Lima Arrival: Your International carrier flight attendant will pass out a Peruvian Immigration Form to be completed by you prior to arrival. Fill out the bottom 1/3 exactly as you fill out the top 2/3rds and the Immigration Officer will stamp the bottom portion then hand it to you. Put this in your passport. Don't lose it as it will be required by Immigration when you leave the country and you will encounter all kinds of serious problems if you do not have the stamped stub. Again, don't lose this stub!

Lima Airport Layover: Lounging and dining facilities at the airport have improved considerably and travelers now have a number of excellent options while awaiting flights to Iquitos or International departures.

If arriving late evening with intentions of catching LAN Peru's early a.m. flight to Iquitos, you might want to consider lounging at the airport prior to check-in vs going to a hotel. Clearing Immigration and Customs can take the better part of 90 minutes which now takes you to early a.m. and with check-in required 1 hour before domestic flights, the wait at Peru Plaza with its Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds, Pizza & snack shops and the "4-D" restaurant or Cafe Britt makes waiting time fly by.

If you have a full day or the better part of a day to wait for your International flight you should first see if your International carrier will allow you to check in your luggage which they will often do. If not, there is a luggage storage area directly under the escalators going to Peru Plaza which is convenient and safe. Having taken care of your luggage, plan on doing a tour of Lima.

Go to the "Taxi Tour" stand which is the 'official taxi' stand at the airport and there's one located close to the luggage storage area by Peru Plaza. Do not arrange for day tours through anyone else claiming to be a taxi tour service; only thru the official Taxi Tour service.

City tours can include sightseeing in the old section of Lima to the Plaza de Armas & Presidential Palace, a number of museums (and the Larco Herrara Museum is probably one of the best as is the Archaeological Museum ), the massive market place, etc. Know exactly what the cost will be before agreeing to the tour and fully understand what the driver will be responsible for - including wait time for lunch, returning you to the airport at the appropriate time, tipping, etc. Always jot down relevant information such as license plate number, number on the taxi and name of driver just in case you need to follow up for leave-behinds.

Lima Airport Security: Check-in time for International flights is 3 hours prior to departure and you'll come close to using this much time. Prior to check-in you will be asked questions about who packed your bags and have they been with you all the time, etc; then, as you put them on the scale, they'll be checked again before being tagged. Hand carried luggage is subject to the same process (only more extensive) especially as you approach the departure lounge when a final check may be done prior to boarding. Security precautions are very extensive and time-consuming so plan accordingly.

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Dining at Explorama's Lodges: Explorama's lodges offer a wide variety of foods, both local and international, cooked in a simple and appetizing style and served in our tropical palm-thatched dining rooms. Guests may return to the buffet as many times as they like. Our breakfast includes one entree, a pastry selection, fruit and local fruit juice. Our lunch and dinner buffet includes:

• One entree of chicken, beef, local fish or pasta and fresh salad
• A variety of rice and bean dishes, hot vegetables, bread & butter
• A choice of desserts including local fruits such as papaya or pineapple or prepared desserts such as rice pudding of flam

Complimentary coffee, tea and drinking water are available 24 hours a day. Bar service, including soft drinks, is also available at guest expense. Special dietary requirements? Please let us know. Explorama uses soybean oil for cooking.

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What to Bring, What to Wear:

• A photocopy of the picture page of your valid passport to be used by Explorama to reconfirm your outbound flight. Explorama will ask for the photocopy - and your Iquitos/Lima return ticket - when you arrive but return both prior to your departure.
• A sun hat -- floppy, wide-brimmed or a baseball-style cap. Sun glasses, too.
• Light, drip-dry cotton or safari-type clothing. Shorts and short-sleeved shirts are fine and bring enough for changes as it is unlikely that you will have an opportunity to wash & wear. Also, bring a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of pants/slacks for trail hikes.
• Two pairs of broken-in sneakers or light-weight hiking boots. You need two pair of sneakers in case one gets wet. Sandals may be worn for leisure activities but not on hikes.
• A toss-away poncho or plastic raincoat and a plastic bag to hold soiled laundry. (Inexpensive ponchos are sold at Explorama)
• Any DEET (30% or less) insect repellent. Sunscreen lotion is recommended.
• Binoculars and a small flashlight.
• Personal toilet articles. Explorama provides hand soap and towels.
• Your camera with plenty of film and a ZipLoc bag for moisture protection.
• Luggage Weight Limit: When traveling down river on your Explorama itinerary, each guest may take 15Kg (33 pounds) of luggage with them on the boats to the lodges. If your luggage weighs more than this amount, please plan on storing the extra in Iquitos in the Explorama office in our secure storage area until return.

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Electricity: Electricity at Ceiba Tops is 220V & 110V in all rooms. There is no electricity at Explorama Lodge, ExplorNapo Lodge, ACTS or ExplorTambos but solar powered generators are on-line for recharging video and camera batteries at these locations.

Communications & Internet Access:

• Ceiba Tops
  • WiFi Internet 24 hours a day in public areas of the lodge and in the Presidential & Junior Suites, all on a courtesy basis
  • Public telephone and Internet booths - payment required
  • A cell phone transmitting tower is on property for Telephonica (the Spanish telephone company) and their Movistar cell phones. CLARO, another cell phone provider, can be used at certain times of the day in certain locations but reception is not good. Check with you local cell phone provider to see if they have a working arrangement with Telephonic or CLARO for Iquitos.
• Explorama Lodge
  • WiFi service 24 hours a day in public areas of the lodge.
  • Presently there is no Internet or public telephone service.
  • Cell phone service is available but weak. Often if you go out on the river in a boat in the evening you can receive/send calls on Movistar Service which connects to the cell phone tower at Ceiba Tops.
• ExplorNapo Lodge
  • Exactly the same as Explorama Lodge except that on the Platform of Tree #6 of the Canopy Walkway there is excellent cell phone reception from the tower at Ceiba Tops for the Movistar cell phone service.
• ACTS & ExplorTambos
  • No service except ship to shore radio communications

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General Points of Information:

• All of Explorama's itineraries include round trip airport transfers (Iquitos); all lodging and meals; privately owned and operated transport over land and water; local bilingual naturalist guides who accompany each guest throughout their itinerary; taxes on lodging and meals; entrance fees if required. Not included: air to Iquitos; tipping and items of a personal nature.
• Beds, sheets, pillow cases, drop-down mosquito netting, etc. is standard equipment in all rooms. Mosquito netting is not required at Ceiba Tops as rooms are air-conditioned.
• If you are continuing to/or coming from Cusco/Machu Picchu, plan to pack separate luggage and store what you don't need for your river excursion at our dockside storage facilities. Storage is safe, secure and free.
• U.S. currency is widely accepted throughout Peru. You may convert dollars to Sols (local currency) at banks, hotels or with money exchangers and the exchange rate will vary only slightly regardless of where you exchange, providing it is done legally. Major credit cards (Master Card, Visa and American Express) are widely accepted.
• Avoid purchasing items with feathers from tropical birds, fur of animals such as ocelots or pumas, animal skulls and other bones, butterflies or insect parts, stuffed snakes, turtles or caiman. These items can be confiscated by Peruvian or U.S. Customs.

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Medical Information: You should talk with your personal doctor before leaving. Not only can he/she answer many of your questions, they can tailor medicines and vaccines for your personal needs.

Probably the most important item is an update on your tetanus (usually dT, or diphtheria-tetanus), if you have not had one in the last five to ten years, and assuming you have not previsouly had an allergic reaction to this vaccine. Yellow fever vaccine and malaria prophylaxis are two you may wish to consider and while some of Explorama's visitors do take these precautions, many do not.

Neither are required for entry into Peru nor for reentry to the US but may be required for stop-overs in other South/Central America countries (Honduras, for example, requires Yellow fever inoculation if coming from Peru.)

Medical facilities include a well-equipped and professionally staffed clinic directly across the street from Explorama's office in Iquitos and a smaller, private clinic staffed by a US trained and licensed doctor located down river at Explorama Lodge. (Lienna J. Smith, M.D., FACP) For more information, please visit their The Amazon Medical Project

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Tipping: We are often asked what is the appropriate tip for Explorama's guides but there is no clear-cut answer, formula or suggestion. Our guests range from children in Middle school on workshops to affluent professionals experiencing the natural wonders of the Amazon so it is nearly impossible (and not at all practical) to try to set tipping standards. Some guests become very friendly with their guides and tip generously while others are treated to the guide's same high degree of professionalism but will tip on a lower scale

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Airport Departure Taxes: Presently the departure tax for Domestic flights leaving Lima is $8.39 per person; leaving Iquitos $4.63 and departing Lima, $30.25 per person International flights. This is paid once you have checked thru the ticket counter, at a separate booth where the agent will label your ticket. Only Sols or USD is accepted for payment, no credit cards, and the collection agent will not accept US currency if it is torn, worn, wrinkled or defaced in any way.

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Cancellation and Refund Policy:You may cancel up to 30 days prior to arrival without penalty except for a 5% bank fee charge if original payment is made by credit card. Within 30 days and up to 7 days prior to arrival you may cancel for full refund less a $100 per person reservation/administrative fee. Within 7 days of arrival, there is no refund. All cancellations and refunds must be processed via phone so please call us (Tollfree in USA & Canada) at 1-800-707-5275 or Direct at 781- 581-0844.

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