Students live off-campus in the university residence called La Casa Don Ignacio. Rooms are double-occupancy. Bathrooms are shared among several rooms. Each room is furnished with a bed, desk and storage.

La Casa Don Ignacio offers the following amenities and services:

• Terrace overlooking a park
• TV room
• Laundry
• Assistance with travel
• Computer room
• Wireless Internet
• Housekeeping

La Casa Don Ignacio has a cafeteria serving Peruvian cuisine. Meals are not included in the program fee. The residence hall also has an equipped kitchen that students can use to prepare meals.

Peru is considered the gastronomy center of South America. Peruvian cuisine stems from a combination of Spanish and native ingredients. Chinese, Italian, West African and Japanese influences can also be seen throughout Lima. Many traditional foods, such as quinoa, kiwicha, chili peppers and several roots and tubers have seen a resurgence in popularity in recent decades with a revival of interest in native Peruvian food crops.

Students are encouraged to take advantage of campus clubs and activities. USIL's Sports Department organizes sports and recreational activities, including basketball, football, “futsal”, swimming, volleyball, chess, bowling, judo, jiu jitsu, tae kwon do, modern dance and Choir. Students can participate in intramural activities, as well as external competitions and league competitions organized by the Liga Metropolitana de Futsal, Liga Mixta de Basquetbol and Liga de Voleibol de La Molina. The Huachipa campus has a 25,000 sq. meter open-air sports center that is open to students.

Lima offers excellent museums, galleries, parks, concerts, cafes, restaurants and shops. Nightclubs and discos can be found in the downtown area.

The Lima area also offers many opportunities for outdoor activities. Ecological parks and Inca ruins are within 2 hour's reach.

Lima has an efficient, albeit chaotic, transportation network consisting of a metro, micros, buses and taxis.

The Metro, or "Urban Train of Lima", is the electric mass transit system. Currently, it is very limited - consisting of just one line with seven stations in the southern area of the city. Six additional lines are planned.

Micros (also called Combis) are privately-owned minibuses known for being very cheap and convenient. This is the most common form of public transportation in Peru.

Buses are the least efficient mode of travel in the city. Buses have limited routes and cost more than the micros

Taxis in the city are very cheap. There are no meters so you must tell the driver where you want to go and agree on a price before you get in.

KEI will provide you with a prepaid mobile phone handset shortly after you arrive in Lima. The On-Site Coordinator will show you how to place calls. The phone will have a small amount of credit to get you started. Additional credit can be purchase as needed. The residence hall has computer facilities with wireless Internet at most campus locations.

Mr. Luis Ricardo Rodriguez-La-Rosa Pratt is the KEI Onsite Director (OSD) in Peru. A native of Peru, Luis Ricardo earned a degree in Sociology from the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica. Before joining KEI, he worked in Costa Rica, Cuzo and Lima as an English instructor and content editor.

The Onsite Director will greet students upon arrival, oversee the orientation, plan cultural excursions, provide advice during the program, help resolve any problems that may come up and serve as a guide to Peruvian culture. Students will meet with the OSD on a regular basis. The OSD is available 24 hours a day if there is an emergency.

During the first few days you will learn about the academic system at USIL and the basics for living in Lima. The orientation covers the following topics:

• using public transportation
• academic expectations
• safety and security in Lima
• cultural adaptation
• housing policies
• a few social activities to meet your fellow students

If you have any questions, be sure to ask your On-Site Coordinator!