ericao27

Hi everyone!

I'm thinking about going to Peru for a couple weeks in April. I'll be travelling solo and have never done that before.

I was hoping for any suggestions on itinerary, places to stay, etc. I definitely want to go to MP (of course) and the Amazon, but that's all I know for sure. I'm down to stay in hostels and would like to meet people, but I also like to have my own space.

My budget is pretty small, but I can probably splurge a couple nights.

Thanks!!

qwovadis

Piece of cake have done it a bunch.

Private Hostel rooms nice from $10/nt

www.lokihostels.com www.walkoninn.com 2 nice places.

Buy a nice shoestring guide follow the "Gringo Trail"

to from MP out of Lima best way to do it.

www.cruzdelsur.com.pe no need to book just hop on

In order to have a true amazon experience you need

to fly to Iquitos expensive dodgy.

www.manuadventures.com www.inkajungletrail.com

out of Cusco most cost-effective jungle plan.

www.titicacaperu.com Nasca also amazing Ballestas for wildlife

and Colca canyon also..

www.andeantravelweb.com good info careful many scammers

insuremytrip.com always wise for strikes weather.

Happy Planning,

Jeff_Costa_Rica

Going to the Amazon can be a little more expensive because of the logistics of travel there. It's not necessarily a destination you do on a shoestring budget. Are you locked into that? Peru has so many things to see and do that there are plenty of alternatives.

As ERICAO27, are you "Eric" or "Erica"? In other words, male or female? I'll reserve more of a reply until I hear that answer.

mlgb

True that Amazon is not necessarily a budget option although if you fly Star Peru CUZ to Puerto Maldonado it's about $170RT.

You can fly the same airline LIM to Iquitos for $110 RT.

So Iquitos is not necessarily more expensive and you will see the real Amazon river.

April is high water time and a good time to go to the Iquitos area. I would try to do research and arrange lodging ahead of time, if you are not able to do that, stop by the official tourism center at the airport, they should have a list of approved guides.

ericao27

Wow, thanks for the quick replies everyone! Jeff, it is Erica not Eric and I definitely am concerned about the safety aspect. I don't have to go to the Amazon if it is expensive and/or unsafe.

I would definitely also like to go to Lake Titicaca, I forgot to mention that in my first post. My thing with the Amazon was just to see wildlife and rainforest, but if there are other good ways to do that, I would love to hear your thoughts!

Thanks so much.

Erica

mlgb

To go out into the jungle you really would need to be with a guide. I stayed at Tahuayo Lodge which is all inclusive and not single supplement. When all was considered it was not really especially expensive. Certainly not compared to taking a small plane to Manu at $400 a pop and having a single supplement.

ncounty

I am also traveling solo as a female in April. I was not concerned about this till I met a woman at a party this weekend who is half Peruvian. She instilled some concern; she said it is not very safe and you should not go out at night. I wonder if anyone can comment on this?

For my trip, Erica, I am booked at El Albargue for first 3 nights in Olly, then one night in AC for MP at Rupawasi, and then 3 nights at Unaytambo. Most of these were about 80$/day. My last night is in Lima for $28/night. They all looked quaint/charming.

mlgb

A dozen or more years ago Lima was much more dodgy so a lot of Peruvians have that opinion, and coming in from the airport doesn't always dispel it, because the scene when you exit an airport is crazy..so always book a pickup by your hotel. Just use common sense, such as not walking down a dark alley by yourself and not flashing money camera jewelry, dress down, etc. Lima feels safer to me than many large cities including where I live, since there is a guard stationed about every 15 feet or so and lots of people around. If you feel nervous ask your hotel or restaurant to call a taxi for you. I also recommend saving Lima for the end of your trip after you are a bit more comfortable just being in Peru.

Where are you staying at $28 a night? That is a little troubling to me...

Jeff_Costa_Rica

I would question how safe a place in Lima is if it's only $28 a night. I think in big cities in South America you need to loosen the purse strings a bit to buy a little more safety.

ncounty

I had to look it up.... I am staying at the Grand Bolivar Hotel Lima. It is in downtown Lima and is a huge historic hotel; Ernest Hemingway stayed there and they say they are well known for the Pisco Sour drink. I must have gotten a steal; it is now $95, and includes continental breakfast.

Here are some pics:

http://hotels.tripzen.com/lima/gran_...livar_12239653

ncounty

thanks for the info about Lima 13 yrs ago. Yes, this woman was in Peru many many years ago.

Jeff_Costa_Rica

I did some reading about the Grand Hotel Bolivar, and I want to stay there the next time I'm in Lima. But I love places like that. It sounds like it's not for everybody though. If you want a modern hotel with 21st century amenities, it sounds like you should stay away. But if you want faded elegance, this is the place to stay. I am definitely checking it out next time I'm in Lima.

ericao27

I'm thinking I will probably stay in hostels/guesthouses for most of the trip since I am on a budget and am down to meet people.

I just booked my flight tonight, I'll have almost 3 weeks in April. So excited!

ncounty

I'm good with that kind of hotel, too, Jeff. I'll try to report back on how it was.

ericao27

Also, I booked this trip pretty last minute. Does this mean it will be too late for me to do the Inca Trail? I was thinking about just doing the 2 day version for cost and time reasons.

Any suggestions?

mlgb

Yes I've always wondered about the hotel as well. Be sure to report back. The neighborhood is good enough but expect lots of traffic noise..bring earplugs!

ncounty

GOOD idea, mlgb! I shoulda remembered that from a hotel stay in London 2 years ago... a siren went screeching by it seemed every 20 mins throughout the whole night.

I don't know the answer about the Inca trail, erica. Hopefully someone can chime in. My gut feeling is that it should be doable even with late planning.

Axel2DP

It's probably too late to do the 4 days Inca Trail hike. A lot of those trips are booked several months in advance and usually fill up pretty quick for the popular spring-summer months. The 2 days version is still a good possibility. You should check out the web sites of some of the outfitters you're interested in to see what they have available.

ericao27

So, I think I've come up with a loose itinerary:

Day 1: Land in Lima
Day 2: Fly to Cusco
Day 3: Cusco > Machu Picchu > Ollantaytambo
Day 4: Ollantaytambo
Day 5: Cusco > Manu National Park
Day 6: Manu National Park
Day 7: Manu > Cusco
Day 8: Cusco > Puno
Day 9: Puno/Lake Titicaca
Day 10: Puno > Arequipa
Day 11: Arequipa
Day 12: Colca Canyon
Day 13: Colca Canyon
Day 14: Colca Canyon > Arequipa
Day 15: Arequipa
Day 16: Arequipa > Lima > North Coast (depending on how I get there)
Day 17: Mancora/North Coast
Day 18: Mancora/North Coast
Day 19: Mancora > Lima
Day 20: Lima > Home

I feel like this is paced so that I will get to see a lot, but will also have some time to relax. I figured going to the beaches at the end would be a nice way to wrap up the trip and escape some of the crazy tourists.

Any thoughts?

mlgb

You can see my trip report re the north coast. There are some really nice archaeological sites around Trujillo, Chiclayo, etc. You don't necessarily have to go as far as Mancoro. Near Trujillo is Huanchaco.