Machu Picchu & S America Planning + India?

[Fifa]

I've been wondering when we would hear from you! Hope you enjoyed your latest sojourn.

I've checked out the taxi link and it looks good. But you have outdone yourself with that guesthouse! That's extremely good value, even by your standards.

690 QF SCs later and our mileage run to Bali was much better than expected. You'll have to join us next time.

Kamma Guest House was perfect - nothing flash but the smallish rooms were clean and comfortable, wifi great and that rooftop view was to die for. Breakfast was a la carte with fresh fruit, eggs to order, great coffee plus delicious bread rolls.

 

[Tiki]

Yes availability SCL-AKL won't be easy but neither is SYD-SCL on QF. Our advantage is we have total flexibility with dates. Fingers crossed. We do have a Plan B if we can't get SCL-AKL: we will go LIM-MAD and visit a European country that we haven't been to previously...but we will worry about that later.

And thanks for the comment on not touching down in Australia on the onward leg. We are aware of this and CX via HKG or QR via DOH are probably the likely options at this stage (hence the need to conserve our mileage allowance).

QF has limited availability on SYD-SCL, I just booked yesterday with AAdvantage for the Bolivia/Brazil trip next year. They had gone months with no availability and I much prefer QF to LA on the outbound as sometimes LA is delayed.

I would recommend going to India via Europe or Qatar rather than coming back to SYD to continue to India. QR also has a direct flight from GRU so you could go CUZ-LIM-GRU-DOH-India.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Look at doing the Andean Explorer from Puno to Cusco as it is often substantially cheaper in that direction. The train trip was a highlight and was so luxe.

An update on the train, courtesy of that man in seat 61:

[FONT=&amp]The [/FONT]Andean Explorer cruise train is all-new, it started running in May 2017. Before May 2017 there was only a daytime train called the Andean Explorer - the name Andean Explorer now applies to the new luxury cruise train, the old daytime Andean Explorer is now renamed the Perurail Lake Titicaca train. Bear that in mind when looking at reviews or info from past years on the internet!

Prices for 2018 haven't been loaded but 2017 prices are $US346 per person Cusco-Puno for the old train, and $US202 per person Puno-Cusco. According to the man in seat61 meals are included but I haven't confirmed that.

Prices for the new train start at $US1,300 for 2 persons Cusco to Puno, and $US960 Puno to Cusco and include meals and overnight accommodation.

 

[Jacques Vert]

QF has limited availability on SYD-SCL, I just booked yesterday with AAdvantage for the Bolivia/Brazil trip next year. They had gone months with no availability and I much prefer QF to LA on the outbound as sometimes LA is delayed.

Yes very limited availability; lucky I grabbed our seats while they were there.

 

[Jacques Vert]

I would recommend going to India via Europe or Qatar rather than coming back to SYD to continue to India. QR also has a direct flight from GRU so you could go CUZ-LIM-GRU-DOH-India.

Thanks for the suggestion.

However, the reason we want to come home after S America is that we don't want to go to India in June/July; our Indian neighbours tell us that Feb or Oct/Nov are the better times, weather-wise.

 

[casanovawa]

Few thoughts - Have you been to South America before? Spelling of places will be a bit rough here as well as can't be bothered looking up correct spelling of every location...

Back in 2011 after Buenos Aries me and a friend when to La Paz and then we caught a bus to Puno and on to Cuzco... Yes would've like to do the salt flats but will do that some time again in the future... This trip was only just after finding AFF so hadn't read any trip reports and so didn't know anything really about the Sacred Valley (still don't) but after a look around Cuzco we took a little mini bus thing to Ollyantambo where we caught a train which took us to Agues Calientes, nice ride and much quicker than Inca trek, bought passes for MP and then went to bed and up at 3.30am to be near the first in line around about 4.30am to ensure we got tickets for Huyanu Picchu, so definitely try and do that... We came down in the arvo, I had a swim in the hot springs/pools there and then we were back on the train to Cuzco, allowing an extra day at MP might be an idea depending on your schedule??

We took a LAN flight from Cuzco to Lima and spent a few days looking around, but after that we went on to Iguassu falls and Rio...

Just in April/May of this year i stopped in Santiago for 4 days or so for a look around, also took a LAN Y flight out and back to Easter Island... Had two full days there which i thought was enough so flew in on a Monday and out on a Thursday... Didn't know about needing to pay a national park fee there so didn't have enough US dollars or even the local Chilean currency in my pocket when getting off the plane, but they let you through and the next day i had to go and get currency out of one of the two banks on the island and find the place that sells the passes and pay for the pass... First day i walked around near the main town and saw several sites, the next day i booked a full day tour and have to say i agree that getting the local guides knowledge was helpful and it was only like about US$25 if you didn't bother buying lunch, US$12-15 or so more if you do want lunch included...

Haven't read all the other TRs but found a real pain in the butt while in Chile that to go to an ATM and get cash on my Citibank Debit card they often wanted to charge you a fee of like $6-12 to make a withdrawal.... Had to do that once or twice as really didn't know how much i would need and didn't want to leave with hundreds of dollars of the local currency, but i did have some Aussie dollars on me and managed to change them at some money lenders and got pretty close to what XE.com stated the exchange rate should be i think... Not sure if there is any black market solution like i recall there may be in Argentina... Assuming others have covered this in their TRs???

LAN Y flights out and back to Easter Island were about A$500 or so... It is 5 hours either way so not a short flight, but I would look at if getting those flights would be a bigger cost saving than comparatively booking all the way to India afterwards and whether you could use your RTW flights to get to somewhere like Singapore and get cheaper flights to India if that works out better economically??? Just my thinking anyway, spend the RTW mileage on making the biggest savings and flying the nicest hard/soft product and pay cash or use other points from Qantas etc for the less costly flights... I flew Y on LAN's 789 on the way out and managed without even trying to get the last seat in the last pair at the back of Y and it was like a premium economy seat space wise so was impressed with that...

Because the reciprocity fee in Chile isn't cheap (about US$117 or so) it might be worth maximising that and doing a decent amount in Chile (such as Easter island) on this trip and leaving some other stuff for next time, but not sure how often you think you will be back to Sth Am and what you have and haven't seen yet...

 

[Fifa]

An update on the train, courtesy of that man in seat 61:

[FONT=&amp]The [/FONT]Andean Explorer cruise train is all-new, it started running in May 2017. Before May 2017 there was only a daytime train called the Andean Explorer - the name Andean Explorer now applies to the new luxury cruise train, the old daytime Andean Explorer is now renamed the Perurail Lake Titicaca train. Bear that in mind when looking at reviews or info from past years on the internet!

Prices for 2018 haven't been loaded but 2017 prices are $US346 per person Cusco-Puno for the old train, and $US202 per person Puno-Cusco. According to the man in seat61 meals are included but I haven't confirmed that.

Prices for the new train start at $US1,300 for 2 persons Cusco to Puno, and $US960 Puno to Cusco and include meals and overnight accommodation.

Interesting...

Whew!!! It would be the old train for me again with its olde world charm! But then again if the new train includes accommodation and more meals it may be worth the extra $$$. Does it stop for the night somewhere as you wouldn't want to miss any of the scenery.
Lunch and afternoon tea were included on our trip as well as entertainment and a pisco sour lesson.

I just checked our booking and I made it 5 months in advance of our 22 April 2016 travel date and the price was US$184pp. The train was less than half full.

 

[Fifa]

A few days ago I received the following information from the company we did our Inca Trail trek with:


** Ministry of Peru announces new rules to visit Machu Picchu
------------------------------------------------------------


** New Regulations to Machu Picchu Start July 1st
------------------------------------------------------------

As many of you know, the Peruvian Ministry of Culture has decided to change how
guests can visit Machu Picchu that will impact all upcoming trips. These rules are
changing every day and we will keep you informed as they evolve.


** Highlights of New Rules
------------------------------------------------------------
* Split Entrance Times: From July 01, 2017, and for a period of 2 years, entrance
tickets to Machu Picchu will be split into 2 entrance times: AM Entrance, from 6 am
– 12 pm & PM Entrance, from 12 pm – 5.30 pm. Visitors must leave the site within the
time frame stated, and cannot re-enter once visitors have left the site. Visitors
and guides who don’t enter and leave within the time frame stated, will be assisted
to the exit by the competent authorities! You have been warned.


* Entry with Official Guide Only: This is probably the most significant rule. From
July 01, 2017 onward, all visitors entering Machu Picchu must be accompanied by a
guide. Guides must be official Machu Picchu guides or licensed tourist guides. The
must present an up-to-date and valid guide identification on entering Machu Picchu.
Guides are only permitted to take maximum group sizes of 16 people. Guides need to
sign in and sign out all visitors in his/her group. The guides will also be
responsible for informing visitors of the regulations of the park. How guides will
accompany visitors hiking Machu Picchu Mountain and Huayna Picchu Mountain is fairly
unclear.


* Defined Routes: This is the part that is least defined. They want you to be able
to see the all the ruins within one session but of course this is only possible at a
face pace. The routes or circuits will be set up to separate the crowd and prevent
everyone from stopping at one highlight.


* Re-entrance: The new rules also prohibit re-entrance to Machu Picchu, meaning once
you enter, if you leave you are not allowed to return. They do include a stipulation
in the new rules, which allow re-entrance for special circumstances. At the moment,
the only toilets at Machu Picchu are located on the outside of the park, so until a
solution is found to solve this problem, I think that this is a fairly good “special
circumstance.”


** Why new rules?
------------------------------------------------------------


Since Machu Picchu was first given the UNESCO World Heritage status back on Dec 09,
1983, tourism has grown every single year making the historical site so crowded that
it is difficult to visit. And there are concerns of how this is affecting the
preservation of the site. Before this new law, general entrance tickets were limited
to 2,500 per day, and on some peak days of the year, this number actually sold out.
The reality however, is that the amount of people visiting Machu Picchu per day is
much more than 2,500, when you consider the various combinations of ticket types
available (actually around 3,800 entrances). The new rules have been implemented to
control how visitors and guides access the site, in order to maintain the integrity
of the site and its legacy for future visitors. Bizarrely, these new rules actually
allow more people in each day - almost double.

 

[casanovawa]

Assume you read about the new ticket restrictions for MP??

Will new limits on visiting Machu Picchu save the ancient citadel?

 

[Fifa]

If you want to be a real cheapskate I believe you can transit SCL on arrival and return over a land border to save the reciprocity fee.
We arrived in Chile by ship so did not have to pay.

 

[Jacques Vert]

** New Regulations to Machu Picchu Start July 1st
------------------------------------------------------------

Assume you read about the new ticket restrictions for MP??

Will new limits on visiting Machu Picchu save the ancient citadel?

Thanks Fifa and casanovawa,

We had heard that there were new rules splitting entry into two half days and it is good to get some confirmation, even if still a work in progress.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Few thoughts - Have you been to South America before? ...

I would look at if getting those flights would be a bigger cost saving than comparatively booking all the way to India afterwards and whether you could use your RTW flights to get to somewhere like Singapore and get cheaper flights to India if that works out better economically??? Just my thinking anyway, spend the RTW mileage on making the biggest savings and flying the nicest hard/soft product and pay cash or use other points from Qantas etc for the less costly flights... I flew Y on LAN's 789 on the way out and managed without even trying to get the last seat in the last pair at the back of Y and it was like a premium economy seat space wise so was impressed with that...

Because the reciprocity fee in Chile isn't cheap (about US$117 or so) it might be worth maximising that and doing a decent amount in Chile (such as Easter island) on this trip and leaving some other stuff for next time, but not sure how often you think you will be back to Sth Am and what you have and haven't seen yet...

This will be our first time in Sth America, other than a transit through SCL in 2010.

Your comments on using the points for the most expensive flights is valid and will be kept in mind. Planning is at a very early stage.

 

[Jacques Vert]

If you want to be a real cheapskate I believe you can transit SCL on arrival and return over a land border to save the reciprocity fee.
We arrived in Chile by ship so did not have to pay.

Under consideration!

Saving that fee would cover a week's accommodation at that guesthouse of yours

 

[Jacques Vert]

Does anyone know if there is a transit hotel in SCL before you go through immigration and pay the reciprocity tax?

 

[RooFlyer]

There is not.

But just FYI, there is a Holiday Inn immediately across from terminal exit (5 min walk); its good and very convenient, but landside.

Also FYI (and anyone else that's reading), to pay the reciprocity fee, after de-boarding, you go downstairs/escalators towards immigration; at the bottom of the stairs, turn hard left (180 degrees) and the reciprocity fee counters, with rope-lines are there. After paying the fee, you then join the immigration lines.

 

[Jacques Vert]

There is not.

But just FYI, there is a Holiday Inn immediately across from terminal exit (5 min walk); its good and very convenient, but landside.

Also FYI (and anyone else that's reading), to pay the reciprocity fee, after de-boarding, you go downstairs/escalators towards immigration; at the bottom of the stairs, turn hard left (180 degrees) and the reciprocity fee counters, with rope-lines are there. After paying the fee, you then join the immigration lines.

Thanks RooFlyer,

Kinda thought that was the case but as it's been 7 years since we transited SCL you never know what changes have been made. Guess we could always use the sleeping room in the lounge, again.

Last time we transited SCL was not long after an earthquake and there was no air conditioning and only a few small heaters. 'Twas freezing! All staff were wearing coats and gloves and ALL our warm clothes were booked through to SYD. Fortunately the lovely lounge lady lent us some blankets.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Whew!!! It would be the old train for me again with its olde world charm! But then again if the new train includes accommodation and more meals it may be worth the extra $$$. Does it stop for the night somewhere as you wouldn't want to miss any of the scenery.

From what I can see, some services overnight along the way, some overnight in Puno at the end of your journey.

Given the prices of the train, we may end up on the bus!

 

[JohnM]

Also FYI (and anyone else that's reading), to pay the reciprocity fee, after de-boarding, you go downstairs/escalators towards immigration; at the bottom of the stairs, turn hard left (180 degrees) and the reciprocity fee counters, with rope-lines are there. After paying the fee, you then join the immigration lines.

Sometimes (infrequently IME) the reciprocity fee counter at the top of the escalator is open.

 

[Jacques Vert]

A question on the reciprocity tax, if I may.

I understand that if we enter Chile other than through SCL, such as by land, then the tax is not charged and covers you for 30 (90?) days. What happens if we subsequently leave Chile, then return by air through SCL? For example: enter Chile overland through Arica, drive to Lima and then fly into SCL?

 

[JohnM]

A question on the reciprocity tax, if I may.

I understand that if we enter Chile other than through SCL, such as by land, then the tax is not charged and covers you for 30 (90?) days. What happens if we subsequently leave Chile, then return by air through SCL? For example: enter Chile overland through Arica, drive to Lima and then fly into SCL?

I've never been conscious of them checking for the receipt on exit. But as it's stapled into the passport, maybe they do without it being obvious.