Do you recommend booking hostels ahead of time? If so, what's the best way to find/contact the hostels to make reservations? I have a travel book from Lonely Planet, and have been using the web... but have found minimal options. I figure it would be cool to figure out the accomodations as we travel along. Will that be adventurous and fun... or just stupid? My main concern is Machu Picchu (Aguas Calientes), as I'm sure the area is pretty crowded. Any recommendations/contacts for hostels in that area?
Details: I will be traveling through Peru and Bolivia during the month of July, stopping in Lima, Cusco, Machu Picchu, Copacabana, La Paz.
Reply to this I would say just turn up and find one unless there's a festival on and you know it's going to be very busy. In Aguas Caliente we just turned up and found a cheap one. Lonely Planet can be good, if not try and ask travellers coming from the opposite directions for reccommendations. Loki hostels are great (one in La Paz, Lima and Cusco) - very traveller friendly with breakfast/internet included. http://www.lokihostel.com/ Loki generally needs to have reservations to ensure a place but can have vacancies when you just turn up - should be contact details on the site. Don't know what your budget it but budget hostels are generally really quite ok in South America. Have fun!
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