Being Safe in Peru
We obviously do not want to discourage anyone from Peru, but any crowded tourist area will raise safety concerns and you need to be careful about pickpockets. This means carrying your wallet in your front pocket, rather than your back pocket, and always keeping a purse zipped and hung tightly over the shoulder. This is true in transportation centers, such as train and bus stations, major city centers in Lima, as well as large political gatherings or demonstrations.
We have written here about the importance of having a guide in Peru. This is because there have been instances of tour groups having trouble out in the wilderness. However, it’s important to understand that these are rare and just to stress the importance of taking adequate precautions. Certain areas are worse than others, but the areas that are the most popular to tourists are safe due to the number of visitors and increased safety precautions.
Again, we want to make it clear that a trip to Peru will be safe, but these are concerns you should have when visiting any foreign country. Other issues that you should be aware of: don’t take photographs of military installations and don’t wear Indian clothing, as this could come across as insulting to natives. Remember, you are a visitor in the country so you should treat the country and its people with respect. If you do, you’ll be sure to have a safe trip throughout Peru that may be the best vacation of your life.
Touring Peru with a Guide
Unlike other travel vacations, it is advisable when traveling to Peru that you do the tour via a guide, rather than on your own. If you’re visiting a city like New York City, you can certainly visit the sites by yourself – especially if you can speak, and read, English. However, in the vast jungles of Peru, it is not only advisable to go with a tour group, but a necessity.
Hiking the long trails up to Machu Picchu just cannot be accomplished alone, unless you’re a very seasoned hiker. The same goes for a boating trip up the Amazon. It will be necessary to travel the Amazon with a boating service. This isn’t just a question of safety, but the quality of your trip. Visiting Peru is like visiting a museum, and while you can learn a lot about Peru from reading books or brochures in advance of your visit (which you should do regardless), there is so much you will miss if you don’t get a guided tour through Peru’s many environs.
What is that wildlife, what is that fauna? What was the main function of these Incan ruins? Who still lives in this area? Visiting Peru isn’t just a tourism experience, but a learning experience. It’s like being inside your own history channel documentary. As mentioned, reaching some of these areas isn’t possible without a trained and trusted guide, so it is something you should make part of your travel plans. This will factor into the expenses for your trip, but it will make your trip more worthwhile.
About Venture Peru:
Venture Peru is the leading online retailer of Peru tour packages and Peru travel tours. If you are interested in exploring Peru, please visit our book a trip page or contact us at 877.852.7378.
The Amazon in Peru
The Amazon is the largest river in the world, cutting across much of South America going from country to country. What this means is that wherever you happen to be visiting in South America, your experience of the Amazon could be different depending upon the country. The Peruvian section of the Amazon is particularly interesting and exotic. The Amazon is considered the aorta of the earth, but unfortunately parts of the rainforest surrounding the Amazon are being cut down. This is not so in the Peruvian section of the Amazon, which is prized for be an example of how the Amazon appeared centuries ago.
The Peruvian section of the Amazon has 70% of the living species on planet earth. That’s not a typo. One of the reasons for the controversy surrounding deforestation of the Amazon is just how many species live in the Amazonian ecosystem and how important that ecosystem is for earth’s survival. Thankfully, the species are alive and thriving in the Amazonian section of Peru. Flora, fauna, insect life, mammalian, water life – this section of the Amazon has everything. Amazonian creatures have the reputation of being fierce and threatening, but much of the wildlife in the Amazon is peaceful, colorful, and needs to be seen to be believed.
By and large, when tourists take a tour through the Amazon, Peru is the main destination. This is what makes Peru so special as a destination in South America. Not only does it have some of the most interesting ruins on the entire continent, but the wilderness is also untouched. Because Peru is the top tourist destination in South America, there has been a concerted effort to preserve the country’s ecology.
Majestic Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca may have one of the funniest sounding names, but the name actually means “Rock Puma,” for the shape of the lake: from above it looks a bit like a puma catching a rabbit. Amusing names aside, Lake Titicaca is actually one of the more majestic places on earth. The largest lake in South America, it is also the lake that one of the highest-altitude lakes in the world: 12,500 feet above sea level. The lake is so large that it straddles both Peru and Bolivia.
What makes Lake Titicaca particularly interesting are the artificial islands comprised of floating reeds throughout the lake. There are also watchtowers built of reeds as well and these islands are a major tourist attraction in the lake. These are actually military installations that could be moved around the lake as necessary.
Amantani island is a timeless piece of history – there is no development on the island whatsoever and there functioning villages on the site – with electricity produced by a generator. Some homes on the island are open to tourist visits.
Taquile island has a number of interesting Inca ruins, as well as agricultural terraces like Amantani. Other islands include Isla del Sol, Isla de la Luna, and Suriqui – all unique and all providing different sites. What makes the areas around the lake so unique is the differences in languages and cultures between the inhabitants of each island. It’s highly recommended that you read about each culture’s history before visiting to get the most out of your visit to the lake.
The Mysteries of Machu Picchu
February 6, 2009 by admin
Filed under Home Post, machu picchu
What makes Machu Picchu such a mysterious and magical place to visit is that the purpose of the ancient ruins is still a mystery. Discovered only recently in 1911, due to its isolation in the higher mountain of Peru, Machu Picchu, it’s estimated that 1200 people could have lived there at any one time, but it’s also thought that it may have been a mountain retreat for elite Incan rulers.
What makes Machu Picchu particularly mysterious is that because of its isolation it is still unknown how the massive structure of Machu Picchu were built. Much like other famous monuments like Stonehenge in the U.K. there are many theories, but no definitive information. And also like Stonehenge, there are far-flung theories about its construction, including alien intervention!
Even with this sense of mystery, much of Machu Picchu is practical as well – a combination of both form and function. As it is built high in the mountains, it is built using an aqueduct system which utilizes the natural slope of the hills and gravity. The religious centers are high atop Machu Picchu’s peaks, overlooking the Urubamba Valley.
Visiting Machu Picchu isn’t just about visiting the ruins, but the entire experience of hiking through Peru’s jungle forests. Hikers will be hiking along and suddenly there is a foundation among the dense wilderness. Pictures don’t really do it justice, and it is something that needs to be seen, and felt, to be believed. Over 7,000 feet above sea level, it’s not an easy hike, but it is worth it to see one of the world’s great wonders.
About Venture Peru:
Venture Peru is the leading online retailer of Peru tour packages and Peru travel tours. If you are interested in exploring Peru, please visit our book a trip page or contact us at 877.852.7378.
Spirtual Tours through Peru
February 5, 2009 by admin
Filed under Home Post, machu picchu
One thing that separates vacations in Peru from other destinations in South America – or even other destinations throughout the world – is that is an intensely spiritual place. As a result Peru is a hotspot for spirituality-based tours – through Machu Picchu and other locations in the country. Converts say that there are certain points throughout the globe have a deeper spiritual resonance. That, of course, is up for argument, but even the cynical and skeptical who come to Peru have to acknowledge a kind of indescribably magic in Peru.
There are spiritual sites throughout Peru: on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the sacred sites of the Cusco region, the aforementioned Machu Picchu, and other sites in Peru. Some tours through Peru are led by mystical visionaries. However you only need to visit a landmark like Machu Picchu to experience it’s magical qualities of the Incan ruins. A guided tour can be highly informative and exciting, but self-guided tours are also popular, as they allow people to explore Peru on their own time. People have been known to come to Peru for specialized healing and to take part in rituals.
Of course, this is only a subset of Peru tourism, so every trip to Peru doesn’t involve a spiritual quest, but certainly reading about Peru’s history and how people regard the mysterious jungles of Peru will color your experience. It is best to visit Peru with an open mind and open heart to make the most of what should be a fantastic vacation experience.
About Venture Peru:
Venture Peru is the leading online retailer of Peru tour packages and Peru travel tours. If you are interested in exploring Peru, please visit our book a trip page or contact us at 877.852.7378.