TRAVEL INFORMATION - Awesome Andes XC Holiday

1) ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE INFORMATION

Arrival and Departure Airport
You should fly into and out of Lima International Airport (LIM). Please see the schedule page for the scheduled pickup times for your particular trip. You can, if necessary, arrive earlier - we will arrange a pickup for you.

Pickup & Drop-off Information
We offer a free airport pickup service from the Lima airport to your hotel, and vice versa. Please notify us in advance of your flight number and arrival time, or post this on your adventure engine account when making your booking (or after booking, if you have made an account).

Extending your trip
If you want to extend your trip by arriving early or staying on after your trip, there are a few things you should know:

1) you can book extra nights at our hotel in Lima when making your original booking, or add this on after. Price is $45/person/night, based on shared double accommodation.

2) we have a couple of excellent side trip options for extending your trip. One is a fantastic trip to Colca Canyon, and the other is a trip to the Amazon Jungle. These can be booked online when making your original booking or can be added to your booking at any time.

3) if you want information on other places to visit and things to see in Peru after/before your trip, please contact our Peruvian office.

Flights
We do not book international flights for our clients. Please contact your local travel agent for information on booking flights for this trip.

Traveling with your bike
If you've never traveled with your bike, don't worry - it's much easier than you think! If you don't have a case for your bike, then you can pick up a cardboard travel box for your bike at your local store. Some stores will also pack your bike up for you for a fee.

Alternately, you can courier your bike to our Peruvian office in Lima. For $40 they will take delivery of your bike and assemble it, and have it waiting for you at the hotel.

2) TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

Travel Insurance: Travel insurance, including emergency evacuation coverage, is compulsory for all our trips. Please do not attend any of our trips without purchasing appropriate insurance coverage. We recommend that you purchase travel insurance that includes cancellation protection so that you will be covered in the event that you are unable to attend our trip (due to injury, illness or other unforeseen circumstances) or in the unlikely event that our trip must be cancelled.

Insurance can be purchased online at www.adventureinsurance.ca

Passports & Visas: All travelers require a valid passport (with a minimum of 6 months validity). Citizens of some countries will also require a visa. For more information, visit the World Travel Guide website.

3) HEALTH AND SAFETY

Altitude: Much of the riding on this trip occurs at altitude (above 3,000 m/10,000 ft.). If you are in decent shape without any lung conditions, the acclimatization we do at the start of the trip should be sufficient. If you are concerned about your ability to deal with altitude we recommend arriving a day or two early and doing some extra riding in the Lima area. Cost is $100/day for an extra day of shuttle-assisted mountain biking. So far we have had no clients experience anything more severe than a mild headache or sinus congestion. We do recommend you bring Diamox, just in case.

Emergency Contact: If you need to contact us in an emergency, you can reach us during office hours at the following numbers:

Dialing within North America: 1 (888) 423-7849
Dialing outside of North America: +1 (647) 999-7955

If you feel that you need to contact us outside of office hours, our Peru operations manager Wayo Stein can be contacted at +51-1-9511-7026.

If you do not receive an immediate answer when calling the above numbers, please leave us a detailed message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Food: We take care to select restaurants that are well-regarded for their cleanliness, in order to avoid food-borne illness. We also supply you with bottled water for drinking for the duration of your trip. However, there is always some risk of contracting a food-borne illness when traveling in a developing country. We recommend you exercise caution when purchasing food, and avoid unwashed fruit and vegetables and improperly cooked meals.

Vaccination requirements: Vaccinations are required for Peru. In general, you will require typhoid, Hepatitis A, yellow fever, measles/mumps/rubella, and tetanus vaccinations for this trip. Please visit the MD Travel Health website for more information.

Fitness requirements: You should have a reasonable level of fitness and be able to bike for up to five hours a day in order to fully enjoy the spectacular scenery and riding on this trip. There will also be plenty of time for relaxation at our hotels or exploring the local shopping at a leisurely pace.

Safety & Security: Peru is a very safe country, however certain precautions should be followed, as with all foreign travel. To maximize your safety during our tours you should exercise common sense and caution at all times. We recommend that you always stick to set travel arrangements, and avoid unknown areas. We also recommend that you wear minimal jewelry and that you keep valuable items safely stored. Always keep a copy of your passport, airline tickets, travelers checks and credit card numbers separate from where you keep the originals.

4) SPENDING MONEY

Meals – On this trip, all breakfasts and lunches are included in the trip price. Dinners are taken in local restaurants. You should budget $5-$10 per meal (depending on the quality of restaurants you choose).

Other expenses – Aside from meals, there are no required additional expenses for this trip, but you might like to take spending money for such things as souvenir shopping, nightlife and Internet cafes.

Tipping – Gratuities of 5-10% are common in Peru. We encourage you to tip your guides if you feel you have received excellent service and have had an enjoyable trip. A typical gratuity is $20-$100 per guide.

5) USEFUL LINKS

Peru Information: For additional information about traveling in Peru, visit

Peru Tourism website

Currency Exchange: The Peruvian currency is the Nuevo Sol (PEN). For the latest currency exchange information:
Yahoo Currency Exchange Calculator

6) OUR GUARANTEE

We're so sure you'll have an amazing time on this trip that we're offering a money-back satisfaction guarantee. For details, please click here.