On our journey to El Oriente in Ecuador, we stayed in small, developing town known as Misahualli. While the selection of places to rest your head was somewhat slim, we did manage to secure lodging at a small eco lodge called France-Amazonia.

As eco lodges go, France-Amazonia can hardly be called a luxury resort. That being said, it is a clean, quaint and secure guest house with a reasonable amount of charm. They have a locked parking area for your vehicle, private bathrooms in each room, a bar, pool, thatched hammock area with bonfire access, private path to the river for canoe access and a fresh breakfast served each morning.

Apparently, they used to also make food to order for lunch and dinner as well, but when we were there the venue had new owners and this wasn’t on their list of services. They did however, order food for us from downtown so we could enjoy dinner on site for a fee and still have access to the bar without having to drive.

The other convenient thing about this location is that if you are booking one of several available river tours, you can use the private trail ( more than a little slippery) to access the river and your tour operator will pick you up right there at the hotel. It’s nice not to have to walk far back to your room at the end of the day, as opposed to still needing to arrange transport from the waterfront area of Misahualli.

We enjoyed our rooms, the pool and the bonfire area with bar access and would stay here again. The service is somewhat casual, as the owners live on site and you need to flag them down with a bell near their living area should a need arise. Not all rooms are first floor, so if climbing up the stairs with your luggage is an issue, be sure to book a ground room. We paid less than $50 for ours, which was upstairs and adjoined to the room of our other traveling companions with a private balcony and lockable common door.

Photo Credit: Trek Hound – Other pictures from Ecuador’s El Oriente are available are available through a creative commons agreement on our sister site, Pictures of Travel Places.

Termas de Papallacta Spa & Resort in the mountains of Ecuador is an amazing escape from the typical tourist rush.

Drivable from Quito, the resort is a rustically-romantic getaway that successfully blends luxury with nature. Nestled high in the mountains of Ecuador, Papallacta provides thermal pools, a full-service spa, fine dining and access to nature trails. We stayed there for a night during a month-long vacation in Ecuador. Here’s a run-down of our experience.

The Papallacta spa was fantastic.

We were pleased to find that the Papallacta spa was a full-service establishment with a fireside quiet area to enjoy while we waited for our treatments. Mid-week rates were a steal, with a one-hour hot stone massage costing only 30 bucks on a Thursday night.

How was the food at Termas Papallacta Spa & Resort?

The restaurant served a fair amount of food that was sourced locally, including fish and vegetables. While we’d heard great things about the service, they were apparently breaking in a new staff person while we were there because it left a bit to be desired. That being said, it was a nice restaurant and the food was definitely fabulous.

The rooms at Papallacta were rustic but definitely comfortable.

While I believe there were regular rooms available, we stayed at one of the guest cottages with step-out-the-door access to multiple thermal pools of varying temperatures and steaming hot waterfalls to sit underneath. The cottages had a room that would sleep five, a huge bathtub and shower combo, and a front room with a glass-front wood stove, couch, dinette set and several kitchenette appliances like a toaster oven, sink area, small fridge and a microwave.

There was also a front porch sitting area to enjoy the mountain scenery after a dip in the thermal pools. There was also another side of the cottage that you could book as an adjoining room if your family or traveling group was large. We found the cottage to be very comfortable and used the kitchenette to have a private breakfast rather than heading to the restaurant.

Termas de Papallacta definitely has some perks.

Step-out access to steamy, thermal pool luxury, a full-service spa, hiking and equestrian trails with a two-room suite and fine dining to boot make the Termas de Papallacta Spa & Resort worth the trip. Add in the mountain scenery and relaxed atmosphere, and you’ve got yourself a romantic getaway you’ll remember for years to come. The partially-furnished kitchenette in our room at Papallacta was a huge perk as well, allowing privacy and cost-control for at least some of the meals consumed while we were there.

Personal Papallacta verdict?

In my opinion, Termas de Papallacta is a nice establishment that’s worth spending the money to visit. The fact that Wi-Fi was only available in the main lobby area seemed like a bit of a quirk to me, because I am a freelancer who works from the road. That being said, it is supposed to be a luxurious nature getaway and the capacity to check in with clients back in the States was definitely available on site. Papallacta makes a great getaway in its own right, as well as a fun and scenic drive-and-stop to combine with a trip to Ecuador’s Orienté to explore the headwaters of the Amazon River.

Editor’s Note: These and other pictures of Papallacta are available at one of our sister sites, Pictures of Travel Places for you to use for free through a creative commons agreement. We ask only for a link back to the photo gallery.

Photo Credits: Trek Hound

Hotels near Disney World Orlando can run the gamut when it comes to affordability and quality. So when I discovered a three-bedroom, two-bath villa available for roughly $80 per night during a recent travel blogging media event, I sat up and paid attention. It was one of two affordable alternatives to hotels near Disney World Orlando in fairly close proximity to each other.

The first was Caribe Cove.

This was the facility where my husband and I stayed. The villas retailed at roughly $80 per night, and offered two bedrooms, two baths, fully-equipped modern kitchen, dining room, living area and private patio. Caribe Cove also comes with a few resort-style amenities, including a pool, hot tub, fitness facility, steam room and sauna. From here, it’s a relatively easy drive to Disney and you can whip up meals in your family-sized kitchen at the end of the day. The children’s suite with adjoining bath is also at the other end of the villa from the living area and master suite, making it possible to put the little ones to bed and still get a little work done at the end of the day.

Nearby is the Bahama Bay resort.

The Bahama Bay property is quite similar to Caribe Cove, and offers both two and three bedroom villas for reservation. There are a few more amenities available at Bahama Bay, including a bar and restaurant. It’s also a larger property overall, with a significantly higher number of buildings housing rental villas. Since Bahama Bay is right around the corner from Caribe Cove, a vacation stay there will also put you within easy automobile access to Disney World Orlando.

If you are looking for a way to experience the magic of the mouse, and don’t want to break the bank doing it, then booking a villa where you can prepare your own meals while the kids work out the last of the day’s energy in the pool just might be what the doctor ordered. Have you visited Caribe Cove or Bahama Bay on a family vacation? What were your impressions and experiences?

Photo Credit: Bahama Bay Resort

Disclosure statement: My first experience with Caribe Cove and Bahama Bay was with a media event for travel bloggers and journalists in Central Florida. Both of these resorts hosted portions of the event so that we could accurately experience what the properties had to offer before letting our readers know about the resorts themselves.

Where you can you find a heavy dose of rustic, old-world elegance with a shining view of a snow-capped volcano, complete with practically perfect weather all year round?

Believe it or not, in northern Ecuador, just a couple of hours out of Quito. The place? Hosteria La Cienega. This charming antique hacienda turned hotel and restaurant has been in the same family since the seventeenth century.

Also near Cotapaxi National Park and within driving distance to the Saquisili market, this hotel and restaurant makes a wonderful retreat from the city for quiet relaxation. Offering casual breakfasts al fresco as well as more formal indoor seating with a full menu, the atmosphere was (in this writer’s humble opinion) exquisite. Glitzy? No. Understatedly elegant? Absolutely.

After exploring the interior courtyard’s formal garden and on-sight chapel built into the hacienda itself, we sat down to enjoy grilled fish and steak with rounds of spirit-infused consume, homemade bread and house wine.

Needing to walk off lunch and delighted that the establishment’s management encouraged full facility exploration, we strolled the grounds and explored various suites and communal sitting rooms.

We feel comfortable recommending this hotel and restaurant to those people interested in paying from $12 – $20 USD per plate and $60 – $180 USD per night for accommodation.

Photo Credits: Trek Hound – Additional images of Hosteria La Cienega and the area around Saquisili are available on Pictures of Travel Places.

This article was submitted to the February 3, 2010 edition of Wanderlust and Lipstick’s Wanderfood Wednesday.

Photo Credit: Lucerne Inn

Recently, we were having difficulty finding a room in the city of Bangor due to a huge international folk festival they have every year.

We really needed to get down there and get some bulk shopping done for the winter ahead and also to pick up some business and educational equipment, and it had to be on a specific weekend. A friend recommended a hotel she and her husband love to visit that is only 20-30 minutes outside of Bangor. The place? The Lucerne Inn.

It was just exactly what we needed. Relaxing, full of atmosphere and quiet. The rooms come with a whirlpool tub, a gas fireplace and almost all have a phenomenal view of the lake. We felt like we were back in Europe. They also have a dining menu which was excellent, and a more than passable wine selection. The Lucerne is within easy access to various sights and activities and is filled with old world, well-loved charm. Personal verdict? Worth checking out.

Photo Credit: Astroguyz.Com

A dirt cheap option is Jerusalem’s Muslim Quarter, this place offers open dorm beds for about 25 shekels each, with shared bathroom.

Private rooms are available, but there was no private bath option and they were small. There is a fridge but no kitchen, and a common seating and reading area sans television. David really dug some of the art work on the walls, pictured below.

Photo Credit: Astroguyz.Com

Staffed by volunteer travelers, this place is in easy walking distance to most of the old city’s tourist stops. Downstairs there is an affordable (although not terribly efficient) restaurant with internet service. Housed in an old building with vaulted ceilings and cleaned daily. It’s not fancy, but do-able for penny pinchers. We have to say, it made us feel even more like we were on a pilgrimage, especially with the wide range of ages and personality types residing there.

Located at 8 Aqabat at-Takiya Street. In country phone number: 628-1101.

Photo Credit: Allenby #2 B&B

Looking for a charming, affordable place to stay in Jerusalem? Something right by the bus line that can take you anywhere you want to go?

This bed and breakfast has been recommended enthusiastically by two separate friends of ours who have lived and traveled extensively in the Middle East. Here’s the link: http://www.bnb.co.il/allenby/ Both friends have commented on the service, homey atmosphere and helpfulness of the staff and shared kitchen.

Photo Credit: Allenby #2 B&B

It’s called Allenby #2 B&B, and they appear to be able to accommodate singles, couples, families and groups of up to 35 people. They also have holiday apartments.  If you have a chance to try it out, post a response and let us know what you think.

Photo Credit: Astroguyz.Com

So, you’ve seen the blurb in the guide book and wanting a little more information? Here’s our take:

Fancy? No. Clean? Somewhat. Safe and Friendly? Absolutely, and “doc” is a hoot!

Photo Credit: Astroguyz.Com

In walking distance to several eating options. Helpful if you are trying to save a few bucks while in Korat trying to arrange transport to other locations, such as some of the nearby temples or the wine and spa district. As I recall, we paid somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 bucks for a double room with AC and shared bathroom.

Located at 78 Suebsiri Soya 4 Korat 30000 Telephone: 044-255846

Photo Credit: Mariam Hotel

Sight seeing in Madaba and the surrounding area? Looking for an affordable, clean and friendly place to stay?

This spotless, family run establishment offers clean rooms with satellite TV and private bath facilities. Our cost for a double? A little over thirty USD per night, breakfast included. There is also a bar, restaurant, swimming pool and spacious common area.

Photo Credit: Mariam Hotel

The owners really bend over backwards for guests, and will help you organize any tour you desire, as Madaba is a convenient location for seeing many of the attractions in the general vicinity, such as Mount Nebo and the Dead Sea. We did find their restaurant and internet services to be a bit overpriced, to be honest. If you don’t mind working around that, however, we’re quite certain you’ll be satisfied with the establishment. As we said, the rooms are more than affordable for the quality you receive, and their tour prices appeared to be on par price-wise with others we saw in the country.

Photo Credit: Mariam Hotel

Telephone: 962-5-325-1529 Fax: 962-5-325-1530 Physcial location of the Mariam Hotel:  Aisha Um Al Mu’meneen Street in Madaba, Jordan.

Photo Credit: TrekHound.Com

Fresh off the bus in Haifa? If you don’t mind walking a bit, there’s a guest house not too far away. Here’s our take on the establishment.

As with most places we found in Israel, the double rooms were much pricier here and the more affordable option was the open dorm beds. That being said, we found this guest house to be extremely well run and fastidiously maintained / cleaned. The owner and staff were extremely friendly and went above and beyond to help us out with inside information, money saving cards and coupons and phone translation when things got difficult.

Photo Credit: Port Inn

There is a decent common area with English language cable TV, outdoor garden area and one of the better shared kitchen facilities we had run across on our entire trip around the world.

Photo Credit: Port Inn

This also was meticulously cleaned and well stocked with equipment if you wanted to make a decent meal at the guest house and stay in for the night. They also offered an included breakfast service which was optional.

Photo Credit: Port Inn

The Port Inn Guest House is conveniently located within walking distance to train and bus stations, as well as the city subway type of train that runs up and down the mountain to various tourist stops and museums.  Located at 34 Jaffa Road, Haifa. Telephone: -4-852-4401 Fax: 04-852-1003