Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Ensure all flight reservations are
confirmed and reconfirmed
72 and 24 hours in ad-
vance; airlines are notorious for overbooking and flights are changed or canceled with sur-
prising frequency, so it's even worth calling the airport or the airline just before leaving
for the airport. Confirmation is especially essential during the peak travel season.
Bicycle
The major drawback to cycling in Peru is the country's bounty of kamikaze motorists. On
narrow, two-lane highways, drivers can be a serious hazard to cyclists. Cycling is more
enjoyable and safer, though very challenging, off paved roads. Mountain bikes are recom-
mended, as road bikes won't stand up to the rough conditions. See
Click here
f
or more
about mountain biking and cycling in Peru.
Reasonably priced rentals (mostly mountain bikes) are available in popular tourist des-
tinations, including Cuzco, Arequipa, Huaraz and Huancayo. These bikes are rented to
travelers for local excursions, not to make trips all over the country. For long-distance
touring, bring your own bike from home.
Airline policies on carrying bicycles vary, so shop around.
Boat
There are no passenger services along the Peruvian coast. In the Andean highlands, there
are boat services on Lake Titicaca. Small motorized vessels take passengers from the port
in Puno to visit various islands on the lake, while catamarans zip over to Bolivia.
In Peru's Amazon Basin, boat travel is of major importance. Larger vessels ply the
wider rivers. Dugout canoes powered by outboard engines act as water taxis on smaller
rivers. Those called
peki-pekis
are slow and rather noisy. In some places, modern alumin-
um launches are used.
Some travelers dream of plying the Amazon while swinging in a hammock aboard a ba-
nana boat with cargo on the lower deck. It's possible to travel from Pucallpa or Yur-
imaguas to Iquitos and on into Brazil this way (
Click here
)
.
At ports, chalkboards with ships' names, destinations and departure times are dis-
played; these are usually optimistic. The captain has to clear documents with the
capitanÃa
(harbor master's office) on the day of departure, so directly ask the captain for updates.
Nobody else really knows. Departure time often depends on a full cargo. Usually, you can
