Lima, Peru
Peru map
- Churches and buildings:
- Convento de San Francisco.
- Catedral de Lima.
- Palacio Municipal, in Miraflores.
- Correo Central.
- Facultad de Medicina San Fernando UNMSM.
- Gran Biblioteca Publica de Lima.
- Biblioteca Nacional del Peru, in San Borja.
- Museums:
- Museo de la Nacion, in San Borja.
- Casa Museo Ricardo Palma, in Miraflores.
- Museo Amano, in Miraflores.
- Museo Enrico Poli, in Miraflores.
- El Funicular (art), in Barranco.
- Museo de Arte Colonial Pedro de Osma, in Barranco.
- Museo Galeria Arte Popular de Ayacucho, in Barranco.
- Museo Antonio Raimondi, in La Molina.
- Museo de Plateria Peruana Vittorio Azzariti, in La Molina.
- Museo de la Nacion, in San Borja.
- Museo Aeronautico, in Surco.
- Museo de Historia Natural de la PUCP, in Surco.
- Museo de Oro del Peru y Armas del Mundo, in Surco.
- Centro Cultural de la Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes.
- Casa Museo Jose Carlos Mariategui.
- Casa Museo Miguel Grau.
- Galeria Juan Pardo Heeren.
- Galeria Pancho Fierro.
- Galeria ICPNA San Miguel.
- Museo Andres del Castillo.
- Museo de Arte Italiano.
- Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI).
- Museo de Arte de San Marcos.
- Museo Metropolitano de Lima.
- Museo Militar (Centro de Estudios Historicos Militares).
- Museo de Historia Natural UNMSM, in Jesus Maria.
- National Museum of Archaeology and History (Museo Nacional de Antropologia, Arqueologia e Historia del Peru), in Pueblo Libre.
- Museo Larco (Museo Arqueologico Rafael Larco Hoyle), in Pueblo Libre.
- ARTCO, in San Isidro.
- Enlace Arte Contemporaneo, in San Isidro.
- Parks and plazas:
- Parque de la Exposicion (Parque de Lima).
- Parque de la Reserva (Circuito Magico del Agua).
- Parque Universitario.
- Events:
- Gran Teatro Nacional in San Borja.
- Teatro Felipe Pardo y Aliaga.
- Teatro Municipal.
- Teatro Segura.
- Football:
- ???
- Cuzco and Machu Picchu:
- Wikitravel's "Cuzco"
- Wikitravel's "Machu Picchu"
- Plane from Lima to Cuzco takes about 80 minutes, costs about $150 round-trip.
- Luxury tourist buses run twice daily between Lima and Cuzco, with Cruz del Sur and other services. But the trip takes
about 22 hours one-way, costs $45 to $72.
Go2Peru's "Bus from Lima to Cuzco"
- Transport:
- Jorge Chavez International Airport
- Airport Express Lima (bus)
- Long-distance buses:
The Only Peru Guide's "Bus Information in Lima" - Local buses:
Lonely Planet's "Getting around Lima by bus"
Expat Peru's "Taking the Bus in Lima"
Metropolitano (official bus company; "El Metro" rapid double-length buses; uses rechargeable cards; runs about 0500-2230 ?) - Metro de Lima (Tren Electrico): Linea 1 del Metro de Lima (runs about 0500-2230 ?)
- Foreigners should not drink the tap water in Peru.
Wikitravel's "Lima"
Travellerspoint's "Lima"
Time's "Lima: 10 Things to Do"
A Chinese Nomad's "Backpacking Guide to Peru"
SmarterTravel's "Tips on Lima Warnings or Dangers - Stay Safe!"
GoBackpacking's "Lima Travel Guide"
Touropia's "10 Top Tourist Attractions in Lima"
Tony Dunnell's "Top 10 Things to Do in Lima, Peru"
Lonely Planet's "Lima"
Wikipedia's "Lima"
TripAdvisor's "Lima"
PeruMira's "46 Museos de Lima Metropolitana - Peru"
My 2017 trip diary
My 2021-22 trip diary
I didn't like Lima. The traffic is ferocious. The interesting bits are in separate places, so you have to travel a lot from one to the other. The weather (October) was grey, dusty, polluted; January weather was better. The beaches seemed poor (except for one in the NW, maybe called Magdalena) and I'm told the sea is polluted.
Thailand
Climate varies by region of the country.
For the mainland, best time is November - January, monsoon season is May - October.
Main typhoon season is September - November.
Annual climate Thailand
Too hot all the time, I think. Too bad, we have relatives in Bangok.
Wikitravel's "Thailand"
GoBackpacking's "Thailand Travel Guide"
Lonely Planet's "Thailand"
Wikipedia's "Thailand"
Safari in Africa
Dry season is June through October. Animals are easier to see around water-holes, and travel is easier. But prices are higher and crowds are larger. Annual climate Zimbabwe
You can have tours by driving, walking, boating, or combinations of those. Also self-tours (not guided).
Vaccinations ? Some areas have yellow fever and others don't. No mention of malaria ?
"Vaccination and visa requirements for African countries" section
travel.state.gov - Zimbabwe
travel.state.gov - Botswana
travel.state.gov - Zambia
Barcelona "Centre de Vacunacio Internacional"
"CDC recommends that travelers going to Zimbabwe take prescription medicine to prevent malaria." from CDC (same for Zambia and Botswana)
CDC recommends NOT getting Yellow Fever vaccination unless 12-hour layover in high-risk country.
Map
Heather Richardson's "15 of the best safaris in Africa"
Melanie van Zyl's "Where to go for a first-time safari in Africa"
Christine Smith and Timothy J. Forster's "12 Once-in-a-Lifetime African Safari Vacations"
Preferences: Somewhere with water/lakes/rivers, somewhere with elephants. My wife is scared of the whole idea of going to Africa, so something controlled and safe, no walking tour, definitely want guided.
Sounds good:
- Nyerere National Park, Tanzania:
- Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe:
- Chobe National Park, Botswana:
Climate in Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe)
Electric plug for Zimbabwe
Stay in hotel in Livingstone Zambia or Victoria Falls Zimbabwe. Take day-tours to south to Zambezi National Park, Hwange National Park, Chobe National Park, more. Take day-tour to north to Kafue National Park. See Victoria Falls. Boat on Zambeze river.
Should we stay in a "game lodge" outside Livingstone or Victoria, or in a hotel inside Livingstone or Victoria ?
SafariBookings' "Victoria Falls Tours & Holidays"
Interesting that it gives "max people per vehicle" for each tour.
Cuckoo Safaris in Victoria does packages of all but airfare and visa fees and some meals.
"6-Day Hwange National Park, Victoria Falls and Chobe National Park" package for about $1800/person.
"7-Day Tour to Victoria Falls, Chobe NP, Hwange NP & Matobo NP" package for about $2200/person.
"8-Day Zimbabwe & Botswana Safari: Hwange, Victoria Falls & Chobe" package for about $2700/person.
Do these tours do only day-trips into Botswana, so UNIVISA applies ?
Focus Travel & Tours
Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport (LVI) in Livingstone Zambia.
Zimbabwe has a double-entry visa for US citizens for $45. But what if you're staying in Livingstone Zambia and then going south to parks on multiple days ? Maybe staying in Victoria Falls Zimbabwe is better.
"A KAZA UNIVISA is recommended for most travelers, as it covers both Zimbabwe and Zambia and allows day trips into Botswana."
EVISA
Zimbabwe Visa Requirements
Zimbabwe Visa Requirements for American citizens
Zimbabwe Visa Requirements for Spanish citizens
Victoria Falls International Airport (VFA).
"Bring cash sufficient for the duration of your trip; especially $1 and $5 bills, which are used more often than local currency." ?
But also: essentials to bring are "Credit/debit cards & some cash (USD or EUR) - widely accepted in Africa". From Tripadvisor forum 3/2026: "The ATMs in Victoria Falls has plenty of cash in US$ currency. Your card as to be either Visa or Mastercard. Also note that in many facilities (restaurants, shops, hotels) you can easily use your credit card for transactions." and "Just need some cash for taxis and the inevitable souvenir."
Flight BCN to VFA roundtrip in May 2026: $1200 to $2400 per person. But multiple connections, total time one-way may be 24 hours. Avoid flights through Middle East (airport AUH or DOH or DXB) these days, with war going on. May connect through Frankfurt (FRA) or Zurich (ZRH) or Munich (MUC) or Rome (FCO) or Cairo (CAI) or Ethiopia (ADD) or Botswana (GBE) or Johannesburg (JNB). Also could fly to Livingstone (LVI). https://www.skyscanner.com/transport/flights/bcn/vfa/260501/260509/
Why does BCN to Lima Peru (12000 KM) take about 12 hours of flying, while BCN to Victoria (7000 KM) takes more like 20-24 hours ?
Is it okay to bring a laptop on the safari ?