"Ecuador's premier resort town" (Moon Handbooks), Banos was one of the destinations in Ecuador that we were really looking forward to. ATVs cheap for rent, multiple mineral hotsprings, self guided bike tours 20 kilometers downhill passing multiple waterfalls, an active and beautiful local volcano to view from different sites reached by multiple hiking paths, affordable guided tours to the vocano on horseback, an animal prison..er, I mean zoo (the locals here call it an animal prison) set into a steep mountainside only two minutes outside of town, white water rafting, canyoning, jungle tours, bungee jumping, parasailing, waterfall repelling, rock climbing...you name it, it seems Banos has got it. And our hostel: big room with a big bed, night stands on either side, each with lamps (that's a big deal in the hostel world), hot shower, good tp and plenty of it, big window with waterfall view, rooftop patio with wi-fi, $1 pints of cold beer on the honor system, well known for the best breakfast in town (and cheap!), and an amazing bakery downstairs that keeps the place smelling of...well, of whatever the heck their baking, and it's always good.
Okay. There's a downside to this of course. We've been here three days and have done almost none of it. We've been sick and have been laid up in bed for most of it. Don't worry, we're fine, and the upside is that, thankfully, we packed extra days into the itinerary, and I couldn't think of a better place or a better hostel to be laying low regaining our strength in. So, hopefully in a few days you will be reading about the bike trip we are doing tomorrow that we booked for last friday, and we'll be leaving here ready for a nice four-day trip into the Amazon, with our immune systems kicked into overdrive.
The name of the Hostel, for those heading to Banos: Plantas
y Blanco. It's the name of the bakery too.
I recommend taking in a movie and early dinner at Casa Hood for great atmosphere, good food, and poor service.
Okay. There's a downside to this of course. We've been here three days and have done almost none of it. We've been sick and have been laid up in bed for most of it. Don't worry, we're fine, and the upside is that, thankfully, we packed extra days into the itinerary, and I couldn't think of a better place or a better hostel to be laying low regaining our strength in. So, hopefully in a few days you will be reading about the bike trip we are doing tomorrow that we booked for last friday, and we'll be leaving here ready for a nice four-day trip into the Amazon, with our immune systems kicked into overdrive.
The name of the Hostel, for those heading to Banos: Plantas
y Blanco. It's the name of the bakery too.I recommend taking in a movie and early dinner at Casa Hood for great atmosphere, good food, and poor service.
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