Peru Tourist Trap Tips by hartti

Machu Picchu

I don't really know who is collecting all the money from tourists visiting Machu Picchu, but it is quite an amount. The ingoing fee is only 20$, but everything is organizated so that you have to pay everywhere royal prices from Cusco to MP, and back. When I noticed this, I cancelled my plans to visit MP. And I think I had the right, because Peru is not only MP.

Unique Suggestions: Look for all the information about Inca Trail and prepare to walk a lot. If you have plenty of time (or money!!!), there will be no problem.

Fun Alternatives: There are so many other attractive and more archeologically valuable places, Kuelap, el Brujo, Huaca de la Luna, etc... And still more undiscovered. So I'll suggest you try to discover own archeological archeological monuments, and get your name on the newspapers! You can do as Hiram Bingham did, he was asking the locals where could be some archeological monuments. Of course locals knew Machu Picchu, and they were advising him. So he was not really discovering Machu Picchu, but he was "el primer gringo" there.

By the way, many volunteers are needed for conserving old archeological monuments all over Peru. Make contact to archeologic societies!

Beggers

The beggers are always there, looking so poor and desperate that how could you go by without giving a dime, or two!? But in reality, they may be more wealthy than you!!! Generally, you may see the beggers in the wealthy or tourist places, as in the center of towns, or in San Isidro, Lima.