With the recent hubbub over debit card fees, I thought it might be time to start reviewing credit card programs and what they can offer the budget traveler. First up? The Discover Card® .

As anyone who’s ever looked into the program knows, there are a variety of specific accounts that Discover Card® has to offer, each offering its own set of unique perks. Other perks are possible with any of the credit cards Discover offers. The benefits covered in this article all relate to travel.

Coverage for up to $150 per day for meals and lodging if you booked a flight with your Discover Card that’s delayed more than six hours.

Some stipulations do apply. For example, you’ll need to file your claim within a certain period of time and the meals and lodging in question will also need to be charged to your Discover Card. That being said, it’s a nice backup if the airline doesn’t pony up with an offer of overnight accommodations and meal vouchers.

Earn five – twenty percent cash back bonuses by making travel expenditures with your Discover credit card through their members’ online shopping portal.

Hey, five percent is a hell of a lot more than most savings accounts and certificates of deposits are offering these days and the fact that they are willing to go as high as twenty percent in some instances certainly caught my attention, that’s for sure. Travel partners participating with Discover Card® for this credit card member perk include Travelocity, Royal Caribbean and Orbitz, among others.

Researching credit card benefit redemption options before your trip can help you save big.

Because the miles, rewards points and cash back bonuses can all be used for travel purchases if you so choose, researching what your options are before your big trip can result in significant savings. In some cases, benefits can even be doubled when shopping through certain Discover Card partners such as Universal Studios in Orlando or Princess Cruises.

Fee elimination for traveling abroad.

According to a recent article on Smart Money, part of the Wall Street Journal network, Discover Card members will be relieved of all fees when traveling abroad as of November 6^th of this year. For those weary of international exchange and convenience fees, this is seriously sweet news.

Document recovery assistance is an additional service for people using this particular credit card.

Sure, you can scan your originals and have them accessible via email. But it sure would help to have someone else coordinating with the DMV back home so that driver’s license will be ready and waiting when you need it.  They also help you go head to head with the airline if your luggage happens to get lost along the way and provide status updates until it’s returned to you.

As with any credit card, it’s important to use this one judiciously and with discipline in order to receive the best bang for your buck. And certainly, you’ll want to file any travel claims for that hotel and grub benefit in a timely manner in order to avoid interest charges. Also, for those locations that only accept the “big two”, it’s always a good idea to have an additional card on hand that you are comfortable traveling with. That being said, there are a few perks to be had with this one that are especially helpful to those who spend a fair amount of time on the road.

Photo Credit: Discover Card®

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links.

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.