It is possible to travel all year round in Peru. The country is divided into 3 distinct sectors.

• Coast: winter from May to November, summer from December to April
• Andes: dry and cold season from May to November, wet and relatively hot season from December to April.
• Amazonia: dry and hot season from May to November, wet and hot rainy season from December to April.

If you want to travel on the coast in particular, you should favour the coastal summer (December to April) when the sky is clear of mist, which plunges the sky for a good part of the year.

The best time to visit the Andes is during the dry and cold season (from May to November), with a preference for the months of May and October: in May it is no longer raining and it is not yet cold, in October it is no longer cold and it is not yet raining…

On the other hand, the main festivals in the south are in June and July…
In the case of the Amazon, it is necessary to avoid going there during the rainy season, as this is a relatively dangerous period due to landslides, among other things

No VISA is required for Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador or Brazil for stays of less than 90 days.

Upon arrival in the country, a passport valid for 6 months before the expiry date is required. During your stay, you will keep a document from the migration service which it is important to keep until you leave the country.

The national currency is the Nuevo Sol (S/.) but the U.S. dollar and the euro are commonly used, especially in tourist places (especially the dollar).

ATMs can be found in every city, even small ones. You will be able to make direct withdrawals in national currency,

You can also change your foreign money in the Foreign Exchange Houses. They offer security and a better conversion rate than banks (which often have excessive commissions).

There is also no problem changing Travellers Cheques, which are negotiable in most Foreign Exchange Houses, provided of course that you have your passport with you.

When travelling with Pasión Andina, meals are often not included. You will spend between 5 and 15 dollars for a meal without drinks, which means between 10 and 30 dollars a day.

Also include an amount for souvenirs and personal expenses!

Peru and other South American countries are generally relatively safe countries!

As everywhere, however, it is important to be careful with your belongings and avoid showing off your values too much, especially in poorer or less touristy areas. The time and the place where you walk are obviously important…

Travelling with Pasión Andina is a guarantee of safety because we will take you to places we know. When necessary, we will advise you not to take your valuable belongings with you.

Material to take with you

Basic first aid kit (bandages, disinfectant, tape, 1 pain reliever, 1 disinflammatory, immodium, broad spectrum antibiotic, mosquito repellent, lip stick, etc.)

The traveller is by definition the person who moves away from his or her usual environment.

Microbes or living conditions that do not cause any harm to the habituated resident may disturb the passing traveler. In itself, a simple change in eating habits can cause digestive disorders or even diarrhoea…

Before your departure, it is recommended to ask your doctor for a complete check-up.

It is the responsibility of each traveller to take a small travel pharmacy with them with basic medications (aspirin, imodium, anti-inflammatory, etc).

You can visit this page for more information: www.safetravel.ch

No vaccinations are required to enter the country, i.e. the authorities at customs will not require a vaccination booklet.

However, it is strongly recommended to be up to date with the following vaccinations: tetanus, diphtheria, hepatitis A and B, measles, typhoid.

If you intend to visit the Amazon, you must get the yellow fever vaccine.

Altitude sickness (called Soroche in Peru) can occur when a body rises above 2’500 m.

According to the natural laws of physics, atmospheric pressure decreases as we rise in altitude. More precisely, while the pressure is at 1’015 millibars at sea level, at 3’300 m altitude we have only 692 millibars. It’s the same with the oxygen level.

When one climbs rapidly above 2’500 m., the lack of oxygen starts to be felt. Altitude sickness is the simple result of poor oxygenation.

Then the first symptoms appear:

• Headache
• Nausea
• Loss of balance
• Exhaustion at the slightest effort

These symptoms are not a cause of concern and the majority of people who go above 2’500 m. altitude experience them. In general, the discomfort subsides after two or three days and is quickly forgotten.

If this is not the case, it is necessary to go back down to a lower altitude, so that everything returns to normal.

At Pasión Andina we have a hyperbaric chamber for our expeditions in the Salar de Uyuni.

What should I do once at altitude to minimize symptoms?

The best is to make a climb in several stages, of two or three days for example, sleeping at altitudes below 3’000m.

But often for reasons of time, a trip includes air connections, which means that you arrive directly at altitude. In this case, once you arrive at the hotel, the best thing to do is to rest, do not move around too much, do not make sudden and unnecessary efforts (avoid carrying suitcases for example), do not run under any circumstances, even if you feel able to, at least after four or five days after staying at altitude.

It is also not recommended to eat too much during the first three days and if you plan to trek, you should stay at least a few days at altitude, quietly, before setting off.

Also, alcohol is clearly not recommended for the first few days.

If necessary, good hotels always have an oxygen tank at the guests’ disposal. If the discomfort persists, a doctor should be consulted.

Climbers who continue to climb despite the onset of these symptoms are at risk of brain or lung complications, which can be life-threatening.

• Cerebral edema: It is manifested by severe and persistent headaches (beyond the first three or so days that are part of the normal cycle of the first symptoms), disturbance of balance, vomiting, increasing apathy, inconsistency, even loss of consciousness and death.
• High altitude pulmonary oedema: The first manifestations are dry cough and decreased physical performance. It is essential to diagnose it without delay.

Paradoxically, Acute Mountain Malaise (AMM) strikes young climbers or hikers more frequently… older people, who are probably more aware of their limits, are less exposed to unthinking physical effort.

At this time, there is no screening to detect a person’s propensity for MAM. However, someone who has already developed AMM or pulmonary edema is more likely to have a recurrence. It should be added, however, that these extreme cases are relatively rare.

It is therefore not a matter of alarm but only of prevention. Travelling with Pasión Andina, you will always have a competent team to help you make the right decisions.

P.S.: It is not recommended to take sleeping pills during a stay at altitude. There are treatments such as Diamox (which is a diuretic and gives good results as a treatment for altitude sickness). However, you should always consult a doctor, as you may experience some unpleasant side effects.

For the payment of your trip, you will receive an invoice with all the details.

In summary, we suggest that you:

Pay a deposit of 50% of the total amount on receipt of the invoice to our Raiffeisen account. (Detail below) This amount allows us to make the most urgent bookings.

Pay a balance of 50% of the total amount 30 days before the start of your trip to our Raiffeisen account.

We offer you an account in Switzerland in order to save you the intercontinental bank charges. Any remaining bank charges (in particular conversion into dollars) are to be paid by the customer. If necessary, Pasión Andina reserves the right to charge an additional fee to cover these costs.

Raiffeisen bank information:

BANQUE RAIFFEISEN MARTIGNY ET REGION

Cardholder’s name : Bertrand Gross

IBAN (USD) : CH79 8059 5000 0010 9903 0

Do not hesitate to contact us by mail : info@pasionandina.com

If you have a lot of them, we can arrange a telephone conversation!