Perhaps Just You are waiting to assess the situation, after all there is still about 3 months before the June departure. The Just You group do not go on the Inca Trail, as such. You had mentioned the landslide there.

As it is I have reason to believe that Rosario, the excellent Tour Manager for the June departure, is in Lima now. My thoughts go out to her and Peruvians in general.

I did this tour in 2014 and collapsed at the very top of Machu Picchu. I was transported down the mountain on a stretcher unconscious and believe me I am no light weight. I was put on a drip in a local clinic and was then able to travel back to Cuzco on the train and enjoy the last day of my holiday. I didn't have altitude sickness, merely sleep deprivation, slight tummy bug and a bit of dehydration. I was extremely well looked after by the local doctors and Rosario was brilliant, even going to the onsite shop to buy me a new T shirt as mine got wet in the rain. Rosario is obviously very knowledgable about the tour, understands the levels of altitude sickness and ensured that a few who did suffer a  little had exactly the correct treatment.

If the tour goes ahead you will be in very capable hands. In fact I personally would love to go back to Peru at some stage for the Inti Raymi Festival and to do the Amazon add-on.

Kind Regards

Di

Watching the news and events unfold on a daily basis it's not just Lima and Machu Picchu that are suffering and as of today much of Peru has been declared under a state of emergency. Not the sort of thing to encourage positive thoughts about your next holiday destination.

Could someone from the Just You staff please enter this conversation with an appraisal of the situation and possible outcomes regarding the viability of any tours for the rest of this year.

As the balance of payment for my holiday is due on the 29th, it would be nice to gain some input from the company before committing such a large sum of money.