Quick facts
Approximate daily budget? Peru’s costs are mid-range, similar to South Africa. Our average expenses were about R1 450 per day, which included, food, accommodation, diesel and car services, and entrance fees to tourist attractions (of which there were many).
It is not easy to camp wild in Peru, but we could sleep in our rooftop tent most of the time. We only stayed in formal accommodation when we had no other option, like in Manu National Park, and the island on Lake Titicaca.
Getting around? Peru has internal flights to most destinations, and bus transport is well priced and of a high standard. We enjoy travelling in the front row on the top deck for a panoramic view of the passing countryside. Camping? Camping as we know it in South Africa does not really exist in Peru. But there are several establishments where you can park your overland vehicle for a few nights. There are also many hikes where you can use a hiking tent. The Peruvian Amazon? Most visitors go to Peru for Machu
Picchu and the Andes. But after Brazil, it’s the country with the second-largest portion of Amazon rainforest in South America.
Peru is an excellent choice if you have time constraints and you want an authentic experience of the Amazon.
Safety? Although Peru is reasonably safe, you should still be careful, especially in Lima and the other bigger cities. Some rural areas are not particularly safe either.
Handy resources: ioverlander. com; “PanAmerican Travelers Association” on Facebook; Lonely Planet Peru; Trekking Peru: A Traveler’s Guide by Daisy and Robert Kunstaetter; Mapas Topográficos de la region Cusco (Kuskin Editores). Visa? South Africans do not need a visa to visit Peru. You will be issued with a 90-day permit at the border. If you travel in a foreign-registered vehicle, the vehicle will be issued with a TIP ( Temporary Import Permit) for the same duration. In Peru, the TIP can be suspended for a pre-determined period if you want to leave the country. Although this is quite a laborious process (allow three to four working days), we have done this twice – our Landy was in Peru during the lockdown.