Be aware also that altitude sickness do affect some travellers at high altitude cities like Cusco, Puno, etc. You just have to give your body time to acclimitize. Coccoa leaves tea is supposed to help. You can also buy Soroche (high-altitude sickness) pills at the pharmacies, which are easy to find in Peru cities.

You need to get travel medical/evac insurance. US policies don't cover us out of the country. Any GSM international phone should work in the cities. Call your carrier to make sure, but just know it's expensive.

12 days in Pantanal sounds awesome.

You'd better firm up your plans soon! It's almost time to leave! (you're really going alone?). You need an airline ticket to get a Brazil visa.

A few thoughts;
LAPTOP great to have and really useful/convenient especially as wifi is readily available. You can use it to skype back home, email, blog etc. but all of that you can do from a webcafe. A lap top is really the best option for downloading photos but you could easily do this by taking a card reader and downloading to a USB stick or even an iPod (you can buy a special connector that does not need a computer to transfer the data. On balance I would not bother with a laptop as it does become a real pain to carry around and making sure it is safe in your room when you are out and about can also be problematic.


MALARIA Strongly disagree withone of the previous posters re not taking appropriate prophylactics. I have had malaria and believe me it was not a pleasant experience! Just because others have not taken mediation and not contracted it just means that they didn't get bitten by a malaria carrying mozzie. Take the meds, use 50% deet religiously and cover up at night. There is no treat ment for dengue fever so you may wish to spray deet during teh day as well in dengue areas.

STOMACH PROBLEMS - Check out the appropriate recommended antbiotic for the region (ciproflaxin or whatever) and either take a course with you (or buy on arrival which will propbaly be cheaper) that way, if you are hit by a bug you can start straight away. Immodium/loperamide tablets are handy to have if only to get you through a bus trip etc. until the antiboitics kick in.

RABIES - vaccines is only required if you are a long way from a hospital and will then only increase the time you have to get treatment after being bitten it does not prevent the disease. I had the vaccine when living in Africa for a while but only because we were 12 hours from the nearst hospital. If you do get bitten by an animal get to a hospital straight away.

Mlgb – thank you for the tips – yes the nurse said to bring sanitizer as well – I just forgot about it!
Diane – from what I am told by people, it should only cost about 120$ to fly from Lima to Cusco, I think via Taca. And yes, I will not bring a laptop. What does traveler’s revenge mean? Diarrhea?
Axel – yes I am planning on staying in Lima for a couple days, maybe more if I like it – it will all depend on what my date is set for Manu. Yes, I am arranging Loki to pick me up from the airport (I talk about these issues below in my update).
Christa – I addressed the insurance and visa issues below – I know it’s almost time to leave – I feel like I’m running out of time!
Crellston – thanks for the advice!
Thank you everyone for all the help so far.

**UPDATE**
Medical:
I’m going to meet with the registered nurse again at my school
Malaria: still haven’t decided which type of medication to take for this
Assuming that I do not have them already, I am going to go ahead and take the following shots:
Tetanus, Typhoid, Seasonal Flu, Polio, and Hepatitis A
I will also be taking chewable Pepto Bismol tablets and Imodium for diarrhea. I am bringing Cipro as well but I am unsure exactly when I am supposed to use it.
Cell Phone:
I think I'm going to go with the unlocked phone - it seems the simplest option rather than dealing with Skype, because who knows when I'll have access to the internet.
So I have already unlocked my phone - now it is just a matter of putting the foreign sim card into it.

I have a few questions about this:

I have been researching companies online because there are companies that offer to give you the foreign sim card for the country even before you leave, this way you have the sim card already and you do not have to worry about buying it over there. However, all these companies charge about $2.50-$3.00 a minute. My question is, I know that when I land in Lima, I can buy a foreign sim card at the airport, but what will there rates be? Will they be significantly cheaper? If so, I will wait on buying the sim card. Also, are there any other hidden fees? If I buy my SIM card at the airport in Lima, how will they charge me? Will they ask me for my credit card information? Or will I just pay as I go?

Camera:

I think I will just buy SD cards and not take a laptop.

From what I understand, here is the differences between USA, Peru, and Brazil:

United States - 120 Volts, K Shape Outlet, 60 frequency
Peru - 110 Volts.. 220 secondary Volts, K Shape Outlet, 50/60 frequency
Brazil - 110 Volts.. 220 secondary Volts, B and K Shape Outlet, 60 frequency

This site is helping me out in determining whether or not I need a adaptor and/or converter:
http://www.magellans.com/store/util/ElecWiz?Args=

Besides my cell phone charger, camera charger, and maybe an electric razor, I don't think I will need to bring any other things that would require an outlet.

Flight from Chicago to Lima:

I'm currently comparing different airlines, the best deal I have found is 344$ with Continental Airlines at despegar.com (the weird part is that Continental at other websites is almost 200$ more). The 2nd best deal I have found so far is 450$ LAN airlines based on statravel.com (I think it is a student discount), along with Continental via Studentuniverse(450$).

Transportation from Lima Airport to Loki Hostel in Lima:

I will just get Loki Hostel to send a taxi for me, I believe it is 15$

Transportation from Lima to Cuzco:

For bus, I am trying to use http://www.cruzdelsur.com.pe/inicio_2.php - the website is in english, but as soon as I put my arrival and departure date and hit submit, the results are in spanish and I cannot find a button anywhere to convert it to English. I believe it's about 50-60$ though.

If I decide to fly, Taca and Star Peru do not charge much over a 100$

Transportation from Cuzco to MP:

I don't think I have much choice besides using a train for this, I have been referred several times to perurails.com - but I cannot seem to find a price or make a reservation. Every date that I put, it comes back with the result that there is no availability. Am I doing something wrong? Or is it really all sold out? I emailed them and this is what they said:

"At the moment we are not processing reservations or modifications yet because we are modifying train tickets and reservations that already where made you can check our available spaces in our web page www.perurail.com ones everything is done contact our Callcenter for more information calling to this phone number 0051-84-581414."

From what I gather, they are saying I cannot make a reservation right now. But it still doesn't explain why every result yields no availability, and why I cannot see the rates.

Travel Health Insurance:

I called my health insurer and they said I will have the exact health benefits that I have in the US, overseas - and they will only pay 80% of the cost, and I pay the remaining 20%, up to 1500$. Also, this does not cover all the things that a travel insurer would - it only covers medical expense and evacuation.

So I don't think that is good enough so I will just go with one of the following:

Statravel - 165$
Travelassistnetwork - 180$
TravelGuard - 119$
WorldNomads - 127$
It would seem like TravelGuard is the best deal, but I haven't compared the policies. I think it will take a while to compare the policies.There are a few others as well that I need to find the prices for.
Other:
How and when do I convert my dollars to soles? If I need more money – where would be the best place to go? I think I was told by someone never to wire money in SA for some reason.
Food & Drink in SA:
I think I have a firm grasp on this now - just stick to water bottles. How will I know if the dairy is pasteurized? If the fruits/vegetables have not been washed in local water? I'm assuming when I am staying at the hostels, I will have to buy food at their cafe, and then also eat out at restaurants, along with any meals the tour agency provides while I am at Manu/LakeTiticaca/Pantanal. So I guess I will just have to continually ask these questions every time I am served? Also, one thing that I don't think I mentioned is that I am vegetarian (lacto-ovo). This will probably make it more difficult! Hopefully not too much.

ISIC CARD: I'm going to obtain this from the study abroad office at my university. They require 22$ and a passport photo - it seems like I can get some nice discounts, so it couldn't hurt.
Also, apparently the ISIC card comes with travel insurance – I was unaware of this. It seems like it covers all the typical things that a travel insurance agency would. The ISIC card is only 22$, compared to other travel insurance companies, it is very cheap. Also there is an option for ISIC Premium card, which is 75$, and the amount of coverage shoots up to at least double (i.e. emergency evacuation coverage goes from 300k to 1million, accidental medical expense goes from 25k to 100k). I think 50$ more for that much more coverage would be a smart thing to do. It looks like the ISIC Premium is a better deal than the travel insurance companies, because it covers more money in most categories.

Pantanal: I'm still in communication with several pantanal agencies
Thanks for your help!

I want your insurance. Most cover nothing.

Travelguard is AIG - just FYI. The student card sounds great!

Malarone has few side effects, but I don't know if it is used in S America (used in Africa).

You will not be able to avoid all local water - do your best and take the Pepto every day. Tell the "hotels" in the Pantanal in advance about your dietary needs and they will do their best. This works for anyplace where you have no options for other food sources besides your "hotel".

Hopefully the MP Cuzco train will be up and running soon. I don't know how well they are recovering since the floods.

You seem to be well on your way. Aren't you supposed to be studying? :)

For Cash. In larger cities ATMs are plentiful and will happily give you local curency. In Peru there are money changers. Most frequently you'll find them outside the banks wearing green vests. They have to offer you the regular exchange rate.

I don't think you'll have much problem with the lacto part of your diet, but you'll be missing some very unique meats. (Alpaca comes to mind) You should still eat well.

Christa - thanks I will go with the ISIC insurance - there is actually an offer for ISIC Premium which covers even more and is 75$, I'll just go with that. I was only going to take the pepto when I exhibit diarrhea symptoms - you are suggesting just taking one everyday regardless? Psh, I'm done studying - I already secured a job!

Diane - Are you saying I can swipe my American debit card in these ATMs and it will dispense soles? For these money changers, will I have to worry about getting ripped off from these people - or is it just one flat constant rate that all of them offer?

Thanks for your posts!

PANTANAL UPDATE:

This portion of the trip seems very expensive – especially if I want to stay over a week.

Agency:

BrazilNatureTours: $1167 4D/3N north - transpantaneira

PantanalNatureTour: 1200$ 6D/5N - terrain : north – transpantaneira road (via car) + boat trip in porto jofre

JaguarEcologicalReserve – 250$ per day north – transpantaneira road (via truck) + boat trip in porto jofre

PantanalExpeditions – 350$ per day terrain: not sure yet

PantanalTrackers: 3100$ 8D/7N terrain : north – transpantaneira

FocusTours: 4000+ (too expensive) 5D/4N

Caiman: 4500+ 4D/3N (too expensive)

Dehouche: 5500+ (too expensive)

From this list – in my opinion, the obvious choice would by the second one, PantanalNatureTours – it seems that it is the most bang for the buck. I may very well do that unless someone has a better suggestion?

There is one alternative – I have been in communication with Douglas Trent, who I believe is the owner of Focus Tours – I told him that I cannot afford his tours but he offered me an alternative.

He says that if I can commit to staying for at least 2.5 weeks – he can arrange a volunteer position at one of the lodges (http://www.pousadacantoarancua.com.br/) this ranch is only a few KM from the road (I think he means the Transpanteneira road) – during this volunteering – I would give English classes and also help with anything else, including taking care of tourists. I wouldn’t clean since they have maids already, but I would help “clear trails, maybe paint some rooms, who knows. You could put up English signs in the rooms about meal times, etc.”

So I don’t think it would be too bad. He would charge me 75$ for the costs he incurs in time and phone calls to set it up, which makes sense.

This sounds like a great experience - and if I had more time in my schedule, I would not hesitate to do it. I asked him if I’ll be able to see wildlife while I am volunteering and he said that I’ll be able to explore the large ranch and see its wildlife, but unless I have a car it will be hard to get out and explore other areas – there are jaguars in the vicinity but I would need to be fairly luck to spot one. I would need to get out and look for them. He said that he could also reserve several hotels for me and a rental car and I could spend my time traveling the Transpantaniera looking for wildlife. The hotels would cost about $150 including the meals – and he would charge me $250 for setting all this up. This seems like a good deal compared to the other tour agencies, but I’m going to ask for an itinerary if there is any.

So basically he is proposing “either you do a volunteer stint, spending very little money, OR, don't, and instead spend your money on a rental car and stay in a few different lodges.”

My dilemma is this: do I commit 2.5 weeks in doing the volunteering and pay very little – do some work, gain some experience interacting with the ranch and teaching them English. However, I would probably not see any jaguars, nor many other wildlife, which is one of the main reasons I am coming in the first place. Plus, I think 2.5 weeks is too long, it’s basically half my trip. I think if he agrees to bring it down to 2 weeks I can consider it more seriously. Right now, I think I would rather do the 150$ a day that he has offered or the $1200 PantanalNature tour – what do you guys think I should do?

From your last paragraph, it sounds like if you take the volunteer position then you will have regrets not being able to explore the wildlifes, which is your main goal for going to Pantanal. If this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip for you then you should try to do everything that you really wanted to do, providing of course you can cover the cost. Just keep in mind that you might not end up seeing any actual jaguars, but if you will still be happy seeing other wildlifes and a chance to explore the jungles then you should do it. Good luck.

I hear good things about Brazil NT and John is quick to respond. (I planned a family trip and it didn't happen). If you could tag along with another single, couple or group your costs would go down a lot. I don't know if they could work with you on that, but it's worth a try. Transporting a single from the airport or bus station is expensive and is driving up your cost.

That volunteering sounds like a great opportunity. I'd be torn, too. I'm surprised he can't arrange for you to go on some of the guest excursions. Most people don't get to see jaguars, they are very rare and very wary of people. But 2.5 weeks is half of your trip. What would you miss?

In all countries ATM's spit out the local currency. If you look into it, find out which debit cards don't charge absurd fees. I use a credit union and there are no fees for international use. Capital One is the only credit card I am aware of that doesn't charge "foreign transaction fees". They add up quick!

If you look on the back of your ATM card (not american express that is a credit card - although it will give you a cash advance but at an interest rate) you'll see several logos. Those are the networks your ATM card will work at. At this point I think that almost all of the banks are on an international network.

I used Nova Soctia's ATM while I was in Peru. they didn't have any withdrawl fees and their max daily withdrawl was 500 soles. (about 133 USD) Since I had prepaid my lodging and the airfare it lasted me several days (except for my sourveiner shopping day).

As for the money changers - if they aren't wearing a green vest and standing outside a bank - they aren't legal. Their rates are set by the banks and governement. You might find a penny or two difference, but not enough to have much value.

For the time, I'd just use the ATM. It really is just that easy.

Hi everyone,

Call me lazy but this thread is so long so I didn't read through them all.

I and 2 friends backpacked through Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia for 2.5 months last summer. A lot of people have talked about Peru so I will touch on Bolivia as I and most people you meet who have been there will tell you they knew nothing about it when they went but it quickly becomes one of hte most fascinating and exciting countries you will ever visit.

La Paz- I would say takea couple days to hang in La Paz. Such a chaotic but itneresting city and cheap. You can go to bolivian wrestling matches, visit an area just outside which theyc allt eh valley of the moon cause it looks like it. You can do a day trip excursion with a bike company down the Yungas Road aka the World's Most Dangerous Road.

If you want amazong you can head north either by 30 min plane or 18 hour bus and take a pampas or jungle tour. We did a 2 night pampas tour and saw all kinds of caiman, monkeys, birds etc. Everything except big game.

The Salaar de Uyuni is truly mindblowing. You can do a 4 day/3 night jeep tour, only for about 70-80 bucks total and that includes driver, food and accomodation. The salt flats are mind blowing and the scenery is unbelievable, at some points ont eh road going up to 5000m elevation so make sure you have a sweater!

You can hit up Potosi and the silver minds where the working conditions are appalling and you can see live explosive demonstrations and can give some gifts to the workers to ease their conditions. There is even a store where you can buy them fuses for dynamite as a gift.

Sucre is a beautiful colonial type city with gran white architecture and very pretty.

Tupiza is where Butch Cassidy and Sundance are said to have taken their last stand. Nice little cowboy town that really oes feel like the wild west. My suggestion would be to get the jeep tour in Uyuni and get dropped off in Tupiza.

We didn't go east much intot eh interior of Bolovia, but I hear that is where the jungle is deepest and you can even jump on a river boat for a few days and get really deep into the amazon.

Hope this helps and have a blast. It will be a lifetime experience.

Kenny536,

Sorry, I'm late to the party ... I'm travelling to both the north and south Pantanal in July. I looked at a number of options and finally booked 9 days with Pantanal Trackers in the North and am really looking forward to that.

You might like to try contacting one or two of the lodges here http://www.pantanal-pocone.net/en/pa...ada_piuval.php and enquire about a lodge-based safari with pick-up in Cuiaba or Pocone. I've heard good things about Pousada Piuval, Pouada Araras is a more up-market option and you might consider in travelling further south to maybe the Jaguar Eco-lodge (as you mention) if you have time to extend the Pantanal experience.

Kenny536,

the new Pantanal wildlife guide arrived yesterday and it has some details of lodge rates in the Northern Pantanal.

Pousada Piuval offers full board including wildlife watching activities for $180 US pps per day.

Pousada Alegre offer the same deal for $65 US pps and Pousada Pixiam for $50 US pps.

None of the lodges mention how to get there, however they may be able to offer some suggestions if contacted.

Happy planning,


Pol

I live in Rio de Janeiro and can help with any information you need.
Fell free to contact me.

Axel - you're right, I am not going to do the volunteering.

Christa and Diane, thanks a lot for the tips - and I will look into these foreign transaction fees, thanks for the heads up!

Traveling addict - I don't think I will be going to Bolivia, if I do I think I will only be passing by.

Treepol - I am about to finalize my Pantanal trip - where are you getting those rates from? Can you give me a link? I do not see those rates in the link you showed me.

Thanks everyone!

Update on my trip:

I am leaving May 17th and arriving at Lima, Peru. I am leaving July 12th from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and coming home. The tickets were bought a month ago. I’m going to start packing soon. Please let me know if you think something is unnecessary, and more importantly, if I am omitting anything. Also please let me know if I’m not allowed to bring these things on the plane, cause I have no idea. Keep in mind I haven’t bought some of these things yet, although I must do that soon. Thanks!

In no particular order, here is what I have decided to pack so far:

• Mp3 player, charger, 2 sets of headphones
• Lots of 50+% DEET of insect repellant.
• Some sort of travelers backpack
• SD Card Reader + SD cards + 8 GB flash drive
• Camera/charger
• Electrolyte powder
• Mosquito Net
• A few sets of clothes (how many sets should I bring? Will I be cold?)
• Binoculars
• Spanish – English dictionary + Portuguese – English Dictionary
• Travel pouch, two wallets
• Padlock
• 2 pairs of shoes, one for dry land and one for water
• Hand sanitizer/wet wipes
• Alcohol rub, malarial medication, cipro, pepto-bismol, Imodium, Tylenol
• Travel pillow, towel, razor
• Flash light, batteries, adapters and converters for electronics
• Sun hat, sunscreen, umbrella

That’s all I can think of right now. Is all of this necessary? I don’t know how I would fit all this into one backpack. Should I have a second bag and just leave it at the hostel?

Here is my schedule for the actual trip:

May 17th – May 21st – Lima
May 22nd – June 7th – Cusco (Machu Picchu, Manu, Lake Titicaca, Paragliding)
June 8th – July 12th – Brazil (Pantanal in Campo Grande, Rio de Janeiro, and possibly Iguazu Falls)

Things I have done:

• Shots / malaria medication (doxycycline).
• ISIC card/travel insurance.
• Brazilian Visa
• Hostel reservations for the hostel in Lima.

Things I still have to do:

• Register with the embassies in both countries.
• Make copies of my passport.
• Carefully read the lonely planet guidebook.
• Finalize the date for the Pantanal.
• Figure out how to get from Peru to Brazil
• Learn more Spanish and Portuguese (haha I am so screwed)
• Buy foreign SIM card for phone (will do this in airport at Lima/Brazil)

I think the main thing I need help with right now is how to get from Peru to Campo Grande. I’m hearing that direct flights from Lima to Campo Grande can cost $1000. I do not want to pay that much. I’m hearing cheaper alternatives if I go through Bolivia (i.e. Cusco > Santa Cruz and then bus it to Campo Grande). Can anyone help me out with more information on this? Also, if I do this, will I have to obtain a Bolivian visa?

Thanks for the help everyone – this trip will be a memorable experience!

I'm so glad you're going!!

Take at least a fleece jacket - if you're not cold, they make a great pillow. Buy a bag there if you need to - don't bring anything you cna't get there.

It should be cheaper to fly Lima to GRU or Rio and then to Pantanal. Are there any buses?

Get a translator app or book if you can.

Don't register with the embassies, log onto the US State Dept site and register there. That way they know you're there and if anything bad happens, like gov't problems, floods or earthquakes, they know to look for you. Leave contact info with them as well.

Don't forget toilet paper! :)

Email yourself a copy of your passport, phone numbers for your bank and credit card company and any emergency phone numbers you can think of.

Bring freezer type plastic zip lock bags to store your camera and other electronic equipments in, especially when you get into the humid jungle. It wouldn't be bad to also have some of those moisture absorbing cilica gel packs to throw in the bag with your camera.

If you have a hand-free flashlight then that would be better than a hand-held one.

Try packing everything at least a week before you're scheduled to leave to determine if you'll need a second bag or if you can leave some stuffs home.

Kenny356,

these rates are quoted a new Brsadt guide Bradt guide to <i>Pantanal Wildlife</i> by James Lowen that was published in March 2010. Although it was probably researched last year, the published rates would hopefully represent a reasonable ball park figure.

Have a great trip,


Pol

I would bring a rain poncho or at least a black garbage bag that you could use as a poncho. Being wet in the jungle is miserable (you don't dry out). I'm a big fan of traveling with granola bars and almonds. A small bottle of laundry soap for washing your clothes.

If you are concerned about how much room it will take, lay it all out on your bed (or floor). See what is there. In most places along the way you'll be able to get the basic tolietries, even if they are different from hom.