Footprint Peru Handbook (Paperback)

~ Ben Box (Author), (Author) "Ever since the intrepid explorer Hiram Bingham first described Machu Picchu as a ""wonderland"" in a National Geographic article, the fabled Inca city has become..." (more)
Key Phrases: cheaper without bathroom, manu nature tours, street changers, Plaza de Armas, Machu Picchu, San Martin (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An excellent guide written by those who know the country. Highly recommended." South American Explorers

Product Description

Prized for its natural beauty, rich history, and architectural wonders, Peru is the number-one destination in South America, and tourism is booming amidst the country's current political stability. From the publisher and editor of the legendary South America Handbook comes the fourth edition of the Peru Handbook, a leading source of quality, up-to-date travel facts. Editor Ben Box, aka Mr. South America, shares his irrepressible love for Peru, leading readers in exploring the country's grandeur and variety. A new-and-improved table of contents and a new front map highlighting the best sights help visitors plan their trip, and full-color maps cross-referenced with the text aid readers in deciding where to stay, eat, and take in the local culture. Sixteen pages of full-color photographs inspire travelers to visit the country's classic Inca sites such as Machu Picchu as well as embark on adventure travel expeditions, from white-water rafting in the Cordillera Blanca to trekking through the Amazonian jungle. The book includes a section on Spanish for travelers, with basic language to kick-start the learning curve.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 656 pages
• Publisher: Footprint Handbooks; 4th edition (April 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1903471516
• ISBN-13: 978-1903471517
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,428,268 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of best single guides on Peru on the market now., July 1, 2003

By	Allan M. Gathercoal "fdoamerica" (Norcross, GA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I now live in Peru four to six months a year and I have reviewed Peruvian travel guides for the past six years. I must say that the 'Footprint Peru' 4th edition is a quantum improvement over the last edition, and is one of best single guides on Peru on the market now (considering also Rough Guide and Lonely Planet). Another review may appear under my name below but it is for the 3rd edition. Buy the 4th edition.

When it comes to profiling tour operators this guide is superb. If you are hiking the Inca Trail or want to visit the Manu Reserve (Manu only has 7 licenced operators) this guide is a must. The guide has also highlighted some of the NGOs working with abandoned children and environmental issues - applaudable, indeed.

The maps in this edition are much better than the last edition and more user friendly. Many hotels (some hostels) have email addresses and the descriptions and the recommendations are accurate. The sidebars and highlighted information sections are excellent. The restaurant (eating) sections are reliable, however, I found various comments on the decor or music, but `nada' on the food or service.

Ben Box also has a Footprint Guide on Cusco, but I strongly recommend that even if you are going to just Cusco, you skip that guide and purchase this one. This guide is more up to date and reliable. Cusco is in a constant state of change. Many new hotels, hostels and restaurants open yearly and the best place in Cusco, for up to date information, is the 'South American Explorers Club' in Cusco (Lima, also has a club). This guide lists the club and its new address on page 156.

Impressive is the write up on Choquequiaro, 'lost city of the Incas'. Larger than Machu Picchu, and only 30% excavated, it is truly a world class destination and the other guides only give it a slight mention.

The index is basic and could be much better. The guide also lacks an accommodations or restaurant index. Thus, if you have a recommended restaurant you want to look up in a large city (Lima, Arequipa, Cusco etc.) you have to go through all the restaurant pages 'til you stumble across the restaurant you seek or miss seeing it completely.

Offensive is the use of paid advertisements for hotels, tour companies and travel services (there are over 70 ads in this guide - many are full page). Not only are the paid advertisements intrusive, but the advertisements causes one to question the integrity of the guide, especially when a travel company or hotel, with a full page ad, is also strongly recommended by the authors.

The history, politics and culture sections are basic, but do not give you any more information than you could get out of a good encyclopedia. In Peru there is severe environmental damage going on that gets no mention. Also, several ecological alarms are being sounded by various NGOs over the depletion or destruction of various habitats, and, finally, the ineptitude of the government, under the new President, Toledo, is retarding any change. It is alarming that in less than two years the President's approval rating has dropped from 82% to the lowest approval rating in Peruvian history - 14%. The other two contending guides do a much better job of giving a contemporary picture of the state of Peru. For those who want a solid social understanding of this nation, I highly recommend the short, 95 page book, Peru: A Guide to the People, Politics and Culture - Interlink Books.

Overall, Footprint Peru 4th edition is a top rated guide. The accommodations, eateries, sights to see and other information is the best guide out to date. You will do well with the purchase of this guide. Strongly recommended.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For all types of Inca quests, December 1, 2000

By	"jgudorf" (Sacramento) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Footprint Peru Handbook: The Travel Guide (Paperback)

The Footprint guide uses a slightly diffrent approach to travel from other familiar guidebooks. The guide is focused primarily upon treks and hikes in the Andes, along the Inca trail and discovering the archaeological heritage of Peru. For those seeking urban refuge, another book may suffice but if you are in need a holiday away from the hustle bustle this book can take you there (oh and an airline ticket). The detailed maps and cultural descriptions are excellent, I hope to return to Peru with the Footprint guide again!

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, August 29, 2000

By	Stephen Tao (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Footprint Peru Handbook: The Travel Guide (Paperback)

I bought this book because of the Footprint reputation, but itwas a big disaqppointment to me. The information was several years out of date, the text was loaded with typos and misinformation, and the layout of the individual sections was confusing. Too much time was spent on small out-of-the-way villages for my tastes, and too little time on the major sights, such as Machu Picchu, Lima, and Nazca. We were very disappointed in the restaurant reviews, and three of the ones we tried to go to had either closed or had never been there in the first place, according to locals. Finally, we didn't get as strong a sense of the country as we wanted, so the book was an all-out loser from our point of view. If I were to do it again, I'd go for the Lonely Planet's Peru book over this one.