Arriving in Peru can be a bewildering experience. And finding quality, comprehensive, independent, up-to-date travel advice is no easy feat.
But the lovely English-speaking staff at the South American Explorers' Club devote their lives to assisting independent travellers.
In Peru, they have 'clubhouses' in Lima and Cusco. These chilled-out offices (complete with large tables, a kitchen and lounges), are loaded to the gills with book exchanges, guide books, maps, magazines and folders full of carefully-collated information and member trip reports. You can read unbiased reviews of language schools, volunteer programs, homestays, tour operators, restaurants, accommodation and transport companies. It costs about US$50 a year to become a member (they're a not-for-profit organization), which buys you a subscription to their magazine and all the time you want to hang out in their clubhouses, chatting and collecting information. They'll even store your bags for you while you're off travelling, or collect your mail.
The website is also a pretty good source of info, but you need to be a member to access some sections of the site. http://www.saexplorers.org/club/home
The clubhouse in Lima is at Calle Piura 135, Miraflores, Lima, Peru and in Cusco you'll find them at Choquechaca 188, Apt. 4 (2 blocks from the Plaza de Armas).