Departamento de Loreto Travel Forum

I am 45 and taking my teen daughter to Peru this summer (2007). What a shock it will be for her, she is used to going on cruise ships! We will be doing the Explorama Lodge for 6 nights and then I want to surprise her with a trip to Macchu Picchu with a couple days in Lima.

I am trying to finalize plans and I have so many questions.

1) Is it better to purchase our round-trip airfare from LIMA to IQT online, at the LAN airways site, or should I wait until I get into Peru because it will be considerably less expensive? Will there be seats on the airplane available or is it like in the US where everything is always overcrowded and sold out, reservations are a must?

2) Is it true that we should wear light colored clothing to keep the mosquitos away? Daughter has a terrible time with mosquitos, she attracts them like a dead horse attracts flies.

3) I have leftover Malarone from my trip to Africa but I think I should get doxycyline for daughter, I have read that is helps with other things (such as becoming ill from bacterial infection, etc.) and she'll take probiotics afterwards to help her system recover. Is this the best thing for malaria?

4) Where can I find more information about the boat service from Iquitos (really from Tatapalanga or something like that) to Manaus? How do I make reservations? I understand it is a slow journey but do we have a cabin onboard...yeah yeah, I know it won't be a cruise ship! No a/c, etc.

5) Does anyoen have a local web site or e-mail address so I can contact someone for more information? There is very little information available.

As always-the earlier you book, the better fares. Mind, it is the tourist season. I buy my tickets (a.o. with LAN) always on-line.

Most of your questions are about the amazone (Iquitos) area-there is a lot of info here, tips posted by VT members.

I flew to Lima with my daughter last year and purchased a ticket to Cusco after a 4 day stop over in lima. You may want to check out the Inka lodge in Miraflores for that one. \i think that you dont want to spend to much time in \Lima. Am planning a return to Cusco but will buy my ticket in Canada as it is cheaper to do.
Cheers

1. Buy your flights online now. Don't wait untill you get there. Not cheaper there, if its booked, then its a greater chance the flight won't be cancelled since they see two more that already booked, lastly you can plan your logistics and the your lodges logistics per flight time.
2. Mosquitos: Spray with max deet better than any color pattern you can think of. Doxycyline makes you dizzy right. Malaria pills much better.
4. Cabins on the boats. Are you joking?! The boat is a long slender aluminum boat like an overzised canoe with benches, and lucky if you get a canopy to shield from the wilting sun. check my extensive tips for the photos of what you can expect from the trip, lodge, and city. If your asking about going east by Amazon on a big boat, I can't give you info about that. But I doubt thats your question since you need to go to Machu Picchu and Lima and there are no airports east of Iquitos for days.
5. I have written the website address on one of those tips that best helped me with my Iquitos leg. Exploram should be decent, more tourist than others.