Otavalo village has all sorts of budget accommodation within reach, is relatively small, well planned, is clean and will entertain any traveller for at least a day. It only took 4 hotels (15 minutes) before I found a room (with bathroom) for 5 USD.

Food is very easy to find and cheap too at the market itself, with two dish almuerzos and a fresh juice for 1.5 USD. And if you still want more food you can find fruit at the market at ridiculous prices: 40 mangos for 1 USD, 1/2 kilogram of raspberries for 1 USD, 1 kg of strawberries for 4 USD…the list goes on.

If it’s souvenirs, home decor or simple clothing that you’re after the market will have everything you need. I’m a big fan of “tapices” (tapestries) and the variety here is similar to that in Bolivia and Peru. Paintings, carvings, cushion covers, bed sheets, necklaces, pants, shirts…everything is here. As usual make sure you bargain hard, but rest assured that you will walk away with good deals because even the starting price is quite low as well.

If you like to take photographs this will be a great opportunity, although make sure you either ask for permission when photographing somebody ( no is a common answer) or better yet  hide when taking a shot.

Don’t expect to be the only traveler here: the market is very well known and is a rather touristy palce, but there’s a great atmosphere anyhow. Other attractions in the area include villages like Cotacachi and San Antonio nearby. I chose to visit Cotacachi- it’s quite easy to get to and on a good day (and if you’re willing to walk) you can take some great pictures too of the laguna de Cuicocha (Cuicocha lake). Save your money and don’t join the boat tour around it- it’s nothing special.

Otavalo is a must see destination of any trip to Ecuador. Make sure you’re there on a Saturday and give yourself one or two more days to explore the area and absorb its’ slow paced lifestyle. I know I had a blast and certainly recommend the place to everyone.

Have you visited Otavalo? How did you like the market? Did you buy anything? Tell us what you did, any recommendations you might have and please share the post if you liked it!

The post The Best Street Market in Ecuador: Otavalo appeared first on MaiTravelSite.

Located about 2 hours South East of Quito, Banos is Ecuador’s answer to those looking for a place where extreme sports and good hiking are musts in their travels. Despite what many travel guides and travelers say the town itself is not very attractive, with little to offer culturally-wise except for the town church and… and that’s about it.

This said, Banos is a great place for hiking and mountain biking. There are several paths to be followed starting at the town center, but the most popular one is the Camino de las Cascadas (path of the waterfalls). This is a downhill ride along the main road that takes about 1.5 hours from which you will see four waterfalls, the last being La Cascada del Diablo (the devil’s waterfall) which is the biggest and most fun. It does require a 10 minute walk from the parking lot and they charge 1 USD to see it from the top (which is actually half way up).

The way back to Banos is another story, and you’ll have to be in some sort of good shape to accomplish it. If you can’t or can’t be bothered get a car lift for 3USD or stop a bus on the main road  for 25c. You should have no problems carrying the bike in either of them, which costs about 5 USD for a day;if you are up for other activities these include bungee jumping, paragliding, rafting, buggy driving, horseback riding and more.

All these activities are easy to find in many other places, but in my opinon there is one thing that really makes Banos worth a stop: Tungurahua volcano.

Its activity is very attractive during the day, with clouds of smoke rising into the sky and making itself easily viewable from the distance, but it is at night when you will see it better, with several options available depending on how close you want to be and how much money you want to pay (5-25 USD/ person). 5 USD takes you with a chiva to one of two spots: the top of the mountain in front of Banos, or the Cross on the hill overlooking the town. Make sure you choose the first option: it’s the one I chose (by chance) and on the way up I was rewarded with glimpses of lava flowing and rocks being spit in the distance. Unfortunately once we reached the summit clouds decided to get the front seat- and that was the end of the show. All we could do was listen to the thunder the mountain made, quite unique already.

The 25 USD tour takes you to the base of the crater with a 4WD, and you’re guaranteed not to come back to Banos until you have seen enough and have taken all the pictures you want.

Accommodation and food are quite cheap in Banos; it is easy to find a basic room with toilet for around 6 USD and good almuerzos start at around 1.5 USD, fresh juice included as usual. Depending on how many activities you want to participate in two days is enough to see the volcano and the natural attractions in the area. It is common for travelers to head to the jungle from here (via Puyo), but I took at 4am the only bus direct bus to Otavalo, where the most famous market of the country would welcome me 8 hours later.

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The post Things to See and What to do in Banos, Ecuador appeared first on MaiTravelSite.

There are several other interesting places  within the city that you can read about in my entry Quito and La Mitad del Mundo published in One Travel Blog as a guest blogger.  Check it out! Once done (or before) make sure you watch the video below these lines with some of the activities you can enjoy in the Intinan museum! This video has been posted with their consent, and you can check their website with more information at www.museointinan.com.ec .

The post Quito and La Mitad del Mundo appeared first on MaiTravelSite.