Prices
Prices are really cheap for everything. A filling meal in a Chifa runs you about 8-10 soles (~$4). I took private 1:1 Spanish classes for S/17 (~$6) per hour. Taxis around town usually cost 3-5 soles.
Girls
Like a lot of the areas in the Andes, the quality of the girls is fairly low. There are a lot of girls with an "indigenous" look about them that is not attractive by Western standards. There are attractive girls; there are just fewer of them than you'd find elsewhere.
Lodging
Most of the action is around Plaza de Armas, so finding a hostel within a few blocks of there is important. Not only are the bars centered there, but also restaurants, so if you're far from Plaza de Armas, you'll find yourself taking long hikes any time you want a meal.
Bars / Clubs
There are two main streets for bars.
Calle San Francisco - This is right off Plaza de Armas and is therefore a little more traveler-heavy.
Av. Dolores - This is farther away from the main square and attracts mostly locals.
Drinks at some of the bars are pretty steep, but a common thing that people do is buy a bottle of liquor, a bottle of soda, and mix it in a big pitcher to share, which works out to be very cheap, but you have to guard your drinks.
Deja Vu - (Calle San Francisco) This was my favorite bar and the one I found most conducive to approaching. It has a reputation for being kind of a magnet for brincheras (gringo-chasers). As an American, girls there were very open to talking to me, although escalating from the hook point was harder than I'm used to in the US. Has two different dance floors, but the bar areas are quiet enough that you can approach and talk easily. I was asked to pay cover once on a weekend but the bouncer waved me in after he realized I was American. Has girls every night of the week (though you may need to wait till 12 for the crowd to build outside Thurs-Sat).
Forum - (Calle San Francisco) This is a dance club in a big bar complex which includes one big club for dancing (charges a S/10 cover), a rock bar, and a lounge with couches. Whenever I went, the lounge bar was filled with older people in suits, but the dance club had a good weekend crowd.
Monay's - (Av. Dolores) Salsoteca that attracts mainly locals. The sets there seemed less interested in meeting new people than just hanging out, drinking, and dancing with their own group.
La Roca - (Av. Dolores) Pretty similar to the above.
Istanbul - (Calle San Francisco) Good, quiet bar that has good drinks and is conducive to bounces or D2s.
Food
Turko - Delicious kebabs at 16 soles ($6) for a combo with soda + fries. One of the few places open 24 hours, which comes up big when you're looking for drunk, post-bar food.
Like anywhere in Peru, Chifas and chicken places offer filling, cheap meals. There are also some fancier restaurants along Calle San Francisco that are pretty good and not expensive by American standards (S/30-50 = $10-20 for a fancy meal).
Safety
There's a danger of "secuestro express" - getting kidnapped and robbed by the drivers of the tiny matchbox taxis. Certain taxi companies are reputable ("PLUS" being one of them). Check the back compartment for anyone hiding before getting in. Call taxis to be on the safe side. I took taxis home from the Centro and never had a problem, but I heard it's risky.
I was told that it was safe to walk around most parts of town, but there were areas that were sketchy and isolated that I wouldn't walk through at night. Cabs are cheap enough that it's easy to avoid the risk.
Prices are really cheap for everything. A filling meal in a Chifa runs you about 8-10 soles (~$4). I took private 1:1 Spanish classes for S/17 (~$6) per hour. Taxis around town usually cost 3-5 soles.
Girls
Like a lot of the areas in the Andes, the quality of the girls is fairly low. There are a lot of girls with an "indigenous" look about them that is not attractive by Western standards. There are attractive girls; there are just fewer of them than you'd find elsewhere.
Lodging
Most of the action is around Plaza de Armas, so finding a hostel within a few blocks of there is important. Not only are the bars centered there, but also restaurants, so if you're far from Plaza de Armas, you'll find yourself taking long hikes any time you want a meal.
Bars / Clubs
There are two main streets for bars.
Calle San Francisco - This is right off Plaza de Armas and is therefore a little more traveler-heavy.
Av. Dolores - This is farther away from the main square and attracts mostly locals.
Drinks at some of the bars are pretty steep, but a common thing that people do is buy a bottle of liquor, a bottle of soda, and mix it in a big pitcher to share, which works out to be very cheap, but you have to guard your drinks.
Deja Vu - (Calle San Francisco) This was my favorite bar and the one I found most conducive to approaching. It has a reputation for being kind of a magnet for brincheras (gringo-chasers). As an American, girls there were very open to talking to me, although escalating from the hook point was harder than I'm used to in the US. Has two different dance floors, but the bar areas are quiet enough that you can approach and talk easily. I was asked to pay cover once on a weekend but the bouncer waved me in after he realized I was American. Has girls every night of the week (though you may need to wait till 12 for the crowd to build outside Thurs-Sat).
Forum - (Calle San Francisco) This is a dance club in a big bar complex which includes one big club for dancing (charges a S/10 cover), a rock bar, and a lounge with couches. Whenever I went, the lounge bar was filled with older people in suits, but the dance club had a good weekend crowd.
Monay's - (Av. Dolores) Salsoteca that attracts mainly locals. The sets there seemed less interested in meeting new people than just hanging out, drinking, and dancing with their own group.
La Roca - (Av. Dolores) Pretty similar to the above.
Istanbul - (Calle San Francisco) Good, quiet bar that has good drinks and is conducive to bounces or D2s.
Food
Turko - Delicious kebabs at 16 soles ($6) for a combo with soda + fries. One of the few places open 24 hours, which comes up big when you're looking for drunk, post-bar food.
Like anywhere in Peru, Chifas and chicken places offer filling, cheap meals. There are also some fancier restaurants along Calle San Francisco that are pretty good and not expensive by American standards (S/30-50 = $10-20 for a fancy meal).
Safety
There's a danger of "secuestro express" - getting kidnapped and robbed by the drivers of the tiny matchbox taxis. Certain taxi companies are reputable ("PLUS" being one of them). Check the back compartment for anyone hiding before getting in. Call taxis to be on the safe side. I took taxis home from the Centro and never had a problem, but I heard it's risky.
I was told that it was safe to walk around most parts of town, but there were areas that were sketchy and isolated that I wouldn't walk through at night. Cabs are cheap enough that it's easy to avoid the risk.
