Category Pages For: Where To Stay

Detailed analyses of where to stay in particular destinations

Montanita-Photos-7
AUGUST 2018: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: PLEASE NOTE: The currency in Ecuador is US$s. I stayed a total of 4 nights in Ayampe at the Los Orishas. Because I use BOOKING.COM frequently, I got a ‘Genius Discount’ and paid US$17 / night (down from US$20) for a Double Room (single occupancy) with a Double Bed, ‘average’ in-room WiFi, and a Hot Water Ensuite. I paid an extra $4 / night to include Breakfast. It was located 50m from the beach. Ayampe is boring at this time of year. No people, overcast skies, and an ‘average’ beach. It was […]

Montanita – Ecuador – Information

AUGUST 2018: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: PLEASE NOTE: The currency in Ecuador is US$s. I stayed a total of 4 nights in Puerto Lopez at the Hostal Dannita. Because I use BOOKING.COM all the time, I got a ‘Genius Discount’ and paid US$12 / night (down from US$15) for a ‘basic’ Double Room (single occupancy) with a Double Bed, TV (which I never used), good in-room WiFi, and a Hot Water Ensuite. It was located 1.5 blocks inland from the main road. Puerto Lopez is an ‘ugly’ town with the beachfront road being the only ‘nice’ area. You, really, […]

Ayampe – Ecuador – Information

AUGUST 2018: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: PLEASE NOTE: The currency in Ecuador is US$s. I stayed a total of 4 nights in Canoa at the Hotel & Restaurant Amalur. Because I use BOOKING.COM all the time, I got a ‘10% Genius Discount’ and paid US$20 / night (down from US$25) for a ‘basic’ Double Room (single occupancy) with a Double Bed, good in-room WiFi, and a Hot Water Ensuite.It was located in the centre of town about 200 metres from the beach.Canoa is a ‘rustic’ town with the main character focused around the inner streets. The skies were […]

Puerto Lopez – Ecuador – Information

AUGUST 2018: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: PLEASE NOTE: The currency in Ecuador is US$s. I stayed a total of 4 nights in Quito at the Hostal Mediodia. I got a ‘last minute deal’ and paid US$10 / night (down from US$15) for a Double Room (single occupancy) with a Double Bed, Cable TV (with several English speaking channels), (poor) in-room WiFi, and a Hot Water Ensuite. It was on the edge of the ‘historical centre’: The streets around the hotel were very ‘uninspiring’ … there were no nice cafes nor bars to while-away-the-time in. I found myself getting away from […]

Canoa – Ecuador – Information

JULY / AUGUST 2018: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: PLEASE NOTE: The currency in Ecuador is US$s. I had already been to Banos and Tena. From Tena, I had hoped to get into the Amazon and, perhaps, go even further north to Coca to get even deeper into the Amazon. I didn’t like Tena much. As a town, it is ‘drab’ and lacks ‘character’. And, alas, the weather was also too miserable (for us ‘wrinklies’ anyway) to get the best out of the day trips that Tena does offer … So, I turned my head south (to better weather) and […]

Central Highlands – Ecuador – A One ...

JULY 2018: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: PLEASE NOTE: The currency in Ecuador is US$s. I stayed a total of 4 nights in Banos at the Hostal Maria Jose. I got a ‘last minute deal’ and paid US$15 / night (down from US$20) for a Double Room (single occupancy) with a Double Bed, Cable TV, and Hot Water Ensuite. It was located 2.5 blocks from the main square and ‘western’ bars. The wifi was unusable and the included Breakfast was very simple (but, typical of what you get in this price range). It was time to move on to […]

Tena – Ecuador – Information

JULY 2018: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: PLEASE NOTE: The currency in Ecuador is US$s. I stayed a total of 4 nights in Quito at the Hostal Mediodia. I paid US$10 / night for a room with a Double Bed, Cable TV, and Hot Water Ensuite. But, it was not in the ‘Historical Centre’ (as they advertise) … it was in a ‘slightly rough’ area of town where, ideally, you needed to be back home by 8pm (or, at least, have a taxi take you to the hotel door). When I return to Quito, I will stay in another […]

Banos – Ecuador – Information

JULY 2018: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: PLEASE NOTE: The official exchange rate at the time of writing was US$1 = C$2,875 (Colombian Peso / COP); for simplicity, I use US$1 = C$3k. Ecuador uses the US$. Our journey starts in Medellin (where I stayed 15 nights in the Posada Casa Santa Fe). I paid under C$24k / US$8 per night for a small Fan Double Room that included Cable TV (no English Speaking channels), wardrobe, fridge, and (small) hot water ensuite. I enjoyed my 2 weeks in Medellin. City-loving GRANDPAckers should definitely come and have a look. … It was time […]

Medellin Colombia – to – Quito Ecuador ...

JUNE / JULY 2018: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: PLEASE NOTE: The official exchange rate at time of writing was US$1 = C$2,900 (Colombian Peso / COP; I use C$3k = US$1 for simplicity). Previously, I spent 1 month on San Andres Island and Providencia Island. In San Andres I paid C$50k / US$18 per night for a Double Room in a Cabana with cold-water Private Bathroom, Cable TV and Shared Kitchen. In Providencia I paid C$64k / US$24 per night for a small 2 Bedroom Apartment. Both islands were very disappointing. Both of my hotel locations were […]

Medellin – Colombia – Information

NOVEMBER 2016 - JUNE 2018: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: For the Central American leg of my GRANDPAcking world trip I targeted several Caribbean Islands off the coast from Belize down to Colombia. I was searching for that ‘idyllic’ GRANDPAcking Standard retirement location. I visited several isands: Ambergris Caye, Belize Caye Caulker, Belize Utila, Honduras Roatan, Honduras Big Corn, Nicaragua Little Corn, Nicaragua Isla Bastimentos, Panama Bocas Del Toro, Panama San Andres, Colombia Providencia, Colombia One of the main attractions of these islands is that they all have an historical link back to the British Empire and, therefore, […]

Coastal Caribbean Islands – Central America – ...

JUNE 2018: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: PLEASE NOTE: The official exchange rate at the time of writing was US$1 = C$2,900 (Colombian Peso / COP). To keep things simple, I use C$3k = US$1. I stayed in El Centro, San Andres Island a couple of weeks earlier. I stayed 3 nights in the Posada Nativa Tristan Centro. I paid C$72k / US$26 per night for a large Double room with Cable TV (2 English Speaking channels) and an annex that had a dining table and a small fridge. I made a mistake. The hostel was too far from the beach, it […]

San Andres – Colombia – Information

JUNE 2018: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: PLEASE NOTE: The official exchange rate at the time of writing was US$1 = C$2,900 (Colombian Peso / COP). I came from El Centro, San Andres Island. I stayed 3 nights in the Posada Nativa Tristan Centro. I paid C$72k / US$26 per night for a large Double room with Cable TV (2 English Speaking channels) and an annex that had a dining table and a small fridge. I made a mistake. The hostel was too far from the beach and the area had no nice restaurants nor bars. … It was time to […]

Providencia – Colombia – Information