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Visiting Machu Picchu is one of those trips that we recommend to everyone to do, at least once in their life, if possible.

However, as we have been referring in the last posts about our trip to Peru, visiting Machu Picchu may not be as easy as we would think the first time. We have already answered many of the questions in our post MACHU PICCHU - 20 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW WHEN PLANNING YOUR VISIT TO MACHU PICCHU but, we wanted to take this post to answer one of the questions that we have been asked the most.

And this question is related to one of the changes that were made to the entry regulations in Machu Picchu, in which it is mandatory to be accompanied by an official tour guide for those who visit Machu Picchu. The only exception is for people who make the route to Huayna Picchu, or the Machu Picchu mountain, where the orientation service is not mandatory.

Since our visit to Machu Picchu took place just a little after that change, so we were a little apprehensive.

Do I really need a guide to visit Machu Picchu?

One of the concerns were, of course, financial, as our travel budget is generally well thought out and calculated, and we always try to avoid costs that are considered unnecessary by us.

However, it would also make no sense to go to a place like Machu Picchu and miss out on the opportunity to truly know and explore this wonder of the world just to save a few dollars on the guide, so we tried to gather as much information as possible to find out if it was really necessary whether or not a guide to making the most of the experience.

So, the answer to the question: “Do I really need a guide to visit Machu Picchu?” Concerns two fundamental questions. The first is legal, that is, if entry to Machu Picchu is really prohibited without a guide, and the second question, whether I need a guide to make the most of the experience of visiting Machu Picchu.

Answering the first question, the truth is that the changes to the entry rules in Machu Picchu has forced you to enter accompanied by a guide. However, what happened when we visited Machu Picchu was that there was absolutely no requirement to be accompanied by a guide and, until the date of 2020, this obligation is not in fact.

However, it is not known whether at any time there will be a policy change, but if it does, it is easy to hire the services of a guide, either in Machu Picchu Pueblo, or even at the entrance to Machu Picchu.

Regarding the second question, which is whether I need a guide to make the most of my visit to Machu Picchu, the truth is that it depends a lot on you.

The truth is that a good guide can help you learn a lot about the history of the place. We are talking about people who know the place as few and can help to pay attention to details that I would never have noticed or known had it not been for this precious help.

However, there are people who, like us, love to explore, discover and know every detail of their destination, even before taking the plane to their destination. If that is your case, our opinion is that you can very well make your visit to Machu Picchu without a guide. In our case, we had already done so much research that when we entered Machu Picchu it was as if we knew every inch of our destination.

In addition to this factor, there is another one that we identify with, which is to make our visits at our own pace and not be dependent on anyone. Something we loved was being able to stand still in Machu Picchu, just to contemplate, especially in the moments when we were able to be more alone, something that may not be easy to achieve in Machu Picchu but, to achieve this, we advise you to read our post on how to avoid crowds at Machu Picchu.

Conclusions

Well, responding directly to the question that led us to write this post, we are obliged to answer that yes, you can make your visit to Machu Picchu without a guide. In legal terms, it may not seem possible at the outset, but it is still possible (in 2020) to make this visit without having to fight it.

Visiting without a guide has the clear advantage of saving money and being able to follow your own pace throughout this marvel of humanity. However, as mentioned above, if you have not done your “homework” and have not studied your destination properly, we advise you to request the services of a guide, as it makes more sense to explore this destination by knowing its history, something that without a guide and without having studied, will lead you to lose much of the charm of this visit.

So, in case you have not made this visit, we really advise you to do it with a guide. However, we made the choice to go without a guide and, we loved the possibility of following our pace, with our times. Do not forget, regardless of the way you do it, do not miss visiting Machu Picchu, as it is something that will not fail to amaze you.

We really hope that our ideas help you to prepare for your visit and if you are planning your trip to Machu Picchu, we always do our reservations with booking, they are our partners and its with them that we get the best deals. You can look for the best deals by clicking here, it won't cost you any money and, it helps us to support our blog.

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We would also like to invite you to leave your opinion and questions and, in case you have already visited Machu Picchu, let us know about your experience using our comments box. Thanks for your visit to our Non Stop Family Travel Blog, come back often and, if you liked our article, don’t forget to share it with your friends.

If you are planning your visit to Peru, here is a list of some of our destination-related posts that are sure to be very helpful in organizing your itinerary:

- 10 reasons why you should visit Lima
- 20 things you should know when planning your trip to Machu Picchu
- What is the Sacred Valley of the Incas? What to see in the Sacred Valley, Peru
- Sacred City of Caral-Supe: Best day-trip from Lima
- How to visit the Rainbow Mountain in Peru? Things to know when planning your trip

As we have mentioned earlier articles, Ao Nang is an ideal place to make your base to explore the treasures of the Andaman Sea. With a nearby airport (you can see here the best way to go from Krabi airport to Ao Nang), which has a wide variety of flights from different destinations, especially from the capital of Thailand, Bangkok, and also including several international flights.

We guarantee that if the first image you have of Ao Nang is the beach, you will not be blown away. Although it is a huge and beautiful beach, it is not, in fact, the most beautiful in the area, so you may find yourself wondering why so many decide to stay in this village, instead of moving to another destination and stay next to more paradisiacal beaches.

Of course the reasons that led us to choose this destination to stay may be different from many others but, we explain why we chose this destination that we really recommend, especially for those who travel with children, such as our case (if you wish to discover more about our choice for this destination, we invite you to see our post about this decision, just click here).

One of the reasons that lead us to our decision was because, despite being a small village, it has everything we need, in particular, good hotels at great prices, much more affordable than other nearby areas. It also has a huge gastronomic offer, where there are several options for eating great food at very affordable prices.

Another reason relates to health issues, because in case of need, Ao Nang has that capacity and, if necessary, there is even more health offer in nearby Krabi, which is easily accessible.

The ease access, as previously mentioned, was also one of the reasons for staying here, because of the proximity to the airport and ease of connection to Ao Nang.

Another of the issues that captivate in Ao Nang is the familiar factor. Although it has a lot of possibilities connected to nightlife, with a reasonable set of bars and nightclubs, especially on the street by the beach, it is not as lively as nightlife, such as Phuket. And if it is true that we like to go out a little at night, choose a good restaurant and even listen to good live music, huge discos are not our wish, so Ao Nang best fits the wishes of a family trip than other paradisiacal destinations in Thailand.

If the nightclub and nightlife offerings may not be the stronghold of Ao Nang, what you will not find difficult to find will be tourist agencies that will allow you to visit all the attractions you want in this piece of paradise and, you will see, that Ao Nang ends up being a perfect place to start exploring, as options will not be lacking, you just have to organize and, of course, to have money for that, because they don't come for free. However, after a price review, what we found in Ao Nang were far more affordable prices than if we did the same activities from Phuket.

What is the best place to stay in Ao Nang?

If you have chosen to stay in Ao Nang, you will pass to the second phase: to choose the best place to stay in Ao Nang, which, it may seem confusing but, with some research, we promise it will be an easy decision.

It will not be up to us to say which is the best hotel to stay at. This decision is always up to every traveler, who will have to make the choice that suits his needs, his style of traveler, the number of travelers and, among other factors, one always very important, the budget that you want to spend on your stay.

Something very good that Ao Nang has is that it is not at all difficult to orient yourself along the village, since the generality of the "life", is located along the beach or, in the main street towards the airport, known as Airport Street, in a total distance of around 3 km, so you can easily move from one place to another on foot or, if necessary, have the always useful tuk-tuk, which for very accessible values can take you where you want.

So, when looking for a hotel, it is advisable to search within this area or, not far from it. However, there are still some factors to consider. Right next to the beach, you can have the clear advantage of accessibility, and who does not love being able to fall asleep listening to the waves of the sea and, wake up, open the window and see its beauty? However, in Ao Nang, the hotels closest to the sea that is located on the main street tend to be a bit older, so keep this factor in mind when doing your research. Another inconvenience may be the noise, although it is not very intensive, there is still a good offer for evening entertainment and if you want to stay right on the main street when exploring the desired hotel, look for the always useful opinions of previous guests in relation to the noise that is heard inside the rooms, because it is not at all pleasant not being able to sleep decently during the holidays.

A bit more out of the center but, not far away, you will find more new hotels, which may force you to walk a little to get to the beach but generally are short hikes. Some hotels that are not located by the sea have the possibility of free transport to the beach, as was the case of the Hotel we chose, Ibis Stiles Ao Nang which, despite being relatively close to the beach, 1 km, had a tuk-tuk who regularly departed for the beach and then made the return trip, which can be a very good value.

It is worth mentioning that, Airport Street, which rises from Ao Nang Beach, is the place where you can get great meals at good prices because of the restaurant offer is huge.

On the opposite side of Ao Nang is the beach of Noppharat Thara, where here too the hotel offer is vast, where it is also possible to get good quality hotels at good prices. Also in this area, you can find a wide range of restaurants, and there is also a huge offer of tourist agencies, which take tourists to the activities, whether in Ao Nang or in Noppharat Thara Beach, which are near each other.

Conclusions

As we have been referring to in our article, it is not very difficult to get you oriented in Ao Nang, since all life converges by the sea or, in the continuation to Airport Road, areas in which we recommend you to stay. As the distance from the beach is not much, what we invite is always to look for the lodging that best suits their pretensions and price range, although we can guarantee that, in Ao Nang, is possible to get very good prices for hotels with good conditions.

You can also, find hotels of superior quality outside the areas mentioned but, that has the disadvantages of, when you need to go to the beach or when you want to choose where to eat, you will have to look for a means of transport, so we advise you to take into account these questions at the time of choosing. Sometimes you can find great options in the all-inclusive option, which lessens the need to look for food outside the hotel which, in cases where you are far from the center, can be more difficult and expensive. Sometimes hotels have transportation and tour offerings, and the fact that a person is farther from the center, where the offer is higher and better prices can be obtained, may lead to accepting the prices proposed by the hotel.

What we recommend is that you do not accept the first offerings that you are given in the hotel and, in the first trips that you take in Ao Nang, look for various tourist agencies and try to reach the best prices possible. As for transport, more than accepting the prices that hotels can propose, almost certainly when you leave the hotel doors you can easily find tuk-tuks or taxis that can take you to your destinations, but of course you will not forget the usual price negotiation.

Otherwise, we highly recommend staying in Ao Nang during your trip to Thailand, it is a perfect destination with all the conditions you might need and without the floods you see in other places in Thailand.

We hope our tips help you to program your trip to Thailand and that your family enjoys Krabi. If you still don't have a place to stay in Thailand, we always do our reservations with booking, they are our partners and its with them that we get the best deals. You can look for the best deals in the city of Ao Nang by clicking here, it won't cost you any money and, it helps us to support our blog.

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Don’t forget to leave your comment and share our Non Stop Family - Travel Blog.

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A holiday in the mountains is always something very appealing and attractive. However, something that sometimes frights parents of children preparing to travel to high places, is the so famous Altitude Sickness, also known as Moutain Sickness or, if you go to Peru or Bolivia, as Soroche.

No one wants their holidays spoiled and, in particular, no one wants their children to suffer any discomfort, particularly in this situation, from the consequences of Altitude Sickness. In our case, what led us to investigate this occurrence was the trip to Peru, in particular to Machu Picchu, which led us to try to collect as much information about Altitude Sickness, trying to know what it was, what caused it, how to prevent and, more than in the case of adults, what would be the reaction of the children because, as usual, our son, 7 years old at the time, would accompany us on this trip.

Unfortunately, there is nothing that can guarantee 100% that adults and children will not suffer from Altitude Sickness when at high altitudes, particularly at more than 2400 meters when the first symptoms begin to appear. However, there is the possibility of seeking to prevent and, when it does not work, to help overcome more quickly and in a less painful way for children and adults.

What is Altitude Sickness?

Altitude Sickness is, explained in reduced form, a malaise caused by the decrease of the quantity of oxygen in the air. That is, as we go up, the amount of oxygen in the air decreases and, generally from the 2,400 meters, this can produce unpleasant effects on the people.

One question that has no real answer is the reason why some people suffer from these unpleasant symptoms with greater or lesser intensity, and others do not suffer any symptoms at all. However, the longer you climb, the more likely you are to suffer, and as on our trip to Machu Picchu, we would stay for a few days in the city of Cusco, which is about 3400 meters away. For us, who live in the city of Lisbon, near sea level, and before we go to Cusco, we would be in the city of Lima, also coastal would be a huge change, so we have tried to study this issue with seriousness.

SYMPTOMS OF ALTITUDE SICKNESS

As we said earlier, Altitude Sickness will have consequences that may or may not affect many of us, and this applies to both adults and children's. However, the good news is that studies show that there is a greater likelihood that an adult will feel the consequences of Altitude Sickness than a child, which is great news because we prefer to always be undergoing this discomfort than our son's. Despite the lower probability, there are always some strategies that help you deal better with the consequences of Altitude Sickness, decrease your discomfort, and overcome it more quickly. Let's talk a little about them:

- When we travel there is always the desire to reach our destination and explore it greedily, but when you reach a destination at a high altitude, you will have to reserve in your schedule time to let your body get used to the new conditions. On the first, second day you will have to go slowly and respect the rhythm of your body. No hard work, no big ups, and no runs. When you feel tired, stop, relax, and breathe slowly and deeply, helping your child to follow these "rules" as well. We know that for children it may be difficult to ask them to stop but it is important that the whole family look for "go slow". Take some time to lie down to watch a movie, quiet activities ... taking it easy is rule number one.

- Keeping yourself hydrated will be important to prevent or avoid the symptoms of Altitude Sickness. Always have water with you and encourage your children to drink frequently. Sodas are always something to avoid as they are not the best way to hydrate. Water is always the best alternative as well as natural juices and tea. In addition to the general advantage of the hot tea, that help in digestion, you will often see the tea muña, that is even better for digestion, something that can be harder in the first times in altitude. You will also find out that, in places like Peru and Bolivia, you will have the chance to drink the famous coca tea. Coca tea is widely used by adults in Peru and Bolívia and there are those who recommend it for children. We did not give it to our child, just out of fear, but we gave some candy with coca made for children. If you choose to give your children coca tea, do not forget that children's tea will have to be weaker than what the ones that adults drink.

- Something you'll often see on sale in many high-altitude cities is tiny oxygen cans that, when the first Altitude Sickness symptoms are appearing, you can give the child a few seconds to breath (and also to the adults), and the symptoms tend to subside or disappear quickly. Many hotels in elevated locations are also often equipped with oxygen cylinders when needed. When you feel this need, yours or your child, seek help from the staff at the hotel where you are staying.

Picture from OxiShot Perú

- The cold also does not help, and when in high altitudes, can contribute to the increase of the symptoms of Altitude Sickness, so we recommend that you always wear appropriate warm clothing adapted to the temperature where you will be and always look using it in multiple layers, the best way to prevent the cold.

- We have not used it but several people advise the use of ibuprofen in the case of Altitude Sickness symptoms, especially headache. However, do not forget that ibuprofen is medicine and any use of medicines should always be performed after consultation and medical advice.

- When the symptoms become severe, we recommend that you seek to descend from the height and take the adult or child to a hospital or medical center as soon as possible. Although rare, there are cases of Altitude Sickness that can be dangerous, so it is better to prevent and search for specialized help.

How to prevent altitude sickness in toddlers and kids?

There are no 100% effective remedies to cure Altitude Sickness, but certain strategies can actually help reduce symptoms or even prevent them at 100%. Let's talk a little about these strategies.

Again, we refer to the need to talk to the doctor who follows your child before making your trip, better than anyone else, he will know the child's medical condition and will know the appropriate recommendations before starting the trip.

Something we would also like to convey is that children up to 3 months should not be subjected to high altitudes as well as children with specific medical conditions, hence again we mention the need to talk to your doctor before you to the trip with your child's.

- One of the most effective strategies you can use is to let your body settle in slowly, that is, to stay at an intermediate altitude before moving to your final destination. Let us give our example. The gateway for many visitors to Machu Picchu is the city of Cusco, which is about 3400 meters high. However, in order to make life easier for all of us, instead of staying in Cusco, we left this part of the trip a few days later, and when we arrived at the airport, we took a taxi directly to the city of Ollantaytambo. about 2790 in height, where we stayed overnight for 3 nights and used it as a base for our trip to Machu Picchu. It may not seem like much, but 600 meters of altitude can make a lot of difference, and this was a great way to get our body used to the altitude.

Ollantaytambo

- Another recommendation is for those who move to high altitudes by car. Try to take frequent breaks and be very careful about the curves, which often serve as a facilitator of nausea and discomfort.

- Give your child light foods before and during the trip, especially hydrocarbonates such as bread, cereals, pastes, and promote frequent ingestion of fluids, especially water.

Chicken Soup is always a great option

- Although difficult, try to talk to the child about the need to avoid many run-ins in the early days. Take with you a set of quiet games to be able to make a family, some movie to see together... Prepare your child for the need for fewer runs and efforts. Also in the same direction, prepare for the whole family more relaxing activities for the first two days in altitude, respect and let the body get used to the changes.

- Try to sleep at lower altitudes than you have during the day. For example, if you took a ski vacation, try to do your days activities at a higher altitude than the place where you will spend the night.

Conclusions

You have your dream vacation all planned, but are you afraid of Altitude Sickness effects on your child? Do not have it, go ahead and enjoy yourself. In most cases, the symptoms will only be very slight and often children feel even less than adults. However, it is important to take certain precautions and cautions, such as those throughout our article.

Traveling with children is wonderful, and your mountain holiday with your son becomes even more special when we see their joy. However, do not forget the importance of talking to your doctor and, after that, enjoy your vacations!

We hope that our article will help you plan your trip and if you still do not have a place to stay, we always do our reservations with booking, they are our partners and it's with them that we get the best deals. You can look for the best deals in your destiny by clicking here, it will not cost you any money and, it helps us to support our blog.

We would also like to invite you to give your opinion and questions and, in case you have already traveled to a place with high altitude and suffer from altitude sickness, let us know what you think is the best way to prevent it and to deal with it. Thanks for your visit to our Non Stop Family Travel Blog, come back often and, if you liked our article, do not forget to share it with your friends.

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Do I really need a guide to visit Machu Picchu?

Conclusions

What is the best place to stay in Ao Nang?

Conclusions

What is Altitude Sickness?

SYMPTOMS OF ALTITUDE SICKNESS

How to prevent altitude sickness in toddlers and kids?

Conclusions

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