Should a buy a local phone/SIM card for my travels?
Some guests choose to buy a cheap phone (around $15-20) and SIM card (less than $5) for their time here, although making calls and sending texts abroad can be expensive. Many guests pay for international roaming or an international plan on their phones from their home country, but costs depend on your network provider. If you need to contact Kuoda for any reason, your hotel will be happy to let you use their phone and your guide is also able to call us. It is important to note that if you are travelling to various countries, a ‘pay-as-you-go’ cellphone bought at the first stop won’t necessarily be useful in the other countries.
Please note that in some areas, cell service in is poor:
- Travelling between Cusco and the Sacred Valley and Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes the service is patchy.
- On the Inca Trail there is service on day 1 (until Huayllabamba) and day 4 (from the Sun Gate). On other days there tends not to be service, except in certain patches (parts of Phuyupatamarca campsite and parts of Wiñay Wayna).
- On the other treks there is little or no cell service once you depart from the starting towns.
- In the Amazon jungle in all three countries, there is little or no cell service.
- Outside the main populated towns in the Galapagos Islands, there is no cell service.
Will I have access to the internet?
Almost all accommodations in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador have Wi-Fi throughout their facilities and the vast majority also has at least one computer for use by clients. Some important things to note:
- In some hotels in the Sacred Valley and Aguas Calientes, the internet can be slow, mostly in the rooms, but sometimes this is true in the main areas and the even the ‘business centers’.
- In most jungle lodges there is little or no access to the internet.
- On the Galapagos cruises and Amazon cruises, there is little or no access to the internet.
- Since the cell service is poor on the treks, clients will not be able to access the internet most of the time, even if they have data on their phones.
What if I need to contact Kuoda during my trip?
Kuoda personnel are available to contact in the case of emergency, 24 hours a day. You will be given the numbers of Mery, our director, and our Customer Service Supervisor in your Detailed Itinerary, so that you can call them should the need arise. You will also be able to email [email protected], an email address that is checked during and outside office hours, although phone calls are much more effective and quickly answered in urgent situations.
Will I still have contact with my Travel designer after I’ve paid and during my trip?
Your Travel Designer will be your main point of contact in the run up to your trip and will make sure you have all the information you need. You will still be able to email your Travel Designer or call him/her at the office during your trip, but it is better to communicate through [email protected] since emails sent here go directly to the Operations Team who can make logistical decisions and help you more directly. Your Travel Designer will always be happy to help out where necessary and receive your comments and feedback during or after the trip.
