YAVERO RIVER GENERAL INFORMATION
The following information on weather, health and physical conditioning is extremely important and should be read carefully. If you have any questions after going over it, please contact our office.
CANCELLATION INSURANCE: If there is any chance you may have to cancel your trip, you must purchase travel insurance for your protection. Insurance will cover every aspect of your trip including: your deposit, lost baggage and unforeseeable medical emergencies and evacuation. It will also cover additional transportation costs in case you have to be caught up to the expedition due to delays with your international flight. We recommend the company Travel Insured International.
ARRIVAL , MEETING TIME & PLACE: People often arrive into Lima on different days and at different times. If at all possible, we highly recommend leaving Thursday and spending the night in a hotel near the Lima airport. Not only does this break the travel time up, but it guarantees you will be on an early flight to Cuzco the following morning. You will be responsible for getting yourself from the United States to the Cuzco, Peru by 9:30 AM Friday. An Earth River guide and the bus will meet you at the Cuzco Airport, with a sihn, when you arrive. The guide will help you pack for the trip. Your extra gear will be safely stored in Cuzco until the trips conclusion.
WHAT IS INCLUDED: Ground transportation from Cuzco at the start of the trip, back to Cuzco an the trip’s conclusion. It also includes food, hotels the last two nights, Machu Picchu fees and the train back to Cuzco.
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED: International air to Lima and inner country air to Cuzco and other travel related expenses such as, but not limited to: entry fees, insurance, visas, passports, medical costs, airport taxes or other transportation costs resulting from a deviation from our itinerary are not included. Guide gratuities are also not included. If you are delayed for any reason (missed flight) and unable to reach Cuzco by the set meeting time, you will be responsible for any extra hotels and meals as well as the ground transportation necessary to catch you up to the trip (an Earth River agent will help you arrange these things). Note: Trip insurance will cover these additional expenses. Leaving a day early and staying in a hotel the night before in Lima is the surest way to avoid problems.
AIR TRANSPORTATION: Airfare from the US to Cuzco, Peru is not included in the trip price and must be arranged independently. You can contact our travel agent, Gilda if you would like help arranging your flights. She finds very good deals and gives great service. She can be reached at: 786-206-0710 or 1-866-498-0530 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. As soon as you have secured your flights down to Lima and connecting flight to Cuzco, please e-mail this information down to Earth River’s office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. so we know your schedule. The e- mail should include; Yavero trip date, date leaving US, flight # and arrival time into Cuzco as well as the flight # and departure time leaving Cuzco at the end of the trip. Remember you must arrive in Cuzco by 9:30 AM on the arrival date and should book your flight out of Cuzco at the trip’s conclusion after mid day (12:00).
*IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are delayed on your international flight and unable to make a national flight that arrives in by 9:30 AM Friday morning, you will still be able to do the trip but we will have to hire a taxi to catch you up. Please call the Earth River emergency number at 845-626-4361 and we will arrange for the vehicle and driver to meet you at the Cuzco airport to take you to the river which can cost $650 as the journey for the taxi which will need to travel 16 hours round trip.
CONDITIONING: Paddle rafting class 4 whitewater is somewhat demanding as is inflatable kayaking class 2 & 3 rapids so it is a good idea to be in good physical condition. If you are not currently in good condition, you should become involved in an exercise program prior to the expedition. Safety aside, being fit will improve the quality of your experience.
EXPERIENCE: It is absolutely fine for non experienced rafting guests to join us the Yavero Expedition. The whitewater is class 4 and the (optional) inflatable kayaking is also suitable for first timers.
PASSPORTS: You will need a current passport for traveling in Peru but do not need an additional visa.
ADDITIONAL TRAVEL WITHIN PERU: If you have a few extra days you might want to spend a day in the Inca City of Cuzco and or possible an additional day at Machu Picchu hiking up Huayna Picchu.
FINAL PAYMENT: The final trip balance is due 75 days prior to the trip’s departure. Those people who paid their deposit with a credit card will be automatically billed for the balance on the card we have on file unless you call the office 75 days before the trip’s departure with another credit card or send in a personal check. If you would like the final payment handled another way please call our office.
SINGLE ROOMS: There is no single supplement charge for people traveling alone as long as you are willing to share with another guest of the same sex. If you request single accommodations for the hotel nights on the trip, it must be done in advance when the balance of payment is due and the additional charge is $250.
GEAR: Please see the gear listo
ADDITIONAL MONEY: Generally, $500 per person will be adequate for any shopping, airport taxes, and river guide tips. You will be able to exchange money at the airport when you arrive in Lima or Cuzco.
GRATUITIES: Gratuities for the guides are not included. If you think the guides and help have done an outstanding job, -10 percent (approx. $350) of the expedition cost per person is considered a generous tip. Usually a member of the group will collect the tip and hand it to the trip leader (head guide) who will distribute it evenly among the guides and employees.
GEAR STORAGE: Because space and weight are limited in the baggage rafts and dugout canoes you will be allowed one bag river bag, which can weigh up to 30 pounds. The Earth River representative in Cuzco will give you a medium size river dry bag for the trip. Your suitcase and other belongings will be safely stored in Cuzco until you return. We would like you to pack your passports, wallets and other valuables in your river bag.
*IMPORTANT PACKING TIP: Each year a few people (approx. 2 %) of our clients end up in a foreign country without their belongings due to the airlines misplacing their bags. By the time they receive them from the airline, often the trip is nearly over. Because this is a real possibility we highly recommend the following steps to protect yourself. Pack all necessary river gear (paddle jacket, river shoes, hat, sun glasses, bathing suit, etc.) into the largest legal carry on bag you can find and don’t check it. Pack everything else in a duffle bag. This way if you become separated from your checked bag you will have the most important things for the river as well as the clothes on your back for camp.
WEATHER: We will be traveling in the dry season. Most of the rain in Peru falls between October and April. The climate is mild enough that even if it rains it is not cold although it is possible to have a sudden cold front (60’s) at any time throughout the year. The upper part of the river will have daytime highs in the mid 80’s and nights will be in the lower 70’s. When we get down to the Urubamba near the Amazon Jungle, daytime temperatures will be in the upper 80’s and night time will be in the high 70’s. Machu Picchu is up at 8,000 feet and daytime temperatures there could be in the high seventies. The water will be in the upper 60’s on the Yavero and the lower 70’s on the Urubamba. There is always a chance of rain so you should come prepared with rain pants and a rain jacket or paddle jacket. The water on the river is warm enough that wet suits are not necessary.
HEALTH INFORMATION: If you should need medical attention, there are hospitals in Quillabamba and Cuzco. There have been only a few yellow fever cases reported in Peru in a number of years but the Peruvian government never-the-less recommends a yellow fever vaccination for trips to the rainforest. We do not feel this is necessary. This vaccination is requested for visits to most rainforest areas around the world. If you decide to take it, the vaccination is only effective starting 10 days after it is administered so that you would need to get the shot two weeks before your trip’s departure. A prophylaxis against Malaria is recommended by many outfitters who take people to Manu National Park (near the Yavero River) but the area we will be traveling does not have a malaria problem. The United States Public Heath Service recommends the following health precautions as well for traveling in Peru. These are only recommendations and not required: a tetanus shot if one has not been received in the past ten years and Hepatitis shots. If you feel more comfortable, consult your doctor for his or her recommendations. It is important to avoid drinking water directly from hotel taps rivers, lakes or streams. Drink soda or bottled water. Avoid salads and fruits that you cannot peel yourself and make sure that all food has been properly cooked. We will be treating the water on the river. Strict food and water precautions are essential not only for your own safety and well-being, but for other members of the group and the success of the expedition as a whole. Because everyone will be in close quarters throughout the trip, intestinal problems can easily be passed from one person to the next, which could jeopardize the entire expedition. Unsanitary food preparation is the most common way to spread disease. Anyone coming in contact with community food should make sure hands are washed first. If you see someone who has not washed and is helping with a meal (including guides and safety kayakers), please remind them. If you are feeling even the slightest bit ill, stay away from community food until you have fully recovered.
EMERGENCIES: We carry a satellite phone. Because the area we are traveling in is so remote, it could take a helicopter a full day to get someone to a hospital.
ALTITUDE: You will be flying into Cuzco which is at 11,600 fee. The river starting point is 4,000 feet. Machu Picchu is at 8,000 feet.
POLITICAL CLIMATE: The political climate in Peru is stable but you should be careful with your wallet, passport, camera, and belongings. Get a belt pack that you can tuck under your shirt, and do not let your belongings or camera out of your sight.
EVACUATION: We will carry a sat. phone and it will be possible to contact a helicopter in the event of an emergency. This is a very remote river without roads so it is imperative that you are extremely careful and do not take unnecessary risks or chances. It is important also important that everyone keeps their life jacket and helmet on during scouts and portages.
EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION: In case there is an emergency at home while you are away the following phone number should be given to a relative or friend: 845-626-4361. The person should ask for Troy or Eric. It will not be possible to get information while you are on the river expedition but we can reach you the final three days of
the trip.
