I will go to (Lima) peru next week , on a conference , need tips?

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Frogme

Lima is a big city so you can find most things there.

There is no malaria in Lima.

Miraflores is nice and relatively safe but I reccommend being wary anywhere you go. If you want to try salsa there is a fantastic club called Son de Cuba in Miraflores - I really reccommend it.

Peru as a country is quite dangerous (although maybe not compared to Bangladesh :) ) so dont flash money around and dont take a wallet with you (easy for pickpockets to spot).

There are plenty of western resteraunts there but food in Peru is generally not too bad.

If you are going to just stay in Lima (the limited timeframe suggests you are) then there are plenty of sights to see, there is alot of history and culture there. If you wanted to try and get out of the city then I reccommend finding a small out of the way place and getting to know the locals, some of the warmest people you will likely meet.

Mrs. Obama rules!

I've read these answers with much dismay!!! Lima is not a place where you'll find whores who are waiting for rich gringos, and it's not a place where you'll catch malaria!!!!! There isn't any malaria in Peru at all!!!
Lima is such a cultural city with so much to see. If you compared Lima with any capital of the world, you'll find that there are some poor areas (as any place will have) but it's an upscale city with trendy restaurants, discos, pubs and shopping malls.
Your conference is in Lima and you'll probably stay in a very nice and upscale hotel like Marriot or Melia. Ask for a city tour of historic downtown Lima and you won't be disappointed. If you have a couple of days off, you can probably go to visit suburbs like Miraflores or San Isidro. There is a wonderful place called LarcoMar, in Miraflores just in front of Marriot hotel, which is like an open air mall built on a cliff overlooking the Pacific ocean. There are restaurants, shopd, movie theatres, cafes, etc. You'll have a great time there. For a night move, go to Barranco, a suburb near Miraflores with lots of bohemian restaurants and pubs.
If you want to see real nice peruvian/international food (but very pricy too) go to eat at night at places like "Astri y Gaston" or "Rafael" both in Miraflores and considered the best restaurants in latin America. Astrid and Gaston have recenly opened in Mexico, Colombia and Chile.
Another thing, people here don't trade children's clothes for dollar bills!!! This is not a forsaken poor country who waits for tourists to give them money. I have always drank water from the tap!!!!
Come and visit Peru and you'll see that it's a wonderful place to visit with a very rich historical background and great places to see and nothing to be afraid of.

Globetrotter

I do not know how much the hotel would cost you for the 2 days extra because I went on a package arrangement, not a tour as such but the people who arranged the trip charged us as a whole all inclusive package. But 2 years ago the exchange rate was USA$1=3 soles (their currency.)
Lima itself has good Spanish architecture in old Lima where the main Plaza has the Great cathedral on one side and on another side you can see the President's residence and on another side of the plaza is another building with a covered verandah with fancy ironwork (Spanish Architecture). I like History and culture and so I find the tour inside the cathedral very interesting. You pay 10 soles (in 2005) to get in and be on the tour. They tell you the History which is interesting.
If you feel it's too much then look for "freebies". The ocean view (Pacific Ocean) is nice. We went to Miraflores to the artesian market there called "Mercado del Indios" . But if you are on a tight budget, maybe you should not go there . However on the way there if you take the Pacific Ocean route, it might be good to stop by the ocean and relax. I remember seeing a park somewhere along that route. Now, walking around in the park and admiring the ocean, that's free and relaxing after 3 days of Conference. You only have to spend taxi money. Sorry, I do not know how much it costs to take the taxi to Miraflores. We had to split our group and I went with our hosts but the other group took a taxi.
The food we ate at a restaurant by the ocean is pretty nice. It has a good view and we liked the food. It is called "Vista Al Mar" but again I don't know the cost because I cannot remember the prices on the menu. I keep a journal of the other details but not prices. One dish I enjoyed very much in Lima was the Chinese seafood fried rice, I ate at my hotel.
It is called "Chaufa con mariscos". It is delicious, in my opinion. It has shrimp, squid slices and scallops. That is, if you like seafood. Their special dish is "Ceviche"(raw seafood marinated in lemon juice.) I did not follow the Health Nurse's advice to NOT eat any food that is not cooked, boiled or peeled. We were just blessed not to get sick! So I will not recommend that. We did not want to hurt our hosts' feelings. But I drew the line when they asked if I would eat "Cuy" which is deep fried guinea pigs.
One drink you might like to try (non-alcoholic). It is called "Chicha Morrava". It's made from a purple corn, grounded and spiced up with cloves, cinnamon & orange peel and made into a refreshing beverage. It is very sweet.
"Tres Leche Keke"(=3 milk cake) is a delicious dessert and also I love the Flan which is like a milk and egg custard with caramel on top. Yummy! You can find these in some restaurants. I hope all this information helps.

GrandMamma

I am sure you will have a great time. I have some friends from Bangladesh that loved it , specially the spicy food.

I assume your $200 are just for food? There are very nice places you can stay, as long as you are only looking for clean place, not fancy. May I suggest you brush up your spanish? it would be helpful.

If you are staying over the weekend, try any of the great Sunday buffets with 'comida criolla', that is the most affordable way to taste Peruvian food, and eat only what you like. i.e. El Bolivariano (around $13/15), if not hotels have also special buffets, i.e. Seafood (prepared the peruvian way, i.e. ceviche, escabeche, etc.) Check the Sheraton, they have a nice Friday buffet/dinner (was around $20-25) very recommended (need reservations!)

also visit the following websites: http://www.andeantravelweb.com/peru/ (specially if you are looking for reasonable lodging).

and good Trip Advisor, www.tripadvisor.com, look for "Peru" and go the Forum for "Lima" You will not be disappointed.

If they recommend you: Astrid & Gaston, La Rosa Nautica, etc. great restaurants, but prices similar to having lunch in New York ( I said lunch, not dinner), a little pricey.

If it is a work day (M-F) you can find Menus, in all restaurants, from TGIF (featuring peruvian food!) or any restaurant that appeals to you in appearance. I agree with other comments, don't eat from street vendors.

Enjoy it!!

spacemanspifff

The guy who wrote the first answer is a fool and a coward who needs to get out more.

pancholop

I can tell you about a few places that are just a few hours from Lima:
You can go to Paracas or Nasca Lines.
But for your budget I can suggest:
1.- Take a city tour:
http://travel.peru.com/travel/english/
2.- Try Peruvian food, is excellent:
Try criollan food: ceviche, lomo saltado, causa limeÃ±a, arroz con pato, papa a la huancaina, Chicha morada, pisco sour.
It's a good idea to go to a good buffet, you won't go sick if you go to a good restaurant.
I recommend the following restaurants: La Rosa Nautica, La Costa Verde, El Bolivariano also the restaurtants in 5 and 4 stars hotels are very good.
Also try chineese food, it's a fusion with the peruvian style, very nice. Go to Chifa Internacional or Khuo Wa.
Shopping Malls Jockey plaza and Larco Mar are nice.
Have a lot of fun and enjoy Peru :).

gallopingboo

take Malaria pills before, during and after-you don't want to get sick on your trip
don't eat anything off the street (meaning local vendors-there is a different standard of clean down there)
drink only bottled water-or at a restaurant where you know where it came from
go on a canopy walk
trade kids clothes and brand new one dollar bills with the locals
see the city of Lima
could travel to Iquitos(may be too pricey though)

Have fun

~slsmhu

I have visited China twice and had a rule of thumb to follow, like when in doubt eat from places like American and American-style fast food outlets (Quick Service Restaurants) where you know for sure that the food quality are 'standardized'.

International chains of McDonald's and Burger King, Wendy's, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Pizza Hut are safe bet for travelers in exotic places where sometimes 'kosher' and/or 'halal' foods are served, you need to ask for it.

About sight-seeing and moving around the city when you are in Peru, I think that you may like to be with the crowd of participants in the conference and you would find that many among them are interested to avail that kind of opportunities. Sometimes the event management staffs would be glad to help you in such matters.

In any case, your personal hygiene and safety should be paramount as it would be real difficult when you get sick or get involved in any police case even though you are innocent.

Enjoy your visit and write back your story suitably!

orly_l33t

I've heard the whores down the way are relatively pricey, be sure to use the promo code "rich american" while your down there

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