Lonely Planet Peru [Paperback]

Charlotte Beech (Author), Rob Rachowiecki (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2004 | Series: Lonely Planet Peru

This new edition contains expanded information on the Inca Trail, Machu Picchu and Cuzco, plus practical visa, health, safety, and Spanish language details. It contains the best listings for accommodations and dining throughout the entire country.

Editorial Reviews

Review

As usual, the guidebook standard is set by Lonely Planet.

-- Outside (USA) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Destination: Peru

The quintessential South American country, Peru fires the imagination like few other places. A land of magnificent lost cities, rich cultural heritage and dizzying historical upheavals, it has long drawn treasure-hunters and travelers alike, united in their search to uncover the secrets and wealth of remarkable, sometimes remote civilizations. Peru played host to the fabulous Inca Empire that flourished 500 years ago, but this was just the last of dozens of complex pre-Columbian civilizations, including those that built massive pyramids or drew immense and indecipherable shapes on the desert floor. Explorers are only just beginning to comprehend the sheer scope of the country's archaeological assets, continually discovering new and ever-more exciting ancient sites.

Peru is also a country of astounding natural diversity. Climb from parched expanses of dusty desert to the cool sapphire-blue waters of Lake Titicaca or descend from the jaw-dropping glaciated pinnacles of the Andes to lush jungles replete with wildlife. Outdoor adventurers will be itching to try the multitude of walking and wildlife-watching activities available. Culturally, the country is equally diverse. From the wild Afro-Peruvian music of the coast to the deeply ingrained traditions of the ancient cultures of the highlands; or from the modern beat of Lima nightlife to the timeless sounds of Amazonian Indian dance - wherever they go, travelers are welcomed by curious, big-hearted folk that tackle their underlying poverty with gusto and a lust for life.

Add to all of this the most strikingly familiar image in South America - the awesome, cloud-topping Inca city of Machu Picchu - and you have a simply unmissable destination.

Product Details

• Paperback: 440 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet; 5th edition (January 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1740592093
• ISBN-13: 978-1740592093
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #869,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #91 in Books > Travel > Latin America > South America > Peru

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Usefull, lots of good advice and accurate guides, June 10, 2010

By 

Mark Sanchez (Phoenix, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lonely Planet Peru (Country Travel Guide) (Paperback)

Bought the 2010 edition of the Lonely Planet Peru right when it came out, just weeks before my trip to Peru. Before leaving for Peru I also read the Moon Handbook and Eyewitness Travel, but this was the only book we carried. We did a typical trip from Lima to Cusco, Pisac, Ollanta, Machu Picchu, and then on to Puerto Maldonado & the Amazon Basin. The only issue we ran into, that wasn't the fault of Lonely Planet, was that the major flooding in early 2010 that wiped out the railroads for several months from Cusco to Aguas Callientes (Machu Picchu) caused a lot of unknowns when dealing with Perurail. This edition was not without its inaccuracies though. For example, at the time of our visit, you could not buy entrance tickets at the entrance to Machu Picchu; you had to buy them below at the MP ticket office in Aguas Callientes (which is only a recommended option by Lonely Planet). They should also point out that the ATM's in Aguas Callientes seem to never have cash, so have enough beforehand.

We tried several of Lonely Planet's "picks" for restaurants and hotels, and definitely agree with their recommendations. Price guidelines for hotels and food were useful and fairly accurate too. Knowing what a bus or cab should cost before getting onboard was very helpful. The book also had some good recommendations for hikes and side-trips that I didn't see in the other books I read. I will say that the Moon Travel book has a lot of good recommendations that we took as well. Traveling in Peru is not very complicated, but we made good use of this guide and I would recommend it. Peru is an amazing place to travel and the 2010 Lonely Planet guide helped a lot.

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Practical advice, cultural perspectives, good maps, March 4, 2005

By 

Carol Watkins "Psychiatrist" (Parkton, Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lonely Planet Peru (Paperback)

I never visit a country with just one guidebook. For Peru, with its diversity of places and wildlife I got several. However if I really had to pick my favorite for Peru, I would chose Lonely Planet. The city maps are fairly good for the larger, more visited areas. The sections on history and culture are interesting and insightful without being too lengthy.

I particularly liked the section on health issues. This guidebook did a better job with altitude sickness, and some of the jungle diseases than any of the other guidebooks I have read. To my chagrim, I read that the two most commonly used medications for altitude sickness were contraindicated for me. I found out that I would have to plan well before my trip so that I could get all of the the proper immunizations for the jungle part of our trip. Based on the book, I decided to get a travel medicine consult--a very good move that probably saved me a lot of potential problems.

The sections on social customs and conveniences were helpful. You wouldn't buy a guidebook just because it has a section explaining Peruvain toilets and toilet paper, but things like this are really really useful if you are traveling with kids.

The climate charts for different sections of Peru only occupy a page or two, but are actually quite helpful in planning vacation dates.

I would have liked for the guide to include more information on the beautiful and remote Manu National Park. I had to buy another book and go on the Internet to get much information on that area.

41 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed with this Guide, November 23, 2005

By 

Promethius (South Florida) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lonely Planet Peru (Paperback)

This is the first Lonely Planet guide my wife and I have ever been disappointed with. We were in Peru in November of 2005 and relied on this guide to plan hotels, excursions and restaurants in Lima and Cusco.

The big problem with this guide was with the information on Cusco -- prices and information were out of date, and we were constantly surprised to find that things the book lists as free cost money, and the costs of tours, trips, and entrance fees were much more than what the book stated. I would go as far as to say that the book was wrong more than 80% of the time. Consequently, we eneded up spending much more money that we had anticipated, and ended up not going to several sites to avoid blowing the budget we set for this trip. An added drawback to this book was, when walking around Cusco with it in hand, having guides and other tourists go out of their way to tell you what a bad guidebook this is. (I wish I was making this up.)

I also found that the information on hotels in Lima was not very good. The hotel I stayed at was excellent and not even listed. However, the hotel next door, which was not nearly as nice, was listed and given high marks. I would have been upset if I relied on the book and stayed at the place next door.

I believe these problems are all because this guide has not been updated. And until it is, I wouldn't recommend relying on it to plan a vacation.