Recommend August 2012 - (Page 30)

Ecuador has “discovered” a different way to experience the Andes—following the Flowers and Weaving Trail, which winds from crafts villages such as Cotacachi, Calderon and Otavalo to a dozen ﬂower farms welcoming travelers to smell the country’s famous roses, and learn about the hundreds of varieties grown for export. The route embraces restaurants serving traditional highlands cuisine and historic haciendas for overnight stays. (ﬂowertrailecuador.com) In Quito, the 22-room La Casona de la Ronda is new, occupying a historic mansion in the Bohemian heart of the historic center; featured are rooms with handcrafted furnishings, TVs and WiFi, a reading room and ﬁreplace. (lacasonadelaronda. com) Near Tulipe on a private, 3,000-acre bio-reserve is Metropolitan Touring’s Mashpi Lodge, with 22 luxury rooms whose bathrooms have rainforest views; low impact on the environment is the concept here, in the spa, dining menus, guided hikes, bicycle tours, and dips in the waterfalls. Aerial tram coming in September. (mashpilodge. com) Red Mangrove Galapagos & Ecuador Lodges has opened the largest dive center in the archipelago. The Red Mangrove Dive Academy on Santa Cruz Island now provides classrooms and a 20-ft. training pool used in scuba certiﬁcation programs, plus a hyperbaric chamber. Two dive boats from the center visit more than 40 dive sites in the Galapagos Marine Preserve, long known for its challenging deep water dives for the big ones— manta rays, sharks and whales—but now accessible to divers of all skill levels. (redmangrove.com) A new option for day trips from Quito, or longer stays, is the Sacred Valley of Tulipe, located 40 miles from Quito. The valley is not only a major birdwatching destination, but also home to the ancient (800 A.D. to 1400 A.D.) Yumbo culture. A new Yumbo Civilization Interpretation Center anchors the excavated remains of cemeteries, living quarters and aqueducts with petroglyphs; the local community provides home-cooked meals to visitors. What’s New in Ecuador Flowers and Weaving Trail in Ecuador ECUADOR The country’s capital, Quito, is a welcoming, culture-rich town with scenery that takes one’s breath away. Nearly two miles high and almost directly on the equator, this Andean capital stretches along the foothills beneath the Pinchincha Volcano, and in its superb colonial churches all that glitters is undoubtedly pure gold. The Old Town—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—is considered the largest and best preserved in the Americas, while the new town is home to a bevy of excellent museums, irresistible craft boutiques and delicious restaurant dining. Day excursions take visitors by car or train through the northern sierra to Cotopaxi National Park for a day of hiking, horseback riding and volcano climbing; to the Equatorial Monument located right on Latitude 0; to the cloud forest of El Mindo for superb birdwatching; and to the many colorful Indian markets along the Pan American Highway. In the southern sierra, Cuenca—another colonial gem and a UNESCO World Heritage Site—rivals Quito in its profusion of churches and convents, and close-by is Ingapirca, the northernmost and most impressive of pre-Columbian ruins. Gateway to the Paciﬁc coast is Guayaquil, a port city that ﬂows along a bustling harbor promenade, and along Ecuador’s 937-mile shore- line, “La Costa” is dotted with tranquil little resorts, quiet beaches, and wildlife sanctuaries such as Machalilla National Park where from June to September whales migrate just offshore around Isla de la Plata, called a mini-Galapagos. Of course, far offshore (600 miles) are indeed the Galapagos Islands, where sea lions, marine and land iguanas, blue- and red-footed boobies and giant tortoises still roam freely and tamely. (ecuador.travel) GUYANA This is a destination tailor-made for adventure- and nature-loving travelers, who ﬁnd a warm welcome at rainforest resorts, ranches, and remote Amerindian villages. Note that, while culturally Caribbean, Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America where English is the ﬁrst language, and cricket the ﬁrst sport. The capital, Georgetown, is a quaint mix of Victorian elegance and tin-roof mining town. Fly southwest from the capital to two grand water spectacles: Kaieteur Falls, nearly ﬁve times as high as Niagara, spilling down into the birding wonderland called Kaieteur National Park, and Orinduik Falls, located in the grassy savannahs of the Pakaraima Mountain foothills. Fly directly south from Georgetown to the Iwokrama Forest, a vast rainforest of one million acres whose inventory of ﬂora and fauna is mind-boggling—birdlife alone includes ﬁve eagle species that perch above giant anteaters and river otters, capybara and black caiman. North are the Rupununi Savannahs, with Amerindian villages and cattle ranches. And the Karanambu Ranch is famous for owner Diane McTurk’s work with orphaned otters. (guyana-tourism.com) Top honors for accommodations in Georgetown go to the Cara Lodge (carahotels.com), whose guest list includes HRH Prince Charles and Mick Jagger. As the ﬁrst international hotel chain to break ground in Guyana, Marriott expects to open its new 197-room property in Georgetown in 2014. Facilities will include a restaurant, casino and large ballroom, along with a conference center. In the heart of the Iwokrama Forest, a stay at the Atta Rainforest Lodge now puts nature lovers just a short walk from the 500-ft.-long Iwokrama Canopy Walkway, with four platforms, the highest of which is 100 ft. above ground. (wilderness-explorers.com) S12 august 2012 What’s New in Guyana recommend.com http://www.flowertrailecuador.com http://lacasonadelaronda.com http://mashpilodge.com http://ecuador.travel/ http://www.redmangrove.com http://www.carahotels.com http://www.guyana-tourism.com http://www.wilderness-explorers.com http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend August 2012

Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk: DogSpa Resort & Wellness Center
Tour Talk: MLT Vacations
The Danube With AmaWaterways
Striking Gold With Vegas' Golden Gate
Central & South America Guide
Wequassett Resort and Golf Club, Cape Cod
New Zealand's South Island is Sheer Eye Candy
Seven Stars Resort, Turks & Caicos
Iberostar Cancun
Three Days in Cape Town & the Winelands, South Africa

Recommend August 2012