Travellers Tips

Packing
Make sure you pack clothes that are suitable for outdoors activities, such as walking, trekking, light mountain climbing, horse back riding, etc.  However don’t forget to pack appropriate evening clothing for that special candlelit dinner. We suggest you take the following on your trip to Peru:

• Raincoat or a long poncho
• Sweatshirts and a jacket
• Long sleeved shirts
• T-shirts
• Long comfortable pants
• Shorts and Zip-off pants
• Dresses or formal attire
• Underwear and Sleepwear
• Boots, sneakers or comfortable walking shoes and socks
• Hats and accessories
• Travel supplies (camera, film, binoculars, etc)
• Luggage, handbags and backpacks 
• Insect repellant
• Lip Balm
• Sun Block
• Natural Eye Drops  

Insurance
Before traveling, we strongly recommend that you review your personal insurance and your health insurance to ensure you have appropriate cover to meet your needs, and the needs of your family and dependants, in case of any loss of property, or accident, injury or death. 

Tipping
A 10% service charge is included in all of our Peru Orient-Express properties and services.  In general tipping at the end of each stay is at your discretion and should be based solely on the quality of the service received.  Should you wish to tip after a tour, guides are to be tipped individually.

Recommended reading 
Click here to go to our list of recommended reading.

Language
As part of Peru’s cultural wealth, there are a multitude of native languages that coexist. Although Spanish is the main language, Quechua is an important part of the Incan heritage and is still spoken, with slight variants in many regions of the country. 

Currency
The Peruvian official currency is the Nuevo Sol.

Government
Peru is a democratic Republic, the president and members of congress are elected every five years by universal voting.  The current President is Dr. Alan Garcia Perez (July 2006- July 2011).

Religion
The majority of the population is Catholic; however there is a great diversity of beliefs.  The diversity of religions is evident in the variety of celebrations and rituals both of Catholic heritage, as well as those showing the mysticism of the millenarian pre-Hispanic cultures.