The Rough Guide to Peru

I'm surprised by the negative reviews of this book. While staying in a great hostel (that did happen to be recommended in this book)two of my roommates traveling together begged me to let them keep my Rough Guide To Peru 6. They were carrying Lonely Planet. Also, while traveling with friends whom I had met carrying different Peru guides (LP included) I always was curious to read how various guides wrote-up a Peru site that I had visited already. With limited exceptions, I felt the Rough Guide to be superior. (I never ran across anyone with a Moon guide and I used them in Costa Rica and was very impressed). To address some of the negative reviews - I do agree that some things are out-of-date. For example in Arequipa a highly recommended vegetarian restaurant had closed down months earlier. But this happens, no guide book can be perfect; there's always a time lag. And about hostels - I heard anecdotes from LP toting travelers that they kept running into the same travelers city after city because they simply go to the hostels LP recommends. That's fine, but I'd start to feel like I'm on a package tour. Only as a last resort do I rely on guide book recommendations for accommodation. The internet, as we all know, is by far a better resource for this.

Another reason they are the best -- clear, easy to read, helpful hints. Best guide books there are

I'm Peruvian, and this guide contains everything i need for someone who wants to visit our amazing country !!

Having what I referred to as my "Blue book" I traveled from Lima to Paracas to Nasca to Cuzco to Machu Picchu to Lake Titicaca and Ariquipa. This book was HEAVEN SENT. We never had to worry about which restaurant to eat in or which hotel would be clean.We are already planning the next trip which will include Iquitos and Machu Picchu again! I won't need any other books. I have my "blue book!"Thank You!

This is a very good guide. After using it for one month in Peru, I was impressed by the solid and pertinent information that this guide supplied.The guide has three sections: "The Basics," "The Guide" and "The Context." "The Basic" section, which was solid and concise, provides all of the primary travel information that you will need before traveling. "The Guide" section breaks Peru down into six major regions. Each region is extremely well laid out and the standard information for each town or city (accommodations, eating places, sites to see, etc.) is accurate and reliable. "The Context" section is good reading - it handles history, Inca life, music, books, ecology, indigenous rights and the destruction of the rain forest.Good Guides should have good maps and lots of them. Peru: The Rough Guide does not disappoint - 59 well-drawn maps give you a solid initial orientation. Outstanding are the multiple sidebars chocked full of meaningful - and practical - information about all aspects of the culture you're visiting, which is the hallmark of Rough Guides. Not helpful was the accommodation pricing codes, 1-8 each representing a price range. More useful is the price grouping used for restaurants: Budget, Moderate and Expensive. Overall, you can't go wrong with this top drawer guide. Highly Recommended.