Peru or Bolivia?
The practical differences, drawn from our own write-ups rather than from a brochure. We are not going to tell you which is better - they are different trips. What follows is what actually changes between them.
Places written up here 410 69
UNESCO listings among them 21 9
Cost level Budget Budget
Busiest month in our write-ups June May
Currency Sol (PEN) Boliviano (BOB)
Plugs and voltage A, B, C - 220 V A, C - 230 V
Everyday languages Spanish, Quechua Spanish, Quechua, Aymara
Driving side right hand side right hand side
Region South America South America
Capital Lima Sucre
Peru
Andean patience and pride; altitude sets the tempo and coca tea is the welcome.
What we have written up
- Abra Málaga mountain pass
- Abra Patricia Reserve private reserve
- Aguas Calientes town
- Ahuashiyacu Falls waterfall
- Ajà Pepper Heritage ingredient
- Albufera de Medio Mundo coastal lagoon
Worth knowing before you go
- Cash for markets and villages; cards fine in cities
- Tipping 10% is appreciated in restaurants
- Colectivos and comfortable buses (Cruz del Sur class) link the coast and sierra
Bolivia
The Andes at their most indigenous and least varnished; patience is the entry fee.
What we have written up
- Aiquile town
- Amboró National Park national park
- Bolivian Cuisine dish
- Cal Orck'o fossil site
- Caranavi town
- Carrasco National Park national park
Worth knowing before you go
- Cash rules - cards work only in better city venues
- Tipping is small change, not percentages
- The rainy season floods the salt flat into its famous mirror - December to March
Counts describe this site, not the countries: "places written up here" means how many pages we have finished, and it keeps growing. Currency, plugs and languages are practical facts and change rarely; check anything visa-related with the relevant official source before you book.