pg

Hi,
I would be travelling to Peru with my family in Feb 2012, including three kids 11, 11 and 5. We have travelled to many countries before including Colombia, Venezuela, Panama and Costa Rica in Latin America. Like in many other places, I struggled to fit the places of our interest in a short timeframe of 10 days.

The following is the itinerary that I am considering:
Day1: Arrive at 2230. Overnight hotel in Central Lima
2: Some sight-see Lima until Evening flight to Arequipa. Overnight Arequipa
3: Travel To Chivay. Afternoon in hot springs. Overnight Chivay
4: Early Morning Colca Canyon tour. Back to Chivay for 1330 bus by 4M to Puno. Overnight Puno
5: Uros Island/ Lake Titicaca. Overnight Puno
6: Morning Bus to Cusco to reach by 1630. Overnight
7: Day Tour of MP by Hiram Bingham
8: Salinas in morning. Fly Cuzo - Lim (reaches LIM 1430). Drive in car rental to Paracas and overnight
9: Early morning Ballestas Islands. Drive to Huacachina for dune buggies. Drive to Nazca overnight
10: Nazca Lines flight. Drive to Lima to reach by 1800, return car. Fly out 0030.

Based on my driving experience in other countries, it has been been so much more rewarding (especially with family). The last 2 days, experiencing dune buggies, Nazca flight, Ballestas wildlife etc. should be more interesting with kids. Around the Cuzco area, I have kept to things that are must do or what might be interesting for kids.

Please let me know your opinion on the success of this plan considering general inefficiencies travelling in Peru, as well as challenges that posed by weather (wet season).

As previously with other trips, your thoughts are gratefully appreciated.

Thanks.

mlgb

I think it's too much in the amount of days you have allocated, especially considering it is rainy season in the Andes so you may encounter some delays due to weather. I would drop one location (depending on your interests) and I would add at least another day or two in the Cusco, Sacred Valley area.

crellston

Have you considered the effects of altitude (particularly on the children)? You are not allowing much time for aclimatisation. Puno is especially high and few people are unaffected. We soent a couple of months at altitude in Cusco and the SV before going to Puno and still really noticed teh extra altitude.

qwovadis

Lots of rain Inka Trail is closed in Feb pare back stay flexible odds ar eyou will have a tonne of rain. HB train
is the most expensive tourist rip off train ride in the world.
go to spulodge.com setup cheaper train with them save 90%.
Families do best just hiring a driver/guide for $100/da or less $50 per half day Do the Gringo Trail route slowly to adjust to altitude. Car rentals are expensive and risy avoid.
Pare back for better experience. mirafloresperu.com Radisson
my fav. mdtravelhealth.com Peru travel.state.gov Peru
insuremytrip.com wise rails to MP wash out every couple of years in Feb.

Good luck pare back!

qwovadis

apulodge.com ollantaytambo.org casa-andina.com my favs in SV to head to MP from. Better to wait and do the InkaTrail in May.

Eschew

The schedule is agreesive but could be done (afterall, we had an as agreesive schedule ourselves when we took our trip last November), be prepared to spend a lot of time in the waiting rooms in airports. They also asked for much earlier check-in time than we are acustomed to in North America. Have activities for the kids at the airport so they won't be bored. The waiting rooms are crowded.

Also, weather delay is more common than you think with fog and all. Some approaches are hair-rasing.

On the smaller airports (example: Cuzco, Juliaca), you board the plane on the open tarmac so if it rains, be preapred for it. They form 2 lines for boarding and everyone board all at once, one line for the front of the plane and one line for the back of the plane.

Cuzco is pretty high and Puno is even higher at almost 13,000 feet, so high altitude would be a problem for most who are not used to it. Buy a small portable oxygen canisters (good for about 12 short bursts). They were available at the Cuzco airport (last November) so I would imagine they are available elsewhere. You are not allowed to carry them on board though.

Most hotels carry oxygen tanks (at least on all the one we stayed at. e.g. Casa Andina, Libertator etc), just ask front desk for them. 10 minutes use is all you need to get rid of the headaches or other altitude sickness symptions.

Nazca line flights are like an hour long roller coaster ride. The small plane would bank at 45 degree to let you see the sites. The plane would then bank again and do a figure 8 so the other side can see the same sight (at 45 degreee on the other wing now). I think we saw about 12 configurations plus other geometrical shapes.

They balance the plane by weight so the "heavier" people sat near the front and the lighter ones at the back. If the plane's configuration is single seat per side, the kids maybe sitting all by themselves at the very back. The plane uses safety harness type seat belts (like the one used in race cars) so once you are strapped in, you are good. The young ones may need help.

I am not sure how the 5 year old will handle the flight. I saw people going for the plastic bags. I asked a lady with us how she enjoyed the flight and she said she had her eye closed the whole time ...

DW loves the Ballesta Islands. Seeing is beliving. Bring a hat for that. If you have questions, feel free to ask.

If you want to take a peek at some pictures, I have some posted here: http://travel.webshots.com/album/582177142tXDpsg

pg

Eschew - Thanks for the vote of confidence and good information. In another post of yours, I read and agreed with your comments about so much to see - so little time. In fact, I have done fast paced trips for 15 years, and initially, they always seems challenging.
I agree altitudes can be challenging. Last year, we were in Los Nevados area in Colombia (approx 17,400 ft). I never would have thought that I would end up being the weak link in my family. The nausea and headache was unbearable. I plan to be better prepared this time.
I agree with the other posters about rain - but I am resigned to taking a chance since other times of the year dont work for me as well.
Thanks to everyone who gave their input.

mlgb

Eschew, I believe, had 10 full days (not 9) and did not include Arequipa and Chivay.

Eschew

DW swears by the coco leaves. Somehow she got her hands on a pouch of the really good stuff and it appears that she was addicetd to it much like chewing tobbaco for almost the entire time. I teased her about her "green" teeth.

The only cure for the altitude is passage of time, or for the quick fix, drugs or oxygen. I would prefer O2 over pills.

Make sure you go slow and have good footware in the rain. I thought I was good until I had a nasty "slip" at Ollantaytambo in pouring rain. Took me a couple months just to start to recover, plus $$ to theraphists.

If you are going to take the train to MP, see if you can get seats on the left hand side.