Nobody wants to get sick while on vacation in Peru, so we hope these tips will help you stay in tip-top shape!
When you’re preparing for a vacation, you probably aren’t anticipating getting sick. A headache, upset stomach, nausea, etc. is sometimes simply your body’s way of adjusting to a new environment. In Peru, just like any other country, there are a number of factors that could cause sickness while traveling, including altitude and food poisoning.
However, the following are some handy tips to help you feel better or avoid getting sick altogether while traveling in Peru.
1. Drink water from a trusted source
While traveling in Peru, we recommend that you drink only bottled, boiled or treated drinking water. Since your body may not be accustomed to the country’s bacteria, drinking water from the tap could make you feel sick. We would even recommend that you brush your teeth using bottled water.
In upscale restaurants and hotels, drinking the water should not be an issue since they would serve purified water, ice cubes made with purified water as well as use purified water to wash all fruits and vegetables.
2. Your symptoms could indicate soroche
Traveling to the Andes Mountains of Peru may cause symptoms of altitude sickness, or soroche. Some common symptoms of soroche include dizziness, shortness of breath, headaches, nausea, upset stomach, and loss of appetite. Altitude experiences vary. Before traveling to high altitudes, eat lightly and avoid heavy foods while acclimatizing to avoid altitude sickness.
You may also drink coca tea or chew coca leaves. Coca has been used for centuries by Andean people to combat the effects of altitude sickness. The mild stimulant coca leaf, chewed or brewed as tea, reduces hunger, thirst, pain, and fatigue.
3. Be careful with street food
In Peru, you may be tempted to order from a street vendor for a “authentic” experience. Enigma doesn’t recommend street food unless you’re with a chef or tour guide.
It’s hard to know how a dish was made, what ingredients were used, and how clean it is. Same goes for small markets with lots of ceviche and seafood. Ceviche, a popular seafood dish made with far fish, can cause food poisoning if the fish is not fresh.
4. Wash your hands frequently
When traveling in Peru, especially in rural areas, you will likely find that the basics, such as toilet paper and soap, are often not provided in public restrooms.
For that reason, it is recommended that you always carry some tissue with you and some hand sanitizing lotion or spray. Moreover, remember that bacteria can be easily transferred by money and other objects, so wash your hands whenever you have the opportunity.
5. Consider an herbal remedy
Besides coca, there is another herbal remedy that you can use when feeling under the weather in Peru; muña! Muña is an herb that grows in the cold highlands of Peru and has a pleasant minty smell. Muña´s main benefit is digestive, meaning that it can help to sooth stomach spasms, indigestion, diarrhea, colic and other gastric issues. Muña makes a really pleasant tea and can complement coca tea when treating the symptoms of altitude sickness.
Nobody wants to get sick while on vacation, but sometimes we can’t control the time or place that illness occurs. We hope these tips have been helpful, but if you do start to feel sick while traveling with Enigma, we’ll do everything in our power to make sure you’re back on your feet as soon as possible! Depending on the severity of your illness, our guides will always ensure that you have everything you need.
Build Your Private Journey With Enigma
Peru rewards travelers who go further than the headline. Enigma has designed private, tailor-made journeys across the country since 2002, from Cusco to the northern cloud forest. Our team builds each itinerary around your pace, your interests and the access we have spent two decades earning.
Let us design a private Peru journey in which every transfer, stay and experience belongs to the story of the trip.
