1 - How long is the flight to this country?
Peru is a fairly easy jump from the United States, with direct flights ranging from around 6 to 9 hrs depending on your city of departure. Below are a couple of examples.
Los Angeles, CA (LAX) to Lima, Peru (LIM): 8 ½ hrs
Houston, TX (IAH) to Lima, Peru (LIM): 6 ½ hrs
Atlanta, GA (ATL) to Lima, Peru (LIM): 6 ½ hrs
2 - Do we need to get visas for this program?
Students from the United States and traveling with an American passport will not need to get a visa for this program. Students from other countries should check with their consulate. Please know that it is the student’s responsibility to obtain any appropriate documentation before entering Peru.
3 - What immunizations do we need to get for this trip?
Rustic Pathways highly recommends that you visit your family doctor or a travel doctor, before traveling. They can assist your with deciding which immunizations you should have to travel to Peru. Also, please visit the CDC or WHO websites for up to date advice and restrictions. Below, you will find the provinces that students will be traveling in to help you with this process.
Important Note: While students are not required to receive the yellow fever vaccine to enter Peru from the U.S, it may be required to enter other countries after traveling in Peru. For instance, as of this writing it is not possible to fly directly from Peru to Costa Rica without proper documentation of the Yellow Fever vaccine.
4 – What Peru provinces or regions does this program pass through?
Students traveling on the AWAY: Gap year program will be traveling in very diverse regions of Peru. After arriving in Lima, students will travel to Huaraz located in the province of Ancash. Huaraz is located in the Andes Mountains at over 10,000 ft. From here students will completely change regions and head out to the Amazon Jungle town of Puerto Maldonado in Madre de Dios. From there students will drive back up in the Andes Mountains and then drop down by mountain bike into the Sacred Valley located about 1.5 hours from Cuzco in the province of Cuzco. Students will visit the various Sacred Valley attractions including Machu Picchu. The group will then drive to the Lake Titicaca region in the province of Puno. Students will overnight at lakefront towns aswell as on islands in the middle of Lake Titicaca. The trip will end in the province of Arequipa with a visit to the Colca Canyon and Arequipa.
5 - What kind of food will we be eating?
Students will be eating mostly Peruvian food on their program, but will have a few chances to eat more international fare such as Italian, Chinese etc. Peru is actually well known for their cuisine, which varies from region to region. In fact, due to its Incan and pre-Incan heritage, followed by Spanish settlement and then African Sino-Cantonese and Japanese immigration, Peru boasts one of the most diverse cuisines in the Americas.
Many of the meals will be centered around traditional Andean food, with a lot of potatoes and grains such as quinoa. In addition beans, meat such a chicken and salad are found in most meals. For those that choose, there will be the chance to eat Cuy, or Guinea Pig, which remains a staple of rural Andean diets to this day. In the Amazon, sweet potatoes, fish, chicken as well as rice and beans are very common. There is even the chance to fish for piranha and then cook it for lunch. If you would like to know more about Peruvian diet Wikipedia actually has a nice summery at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peruvian_cuisine.
6) Where are our meals eaten?
We will have a professional cooks provide 3 meals a day while in the Amazon Jungle and during the trekking and mountain biking sections of the trip. Outside of that, the group will eat a various restaurants serving an array of Peruvian and international cuisines.
7 - Will travelers be drinking bottled water?
Yes, students will drink bottled or purified water while traveling in Peru. It is not recommended that travelers drink the tap water in any part of Peru.
8- Can Rustic Pathways cater to specific diets on this program?
Rustic Pathways can cater to most dietary needs on this program and the chefs we work with are very accustomed to doing so. There will be ample access to fruits, vegetables, rice, beans, and grains for those who are vegetarian. Vegan diets can be accommodated, but with a little more foresight and planning as this is not a diet commonly encountered in Peru. Please know that while we are happy to accommodate alternative diets, many of the special diets common in the United States are not common in other parts of the world and travelers must be patient and understanding in having these needs be met. Please contact Gabriel Porter-Henry at gabe@rusticpathways.com with any questions regarding special diets or allergies.
9 - What will the accommodation on this trip be like?
Accommodation on this program ranges from camping to guesthouses to basic hotels. While trekking in the Cordillera Blanca and mountain biking down into the Sacred Valley, students will be camping in 4 season tents. In the jungle students will stay at a remote jungle lodge. In the Lake Titicaca region students will do home stay, sleeping in their respective families house. The rest of the trip will have the students sleeping at 2 or 3 star hotels.
10 - How often can I do laundry?
Students will have the chance to do laundry about once a week while on their program. Please make sure to have enough clothes to last least a week. It generally costs around $1 – $2 per Kilo.
11- What is the climate like in Peru?
Peru has 3 very distinct climate regions; the desert coastal region, Andean Mountain regions and the Amazon Basin. Students will visit all three of these regions on their program, but most the time will be spent in the Andean Mountains and Amazon River Basin. These two climates contrast fairly drastically. During September the mountain region will be transforming from the dry winter months to the rainy summer months, but days will still be generally dry and partly cloudy during this time will occasional rains. The day time temperatures generally are between 45 and 60 degrees while nights can reach below freezing. Please make sure to refer to the packing list when preparing for this program.
In the Amazon, it remains hot and humid throughout the year. Students should be prepared for some rain and have lightweight quick drying clothes for their time here. Mosquitoes are prevalent here so please remember you’re bug repellent!
12- Are there any extremely physical or strenuous activities on this trip?
This program is not overly strenuous, but students should be in at least average physical condition. Activities include, hiking, mountain biking and whitewater rafting.
13 - Is this a good program for students interested in practicing their Spanish?
Yes! Students will have many opportunities throughout their travel to practice their Spanish. Students will be living in traditional communities in the Lake Titicaca region and traveling the whole trip alongside local Peruvian guides who are bilingual. Please know that a basic knowledge of Spanish is not required on this program, but students who take the time to at least learn some basic phases may find their time here more rewarding. A small Spanish- English dictionary is recommended.
14- How often will I have access to email and phones?
Phones and internet will be available occasionally throughout the trip. While in the main cities of Lima, Cusco, Ollantaytambo, Aguas Calientes, Arequipa, Puerto Maldonado and Huaraz there should be service on almost a daily basis. There will not be internet or phone access, during the trekking, mountain biking and Jungle lodge sections of the trip.
15- What costs are not included on this trip?
Students are responsible for paying for half of their lunches and half of their dinners. This is to allow for flexibility in choosing meals and to provide free time to enjoy with new friends. Students can expect to pay between $2 and $12 per meal on average. Other costs not included in the trip are Internet access, travel insurance, medical insurance, medical expenses, International Airfare, laundry, small donations to organizations, temples, charities, souvenirs and excessive snacks (like Red Bull, candy bars and sodas).
There will also be occasional optional activities which students can participate in such as bungee jumping. The costs for these are generally between $60 and $100 per activity.
16- How much spending money do I need to bring?
Students should bring between $400 and $750 for their 4 week program. Spending habits can vary extensively from student to student, so please consider how much you normally spend when considering this. An average person may spend about $170 on food and snacks and $75 on souvenirs and miscellaneous items. There is also the option to bungee jump for around $65 for those students whom choose. Peru is not an overly expensive country, but they are known for their handicrafts and most students enjoy bringing something home for friends and family.
17- What sort of electrical voltage adapters do I need to bring?
Peru has 220V outlets as opposed to the 110V outlets in the United States. The plug shape is the same, so be careful not to fry any of your electronics. These days, most common electronics like cameras, computers and mp3 chargers have built in adapters and can be plugged straight into the wall. For all other electronics, you will need to make sure to purchase a converter. Please make sure to check all electronics before plugging them in!
18) Is there a language barrier and is this a problem?
The national language in Peru is Spanish, or Castilian, though there are a number of traditional languages such as Quechua and Aymara the country as well. If you don’t speak Spanish though, you should not be concerned. Your guides are bi-lingual and can help with translation. Also, in tourist areas such as Machu Picchu, many menus and other signs are in both English and Spanish. Of course, if you are able to get down a few phases before your arrival it will only help to interact with locals and make your experience that much better.
For any additional questions about the Peru Gap Year Program please contact Juan Mayorga at juan@rusticpathways.com or Gabriel Porter-Henry at gabe@rusticpathways.com for more specific questions about Peru. |
Rustic Pathways specializes in helping forward-thinking young travelers find their way off the beaten path and into remote areas of the globe, opening up travel and educational opportunities rarely available to the average backpacker. Away Peru brings you into the dynamic and diverse world of the Incas and the Amazon and lets you see a whole new world through the eyes of the people who have lived there for generations. Hike on remote paths through the jagged, glacial peaks of the highest mountain range in the world and visit families who still live in stone houses like their Incan ancestors. Explore blue waters during visits to secluded towns along the shores of Lake Titicaca and enter the primordial jungles of the Amazon. An eclectic mishmash of cultures and climates, Peru is an absolute gem for travelers looking to move off the beaten tourist trail.
From the snow-capped mountains, it will be time to switch gears and head directly into the heart of the world’s largest rainforest – the Amazon. Coast downriver and away from the noise of modern life and step back in time at our jungle retreat. Built using local resources, the lodge offers visitors a chance to experience the jungle and its wildlife in one of its most pristine states. Besides excursions in search of elusive animals such as capybaras and tapirs, you will also spend time getting to know the people who have subsisted off the rivers and jungle for generations. Living in a home stay will allow you to experience the Amazon through the eyes of its most knowledgeable guides and in a way few travelers are lucky enough to enjoy.
Your Peruvian voyage culminates in the rural villages and remote islands of Lake Titicaca and Peru’s altiplano. Stay in local guesthouses and live amongst fishing communities whose colorful traditions and dances date back to a time before the Incas. You will kayak out to floating islands and spend a night star gazing as you float on the peaceful waters of the lake. The locals here will treat you like family, and immersing yourself in the vibrant cultures and seldom-visited areas of Peru will truly bring this spectacular travel destination alive.
