Tourist Guide

Health and Vaccines

Precautions

It is not recommended to drink water directly from the tap. It is advisable to drink only bottled or boiled water.

You have to be very cautious of where you eat. Making sure they adhere basic hygienic standards. If not it will be advisable to consume canned food.

When visiting cities in high regions, do not have carbonized drinks, eat fresh fruits and lemon flavor candies to avoid altitude sickness (soroche), also have tablets of "coramina" handy, these pills are ideal to avoid soroche.

You should also try to avoid heavy foods because digestion is much slower than in the coast.

Insurance

It is highly recommended that you take out travel insurance before you leave home. However, hospitals and clinics often ask for cash payment up front. Make sure that you keep all receipts so that you can be reimbursed once you return home. Also, make sure that your travel insurance includes medical evacuation. If you plan on doing any "dangerous sports" such as riding motorcycles, scuba diving or even trekking, ask if those activities are covered. They usually aren't, but you can buy supplemental insurance to cover you.

Vaccines

It is suggested for the people who are travelling to the jungle in Peru, have a vaccine against yellow fever. (According to information given by the Health Minister, there have not been any case of this illness registered in this area for 15 years).

Have a vaccine, at least, 10 days before arriving at the jungle. It is necessary to carry your vaccine certificate with you, as you will be demanded to show it along the excursion to Manu.

In case you arrive to our country without having taken this vaccine, you may be shot at the Jorge Chávez International Airport, the Hospital 2 de Mayo or next to the Hospital del Niño. Prices are less than US$20.00.

You may also ask your doctor about the possibilities of taking a vaccine against diphteria, tetanus, typhoid, polio or hepatitis.

Altitude Sickness

If you are planning to visit cities 8200 feet above sea level, like Cuzco (11,000 ft) or Lake Titicaca (13,000 ft), some people may experience headaches, loss of appetite, extreme fatigue and nausea. At these altitudes, shortness of breath and heart pounding are normal, given the scarcity of oxygen. Most symptoms develop the first day at high altitude, though, occasionally, travelers have delayed reactions. The best advice is to rest on your first day in the highlands. Drink plenty of liquids, including the local remedy: coca-leaf tea (its perfectly legal). Avoid alcohol and heavy food intake. You can avoid altitude sickness taking 500 mg a day of acetazolamide (Diamox), taken 24 hours before departure and continued up to 48 hours after arrival to these cities. Acetazolamide should not be given to persons allergic to sulfa drugs.