Useful travel info for Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia

Altitude sickness while traveling in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador What you need to know while travelling on high altitude locations When you travel to Peru, Bolivia, or Ecuador, you are likely going to travel at an higher altitude than your body is used to. One of the things you have to be prepared for while you travel to higher altitudes and/ or climbing mountains in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia is altitude sickness or “soroche”.  The cause of altitude sickness is because on higher altitude there is less oxygen in the air around us and usually the air is drier. Our body needs to make more red blood cells to compensate the lesser amount of oxygen. For most people the process

Information about Machu Picchu and joining Machu Picchu Tours: If you want to visit Machu Picchu, but don’t know yet where to start, we can recommend to read the following information about Machu Picchu, so you will be well prepared. The Machu Picchu ticket price to only enter the archaeological site of Machu Picchu is at the moment of writing (February 2024) 152 Soles, around 40 US$. This ticket is only valid for max. four hours and to follow one of the 4 designated walking circuits. To climb either the Huayna Picchu, or Machu Picchu Mountain, you need to buy a special ticket for 200 Soles (around 52 US$)! When you hike the Inca Trail it is NOT possible to

The Fairtravel4u Guide to the Galapagos Islands Information Lying 970 km (600 miles) west of the Ecuadorian coast on the equator, the Galapagos Islands consist of 6 main islands, 12 smaller islands and over 40 small islets. The Galapagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands that originated about 10 million years ago. Since their formation 10 million years ago, to their discovery in 1535 by Thomas de Berlanga, the Spanish Bishop of Panama, the Galapagos Islands were completely isolated from the mainland. Throughout the millennia, a large number of birds, reptiles, insects, and plants drifted or flew to its shores, creating the unique flora and fauna found in the Galapagos today. The Islands have never been connected to a

Amazon Jungle Info This post provides you with more information about the western Amazon Rainforest, including: Madidi National Park Beni Biosphere Reserve and Serere Sanctuary in Bolivia Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, close to Iquitos, Peru Manu (Biosphere) Reserve Tambopata Candamo Reserve and Bahuaja-Sonene National Park in Peru Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve and Yasuni National Park in Ecuador Madidi National Park Was created in 1995. Officially The PN (Parque Nacional) and IMNA (Integrated Management Natural Area) Madidi covers 18,957.5 km2 (1,895,740 ha, or 4,5000,000 acres) of which 12,715 km² come under the heading of National Park and 6,242.5 km² are categorized under the Integrated Management Natural Area. This area ranges from the Amazonian lowlands of the rivers Heath and Tuichi, at 200

14 Quick Travel Safety Tips to Travel Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia These safety tips will help you to prevent many potential problems during your travels in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia Our first important travel safety tip is not to worry too much while traveling. A careful but relaxed mindset will already prevent most problems. Read also our separate articles with extended information and tips about safety in Peru and safety in Ecuador. 1- Make pictures Before you go traveling, it can be very useful to make photos of your most important documents and send them to your mailbox, in case you get stolen from everything. If you arrive in a new country it is also useful to make a copy

Volunteer Work in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia Recommendations to find Volunteer work If you look on the internet you can see that ‘volunteer work’ is growing fast in popularity and many tour agencies have noticed this. Even big tour operators now offer 3 weeks Peru, during which their customers can see the highlights of the country and do a few days of volunteer work… You can argue that even a few days of help is better than no help, but our experience with sustainable volunteer work is that you already need several days to actually get to know the job. Our biggest complain however is that several travel agencies offer volunteer work to earn more money. Volunteer work is becoming

The different Machu Picchu tours in Peru Almost everyone who wants to travel to Peru will also look online for available Machu Picchu tours. And when you do this, you will find many, many options. But how do you pick the best Machu Picchu tour for yourself? For many travellers their best Machu Picchu tour will depend on their budget and the physical shape. Below I will give several tips that can help you to choose the best tour for you. Important information about visiting Machu Picchu Machu Picchu is located at an altitude of 2400 meter, 8 km away from Aguas Calientes (2000 meter altitude). Aguas Calientes is now officially called Machu Picchu Pueblo) and can only be reached

Train to Machu Picchu in Peru Machu Picchu is located on a mountain, surrounded by other mountains and valleys and there is actually no train to Machu Picchu. But most visitors travel by train to Machu Picchu Pueblo. This is the new touristic name of Aguas Calientes, a small town at the feet of the mountain that carries the archaeological site of Machu Picchu. There are no roads to Aguas Calientes, therefore your will either have to take the train or walk to reach this town. Those who want to walk, will have to start at the train station for the Hydraulic power plant on the other side of the mountain that carries Machu Picchu. You can take local/ tourist

Popular Peru trips Peru trips belong to some of the most popular tours in South America. This is not surprising, because Peru has something to offer for almost every type of traveler. You can undertake impressive mountain hikes in the area of Huaraz and Cusco; You can explore various nature reserves in the Amazon Rainforest feeling like a real explorer; In Punta Sal you can lie in the sun on the beach, while Huanchaco and Chicama are ideal destinations for travelers who love surfing. You can also hike to the 771 meter high Gocta Waterfall in Chachapoyas, the north of Peru. This is the third highest waterfall in the world! Lack of time while traveling Yes, Peru trips are popular

When people plan their tour into Bolivia they frequently ask us about the current safety conditions in Bolivia They are worried about getting robbed, or getting stuck behind road blocks. To be honest, traveling in Bolivia is more adventures than in many other countries and yes, there are realistic risks of getting stuck behind a road block. Although the last few years it is happening less than in the past, the Bolivians still like their protest and road blocks. It is almost part of your cultural experience while traveling in Bolivia. And as for robbery, the risks are just as big, or small as in many countries around the world. However, there is another risk, which is much more likely

The safety in Ecuador is currently a hot topic for travellers who want to visit this beautiful country. So naturally one of the first questions people ask us when they want to book a tour in Ecuador is: “How safe is it to travel in Ecuador?”. They are worried about getting involved in gang violence, getting robbed, or getting stuck in a protest with indigenous people. Although these risks exist, it is not common that tourists in Ecuador get involved in any of them. However, there is another risk, which can affect your holiday in a negative way if you don’t prepare well. This risk is called altitude sickness in Ecuador and start for some travellers already when they arrive

When people plan their tour to Peru they frequently ask us about the safety conditions in Peru. They are worried about getting robbed, or getting stuck in a protest. Although these risks exist, like almost everywhere in the world, most tourists in Peru will not encounter any of these problems. However, there is another risk, which is more likely to affect your holiday in a negative way if you don’t prepare well. This risk is called altitude sickness in Peru. Altitude sickness Altitude sickness is caused by there being less oxygen in the air at higher altitudes. And usually the air is also less humid. Our body needs to make more red blood cells to compensate the lesser amount of

Recently a student who is writing a thesis about promoting tourism in Ecuador asked me: “Why Ecuador?” It is the main goal of her thesis, to find the best way to promote Ecuador as a great tourist destination for Dutch tourists. It is a very interesting question. I love Ecuador, but even after visiting Ecuador for 20 years now, I still don’t know the best way to promote tourism in Ecuador. Why Ecuador struggles to be recognised? Maybe we can answer that question by looking at the way how neighbouring countries Colombia and Peru represent themselves? A good example are the travellers I used to meet in Peru and who were on their way to Colombia. They were often discussing

Who says “Ecuador”, says “Galapagos Islands”, but this is only one of the many tourist destinations in Ecuador. If you ask a random traveller about touristic highlights in Ecuador and he/ she knows where Ecuador is, then they will likely answer: “The Galapagos Islands, the train ride along Nariz del Diablo, the Quilotoa Loop trek, the Saturday market of Otavalo and the active Cotopaxi Volcano. But Ecuador has so much more to offer! Visiting this relative small country is literarily visiting the whole world in a nutshell. From west to east and north to south, you find four different world full of touristic highlights. Below I will mention my own favourite known and lesser known tourist destinations in Ecuador. The

When travelling in Bolivia it is usually not really the safety in Bolivia that you have to worry about. A popular saying in Bolivia is: “Todo posible, nada seguro”. This means that in Bolivia everything possible is, but there are no guarantees. It means that when you travel in Bolivia you have to be flexible and be prepared that travel schedules don’t always go as planned. Safety questions about Bolivia What about safety in Bolivia? How safe is it to travel by bus in Bolivia? Are overnight buses in Bolivia safe to travel with? Is it safe to travel by myself? Is it safe for me to travel through Bolivia as a solo female traveller? It are all questions we

What about our safety in Ecuador? Is it safe to travel around through Ecuador? How safe is it to travel by bus in Ecuador? Is it safe for me to travel in Ecuador as a solo female traveller? It are all questions we receive frequently and they don’t surprise us. If you consider that Ecuador has mainly been negatively in the news the past few years. Huge (indigenous) protest, road blocks, gang violence and recently even the killings of political figures who wanted to do something against the recent gang violence. With all this negativity it is only natural that people are currently a bit anxious to travel to Ecuador. But in general the gang violence is not aimed against

What about safety in Peru? Is it safe to travel by myself? How safe is it to travel by bus in Peru? Are overnight buses in Peru safe to travel with? Is it safe for me to travel through Peru as a solo female traveller? It are all questions we receive frequently and they don’t surprise us. If you consider that a country like Peru is more likely to reach mainstream news when something negative has happened, it is only natural that people who have never travelled to South America will feel more cautious. However, the problem is how to answer these questions about safety in Peru? Yes, there is organised crime in Peru. But no, most tourists will not

What is the weather in Peru like? When is the best time to travel to Peru? It are frequently asked questions and the answers will depend on what your travel plans in Peru are. The location of Peru Peru is located on the southern hemisphere. So for those of us who live in the northern hemisphere, the meteorological summer and winter in Peru are opposed to our summer and winter. If you visit the Peruvian coast, especially Lima, during our summer you are likely to encounter grey skies and a chilly, humid climate. However, the other way around, this doesn’t mean that a vacation in Peru is a great way to escape the cold winter in the northern hemisphere. Sun,

Peru is a big country, even 37 times as big as the Netherlands. The most common ways to travel the long distances between the bigger cities in Peru is by comfortable overnight bus, or by flying. For those who can afford to fly, this is of course the most comfortable option. Because flying Peru is so common there are several airlines which operate in Peru. These airlines include: Sky, JetSMART, Star Peru and LATAM. The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on flying Peru Before the Covid-19 pandemic, there was still a decent competition between various different airline companies on important flying routes within Peru, like the one between Lima and Cusco. But even then LATAM was already a dominating airline

Do I need a tourist visa Peru? Most citizen from Europe, the United Kingdom and United States of America don’t need to apply for any visa if the want to visit Peru as a tourist. You will only need to show a passport that is still valid for six months at the moment that you enter Peru. UNLESS your nationality is from one of these six European countries: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaiyán, Bosnia y Herzegovina, Georgia y Kosovo, then you need to apply for a tourist visa. For more information about the need for a tourist visa and how to apply, you can check the official website of the Peruvian government (only available in Spanish). More information in English, although, unfortunately,

Information about Machu Picchu and joining Machu Picchu Tours: If you want to visit Machu Picchu, but don’t know yet where to start, we can recommend to read the following information about Machu Picchu, so you will be well prepared. The Machu Picchu ticket price to only enter the archaeological site of Machu Picchu is at the moment of writing (February 2024) 152 Soles, around 40 US$. This ticket is only valid for max. four hours and to follow one of the 4 designated walking circuits. To climb either the Huayna Picchu, or Machu Picchu Mountain, you need to buy a special ticket for 200 Soles (around 52 US$)! When you hike the Inca Trail it is NOT possible to

Which travel plugs should I use in Peru? It’s a frequently asked question and there are different answers. There are no fewer than four different types of sockets used in Peru! Dutch electrical plugs Electrical appliances in the Netherlands mainly use plugs of types C and F and our sockets are therefore also adapted to this. However, the most common sockets in Peru are made for the so-called American plug model, or plug model A and B. For example, if you bought a telephone and/or photo camera in the Netherlands, the charger usually has a plug of model C. Travel plugs Peru Nowadays you see more and more electrical sockets in Peru that are suitable for plugs A, B and

When to travel to Peru? Customers often ask when is the best time to travel to Peru. Although Peru is located in the Southern Hemisphere and its summer falls in our winter, it is often not the best time to travel. This is because summer in Peru corresponds to the rainy season. Especially in the highlands and in the Amazon rainforest. This means that there is a high chance of rain every day. Now a real Dutchman is of course not afraid of a little rain. But when he goes on holiday to Peru, he prefers as little rain as possible. Few people will enjoy navigating the whole day around on Lake Titicaca in the pouring rain. A visit to

Altitude sickness while traveling in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador What you need to know while travelling on high altitude locations When you travel to Peru, Bolivia, or Ecuador, you are likely going to travel at an higher altitude than your body is used to. One of the things you have to be prepared for while you travel to higher altitudes and/ or climbing mountains in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia is altitude sickness or “soroche”.  The cause of altitude sickness is because on higher altitude there is less oxygen in the air around us and usually the air is drier. Our body needs to make more red blood cells to compensate the lesser amount of oxygen. For most people the process

Hiking in Ecuador Ecuador is a versatile country and is ideal for beautiful hiking trips. The varied landscapes provide a special experience while hiking. In addition to the beautiful hiking trails that Ecuador offers, the country is also known for its large number of mountains. This makes Ecuador very suitable for mountaineers. But what are the best tours for hiking in Ecuador? Hiking Ecuador and mountaineering in Ecuador Ecuador is about 7 times the size of the Netherlands. It is a fertile country with large differences in height on a relatively small surface. This ensures a wide variety of landscapes, which makes hiking in Ecuador attractive. Those who prefer to climb a mountain can also indulge themselves in Ecuador. There

Car Rental in Ecuador This article will soon also be in English Een auto huren in Ecuador? Waar moet je rekening mee houden? Na de Corona Crisis is er meer vraag naar rondreizen door Ecuador met een huurauto. Dit is begrijpelijk, want een huurauto biedt meer vrijheid om te reizen waar en wanneer je maar wilt. Maar wat doe je als je de weg kwijtraakt, als er wegblokkades of kleine aardverschuivingen zijn, als je autopech hebt, of nog erger, een ongeluk krijgt? Spreek je Spaans? In dit artikel Auto huren Ecuador zal ik proberen om enkele van deze vragen te beantwoorden. Het verzekeren van een huurauto in Ecuador Om maar meteen met de belangrijkste waarschuwing te beginnen: Ecuador kent (nog)

Flying in Corona Crisis “Is it worth it to fly from A to B during the Corona Crisis?” I’m sure many people have been asking and are asking themselves this question in this current Covid-19 pandemic. I did the same when I got a job offer in Ecuador, which meant that I had to fly from Peru into Ecuador. I’m in a decent spot with good company and a job that’s just about sustainable, so why would I travel by plane to Ecuador? First of all there was no guarantee that I would be able to keep my job in Peru for the next few months, while the job in Ecuador will be for 6 months. Second, I needed the