Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
If you are in the rainforest, it is more straightforward to voyage along the Amazon by
boat between Iquitos and Leticia, Colombia, from where there are flights to Bogotá. For
more details on border formalities there, see the boxed text,
Click here
.
Ecuador
The most common way to get to or from Ecuador is along the Pan-American Hwy via
Tumbes (see the boxed text,
Click here
)
. Another route is via La Tina to Loja in Ecuador
(see the boxed text,
Click here
)
. A third way is via Jaén (see the boxed text,
Click here
)
.
Cifa
( 072-52-5120)
runs buses between Tumbes in Peru and Machala or Guayaquil in
Ecuador.
Transportes Loja
( 073-30-5446)
runs buses between Piura in Peru and
Machala or Loja in Ecuador. Ormeño has weekly through buses between Lima and Quito.
Tours
Travelers who prefer not to travel on their own, or have a limited amount of time have
ample tours to choose from. Travel with knowledgeable guides comes as a premium. It's
worth it for highly specialized outdoor activities like river running, mountaineering, bird-
watching or mountain biking.
If you want to book a tour locally, Lima, Cuzco, Arequipa, Puno, Trujillo, Huaraz,
Puerto Maldonado and Iquitos have the most travel agencies offering organized tours. For
more specialized, individual or small-group tours, you can generally hire a bilingual guide
starting at US$20 an hour or US$80 a day plus expenses (keep in mind exchange rates
may affect this); tours in other languages may be more expensive. Some students or unre-
gistered guides are cheaper, but the usual caveat applies - some are good, others aren't. A
few local guides are listed in this topic.
For more guide listings, check out
www.leaplocal.org
,
a resource promoting socially re-
sponsible tourism. For listings of gay-friendly tour operators,
Click here
.
From Australia & New Zealand
Aspiring Adventures
( 1-877-438-1354, 643-489-7474;
www.aspiringadventures.com
)
A small, enthusiastic outfit that's Kiwi-Australian run with
extensive experience in Cuzco and the Sacred Valley. Does biking, classic trips and food-
focused tours.
Peregrine Adventures
( 03-8601-4444;
www.peregrine.net.au
; 380 Lonsdale St, Mel-
bourne, VIC 3000)
Hotel-based and trekking trips in Peru.
