Prices in Peru, Medical Tourism and Chifa!

‘Carguy’ recently visited Peru from the United States and was shocked by how affordable everything was… even unexpected emergency health care! Not only were the prices low, but the quality and service, from the assistance at pharmacy, to the quality of the soda, to the nutritiousness of the food, was far above what he was used to. Suffice it to say, Carguy loved Peru!

February 10, 2010 | Opinion

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Without Machu Picchu you’ll enjoy the trip of a lifetime

SPECIAL: PERU WITHOUT MACHU PICCHU – Machu Picchu is closed. It will stay that way through all of February at the very least. Do you have your flights booked and are wondering what to do next? Should you cancel or put off your trip to Cuzco?

February 4, 2010 | Travel and Places

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Access to Machu Picchu completely destroyed

Machu Picchu looks set to be out of service for quite some time as the single rail link taking tourists to the ancient Inca citadel has been completely wiped out. Peru’s over-sold main tourist attraction is an example of hyping a single site in a single small area of Peru to concentrate revenue that now looks to be backfiring.

See the amazing photos and videos of the destruction here.

January 28, 2010 | News, Opinion

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Thousands of tourists trapped at Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley cut off, Rescue plans need re-think

Somewhere between 2000 and 3000 tourists are trapped in Aguas Calientes, also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo, with plans to evacuate getting ever more complicated.

January 26, 2010 | News

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Emergency declared in Cusco: Heavy rains flood the region

UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS – State of Emergency in six provinces of Cusco and all of Apurímac. Weather service reports rain around 67% in excess of the norm. 66 people rescued from Aguas Calientes by helicopters, 3000 tourists and locals are trapped. 8 people dead, including two foreign tourists, and more than 7000 families left homeless.

January 26, 2010 | Nature, News

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Tourism and the Town of Pimentel

Here in the north tourist towns are not numerous. To the south of Chiclayo is Huanchaco beach near Trujillo, a distance of 250 miles. North of Chiclayo is Máncora and Punta Sal, a distance of some 200 miles. In our immediate area we’re limited to Pimentel.

December 11, 2009 | Lambayeque & Chiclayo Guide

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Peruvian gastronomy could become world cultural heritage

Thanks to its extreme biodiversity and the history of cultural mixing, Peru’s cuisine is increasingly considered one of the world’s greats. It is for this reason that the government has unveiled plans to make the country’s gastronomy an item of World Heritage in the “culture” category.

September 29, 2009 | News, Peruvian Food

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PromPeru: Living the Legend

The new promotional video from PromPeru; some say it’s wonderful, others that it’s a little bizarre.

What do you think?

September 25, 2008 | Opinion

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Chivay

The small town of Chivay is most people’s entry point into the Colca Canyon. It sits near the Colca Valley’s wider end, the mouth of the valley, and from here a small road travels a slow couple of kilometres to Cabanaconde via several other small villages.

May 21, 2008 | Arequipa Guide

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Tourism killing Tourism

Inca ruins, splendours from even-older cultures, Spanish colonial towns, pristine jungles and good food: Peru has much to offer the tourists who are flocking there in ever-greater numbers. But if it is not careful, its tourist industry risks becoming its own worst enemy.

February 21, 2008 | News, Opinion

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The Gringo Tax

Phil from Bolivia Blog explains the concept of the Gringo Tax.
“Although living in La Paz as a gringo is great it can have its problems not least of which is the constant battle against the “gringo tax” that the locals constantly try applying. Whilst not every single local increases the price it is certainly common place as they assume all gringos are rich and they assume all gringos are tourists that don’t know the price of things. A sure sign they are going to ‘up a price’ is when there is a pause after you ask how much something is whilst they weigh up how much they are going to ask for. Don’t be fooled into thinking they are trying to remember how much something is, they are trying to decide how much it is for YOU. “

March 18, 2007 | Opinion

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New tourist protections no deterrent?

The new bills signed into law recently may not be the deterrent the government hoped as two foreigners were robbed last night. The separate incidents, likely related, involved kidnapping a Chilean and an Argentine from Lima’s Costa Verde.

March 14, 2007 | News

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