Tips for Travelers

From Wiki Sumaq Peru

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General Data of Perú
How to get to Peru Obtaining a Visa Weather and Time Zone Currency Health Level Security Tourist Assistance Culture and Customs Tips for Travelers

1 Communication
- 1.1 Telephone
- 1.2 Internet
2 Shopping
- 2.1 Handicrafts
- 2.2 Bargaining
3 Electrical Energy
4 Giving Tip
5 Religion
6 Video
7 Internet Peruvian Portals
8 Interesting Websites for travelers

Communication

Telephone

National and international calls can be made from public telephones with coins or cards that are sold in many establishments and in kioscos.

In order to make the phonecalls you should dial in the following way:

National call: 0 + code of city + telephone number:

International call: 00 + code of country + code of city + telephone number

If you wish information about telephone numbers you can dial 103 from any public telephone, it is a free service of Telefonica del Peru.

The codes of national direct dial and international direct dial appear in most of telephone cabins.

Internet

In the main cities you can find Internet public cabins that for S/.1.50 or S/.2.00 give you access to Internet for 1 hour.

Shopping

Handicrafts

In general, the commercial stores, malls and artisan markets are open between 09:00 until 20:00 hrs. every day (even holidays)

These handicrafts can be acquired in:

Miraflores: Miraflores is highly commercial and you can find great variety from ceramics to memories elaborated in silver.

San Miguel: In La Marina avenue there are stores that are specialized in handicrafts, these stores are very visited by the tourists because of the good prices that can be obtained.

Center of Lima: Behind the Lima Hall (located in the Main Square) you can buy handicrafts.

Bargaining

In Peru as well as in many countries to bargain is very important thing to know when buying, always try to look for a discount; usually, the salesmen hopes that you request a discount and they will offer you a better price. The common phrase used is "¿Nada menos?" and it means "a little less?"

In the case of the taxis, taximeter does not exist so the taxi drivers will put their own tariff, do not accept the first price that is offered to you since it will always be high, you can haggle over the price of this service and obtain a discount.

Electrical Energy

In Peru the electrical energy is of 220 volts. If you stay in a hotel of 4 or 5 stars there is no problem because the great majority counts on energy of 110 volts, otherwise take your precautions.

Giving Tip

In Peru the tips are in relation to your satisfaction about the service and can be very variable. But there are some general facts that you can consider:

In the hotels a percentage of the service will be added in the account, the percentage varies according to the establishment. Also you can give a tip to the bellboys or barracks about $1,00 by suitcase or by room per night.

On restaurants (by Law) is automatically added the IGV (Imposed general to the sales), in some cases the service percentage is added in the account, for that reason you must check if it was added in the account, if not is acceptable to give a tip of 5% if the service was good.

For the tourguides when it is a group is usual to give them from $2,00 to $3,00 by person and by day, of course if the group is very big you can give him half of the amount.

On the Inca trail you should give a tip to the tourguide, to the cook and the shipper.

In the case of the taxi drivers, do not tip them.

Religion

Peru is a naturally religious country. The religion is a very important part of the society in the most important cities, towns and villages. At the present time the religion that is recognized is the Catholic and approximately a 89% of Peruvian practice this religion. Nevertheless in Peru the freedom of cult is allowed and exist diverse religions like the protestants, the witnesses of Jehovah, Adventists, Buddhist, Hindu, Hare Krishnas, Mormons, Muslims, etc.

From the XVI century expressions of a religion that is a cradle in the cult to the Sun, the Pachamama (Mother Earth) and the elements in the nature coexist with the Catholicism; these beliefs are a very important characteristic in the Religion since in each destiny the mixture of two beliefs is pronounced for example in the highlands people believe in the Virgin Maria and also they believe in the "Apus" - The god of the mountatins; about this fact a consensus has not arrived yet and there is a controversy in deciding if it is a parallelism of beliefs or two religions in a fusion process.