Eat "Almuerzo"- the meal of the day – These are set meals
and are a bit like the ‘meal of the day’, which you can get for 9 PEN.
Travel off-season – For a low-cost trip, the
best times to visit Peru are the fringe months of April and May or September
and October.
Take the collectivos – These are cheap buses.
They cost around 1-2 PEN for a ride. They are a bit confusing, but there is
always a door person (usually a young man) whom you can quickly ask if the bus
is going to your location. There are not always marked bus stops, so look for
gathering crowds
Book last minute – If you are looking to do the
Inca Trail and have a bit of extra time to wait for a deal, showing up in Cusco
or booking a last minute tour can save you lots of money. Booking months in
advance gets you the premium price but wait and you’ll find your patience
rewarded. This normally works for Inca Trail tours on the Salktantay, Inca
Jungle or Lares tours, the classic Inca Trail is normally fully-booked months
in advance. I wouldn’t recommend trying to get on that one last-minute if you
have your heart set on doing it.
(to be continued)