Peru is a great destination for nature lovers. From those looking for historical tours to those looking for wildlife viewing, there is a lot to see and do in Peru.
Peru boasts of a lot of natural beauty as evidenced in its landscapes and forests. It was the pride of Europe in the 16th century and is home to the Incas. Peru retains its status as one of the top tourist destinations and offers a fantastic mix of nature and modern civilization to the tourist.
The population in Peru is distributed between 54% Indian, 32% Mestizo (a combination of European with Indian descent), a small Asian minority, 12% Spanish descent and a 2% Black presence. The country has a democratically led government and some of its major industries deal in paper, coca leaves, chemicals, oil, cement, steel and ship building.
Moving within Peru
Since Peru is a huge country, tourists need to take flights internally within the country to move to locations of their choice. With four big airline companies operating frequent flights besides some smaller airlines, a tourist is not inconvenienced at all. There are many public buses which are inexpensive and ideal to cover long distances. As a tourist, you need to ensure that you always carry your passport with you. When using cabs, you need to decide on the amount before hand as there is no meter.
Tourist season
The peak is between June to August and for those interested in hiking, the highlands present a wonderful opportunity being the dry season. Peru’s peak tourist season is from June to August, which is the dry season in the highlands, and this is the best time to go if you’re interested in hiking. Peru enjoys tourist attention through the year and some of the major festivals centered around tourism normally take place in the wettest months. The beaches of Peru are also witness to huge tourist inflow and tourists take advantage of the period between January to April to soak in the sun at these beaches.
Clothing to bring along
The diversity that Peru offers to a tourist means that you need to bring a combination of warm and light clothing that will stand you in good stead for the mountains as well as for the desert safaris you might wish to go for. It is advisable to carry enough stock of medicines, sunscreen and if you are planning to go on a camping tour, you can take along some hiking boots, a sleeping bag, water purification tablets and a raincoat.
Sunburn
Since Peru is in the tropics, the effect of the sun is very harsh and it is advisable to take adequate precautions in the form of a sunhat and sunscreen and you must make sure that you do not expose yourself to direct rays of the sun in the period between 11.00am and 14.00hrs. You must remain hydrated by imbibing lot of fluids.
Other precautions to be taken include eating cooked food and avoiding tap water.