Overseas SM Adventure Travel Since 1978 Real Affordable Peru 2017 EXTEND YOUR TRIP The Amazon Rain Forest of Peru Peru: Lake Titicaca’s Sacred Landscape Your Travel Handbook CONTENTS Travel Documents & Entry Requirements . 3 Climate . 22 Your Passport . 3 No Visas Required . 3 About Your Destinations . 24 Trusted Traveler Programs . 3 . 24 Emergency Photocopies of Key Documents . 4 OAT Trip Leaders: A World of Difference . 24 Overseas Taxes & Fees . 4 Culture & Points to Know Shopping . 24 U .S . Customs Regulations & Shipping Health . 5 Charges . 25 Is This Adventure Right for You? . 5 Steps to Take Before Your Trip . 6 Demographics & History . 26 No Vaccines Required . 6 Yellow Fever Vaccination: Suggested Only . 6 Staying Healthy on Your Trip . 7 Resources . 29 Suggested Readings . 29 Suggested Movies . 31 Money Matters . 10 Useful Websites . 32 Top Three Tips . 10 Local Currency . 10 How to Exchange Money . 10 ATMs . 11 Credit & Debit Cards . 11 Tipping Guidelines . 12 Preparing for Your Trip . 13 Land Only Travelers . 13 Optional Tours . 13 Communications . 14 Packing . 15 Your Luggage . 16 Clothing Suggestions . 17 What to Bring . 17 Electricity . 20 2 RAP2017 07/13/2017 TRAVEL DOCUMENTS & ENTRY REQUIREMENTS Your Passport • Must be in good condition • Must be valid for at least 6 months after your scheduled return to the U.S. • Must have the required number of blank pages (details below) • The blank pages must be labeled “Visas” at the top. Pages labeled “Amendments and Endorsements” are not acceptable Need to Renew Your Passport? Contact the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) at 1-877-487-2778, or visit their website at www.travel.state.gov for information on obtaining a new passport or renewing your existing passport. You may also contact our recommended visa service company, PVS International, at 1-800-556-9990 for help with your passport Recommended Blank Pages Please confirm that your passport has enough blank pages for this adventure. • Main trip: You will need 2 blank passport pages. • Optional pre- and/or post-trip extensions: No additional pages are needed. No Visas Required Travelers with a U.S. passport do not need any visas for this adventure, including the optional trip extensions. Traveling Without a U.S. Passport? If you are not a U.S. citizen, or if your passport is from any country other than the U.S., it is your responsibility to check with your local consulate, embassy, or a visa services company about visa requirements. We recommend the services of PVS International, a national visa service located in Washington D.C.; they can be reached at 1-800-556-9990 or www. pvsinternational.org. Trusted Traveler Programs Some travelers have found that Trusted Traveler programs can expedite long waits at customs when re entering the U.S. There are currently three programs available: Global Entry, NEXUS, and SENTRI. These three programs also include TSA Pre-Check, which allows you to use a dedicated security line at participating airports, or you can apply solely for TSA Pre-Check. 07/13/2017 RAP2017 3 TIP: Keep in mind that not all airports and airlines participate in these programs. You may want to consider checking with your airport prior to applying to find out if these programs would benefit you. To apply for a Trusted Traveler program or TSA Pre-Check, typically you will be asked to pay an application fee (varies by program) and schedule a background check and/or an interview. If you are approved, you will be issued a Known Traveler Number (KTN). Your KTN is valid for a set number of years, based on the conditions of the program. Please see the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website for more details on each of these programs: www.cbp.gov/ travel/trusted-traveler-programs. You can also find more information about TSA Pre-Check at www.tsa.gov/precheck. If you are enrolled in TSA Pre-Check (or a Trusted Traveler program that includes it), you must provide your KTN to the airlines. Emergency Photocopies of Key Documents We recommend you carry color photocopies of key documents including the photo page of your passport plus any applicable visas, air itinerary, credit cards (front and back), and an alternative form of ID. Add emergency phone numbers like your credit card company and the number for your travel protection plan. Store copies separate from the originals. If you plan to email this information to yourself, please keep in mind that email is not always secure; consider using password protection or encryption. Also email is not always available worldwide. As an alternative, you could load these documents onto a flash drive instead, which can do double-duty as a place to backup photos during your trip. Overseas Taxes & Fees This tour may have taxes and fees that cannot be included in your airline ticket price because you are required to pay them in person onsite. All taxes are subject to change without notice and can be paid in cash (either U.S. or local currency). If applicable, you will receive a list of these fees with your Final Documents. 4 RAP2017 07/13/2017 HEALTH Is This Adventure Right for You? Please review the information below prior to departing on this adventure. We reserve the right for our Trip Leaders to modify participation, or in some circumstances send travelers home, if their condition would adversely affect the health, safety, or enjoyment of themselves or of other travelers. PACING • 4 locations in 10 days with one 1-night stay; early sightseeing on 1 day • International flights to Peru may arrive late in the evening or very early in the morning. Return flights to the U.S. may depart between approximately 9pm and 2am. PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS • Not appropriate for travelers using wheelchairs, walkers, or other mobility aids • You must be able to walk 3 miles unassisted and participate in 6-8 hours of physical activities each day • We reserve the right for Trip Leaders to restrict participation, or in some circumstances send travelers home, if their limitations impact the group’s experience ALTITUDE • 5 full days at altitudes between 7,000-12,000 feet CLIMATE • Temperatures in the Andes vary due to high altitudes; prepare for temperatures in the mid-60s during the day and as low as 35°F at night TERRAIN & TRANSPORTATION • Travel over city streets, rugged paths, and unpaved roads; walk over rough, steep, and sometimes slippery trails without handrails; and climb many high and uneven stone steps at Inca ruins • Agility and balance are required for embarking and disembarking river rafts • Travel by 24-passenger minibus, train, and river raft • 1.5-3 hour drives; two 1.5-hour train rides, the second followed by a 2-hour drive; and 2 internal flights of 1.5 hours each 07/13/2017 RAP2017 5 FLIGHT INFORMATION • Travel time will be 6-14 hours and will most likely have two connections ACCOMMODATIONS & FACILITIES • Hotel rooms are smaller than those in the U.S. and offer simple amenities • All accommodations feature private baths Steps to Take Before Your Trip Before you leave on this adventure, we recommend the following: • Check with the CDC for their recommendations for the countries you’ll be visiting. You can contact them online at http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel or by phone at 1-800-232-4636. • Have a medical checkup with your doctor at least 6 weeks before your trip. • Pick up any necessary medications, both prescription and over-the-counter. • Have a dental and/or eye checkup. (Recommended, but less urgent) No Vaccines Required At the time of writing there were no required vaccines for this trip. The CDC recommends that all travelers be up to date on their routine vaccinations and on basic travel vaccines like Hepatitis A and Typhoid, but these are suggestions only. However, this could change in future so we encourage you to check with the CDC yourself before meeting with your doctor. But if your itinerary differs from ours, then you may need a yellow fever vaccination. (For example, if you will be traveling independently in South America before/after your trip with us. Or if you will be arriving from a country other than the U.S. or Canada.) In this case, check with the CDC because you may need a yellow fever vaccination. Yellow Fever Vaccination: Suggested Only The CDC does not recommend a yellow fever vaccination for any of the areas we travel to on the main trip. However, travelers on optional extensions should note that the CDC does recommend the vaccination for the Amazon jungle and Lake Titicaca area, if your health allows. This is not a legal requirement for Peru, but a health recommendation. You should discuss the vaccine with your doctor to see if he or she recommends it and if your health allows for it. (He or she can offer a suggestion tailored to your personal medical history.) If you and your doctor decide the vaccination is right for you, then he or she will issue you a Yellow Fever Card (officially called an International Certificate of Vaccination). 6 RAP2017 07/13/2017 TIP: We recommend that if you have received the vaccination, you have your Yellow Fever Card with you when traveling. If you cannot receive the vaccination for medical reasons, we suggest you bring with you a letter from your medical provider stating so. If Peru makes a last-minute change to its entry policy before you leave, having one of these documents with you could make all the difference. Medication Suggestions • An antibiotic medication for gastrointestinal illness • Prescription pain medication in the unlikely event of an injury in a remote location • Altitude sickness medication: Cuzco is roughly 11,000 feet above sea level and Puno (on the Lake Titicaca extension) is at approximately 12,500 feet.