We recently spent 3 weeks in Peru, mostly along the gringo trail, travelling independently. We are an older couple, so were not too interested in trekking but still wanted to explore Peru. Much of the advice on this forum was helpful to us when we were planning the trip so I want to return the favour by sharing some of our experiences. It was a fantastic trip through a really spectacular country. Thanks to all who made suggestions and replied to my questions.
Food
Look for small local places that serve set menus - usually 7 to 10 soles per person will get you soup, main and sometimes a dessert. We found proper tourist-approved restaurants to be expensive and disappointing on the whole. Most of the meals we had in the small places were decent and fun. If the place is busy, the food is likely to be fresh, at least. We also had a few meals in markets - cheap and tasty, but make sure the place is busy and the food is fresh.
Take the free walking tour!
Both in Cuzco and in Arequipa, we joined a free walking tour and it was excellent both times. It’s a great way to get your bearings in a new city and, especially in Arequipa, the guide was really knowledgeable. I believe that in both cities there are several individuals who offer these walking tours - In Arequipa we took the one that meets at the Chocolate Museum. It ends with a small pisco sour at a bar. They depend on tips to make a living, but there’s no pressure.
Cell phone: don't use Movistar!
We got SIM cards for our phones at Movistar because it was the first place we found in Lima. They were horrible in terms of any kind of customer service. My Spanish is passable, but no one even bothered to try to communicate with me when we ran into problems and we were just told to buy a recharge. When I paid for the recharge of the phone, the woman who added the money to the account typed in the wrong phone number and then refused to take responsibility for the error, just saying that I would have to pay again. A standoff occurred. We finally agreed to split the cost - I would pay half the cost of a recharge and they would cover the other half. I only did that because she looked like she was going to cry and I just wanted to get out of there. Use Claro instead. They have outlets everywhere and seem to have good coverage.
Accommodation
I must mention Los Tambos Hotel in Arequipa as probably the standout hotel of our trip. It’s a mid-price hotel, located about half a block from the Plaza de Armas. Modern, comfortable and the staff really goes out of their way. We were offered late (very late) checkout the day we were catching a 9 p.m. bus and free transport to the bus station. They have a fantastic breakfast and there’s a rooftop patio with a view to El Misti and the cathedral.
Amazon
We flew into Puerto Maldonado and stayed 3 nights on Lake Sandoval. The lake is beautiful and quiet and home to, among everything else, a famiy of giant river otters. Spent one whole evening watching them hunt and eat. The nice thing about being on the lake is that you cbe there early enough to catch all the lake activity. Day-trippers from lodges elsewhere in the area couldn’t get there before 8 a.m. since it’s quite a long trudge from Rio Madre de Dios, by which time all the otters, and monkeys and other creatures were no longer visible. Macaws were a bit more distant, however, so it depends on what you really want to see.