We went to Peru from 30/8 till 20/9/2002. Instead of doing the classical tour Lima - Pisco - Nazca - Arequipa - Titicaca - Cusco, we wanted to spend more time in Cusco and thus had to skip some other places.

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When you enter Peru, you will be asked to fill out a white embarkation card. DO NOT lose your copy. This is very important as you cannot leave the country without it. Attach it to your passport with a paperclip or staple. Make a photocopy of your passport and embarkation card and give it to your travel companion. It's also a good idea to scan your passport and put it on a website before you leave your country. You can thus retrieve it at all times and take a print out. It is also a very good idea to register your passport at your Embassy. If you lose your passport later, the Embassy can issue a new one almost immediately. The law requires that you carry your passport at all times although it is generally permitted to carry a photocopy in cities.

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Traditionally, it is said that the best period is June to August, especially if you plan to do some outdoor activities. However, even during this period, it can sometimes rain, or Inca trail can have bad weather. In August 2002, the Inca trail was even partially closed for some days.

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Lima is a very busy, overcrowded, polluted and noisy city with it?s 8 million inhabitants. If you are short of time, it?t best to move on as quick as possible.

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Pisco is a very pleasant town with a nice square (Plaza de Armas) with trees and benches. Around it you find a lot of little shops, bars and restaurants and also some fine colonial buildings.

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Arequipa is a really nice city, with good sights and almost always good weather. Situated at 2300 m, it's a good place to get adjusted to the altitude and avoid mountain sickness, although we felt the altitude. It's also the place to be for trips to the Colca Canyon.

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Cusco is really a very nice place to spend a few days and organize some trips in and around the city. The atmosphere is great, there are a lot of good restaurants, plenty of travel agents, good bars and also some interesting sights. Take into account the altitude before planning any activity. Consider taking Diamox (see general info 2 about altitude sickness), or else consider spending 1 or 2 nights in the Sacred Valley.

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It is estimated that 67% of Peru visitors come to Cuzco, and the majority of them will visit Macchu Picchu (MP). There are different ways of seeing MP, both depending on your physical and financial strength: you can get there by helicopter, by train (in different classes), or by train and foot over the Inca trail.

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Officially, you can go rafting this river from May till December. It will also depend a bit on your experience. If you've never been rafting, I would avoid rainy months since the river will be much wilder. We went in September, end of the dry season, and it was definitely still good rafting. But if you like a bit more action, June-July are probably better options.

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When one thinks about Amazon jungle trips, the first country that comes into mind is Brazil. However, about 50% of Peru's surface is jungle area, and it is also close to cities like Cusco, so in fact Peru might be a better option. On top of that, nature preservation is being taken very seriously, especially in Manu NP.

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