Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [443]
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IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS
All important documents (passport, credit cards, travel insurance policy, driver license etc) should be photocopied before you leave home. Leave one copy at home and keep another with you, separate from the originals.
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Moreover, it is not advisable to book hotels, travel arrangements or transport through these independent agents. Often, they will demand cash up-front for services that never materialize. Stick to reputable, well-recommended agencies and you’ll be assured a good time.
Transport Issues
When taking buses, choose operators carefully. The cheapest companies will be the most likely to employ reckless drivers and have roadside breakdowns. Overnight travel by bus can get brutally cold in the highlands (take a blanket or a sleeping bag). In some parts, nighttime trips are also subject to the vagaries of roadside bandits, who create impromptu road blocks, then relieve passengers of their valuables. For more on overland transport in Peru, Click here.
Environmental Hazards
Some of the natural hazards you might encounter in Peru include earthquakes and avalanches. Rescues in remote regions are often done on foot because of the inability of helicopters to reach some of the country’s more challenging topography. Perhaps the most common hazard is travelers’ diarrhea (Click here), which comes from consuming contaminated food or water. Other problems include altitude sickness, animal and insect bites, sunburn, heat exhaustion and even hypothermia. You can take precautions for most of these. Click here for medical advice.
Protests & Other Conflict
During the Internal Conflict, through the 1980s and into the 1990s, terrorism, civil strife and kidnappings meant that entire regions were off limits to both foreign and domestic travelers. Thankfully, the situation has improved dramatically and travelers visit much of the country without ever encountering problems. Even so, Peru remains a politically volatile place and public protests are a familiar sight. Generally speaking, these have little effects on tourists, other than blocking roads, but on some occasions they do turn violent and people are killed (Click here). It is worth staying aware of current events while in the country; and if a road is blocked or an area cut off, respect the situation. Being a foreigner will not grant you immunity from violence.
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WARNING!
Be wary when traveling on overnight buses. Even on the well-traveled Pan-American Hwy route between Arequipa and Lima, buses have been hijacked (including by criminals posing as fellow passengers) and foreign tourists have been robbed and assaulted – even raped. Military checkpoints can appear anywhere, as can road blockades by protestors.
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Moreover, while Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) guerrillas have been quelled, there are isolated incidents of violence in rural areas in the provinces of Ayacucho, Huancavelica, Huánuco, Junín and San Martín. These are generally directed at the Peruvian military or the police. Even so, it is worth exercising caution: avoid transit through isolated areas in these regions at night.
Likewise, the country’s drug trafficking areas can be dangerous, especially at night. Travelers should avoid the upper Río Huallaga valley between Tingo María and Juanjui and the Río Apurímac valley near Ayacucho, where the majority of Peru’s illegal drug-growing takes place (see also boxed text, Click here). Exercise similar caution near the Colombian border, where trafficking also goes on. For more information on drug-related legal matters,