Almost 600,000 Americans visit Peru each year, with hundreds of thousands enjoying historical places such as the UNESCO World Heritage Site Machu Picchu.

But those going to the South American country need to pay extra attention to their surroundings when they travel, federal officials warn.

The State Department reissued its travel warning for Peru. The country remains under a Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution warning due to crime, civil unrest and risk of kidnapping.

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Crime is common in Peru, the State Department warned, with petty theft, carjackings, muggings, assault and other violent crimes occurring even in daylight hours. Crime risks increase at night and groups even set up roadblocks to rob people in areas outside of Lima.

Demonstrations occur regularly throughout the country and can shut down local roads, trains and major highways. U.S. government employees are prohibited from nighttime driving except within cities or between Lima and Huacho to the north and Lima and Paracas to the south.

Do not travel

Parts of the country are under Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory. Those areas include:

• The Colombia-Peru border area in the Loreto Region

• The Valley of the Apurímac, Ene, and Mantaro Rivers, including Vilcabamba

• Some areas within the regions of Ayacucho, Cusco, Huancavelica, and Junín

Parts of Cusco with popular tourist sites nearby like the Sacred Valley, the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu are not in the affected areas.

Avoid traditional Amazon substances

Of particular concern are the use of Ayahuasca or Kambo, traditional Amazonian practices that involve the use of natural substances for reported healing and spiritual purposes.

Both practices have known dangers including the possibility of causing serious illness and, in some cases, death. Others have reported being sexually assaulted, injured or robbed under the influence of the substances.

You can go here to see more travel safety tips related to Peru.

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