7 Questions to answer before going to Peru
Welcome to part 2 of Your Journey to Peru. This series of blogs shall be your guide to having a proper vacation in Peru, one of the most magical destinations someone can ever visit. In the first part, I covered what the Visa process looks like for my fellow countrymen from Tunisia. This part will be dedicated to clarifying the preparations needed before you even get to Peru. Read carefully since you can find some useful stuff you never pay attention to.
1. How much would the flight tickets cost?
It comes as no surprise that this could largely be the most expensive flight ticket you’re purchasing. After all, your destination is literally half a world away from where you are (Tunisia), considering the +10.5km distance compared to the approx 12.7km long diameter of the earth (obviously not a flat earther). The ticket would cost no less than 950$. Your best option here would be Air France since you’ll have only one stop at CDG International Airport in Paris. In any case, you should get ready for a half-day long flight from Europe to Lima where what you’ll be mostly seeing from your plane window is the blue vast Atlantic Ocean.
2. When should I visit Peru? What is the weather like
To make things clear, there is no such thing as 4 seasons in Peru or any country in the northern part of the Southern American continent (Colombia, Ecuador, …). There are actually 2 seasons:
* a wet season (Summer: from December to March)
* a dry season (Winter: from May to September)
* The months in between are unpredictable
Yes, you read it right, it rains more when it’s hotter, during the wet season, and that’s mainly in the highlands and jungle. So, if you’re willing to visit Cusco and Machu Pichu, or do the Inca Trail hike that’s not the time you want to be there.
Eventually, in every region, there is standard weather that lasts for the whole year. For example, it will always be hot in Huacachina (the desert of Ica) and cold in Cusco (the Andes).
Generally speaking, May to September is the best time to visit Peru in order to avoid heavy rains and hot temperatures.
3. What should I pack?
So what you’ll pack depends on where you’re going and what you’d be doing in Peru. Peru has a very diverse climate, due to the Andean mountain range as illustrated in the map below:
The multi colors map you see demonstrates how the ecosystem in Peru can vary from tropical jungles to hot sandy deserts and multi kilometers-high mountains with snowy peaks. That can be one of the reasons people may prefer this country. You have everything packed together.
In conclusion, you should check what the weather will look like at every destination you’re stopping by. Generally, you’ll need summer light clothes for the desert side (Lima, Paracas, Huacachima, …) or the Amazon and heavy cold clothes for hiking and climbing experiences in the Andes (Cusco, Machu Pichu, …).
So, make sure you have every layer needed for every destination.
4. Where can I get a SIM Card?
The first thing that comes to mind when you arrive at the airport of a foreign country is to buy a SIM Card. We cannot survive a day without Internet access while traveling. But you’ll be surprised that a SIM card from the Airport would cost you 60$ for 1 week and 108$ for 2 weeks! In fact, they only “rent” SIM cards. However, the trick here is that those prices only exist in the Arrivals area at Lima Airport. If you go to the Domestic Departures area which is just a 3 minutes walk, you’ll get a SIM card for 9$ for 10 days of usage.
The conclusion is that you must not buy a SIM card in the Arrivals area. Either you buy a roaming up front (Ooredoo has a roaming service in Peru) or you get it from elsewhere (like the Domestic Departures area). This blog by traveltomom illustrates the struggle.
A small thing to add here related to phones and technology. In Peru, they have a combination of 3 different types of Outlets in their power plugs. They support type A, type B, and type C. So, that’s not something not to really worry about there. More details are in this article from PeruForLess.
5. How to get from the Airport to your Stay?
With the internet access problem out of the way, you’ll get out of the airport and start looking for the mean of Transportation that will take you to your stay. You’ll be overwhelmed by the taximen just outside the airport shouting at you: “Taxi seguro! Taxi oficial!”. I cannot deny that they are secure and official, but one of my friends can assure you that he didn’t have the best experience with one of them when he tried to charge him 30$ for a 6$ ride.
So, what is more seguro and oficial is ordering your ride by Uber. Avoid them for your own sake.
6. Do I need a local to guide me?
Definitely! Going around Latin America without a local won’t be easy at all! You’ll need your Google Translate all the time with you. Very few of them are bilingual and can have a proper conversation with you in English, even at Touristic Destinations. That’s without considering that their lifestyle and culture are considerably different from ours, which leads to maximizing your chances of being scammed.
My recommendation is that you find a travel buddy from there, or at last someone that speaks fluent Spanish.
7. What are the plans I can have in Peru?
Peru is a vast and diverse country. There are many things to do there, too many that it’ll need a whole article for them. So, stay tuned for part 3 :)
