Practical tips for Peru and Amazon add-on
Having recently returned from this tour with Travelsphere I wanted to jot down some basic tips which I would have found useful prior to travelling.
1. Clothes – daytime - the majority of people chose to wear cargo style pants/jeans and t-shirts; walking shoes and a good sun hat. From my experience trousers with pockets in the leg and zipped pockets are useful. In the Amazon I wore a long sleeve shirt over a vest top to prevent insect bites. Without promoting any particular brand it is possible to buy shirts, trousers and neck scarves already impregnated with anti-mosquito repellent on the internet and at outdoor camping stores. I would suggest a good pair of comfortable walking shoes is essential, particularly if you want to trek up Macchu Picchu etc.
2. Clothes - evening – at times due to late arrival at hotels etc there may not be enough time to change – bear this in mind when packing clothes for the evening – you won’t need as many as you think. In the Amazon there are night tours so again you often end up having dinner without changing. Again in the evening smart casual – jeans/trousers nice top or shirt is all that’s required – nothing fancy and comfortable shoes in case you walk out to a restaurant. Cardigan/fleece/warm jacket.
3. Layering is the best option – due to the contrasting landscapes on this tour from deserts to mountains to the jungle I would suggest layering of clothes is useful – I found micro fleeces very good; sufficiently warm and yet lightweight to pack. Be sure to take a rain jacket – the light weight fold up ones with a hood are sufficient to protect from showers and the wind. That said a warm jacket is also useful for evenings when the temperature drops and when you are in higher areas as is a scarf and pair of gloves however there are opportunities to buy gloves, hats and even zipped cardies/hoodies on the tour. That said I only wore my warm jacket once and certainly didn’t need it in the jungle. Obviously it will depend what time of the year you travel – it was August for me. In the Amazon Cabana you are provided with complimentary flip flops to walk around in - for the shower etc.
4. Laundry – all hotels have a laundry service, but bear in mind some hotels you are only there one night – and there is no opportunity to ‘wash your own smalls’ and dry them as you often see advised on the internet. Bring adequate underwear and socks with you for the full journey.
5. Swimwear – some hotels may have a swimming pool so you may want to bring a swimming costume. In Colca Canyon there is an outdoor thermal spa which we were lucky enough to have the option to visit (15NS). I had packed a pair of lightweight flip flops which came in useful here.
6. Useful items to bring –
- umbrella/torch. Note umbrellas are provided in each cabana in the Inkaterra Concepcion Hacienda Cabana as are rechargeable torches however I would suggest bringing your own, small torch as the rechargeable ones are quite bulky to carry around. On the main Peru tour a torch is useful for the evening when you may need to look at a street map etc.
- Travel alarm clock/use your mobile phone alarm as wake up calls can be a little hit and miss in some hotels.
- Anti-bacterial hand gel and travel wipes are a must for obvious reasons.
- Tissues – useful for using in toilets when touring in case there’s no loo roll.
- Headache tablets – at altitude you may require painkillers; we were advised Ibuprofen is the best to relieve symptoms, particularly for men.
- Small notebook and pen - useful to keep in your bag to note down time of wake up call, departure time, when cases have to be outside room etc. Tour Manager often tells you this on the coach.
- Adaptor plug – European 2 round pin style
7. Health tips – as previously mentioned take headache tablets with you for when you are at higher altitude. (Ibuprofen). Should you feel ill the Tour Manager can arrange for you to see a Dr. I have to be honest and say I suffered from headaches and nosebleeds (the air dries out the nasal membranes and cracks the blood vessels); I had sore eyes which appeared bloodshot. It is very much an individual thing with some people suffering different symptoms and others none at all. Just be sure not to underestimate this element of the tour and come prepared. Ensure that you keep fully hydrated; it’s important to drink lots of water and no alcohol at altitude; it’s advised to sip water regularly and often rather than drinking copious amounts at once; this ensures the water remains in your body longer. The paperwork issued by Travelsphere advised to take Bimuno Travelaid pastilles which may prevent upset stomachs etc – they apparently build up good bacteria in the gut. I personally can recommend these as two of us taking them did not have any upset stomachs at all whilst other members of our group did. They can be purchased from Boots (3 for 2) (or Amazon) and are like small wine gums – you chew 3 after breakfast each day of your tour and start them a week before you travel.
8. Money – on this tour there are not many meals included so take enough money to pay for lunch and evening meals (meals are included in the Amazon – note drinks are much more expensive in the Amazon ie 17NS for a beer – you can charge drinks to the room and pay with cash or card). As a rough guide I would say 30NS for lunch and a drink and 50NS for evening meal and a drink. A bottle of local beer is 10NS in hotels. I took Peruvian Nuevo Soles with me which I spent and some dollars which I did not use. Important tip – try and keep as many coins as you get them; often a trip to a loo on tour costs 1NS; if you want to take a photo of a Peruvian they may expect a tip. Keep small notes to hand if you can also as you will need them for tips for the driver and local guides. The Tour Manager arranged early on for a reputable currency exchange rep to visit our hotel to change currency and also to exchange smaller notes for larger ones which was very useful. Please note that some hotels don’t offer the facility to change British currency although they will change dollars. There are plenty of opportunities to buy souvenirs if you wish – goods are on sale at virtually every stop with local people selling such things as gloves, scarves, hats, hoodies etc very reasonably ie I paid 40 NS for a knitted, zipped hoody; 10 NS for gloves etc. Be sure to take money to Lake Titicaca as they like to sell their crafted goods to you.
9. Hotel facilities – all hotels were clean and comfortable. They all had hairdryers in the bathroom and free wifi and safes (note there is no wifi in the Amazon; you can request a hairdryer from reception). Please be aware that toilet paper must not be put down the loo in Peru – it has to be put in the wastebasket provided – not pleasant but bins are emptied regularly by staff. All hotel bathrooms have complimentary shampoo and conditioner and bar of hand soap. (if you don’t use these it’s useful to take a couple to pass on to local people, particularly on Lake Titicaca – in the Amazon we were taken to visit a farm where the 98 year old owner made us very welcome and we were told we could give him gifts – useful items biscuits; your torch, plasters etc).
I hope these tips are helpful – any questions please ask and I’ll try to answer.
