You were finally planning your trip to Peru, a place on your bucket list for a long time, but suddenly a mosquito is ruining your trip. The media talks about a monster virus that could potentially affect millions, but what is the real situation in Peru and how worried should you really be? Peru reported yesterday its first case of the Zika virus, but the infected man contracted the virus in Venezuela, meaning that no mosquitoes carrying the virus in Peru have been found yet. Compared with other countries, like Brazil or Colombia (or even the United States with 36 cases), Peru still looks good but the authorities, used to dealing with Dengue, Chikungunya or Yellow Fever, are taking important measures to reduce the risk of the virus spreading in the country. In Lima, they are working with shanty towns and settlements near rivers educating the locals about the importance of not leaving standing water, a breeding ground for mosquitoes. As a tourist, unless you decide to visit a shanty town, you would not notice anything out of the ordinary or be worried at all. Metropolitan Lima is actually very modern and hasn’t reported any cases which, unfortunately, always seem to affect the poorest segments of the population. But what about Machu Picchu? After all, it is one of the main reasons for your trip to Peru, right? The good news is that this type of mosquito is not found in that area due to the altitude. This particular mosquito cannot live at altitudes higher than 6,000 feet and both Cusco and Machu Picchu are higher, at 11,152 and 7,972 feet, respectively. Other things you should know about the Zika virus is that it has been around for decades but nobody paid any attention to it because it was considered very mild. Most people do not even know they have it manifesting no symptoms, some experience flu symptoms, and in all cases it is out of your system in 21 days, not leaving any consequences or risks for the future. In Brazil, however, cases of babies being born with birth defects, have triggered alarm bells, so extra precaution is certainly advised for pregnant women. Peru, as stated before, is quite safe and as long as you apply common sense and don’t venture too much off the beaten path, should still be on the top of your bucket list this year.
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Tourism in Lima is to receive an extra boost for the fourth year in a row thanks to the fantastic quality of its food. The prestigious World Travel Awards voted Peru, again, as the Best Culinary Destination in the World. Peru has been awarded this top spot for four consecutive years, beating well established foodie destinations such as Italy, France, China, Thailand and the United States. The recognition consolidates Peru as the hottest foodie destination. Three of the top restaurants in the world are based in Lima, including Central, which this year was voted as the best restaurant in the Americas and number four in the world. The emergence of Peru as a major destination for food lovers who are curious to find out what all the fuss is about means that Lima is no longer a layover destination, but an attractive destination of its own merit. The number of visitors to Lima has steadily increased over the last few years and nobody can deny that food is playing a major role. We've done our homework for you and scoured the world's best restaurant lists to bring you the top restaurants that are based in Peru. The World's 50 Best Restaurants - San Pellegrino & Acqua Panna #4 - Central Head Chef: Virgilio Martínez & Pía León Calle Santa Isabel 376, Miraflores, Lima +51 1 242 8515 http://centralrestaurante.com.pe/ #14 - Astrid y Gastón Head Chef: Diego Muñoz Av. Paz Soldán 290, San Isidro, Lima 27 +511 442 2775 http://www.astridygaston.com/ #44 - Maido Now let's get region-specific and look at the best restaurants in Latin America for 2015. #1 - Central #3 - Astrid y Gastón #5 - Maido #12 - La Mar Head Chef: Andrés Rodríguez Av. La Mar 770, Miraflores, Lima +51 1 421 3365 http://www.lamarcebicheria.com/lima/ #20 - Malabar Head Chef: Pedro Miguel Schiaffino Camino Real 101, San Isidro, Lima +51 1 440 5200 http://www.malabar.com.pe/ #31 - Fiesta Head Chef: Virgina Najarro Gamboa Av. Reducto 1278 Miraflores, Lima +51 1 242 9009 http://www.restaurantfiestagourmet.com/ #34 - Osso Carnicería y Salumería #36 - La Picantería Head Chef: Héctor Solís Francisco Moreno 388, Surquillo, Lima +51 1 241 6676 http://www.picanteriasdelperu.com/ #50 - Rafael Head Chef: Ricardo Martins Calle San Martín 300, Miraflores, Lima +51 1 242 4149 http://www.rafaelosterling.pe/ With nine delicious options, you should be set to have a delectable experience in Lima, Peru.
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Your Lima Travel GuidesThings to do in Lima that make people fall in love with the city - that's precisely what we're after. We're Lucas and Sam, a Peruvian-American couple who have run the top tour in Lima for the past 10 years. It’s no coincidence that the best activities in Lima have to do with Peru’s amazing cuisine. This Kansas City girl and Lima native have lived all over the world in their corporate past lives but they traded in the daily grind for sharing their love of good food, showing off the city’s secrets and meeting awesome people along the way.
TOURSThe ultimate Lima tours: no planning needed because we've already done the work for you. Prepare to experience the best of Lima.
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