Lima - Post Report Question and Answers
What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
We brought our favorite liquid cleaning supplies, detergents and wish we would have brought more. Chemical-free cleaning products here are hard to find and expensive. - Oct 2018
Probably paper goods. Napkins and paper towels are of poor quality. Some US cleaning supplies would be good as well, to include quality mops and dusting supplies. - Mar 2018
Honestly, you can't get most things here, though if you're a stickler for certain cleaning supplies throw those in your HHE. The commissary carries them here but at a much higher price. - Apr 2017
For a country that has a lot of Asian cuisine, fish sauce can be hard to find. Other than that, canned tomatoes and beans, tetrapak broths, and dill pickles.
Bring lots of wine. Choices are very limited for white and rose drinkers. Adequate selection of reds from Chile and Argentina, but good wine is costly.
Lima airport has a duty free upon arrivals. This is your best time to stock up on the hard stuff.
- Jul 2016
Maple syrup, more sunscreen. Even in the grey of winter, the UV will scorch you. - Sep 2015
None that I can think of. If you get here and think of something you miss, you can either (a) find it or something very similar to it here, or (b) order it through Amazon. - May 2015
Organic peanut butter (anything organic). Coffee (expensive and not great). But you can get pretty much anything. - Sep 2014
Nothing really. With the excellent commissary at the Embassy (which receives shipments throughout the year) plus amazon, we can get anything we want. - Apr 2014
Organic dish soap and canned crushed tomatos. - Mar 2014
Nothing, between the Commissary and DPO we can get most anything. - Aug 2013
Chocolate chips, baking chocolate, certain comfort foods and personal toiletries. You can get pretty much everything else here. - Jul 2013
Nothing. You can buy or order whatever you need. - Jul 2013
Any kind of electronic items are very expensive. - Jun 2013
Very good cookery for the kitchen, lots of clothes and shoes, another tennis racquet, an extra laptop or iPad, a king-sized bed, some spare car parts for easy fixes, and ... - Jan 2012
Personally, there is nothing. If need something I can't get here on the local market, I will order on on-line. But, it you have something that you just can't live without - ship it ahead. If you are a Mexican food fan, it is very limited here. - Jan 2012
Not much. Large sized shoes or clothing, books, toys. - Aug 2011
I would bring a car. - Jul 2010
Sports equipment, beach equipment, patio furniture. - Jun 2010
It is quite unlikely that I would return to Lima, Peru. Embassy Lima is not very inviting. The Embassy has the afflication many other USG overseas posts have...local employed staff with little or no motivation. If things change, and I must return...I would bring Sunshine in a bottle for those 8 months when you have no sun due to the winter that never ends. - Jul 2008
A supply of your favorite personal care products (deodorants, hair products etc.). Some of these things are available, but not all, and some cannot be shipped because of their high liquid/cream/get content. - Apr 2008