Welcome to our adventure tours in Peru.
Here is the quick list of things to organize before your tour.
Medicines needed for Peru
This is probably the most asked question by people going to Peru for the first time. It is best answered by your local travel doctor. Your doctor will have a list of potential problems and the risks involved. You should decide what risks could be a problem for you. Peru is not a dangerous country, however you should take some basic precautions against Malaria, Yellow Fever and other contaminated water diseases.
Get Travel Insurance
This is strongly recommended to provide coverage not included by your regular insurance. This travel insurance coverage is for if you need to cancel from the tour, medical evacuation in Peru and costs for travel delays. Travel in Peru is pretty safe but this travel insurance covers a lot of variable expenses not covered by PAC Tour or your stand medical policy. Travel Insurance is $94 from Travel Guard 800-549-9037.
Cameras and Film
Be careful when taking photos in the street market. Some merchants are selling illegal goods like animal skins and prefer not to have their picture taken.
Internet
The Internet is very common and popular in Peru. There are locations near all of our hotels each day. Cost is less than $1.00 per hour. A Hotmail account works well for sending and receiving messages from home.
Zip Lock Plastic Bags
Everything you pack in your gear bag should be in zip-lock plastic bags. The two gallon size is best for clothes. Bring some extra bags for items you purchase during the tour. Keep food and sweets tightly sealed as to not attract ants.
Tipping for Service
Tipping is not expected as in American restaurants. Your bill has the cost of the tip included in the overall price. However...if you receive good service and would like to leave a tip, the waiter will be very thankful. A tip of 10% is considered generous. Tipping is expected by hotel staff who carry your bags to your room or help you with errands. I have found it is good politics to tip the hotel staff $1.00 per day for each person who helps me. I am always asking them for some favor about directions or equipment storage.
We pay our guides and drivers $20-$30 per day. They are happy with that amount but are thankful for extra tips of $2-$5 per day per person if they provided good service. You are under no obligation to tip our guides, but if you want to tip them something, we can work out a rate at the end of the tour.
Taxi Cars and Moto Taxis
A taxi car is usually a small four door model. If you are hauling much luggage be sure to look for a station wagon or hatch back style. A moto taxi is a 3 wheel motorcycle. There is room for three people to squeeze in on a rear bench seat. There is not much room for luggage except for a two foot basket behind your seat. Always ask the price before you get in the taxi. A typical rate is 25 cents per kilometer. If you are going to several locations or sightseeing it is cheaper to hire the driver by the hour. The driver is usually happy with $3 - $5 per hour. If it is a hot day and you want the driver to wait while you sightsee, it is good manners to buy the driver a soda while they wait.
Airports, Bike Boxes and Extra Fees
When you fly to Lima from the United States you are allowed two pieces of luggage plus a carry-on bag. Your bike case is considered one piece of luggage if it is under 70 pounds. Your other piece of luggage should be the large PAC Tour duffle bag. If you bring two smaller duffle bags your bike case will then be your third piece of luggage and you will have to pay $75. The same rules apply when you return home. If you buy lots of souvenirs and need a third bag, you will need to pay for your bike on the return trip.
During the Riverboat Tour try to bring just the PAC Tour bag and a carry-on backpack. We will be shuttling between taxies, airplanes, boats and buses and we need to keep an eye on all our bags. At the end of the tour you can buy another large duffle bag for $10 in Iquitos to transport souvenirs home.
Arriving at Lima Airport Customs
On the plane the flight attendant will give you a Declaration of Import form asking what extra items you are bringing into the country. It is easy to answer the questions on this form. When you leave the airplane you will need to have your passport with you.
Be sure to keep the little white piece of paper with the inspection form. Clip this white piece of paper inside your passport. You need it for the return trip. It will cost you $4 to get a new one.
After you go through the line at customs you will wait for your baggage near the baggage claim carousel. Sometime this wait can be 30 to 45 minutes because they are checking bags coming off the plane with drug dogs.
Baggage Claim and Search
When you finally get your bags at baggage claim you will depart through an inspection gate. You will be asked to push a button to activate a random search alert. About 25% of passengers are stopped and asked to step over to the search area. If you are not stopped you will proceed out to the airport lobby area. If you are stopped and searched you will be asked to open your bags and bike case as the officials search your bag.
The officials are looking for drugs and new items not declared at customs. I was stopped and questioned once because I had several boxes of new inner tubes and bike tires. Package your cycling equipment in clear zip-lock bags. Your bicycle should look old, so the officials know you are not importing a new bike.
Meeting at the Airport
When you arrive at the Lima airport lobby area you might have to go outside to the sidewalk area. The welcome area changes every few months. There will be hundreds of taxi drivers pulling you toward their cars. Donšt go with them! We will find you since you will be hauling a bike case. We have arranged for a large car to take you and your bike to the hotel.
Money to Bring
Money must be very clean and not torn or have any marks or writing on it. $20 or $50 bills are best. Do not bring $100 bills. During the day if you want to buy sodas from street venders the cost is about $1.00 per bottle. We will eat together for most meals and these meals are included in the tour cost. There are many craft shops selling interesting souvenirs. Be sure to bring some extra money for gifts.
Money and Coins
Most street venders do not have enough money on hand to make change for $5 and $10 bills. You should always carry $5 in Peruvian coins. Carry a coin purse around your neck of wear clothing with zipper pockets to carry your coins. We will convert US dollars to Peruvian Soles when we arrive in Lima. The exchange rate is about 3.3 soles to the dollar.
Bring a Good Book
Some of the best advise I (Lon) ever received from a veteran traveler of South America was to bring a good book. There will be many exciting things to see and do everyday but Peruvians do things at their own pace. The timing of our schedule could vary a few hours each day. It is best to have something to do while you are waiting. We will have many hours to relax when we are not traveling.
Travel Sickness
We will make every attempt to have a healthy group by only serving bottled water, packaged snacks and eating at clean restaurants. However if you get travelers diarrhea the recommended treatment is 20 pills of Imodium and 10 pills of Cipro. This dosage will last you five days. You will need a prescription to get Cipro. Five days before your tour begins you should take one Pepto Bismal tablet in the morning at at night to slow your system. Drink plenty of fluid and keep well hydrated.
You should make arrangements with your travel doctor to get your vaccinations up to date. A Yellow Fever vaccination is required to enter the United States. Other medications for malaria, tuberculosis, typhoid, hepatitis and other diseases may be recommended by your travel doctor. Ask your travel doctor what is best for you.
Toilet Paper
Peru does not have soft toilet paper. You should always carry your own favorite roll or Kleenex packets. The hotels have clean bathrooms with toilet paper. When traveling during the day, sometimes using the jungle is cleaner than public restrooms.
Bring Dual Purpose Clothes
Try to bring clothes that are lightweight and dry quickly. Nylon travel shirts and pants work great. A rain jacket and wool long sleeve jersey will be fine for the coldest cycling conditions. You will need gloves and a hat when traveling the mountains. You might need a sweatshirt or light fleece jacket when going out to dinner at night. Review the clothing list in your travel packet. Try not to over pack. Everything must fit in one PAC Tour gearbag and weigh less than 40 pounds.
Laundry
There are some commercial laundries in the larger towns. Our guides will help you figure out how to start the washer and dryer. Cost is about $2 per load. Sometimes you will find it better to wash and rinse your clothes in the shower with shampoo. Bring clothes that dry quickly.
Peru Dress Code
Most people in Peru dress very well. The men wear nice pants and pressed shirts. The older women wear dresses and the younger women wear blue jeans even in the jungle. The people of Peru pride themselves on being clean and neat. Even people living in the most basic housing without running water, will shower twice a day under a bucket. While you are cycling in Peru it is okay to wear lycra cycling clothing. Lon has found wearing his Columbia travel shirt is better than a jersey. Wearing cycling shorts under baggy hiking shorts is a good wardrobe when stopping at restaurants for lunch.
Dictionary - Translators
If you donšt speak Spanish you might want to bring a pocket translator calculator. The smaller and simpler the better. Using one word at a time is fine when asking questions to locals. You can find these translator calculators at good book stores, Wal-Mart or travel stores. Cost is $15 - $40.
More details will be included in your rider packet after you register for each tour.