 
Let's Go Peru 1st Edition (Let's Go Peru)
Average Rating: 3.0 Total Reviews: 4
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 On: 2007-03-27
i always use Lonely Planet guides when planning a trip (mexico, costa rica, hawaii, germany so far) and love them. i tried Lets Go for peru but was very disappointed. i found the information incomplete, occasionally inaccurate and definitely disorganized. by the end of the ten day trip, my three friends and i were all complaining about the book. i will definitely buy a Lonely Planet guide for my next trip!
 On: 2005-12-18
I wanted to give this guide book a good review, especially since Lets Go guides tend to be pretty solid. Unfortunately, the Lets Go Peru guide leaves out much relevent information.
In city after city, I stumbled upon hostels, cheap places to eat, transport options, etc., that seemed to be arbitrarily excluded from the guide. Thats unfortunate, since many were worth knowing about. Since I used the guide only 6 months after it went to press, changes over time cannot account for the lacunae.
Furthermore, this book does not even include the central selva area between Pucallpa and Puerto Maldonaldo. I could understand sparse information, since the region is way off the beaten path, but to not even mention it is both strange and frustrating.
Finally, the writing style tends to be imprecise just when you need detailed information. That said, it is more or less adequate in what it does cover.
In the end, I would say that it is OK to use this guide if you find a cheap copy, but depending on your travel preferences, you might be better off with Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide, both of which do nice jobs on Peru. In any event, its a wonderful place.
by: fdoamerica On: 2005-09-08
With this 1st edition "Lets Go Peru" is getting off the proverbial porch and running with the big dogs (Rough Guide & Lonely Planet -- see my reviews). "Lets Go" is outstanding in two areas: Budget Travel and Alternatives to Tourism
Budget Travel. "Lets Go" guides are known for their ability to find you the best bargains. So, if you are counting every `centavo then this guide will come through. The authors will find you a rock bottom, dirt cheep, bargain basement, lowest price possible accommodation and restaurant to match. IE: Hostal Rocha (gotta love that name) in Huacachina goes for $2 a night and you might bargain them down.
"Alternatives to Tourism." This twelve-page section covers "Volunteering," "Working" and "Studying" in Peru more throughly than any other guide. Each listing includes the names, address, phone numbers and electronic contact information that you will need. So even if you are not a minimalist, but you are planning to stay in Peru for a while, you will want to have this information.
I have lived in Peru for the past five years and I have frequented many restaurants listed in this guide. With the exception of one or two, "Lets Go" is right-on-the-money. I found the listing to be up-to-date and their descriptions are the best of any of the guides out today. For those who love "Nightlife" (bars & clubs), these sections are great. All of their recommendations are easy to find on a fairly decent map.
The Andes can be brutal if you get altitude sickness. I have seen the effects of "severe" altitude sickness, and it is not pretty. Sadly, for some Dilbert reason, `Lets Go Peru only gives you the altitude of about 60% of the cities. They include the altitude of Tacna (562m or 1,842 ), but omit the altitude of such place as Puno/Lake Titicacawhich, which is at the nosebleed altitude of 3830m (or 12,565). Go figure. Altitude information is important, and yet only `Lonely Planet list the altitude of all the cities.
Some areas need additional work. The "Essential" section (Documents, Climate, Money Etc.) in this guide is bare-bone-basic and not as good as other guides. The four pages "Staying Healthy" section is anemic and barely covers important health information (in comparison, Lonely Plants devotes ten pages about all important health information needed for your trip). Though the maps are easy to read, the guide has fewer maps than found in the other mentioned guides. These disparities will probably will be corrected in the 2nd edition.
Bottom line: This is guide is especially valuable if you are trying to do Peru on your lunch money and/or may stay awhile to work, volunteer or study. Caveat: if Machu Pichu, the Inca Trail, or the Manu National Park (Perus Amazon) are your primary destinations, then you will get better information from either `Rough Guide or `Lonely Planet. Happy Trails. Strongly Recommended.
 On: 2004-11-26
I looked into a lot of guides to Peru, and Lets Go is by far the best. Like the other LG guides, its not only up to date but also fun to read and contains inside tips and info that none of the other series seem to provide. The coverage of Cusco is awesome, so much fun!!! The book also has pretty cool little essays on a bunch of interesting topics every few pages. Gracias, Lets Go!
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