Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [392]
Travel hours down the Amazon and step out of the wilderness at the art gallery of Francisco Grippa (Click here) in Pevas, near Iquitos.
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Hostal Moderno (30-0043; Billinghurst 359; s/d/tr without bathroom S15/22/30) Despite the up-to-date name, this family-run place has been around for decades. Rooms are simple but clean, although you’ll feel like you’re sleeping in a cargo crate. Occasional new licks of paint keep this quiet budget choice presentable.
Tambopata Hostel (57-4201; www.tambopatahostel.com; 26 de Diciembre 234; dm S20, s/d 35/65, s/d without bathroom S25/50; ) Puerto Maldonado finally has the backpacker accommodation it desperately needed. This clean, relaxing hostel has a mix of dorm and private rooms abutting a garden courtyard with hammocks, and a huge breakfast is included in the price. There are secure lockers and the owner is one of the town’s best jungle guides.
Kapieivi Eco Village (901-99-686, katherinapz@hotmail.com; Carretera Tambopata Km 1.5, bungalows per person without bathroom S30) This rustic, reader-recommended retreat, 2km southwest of town, lets backpackers experience a taste of lodge life without the price tag, in several basic bungalows (for one, two or four people) enclosed within a wild plot of jungle scrub. The laid-back owners offer vegetarian food, ayahuasca ceremonies and yoga classes. Food and drink is an additional S15 per person per day.
Hospedaje Royal Inn (57-1048; 2 de Mayo 333; s/d S30/40) A good choice for travelers, sporting lots of large, clean rooms with fans around a courtyard that has seen better days. Cable TV comes with each. Some rooms are quite dark; get a courtyard-facing room as street-facing rooms are noisy.
MIDRANGE
Anaconda Lodge (79-276; Av Aeropuerto Km 6; www.anacondajunglelodge.com; bungalow s/d/tr S100/160/280, bungalow without bathroom s/d S50/80; ) Cocooned in its own tropical garden on the edge of town, Anaconda has a decidedly more remote feel than its location would suggest. There are eight double-room bungalows with shared bathroom and four luxury bungalows with private facilities; all are mosquito netted. There’s also camping space (per person S20), a small pool and a spacious two-floor restaurant-bar serving great Thai food and pancake breakfasts. Maldonado’s quiet airport is only a few hundred meters away but once inside the gates, you’ll feel a universe apart.
Paititi Hostal (57-4667; fax 57-2567; Prada 290; s/d incl breakfast S70/90) A new, relatively flash, central place, the Paititi has a series of spacious, airy rooms, many full of attractive old wooden furniture, along with telephones and cable TV. A continental breakfast is included, and there’s even hot water at night – very un-Amazon.
Hostal Cabaña Quinta (57-1045; fax 57-3336; cabanaquinta_reservas@hotmail.com; Cuzco 535; s/d standard S70/120, s/d superior S120/160; ) This is the hotel of choice for folks wanting economical comfort in the town center. Standard rooms have cold showers, fans and TV; superior rooms boast air-con, minifridges and hot showers as well. There is a restaurant, room service for superior rooms, and a decent pool.
Wasai Lodge (57-2290; www.wasai.com; Billinghurst at Arequipa; s/d S120/160; ) This small lodge consists of comfortable wooden bungalows overlooking the Madre de Dios. A few rooms offer air-con for an extra S30. Minifridges, hot showers, cable TV and river views, however, are standard. The room lighting is pretty abysmal, so bring a flashlight for good measure. There is a good restaurant (mains S15 to S20), room service, a bar and a small pool. The lodge arranges various trips in the local area.
Hotel Don Carlos (57-1323, 57-1029; reservasmaldonado@hoteldoncarlos.com; León Velarde 1271; s/d incl breakfast S150/180) The decent-sized, wood-paneled rooms here have hot showers, minifridges and TVs. The location – about 1km southwest of the center – is quiet, and the Río Tambopata can be seen from the grounds. A little restaurant, which opens on