| All you need to know on location |

 

Banks and foreign exchange

In Peru, the banks are usually open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Most of the banks are also open on Saturday mornings until noon. On the main streets there are also ATM machines.

We recommend you change your money in your hotel or at authorized banks and exchange counters. The dollar’s exchange rate is variable. Verify the rate before changing your money. It is possible to exchange Euros also at most exchange counters. For money from other countries, check at the exchange counters.

Food and drinks

Local cuisine. Delicious and varied food in the areas that we visit. In the cities, we will dine in traditional restaurants , with a menu or a buffet. Cold lunches while traveling. Hot dinner whatever the location.

Tips

Tips are customary in Peru and left to the client’s discretion depending upon the quality of service, the length and the work done. Just to give you an idea, plan on $ 5 US/ jour/day/per for the guide and $ 2 US for the driver.

For the local team, the tips should be a little more as, as you will notice it, they furnish very heavy labor and their pay is not very good.

Security

Use common sense. Always keep a copy of your identification documents on you. Keep originals and valuable objects in the safe of your hotel but make sure to make a precise list of what you are living there. Also read carefully the assumption of risk of the hotel management. Valuable object should be worn carefully and not exposed; do not carry large sums of money and watch you bags and suitcases carefully. Don’t walk late at night in dark places or alone.

Health

Only drink bottled or boiled water. Stay away from raw vegetables and fruits. Avoid eating at stalls on the street.

Altitude sickness (soroche) can be reduced by resting on the first day of your stay at altitude and by eating light meals. Drink a local herbal tea, the mate de coca is recommended. If you are heading to the mountains or to the jungle, make sure you are taking a mosquito repellent with you as well as a raincoat.

To see a physician, contact the management of your hotel or your local travel agency.

Our drivers and guides

Depending on the size of the group, we may need to use a van. All vehicles are covered by insurance. 

All of our drivers are professionals. They have a great experience of the terrain and mechanical knowledge.

Guides are bilingual in English and Spanish (unless specified in the program) and specialist of the country. We use specialized local guides for some visits (Machu Picchu, cultural sites in general...).

Some attitudes to respect for responsible travels

In general

• Learn a few words of Spanish to communicate with the country’s locals.
• Ask before taking pictures.
• Do not give money, especially not to children
• By your souvenirs directly from the artisans. Avoid big shopping centers where the majority of the income doesn’t return to the artisan.
• Some individuals are ready to sell sacred objects or objects made with rare materials. Do not encourage this practice.
• Appreciate the local food: Some areas are very poor in natural resources. Avoid wasting natural and unavailable resources such as water, wood, food, etc. Don’t forget that you will shortly leave the area, but the inhabitants stay and have to live on the resources left.

The spirit of traveling

The unforeseeable (late planes / train, buses, mechanical break down, etc...) are always possible and they are a big part of what traveling is about. In function of the weather and the desire of the group, it is possible to modify the itinerary. By “custom travel” we mean a total flexibility in relation to a circuit established before departure. An eventual decision to change the program will have to be motioned and accepted by the group members. Some price adjustments may be necessary.

During the treks

Boil water instead of bringing bottled water.

Bring your garbage back and dispose of them in appropriate locations: Numerous areas in the word do not possess appropriate installations to dispose of garbage. Even more ecological, limit the packaging of your food.

Observe animal life in responsible ways: Do not feed wild animals. By feeding them, you contribute to changing their diet and to make them dependant on humans. Observation without intervention is the best and only solution.

Stay with locals

Instead of bringing gifts, clothing or school supplies from France we suggest that you by food ( sugar, fruits, rice…) in Peru before your excursion and that you offer them to your hosts. In the end, this is what is most useful.

Site protection

The ecological equilibrium of some of the areas that you are about to cross is very fragile. The permanency of the tourist flux, even in groups of limited size, disturbs it even more rapidly. In the interest of all, every participant is responsible for the cleanness and the state of each area he or she will cross or camp at. The fight against pollution must be taken on by each and every one of us.