Lonely Planet Peru (Country Guide) [Paperback]

Sara Benson (Author), Paul Hellander (Author), Rafael Wlodarski (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 23, 2007 | Series: Country Guide

Discover Peru

Bike, hike and ride a scary cable car to Machu Picchu on one of five alternatives to the busy Inca Trail.
Glide past manatees, dolphins, monkeys and macaws in the Reserva Nacional Pacaya-Samiria.
Swill a scoopful of chicha - saliva-fermented corn beer - to earn the respect of the locals.
Descend into the narrow, hallucinatory underground chambers of the millennia-old ruins at Chavin de Huantar.

In This Guide:

Three authors, 144 days of on-the-road research via planes, riverboats, and dozens of death-defying bus rides.
Dedicated Peru Outdoors chapter, plus expanded activities coverage throughout.
Get the inside story on the Inca world from notes explorer and author Hugh Thomson.
Content updated daily - visit lonelyplanet.com for up-to-the minute reviews and traveler suggestions.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...for the adventurous traveler who wants to live like a native.' --Real Simple Magazine, June 2005

From the Publisher

Who We Are
At Lonely Planet, we see our job as inspiring and enabling travellers to connect with the world for their own benefit and for the benefit of the world at large.

What We Do
* We offer travellers the world's richest travel advice, informed by the collective wisdom of over 350 Lonely Planet authors living in 37 countries and fluent in 70 languages.
* We are relentless in finding the special, the unique and the different for travellers wherever they are.
* When we update our guidebooks, we check every listing, in person, every time.
* We always offer the trusted filter for those who are curious, open minded and independent.
* We challenge our growing community of travellers; leading debate and discussion about travel and the world.
* We tell it like it is without fear or favor in service of the travellers; not clouded by any other motive.

What We Believe
We believe that travel leads to a deeper cultural understanding and compassion and therefore a better world.

Product Details

• Paperback: 564 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet; 6th edition (April 23, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1740597494
• ISBN-13: 978-1740597494
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #587,922 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #89 in Books > Travel > South America > Peru

More About the Author

After graduating from college in Chicago, Sara jumped on a plane to the West Coast with just one suitcase and $100 in her pocket. She landed in San Francisco, and today makes her home on the central California coast. She also spent three years living in Japan, after which she followed her wanderlust backpacking around Asia for almost a year before returning to the USA, where she has worked as a teacher, a journalist and a national park ranger. She is an all-seasons outdoor enthusiast.

The author of 50 travel and non-fiction books, Sara's writing has featured in national and international newspapers and magazines, including online content for the Los Angeles Times, National Geographic Traveler and Jetsetter. Sara has written for travel guidebook publishers including Lonely Planet, Frommer's, Compass American Guides (Fodor's), Wilderness Press and Countryman Press.

Her top-three favorite countries (so far, that is) are Nepal, Morocco and Cambodia, but Iceland, Namibia and Vietnam are next on her must-see life list. Back in the USA, her favorite places to hang out include California, Hawaii, Las Vegas and just about any national park. And her most memorable travel experience? Falling off a camel at the edge of the Sahara Desert.

To hear more about Sara's travel adventures, visit her blogs at http://indietraveler.blogspot.com and http://toptrailsmaui.blogspot.com. You can also follow her on Twitter (@indie_traveler) or download her best-selling iTunes mobile travel app, Viva Las Vegas, Baby! (www.sutromedia.com/apps/viva_vegas).

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 59 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Choose a different guide! June 5, 2007

By Edward Smith

Format:Paperback

Lonely Planet typically does a decent job with its guide books and I have bought quite a few of them. However, Lonely Planet Peru does not make the cut. This book is awful. I just purchased the newest version (2007) for a trip to Peru in May 2007 and the information in the book was almost useless.

First, there is a lot of incorrect information. For example, we had our hearts set on eating at a restaurant recommended by Lonely Planet in Cusco, but when we got to the address, we found that the restaurant was out of business. Also discovered that many addresses are wrong. Descriptions of the bus trip from Puno, Peru to La Paz, Bolivia are misleading, and the overall organization of the book is confusing and very disappointing.

Do yourself a favor and look for a different Peru guide book.

22 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars RIGHT ON LONELY PLANET PERU August 1, 2007

By Jack Levic

Format:Paperback

The LONELY PLANET guides are always my one stop source guide when I travel. It was my bible on my trip to PERU. There aren't a lot of travel guides written about Peru but LONELY PLANET had the information I needed. The series always provides insight into the history and culture of a country. Peru is tranforming itself into a tourist country. It's a work in progress so realize that information can become quickly outdated once a book is published. Restaurants open and close, details on museums change so keep that in mind with any travel guide. I traveled to several cities and found the LONELY PLANET guide to be immensely useful. Lonely Planet guides are great for people of all budgets. Hotels and restaurants are broken down into budget and expensive. You have the choice. I used LONELY PLANET PERU to make my hotel decisions and couldn't have been more pleased with their honest recommendations. If a place is shabby but has a great staff and location, Lonely Planet will tell it like it is. I found their suggestions and recommendations to be right on the mark.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Filled with useful info April 14, 2007

By BudaAndi

Format:Paperback

We planned a three week trip using info from this book, booked hotels, found local travel agencies, do it yourself stuff and found lots of information on what to do, see, avoid and even the info on taxis (so you don't get ripped off). We actually added another stop after reading about it in LP. I've used mostly LP guides for travel and haven't been let down. This book was really helpful in how to reach various places since most just take your reservation and you pay cash when you arrive. Includes info on bus and tour companies to use or avoid.