Major safety risks in Peru? (page 4 of 5)

I don’t know if heating is very common in accommodations in the Altiplano—we’ll pack accordingly (sleeping bag).

Sorry for the late reply, but I didn’t see any heating in the hostales; we’ll confirm one way or the other. That said, hosts do provide warm blankets.

Hi there,

Sorry for the late reply—I’ve been swamped with work these past few days. Thanks for your feedback. Yes, this’ll be our first trip to Peru, and if all goes well, it won’t be the last. Latin America is one of my favorite playgrounds.

I know Cusco and Arequipa are architectural gems, but it’d take me months to explore every corner of Peru, and we’re only there for 4 weeks (which is already quite a bit).

What really draws me in are desert landscapes—preferably with varied earth colors, rocks with weird shapes, and snow-capped mountains.

I’ve looked around Cusco and Arequipa, but it’s mostly green with lots of vegetation. Plus, those areas are super touristy, with Machu Picchu being the peak of overcrowded sites. Not really what I’m looking for.

On the other hand, places like Ticlio, the Abra Antajirca pass, Huayllay with its *bosque de piedras* (stone forest), and reserves along the Pacific Ocean, like the *Reserva Nacional San Fernando*, have landscapes that really appeal to me...

As for heating, we’ll manage without—it won’t be our first time. We’ve already spent nights in sub-zero temperatures without heating in the Chilean, Bolivian, and Argentine Andes.

Anyway,

Thanks so much!

See you soon

Hi Thomas,

Yeah, I saw that driving can be pretty wild over there. We’ll be careful on the mountain roads (or tracks) and anyway, since I want to enjoy the scenery, we’ll only drive during the day.

Thanks for the tip.

Hi Diamina,

I’d already looked for info and checked the various discussions about Lima. We’ll be staying in Miraflores and won’t go out at night.

We went out at night with no issues at all (July 2024) in that neighborhood. Nothing special to report.

Except for the lack of heating in the accommodation... It’s not just in the mountains where you’d need it...

Hey Attila,

It’s great to be back on VF!

We went out at night without any issues (July 2024) in this neighborhood. Nothing particular to report.

Thanks for sharing your experience. Either way, we’ll ask at the hotel.

Apart from the lack of heating in the accommodation... It’s not just in the mountains where it’s needed.

Oh, that! I can tell it’s gonna be freezing! Just what I like! 😏

See you soon,

hello to the Caribbean, with pleasure. Give us a little travel update then

Hello from the Caribbean,

Yes, I’d love to go, hoping we can actually make it to Peru—my flight has a layover in the USA! You never know what that other idiot might come up with next to make life miserable for people!

By the way, I’ve reconsidered after watching videos of motorcyclists around Arequipa and Cusco, and the landscapes are absolutely stunning. So, I’m going to give it a try. We’ll see how it goes...

Sunny kisses from a Martinican!

Hi Marie-Do,

In a month, I might be able to tell you more. We're leaving tomorrow night.🙂 Luckily, not via the United States.

Hi Carmen,

Have a great trip! Enjoy it! And I’m looking forward to hearing about your return. Thanks! Hugs

Hi there! I’d love to explore Peru, but I’ll likely be traveling solo. Has anyone got any feedback on safety for a woman traveling alone there? I’d like to wander around a bit but won’t be renting a car—planning to stick to buses instead.

Hello! I'd like to explore Peru but I'll probably be traveling alone. Has anyone got any feedback on safety for solo female travelers there? I'd like to wander around a bit but not rent a car—preferring buses instead.

We’ve seen several women traveling solo multiple times. In particular, a young English woman I chatted with three times—we met while visiting the ruins of Ollantaytambo, at Machu Picchu, and at the train station in Aguas Calientes. She was really happy with her trip. She just didn’t dare go on hikes far from everything because she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to manage if she got injured. But that’s completely sensible—even in Europe, if a place is remote, it’s better to be with someone.

We found Peruvians very friendly, and we never felt in danger. Of course, we were two, but I think the feeling would’ve been the same if we’d been alone. You just need to avoid certain neighborhoods in cities and don’t hesitate to ask for help if there’s a problem. If you travel to southern Peru, you’ll often meet other tourists.

Hi Carmen,

Oh, you're back! And it went well! Awesome! Are you going to share about your trip? Hugs

Hi Marie-Do,

Yes, we got back last week. I’ll try to put together a travel journal, but I’ve got to sort through the photos and rewrite the logbook first.

We loved Peru with its varied landscapes, and we really enjoyed our hikes and the three-day trek at the foot of Ausangate mountain. In April-May, everything is lush and in bloom. Since you prefer dry landscapes, you’ll love it there in July-August. According to the Peruvians we met, everything dries up from mid-June onward, except for the Machu Picchu area, which stays nice and green. I’m talking about the regions we visited, of course.

Hi Ticapi,

Thanks for your feedback! 🙂 It’s pretty reassuring—actually, I’ve read a few reviews from other travelers who were really happy with how warm and welcoming the locals were! I’ll try to find out more about the specific areas to "avoid," but it should be fine. 😉

It’s mainly in Lima where you should avoid certain neighborhoods. Actually, apart from the city center, Barranco, and Miraflores, the other areas aren’t necessarily recommended. Avoid walking around Callao (where Lima’s airport is located) in the evening, and the Rímac neighborhood is really unsafe (day and night).

In Arequipa and Cusco, we walked around without any issues, even in the evening and outside the main center.

Be careful with taxis—only take official ones (the license plate number is written on the car door). It’s best to ask the restaurant or hotel to call a taxi for you. In Arequipa and Cusco, the police are very visible. Shared vans (collectives) are no problem.

At the airport, only take taxis from inside the terminal.

Hi Carmen,

Thanks for your feedback. So, did you land at the new airport? Brand new! I saw videos of its inauguration, but online they say it won’t open until June 1st.

I’ve heard the area around the airport isn’t safe, especially at night. Unfortunately, we don’t have a choice—we land at 4 AM!

For our visits in Lima, we’ll be sticking to the city center and Miraflores, with our accommodation in Miraflores.

At the airport, make sure to take taxis from inside the airport.

Got it!

Since you prefer dry landscapes, you’ll love it in July-August. According to Peruvians, everything is dry from mid-June onward, except for the Machu Picchu region, which stays lush and green. I’m talking about the areas we visited, of course.

That’s what I thought. I’m really looking forward to it.

Thanks again for your initial feedback.

Hugs,

Thanks for your feedback. Did you land at the new airport, then? Brand new! I saw videos of its inauguration, but online they say it won’t open until June 1st.

I think it’s just a new terminal they’re building. But I don’t know more. We landed at the old terminal. That said, there’ll be a new airport for the Cusco region in a few years. It won’t be in Cusco itself anymore, but in Chinchero. The locals we asked seemed really happy about the construction, but I think the villagers don’t realize how much noise it’ll generate. Anyway, for now, they only see the economic development benefits.

I saw that the area around the airport isn’t safe! Especially at night. Unfortunately, we don’t have a choice—we land at 4 AM! Annoying

You can take a taxi inside the airport to go to Miraflores or sleep at one of the hotels near the airport. We spent our last night at the Holiday Inn. It’s really nice, but pretty expensive for Peru. That said, ask for a room facing the back—the road noise is awful. The international breakfast was great, and the bedding was too.

But landing at 4 AM, by the time you get your luggage, it’s probably not worth booking a hotel night. I think you can find a nice little hotel in Miraflores where you can have breakfast and leave your bags.

For sightseeing in Lima, we’ll be visiting downtown and Miraflores, staying in Miraflores.

Miraflores is a good choice. We stayed there our first night.

Oh, and at night, the temperature drops a lot, and heaters are pretty rare. However, unlike what you often read, we always had hot water—except on Amantani Island. Make sure to pick your hotels carefully and compare on Booking.

Collectivos don’t pose any problem.

I meant to write colectivos—stupid autocorrect.

Hi Mathews,

I wanted you to know that our trip to Peru was an unforgettable experience for both my husband and me. The first reason is that we rented an SUV and drove it in Peru, including the *Carretera Central* and Lima. Just that alone in Peru is an adventure in itself. We’ve driven in Chile and Argentina despite warnings about their driving styles. Pfft. You just have to watch out for road conditions. And it works. I’d heard the same about Peru, so I watched hundreds of YouTube videos and never saw what the issue was with driving there.

People say driving in Peru is "intense"… Well, I’ll admit that’s an understatement. Driving in Paris is intense, in New York… but in Peru, especially in Lima and its suburbs, it’s an indescribable and incomprehensible mess for anyone with a standard driver’s license.

We didn’t drive in India because the Indian government, in its great wisdom, seems to think Westerners wouldn’t grasp the subtleties of driving there. I wondered why—until I went to India and took a taxi in New Delhi. I experienced officially two-lane roads that actually had five lanes of vehicles, and by vehicles, I mean: cars, tuk-tuks, rickshaws, beggars, buses… pfft. When I think of all the wasted space on French roads…

I’ve seen intersections that looked more like a tangled ball of yarn than a crossroads.

Driving in Peru is just a notch below India in terms of survival. You’ve got to give credit where it’s due—the Indians are the masters of this. It’s quite amusing how they’ve taken what the British built and turned it into their own art of lane-sharing: everyone everywhere at once. Even in Paris’s worst traffic jams, we can’t compete with India. We’re missing tuk-tuks, rickshaws, beggars, street vendors…

Well, in Peru, they’ve learned from the Indians. First, they have tuk-tuks—an essential element for creating chaos (oops, I mean *scenery*). Then there are street vendors and beggars… and carts pulled or pushed by people carrying goods—basically their version of rickshaws.

In Lima’s suburbs, our light turns green, and suddenly it feels like *every* light turned green at once: you’ve got a line of tuk-tuks (called *moto-taxis* in Peru) coming from the opposite direction on your left to go behind you on your right, a bunch of street vendors risking their lives between vehicles, trucks coming from your left but turning right in front of you… and minivan taxis stopping in the middle of their lane to drop off passengers because they *definitely* won’t pull over for that. Can’t exaggerate that!

All this in a symphony of honking worthy of unmatched mastery. After a while, my husband started honking too—first timidly. I asked him what his little honk meant, and he said he didn’t know but that it seemed to be the custom. So I told him, "Honking half-heartedly won’t cut it—go all in!" And just like that, he joined Lima’s great honking chorus.

As for understanding traffic lights, in San Isidro, they apparently respect them. That wasn’t the impression we got crossing Lima’s suburbs after the *Carretera Central*. Or rather, I’d say we don’t share the same interpretation of traffic lights and stop signs. First stop sign: the cars in front of us drove through like it wasn’t there. My husband stopped. A chorus of honks behind us. We looked at each other: "Are those honks for you?" I asked. Red light: my husband stops! More honking. Uhhhh. This happened several times.

Eventually, it got to the point where we’d approach a red light, the two trucks in front of us would blithely run it, and my husband would stop. I turned to him: "Why are you stopping?!!!!" He pointed at the light, and I said, "And????????" Yes, yes, I have a standard driver’s license too, but I’m learning to howl with the wolves! Another time, stopped at a red light, a van next to us started moving two seconds before the light turned green, nearly hitting an elderly woman finishing her crossing. That’s when I understood why we were getting honked at for waiting for the light to turn green before moving.

And I haven’t even gotten into turn signals and the Peruvian drivers’ desperate need to pass at all costs, as if their lives depended on it. It’s a whole tragic poem. The *animitas* (small roadside shrines for the dead) are everywhere. Imagine a road between Paris and Bordeaux with one lane in each direction—like Paris to Lyon… with no space to pass, packed with heavily loaded trucks, long-distance buses of all kinds, tuk-tuks, and more…

A nightmare! That’s reality for Peruvians. Every time I asked Peruvians about it, they told me the Peruvian government doesn’t care about its citizens. (Reminds me of another government I know well!!!) They even pointed out that three former presidents are in prison for corruption. Ah! At least they managed *that*—putting their corrupt ex-presidents in jail.

As for using turn signals, it remains an impenetrable mystery—even for ChatGPT. That’s saying something!!!!! Hazard lights: they might turn right, turn left, or stop… Left turn signal: they might turn left or signal that you can pass. Often, when they turn left, they do it without signaling—and the same goes for passing.

That’s when the average driver with a standard license—say, a French one—loses all sense of direction. No, no, I’ll admit it: this is masterful in its ability to destabilize tourists and make them doubt their skills. It’s simply a performance we’ve never encountered before. We’ve driven in South Africa, Namibia, Morocco, Turkey… They’re all small-time players compared to Peru.

There you have it—a rarely mentioned glimpse into the lives of "tourists" in Peru. I wonder why that is!!!🤔😄

Kisses and thanks!

good evening Diamina, thanks for the feedback. Yeah, I can imagine—driving in Lima and Peru must be complicated. I say "I imagine" because I’ve never driven anywhere except France.