jamesteroh

THanks for the replies. Looks like Lima doesn't have decent/safe public transit.

Do they have something like citibikes? I love to bike and it looks like it's a very bikeable city. Also no issues with walking, I can easily walk 10 miles or more in a day when travelling.

I'm open to eating anything but seafood and prefer more casual dining since I will be carrying on and don't want to pack anything other than jeans and casual clothes.

The night watershow looks really cool and I see some tour companies will do a hotel pickup.

carlosdca

I agree with all the points above (particularly about Lima) with the exception of (what I assume is) a generalization of Peru being forgettable.
Lima, very possibly.

Peru, in general, I don't think so. There are infinite wonders outside of Lima. I don't think Cuzco or Machu Pichu are forgettable by any means, as millions of tourists can attest to.

carlosdca

There might be citi bikes, I am not aware.
However, I strongly advice against riding your bike in the city.
Drivers are probably among the worst in the world, they will run you over, you are risking a trip to the hospital or being yelled at, to say the least.
Maybe if you just stay on the sidewalks, but again, you will have to avoid the pedestrians on the street.

Public transportation is improving but it is still bad and routes are not published or easily found so you can plan your way around. Routes are hard to figure out for a tourist/foreigner.

Your best bet is walking, if staying within Miraflores.

Too bad you don't like seafood, since there are plenty of choices for that.

In addition to the cafes around Parque Kennedy (La Tiendecita Blanca, Haiti), try walking all the way to LarcoMar and get an ocean view table at one of the cafes there (Mangos, Cafe Cafe, etc). They are very casual and food is decent.

If you have time, go to Barranco (the district just right next to Miraflores) and walk around the main plaza, or down the "Puente de los Suspiros". There is some nice architecture and some quaint restaurants or cafes. It is just a few minutes from Miraflores.

SeamusSA

Anyone have some more recent experience / insight to offer? Headed to Peru in a couple weeks or a tourist whirlwind - Lia- Cuzco- Ollantaytambo/MP in a week. Appreciate any info.

jamesteroh

Not gay related but a couple tourist things I liked doing in lima were the water park show (I did a small group tour that did bus ride along the city after the show and went by the large lit up cross), I did a group bike tour (on Sundays some of the streets are closed off to motor traffic) that went through the city center and also enjoyed the cathedral and the ruins that are by Miraflores (nice restaurant with great views and decent food there). I was very impressed with how cheap Peru is.

If you need to get around Lima I'd recommend using Taxi green from LIM and uber back to the airport and using Uber all other times over a taxi unless your Spanish is really good. The Cab drivers want you to negotiate the fare before they'll take you and you don't have to deal with that with Uber.

Something else to keep in mind if you have an Iphone is Apple Maps doesn't work in Peru so make sure you have google maps app on your phone.

carlosdca

I was born in Lima and lived there until my early 20s, I go back once a year to visit family.
I have used Uber with no issues, but there are other times when it has not been reliable (consecutive cancelled trips, driver driving away, driver refused to take me to destination for no reason, etc).
Uber works but it can be unreliable.
My friends have similar experience. They also use the app "Taxi Beat" (which can also be hit or miss).

For a tourist, I would advice against the need of having to take a cab or Uber.
Better stick to organized tours or walk if possible. (As discussed before, Miraflores is very walkable).

For airport transfer, I recommend pre-arranging a car service or taxi through the hotel. Yes, it is more expensive but it is worth minimizing risks.
I particularly advice against Uber to go to the airport. Most of the times it will work fine but (you know Murphy's law) it might be not your day and stress will start creeping up on you when drivers cancel or don't show up and you have to catch a flight.

As far as "any updates"? It is a very vague and broad question. Everything is the same. Cuzco. Machupichu and surroundings seem to get more crowded year after year. Nothing that can be done about that other than expect those crowds.

TominLazybrook

One piece of advice. Id recommend spending the first part of your trip in the Andes in Ollantaybambo, not Cuzco. Ollan is several thousand feet lower than Cuzco so it will help you acclimate. It is also where many people pick up the train to Machu Picchu.

I did the trip last year.

Other notes. Uber is useless in Cuzco. Dont bother with it. Theres a decent gay bar/restaurant in Cuzco called fallen angel.

Machu Picchu is all that, but so is the Sacred Valley.

SeamusSA

Thanks, guys, for the info. Now back and it was a great trip. Flew in and out of Lima. Did not have time for a gradual ascent, took acetazolamide (Diamox) per CDC recommendation, drank lots of coca tea at altitude and added local pharmacy soroche pills (aspirin, caffeine and something metabolized to acetaminophen) and did OK. Occasional shortness of breath climbing but no other issues. With a compressed timeframe I had to forgo some things, but with good planning managed to do Lima-Cuzco-Ollytatambo-Auguas Calientes-Machu Picchu. All logistics were handled by a great guy in Lima who arranged absolutely everything from arrival through departure. He has team members around the country who provided excellent service. His business is not exclusively gay but decidedly caters to that market.segment.
Gave Fallen Angel a miss in Cuzco, headed instead to a great restaurant, Incanto which merited a second visit on the way back.
Visited the thermal baths in Auguas Calienetes, quite a letdown after the uphill trek to get there . Was hoping for actual hot springs but max temp was 97F. Good sized crowd on a Saturday night, mostly locals and several families. Spotted what loked like a few gay couples but no active (or at least apparent) cruising.

So, guess my overall failure to explore the gay scene pretty much solidifies my status as an old fart! I did, however, indulge in some steamy eye contact while walking along the malecón so there may still be hope.

rvgrados

Hi everyone!
Perú is a really beautiful destination and people are really friendly, we have Cusco, Arequipa, Ayacucho, and other wonderful places.
Lima is not to left behind, its really nice city to get to know.

if you are coming to Lima - Perú or have a free day when coming to Perú, please join my experience where i teach you, after a surf class, how to make ceviche and pisco sours ...at the end i´ll sing for you and send all the pictures i took during the experience.
if you want to make a reservation write me a message so i can give you the airbnb link!


good day!