In addition, despite the fact that I try to find something positive about every place I visit, there are a lot of places I just didn’t connect with for whatever reason, or didn’t have enough time to visit. I think everywhere deserves more than once chance–so here are ten places I need to visit again!

Cambodia

Some real talk here: I kind of, um, hated most of my time in Cambodia (except for moments at Angkor Wat and in the Ratanakiri Province). Awful, right? After an amazing, action-packed month exploring Thailand, my cousin and I went to Cambodia and so many things went wrong. We were both really sick; we’d left our friends behind in Thailand and missed them (and their traveling skills); the endless heat and oppressive humidity was getting to me; we were there over Thanksgiving and the homesickness was out of control; and honestly, the locals seemed to harass us, hate us, lecture us, or be annoyed that we weren’t acting the way they wanted. I feel like all of these things combined together to make me hate it, and I couldn’t wait to leave. When we crossed to border into Vietnam–via a boat on the Mekong, on a visa that our couch surfing host had done incorrectly which would make us get detained later (but that’s a different story)–I let out a breath of relief. I know Cambodia is a beautiful, complicated, impoverished country, and I think I need to give it another chance.

Read more about Cambodia here. 

China

China is one of those places that, while I was there, I didn’t love it–but now that I look back, I think “WOW! What a great country!” China, partially because of the situation I was in while there (an internship working with earthquake survivors in Sichuan province) pushed my boundaries like no other, and therefore wasn’t exactly a comfortable experience. I witnessed tragedy, heartbreak, corruption, illness, confusing cultural norms–and was struck by the resilience and joy of the people, and the country itself. Oh yeah, I need to go back.

Read more about China here. 

Thailand

Unlike the Cambodia saga above, I just adored Thailand. The smiling people! The food. The diverse, gorgeous landscape. The sweaty, chaotic cities. The idyllic islands. Thailand pretty much has everything, and even though I spent a month there, I have so much left to see! Plus, E has never been, which is reason enough to return.

Read more about Thailand here. 

South America

Is it cheating to put an entire continent on here? I haven’t been to South America since I studied abroad in Peru and Ecuador in 2009. That study abroad trip was my first real time away from home, and my first solo travel, which means that a lot of my memories are overshadowed by my homesickness, my parasite (yep), my idiocy (even more yep), the reasons I left in the first place (struggles in school and relationships), and my sky-high expectations slowly crumbling beneath me. That being said, now that I’m more comfortable traveling–and (slightly) more comfortable in my skin–I would love to go back to South America. I mean, there is so much more of that giant continent to explore.

Read more about Peru here and more about Ecuador here. 

Panama

We spent only three days there on our honeymoon in 2015, on the island chain of Bocas del Toro. I…did not like it. I don’t know why. I found it overcrowded, dirty, and rather stressful. So maybe I do know why–but I have been to a lot of places that fit those criteria, and that didn’t necessarily bother me. I think the Bocas are exploding with tourism and are not equipped to handle it, and the environment is starting to suffer. It really is a beautiful corner of the world, though!

Read more about Panama here. 

Iceland

Two 17-hour layovers were not enough! Iceland has simply exploded onto the international travel scene, for good reason. I’d love to spend more time there!

Read more about Iceland here. 

Vietnam

Although I would go back to every country I visited during my tour of Southeast Asia (Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, South Korea & Vietnam) the one that pulls me the most is probably Vietnam. I can’t quite put my finger on the why. It stands out in my mind as the most beautiful, but it’s also the place where, as we were traveling so quickly, my cousin and I missed a lot of gems, or just stayed for a day or two. It’s funny, because we had some visa issues and did not leave the country on good terms–but I’m still dying to go back. Or maybe that’s why, and I’m just contrary.

Read more about Vietnam here. 

Italy

Okay, I know Italy is on everyone’s bucket list or return-to list. There’s a reason Italy is one of the most visited spots in the world–and I’ve only seen a few little corners! I haven’t even been to Rome or Florence. I think I haven’t been in a rush because a) Italy is expensive; b) Italy is crowded; c) I will always want to go to Italy and d) Italy is a place I can travel to when I’m older, too. Now, this is usually the opposite of my travel philosophy–I always want to see it now, rather than later, because you just never know if you’ll get another chance, do you? Italy has been creeping higher up my list after our visit to Venice, and the fact that we have friends living all over the country. Not that Italy needs a reason to creep up anyone’s list–it is Italy, after all.

Read more about Italy here. 

Greece

I’ve told you (maybe too much) how even though it was a crazy trip, I completely loved Greece. And I’ve only been to Santorini and Athens–there is so much more to see! The combination of relaxed (sometimes too relaxed, admittedly) attitude, delicious food, ancient history, and beautiful scenery just hooks me in.

Read more about Greece here. 

France

I’ve been to Paris, and Lille, but I would love to get out of the cities and explore more of France. I’m particularly intrigued by Normandy. Truthfully, I didn’t “fall in love” with either Lille or Paris, and I think France deserves another chance! And I didn’t just choose it because it rhymed with chance! I also am part French, and like any true American, I’m eager to learn more about one of my self-assigned homelands.

Read more about France here. 

Do you have places you need to give another chance?

Linking up with Wanderful Wednesday and Faraway Files. 

The post Ten Places I Need to Visit Again appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

I’ve loved reading about all the amazing places in the Around the World With series. Greece! South Africa! Honduras! Chile! France! My wish list is growing exponentially.

I’m so excited to share our trip to Ecuador with you today. I wasn’t in the blogging game way back in 2011, so pictures and stories of our Ecuador travels have just been laying in wait, ready to be shared.

Right after graduating college my then-boyfriend (now husband) and I headed to Ecuador for a month of travel. Ecuador was a random selection – we found great deals on flights and started planning from there rather than the other way around. It was my first trip abroad and I was simultaneously excited and tremendously nervous.

We spent the first few days in Quito wandering around the beautiful parks and churches, but the real beauty began when we headed into the countryside. Here are some of our favorite spots in Ecuador.

Mindo

Image Source alexanderjwatts

An unfortunate corrupted memory card caused us to lose our photos of Mindo, one of my favorite stops in Ecuador. We stayed at La Casa de Cecilia in an open-air room next to the river. After days in a dingy hostel in Quito, waking up to the sound of water rolling by in Mindo felt like heaven. The hostel was so nice I remembered the name of it five years later, and it looks like it’s still up and running well.

We spent time in the tiny town hiking and zip-lining through the rainforest. I’ll never forget dropping off a huge cliff, sliding so far down the line that I couldn’t even see the end, with the rainforest flying by.

Montanita

We took a few wild and crazy bus rides to arrive in Montanita, a hippy paradise. Hailing from Boulder, CO, we felt right at home amongst the jewelry peddlers, dreadlocks, and partygoers.

The first night we made the mistake of staying in city center, which equaled not a wink of sleep. The next few days we moved further uphill with a gorgeous view of the beach and surrounding hills.

Montanita was a warm, fun, and unique stop, appealing to a really young and energetic crowd. We loved basking in the sunshine on the beach and watching the eclectic bunch of people enjoying their time.

Cuenca

We loved Cuenca so much we have plans to retire there. And by retire, I mean that in five years we hope to have saved up enough money to buy some land nearby and settle down with some part-time freelance jobs.

Cuenca is full of delicious food, beautiful scenery, and wonderfully nice people. The city is chock full of history, and we spent our time wandering through museums and ruins. The Museo del Banco Central ‘Pumapungo’ and Archaeological park was a nice surprise and it had a botanical garden, Incan ruins, and an interactive museum creating a day full of free, beautiful, and informative travel.

The architecture in Cuenca is European, creating a quaint historical vibe. Beautiful modern cafes and restaurants are nestled among the stunning buildings.

Churches pop out around every corner and green parks beckon to be wandered through. Our accommodation in a small hacienda was perfect, with small courtyards full of flowers and hammocks to relax. Markets with flowers, crafts, and home goods speckle the streets.

Banos

About two weeks into traveling around Ecuador, Ryan and I were oh-so-tired of the constant moving, so we stopped for a week in the next location, which just happened to be Banos.

There were plenty of surrounding hikes, hot springs to bathe in, waterfalls to bike to, and scary bridges to walk across to keep us entertained. Banos is really touristy, so a week was a little long to stay but it gave us time to rest up.

One one of our favorite days we rented bikes and headed into the countryside to tour local waterfalls. The road ran alongside the highway, sometimes diverging from the road to go around a mountain while the streets tunnelled through. The bike ride was a good mix of up and down hill, so it wasn’t too strenuous. Watch out for the cars on the highway and make sure to wear a helmet!

From Banos we also took a day-long jungle excursion, which included time at a monkey sanctuary and a local village. Ryan enjoyed playing volleyball with some of the children and we had fun with the people we met. However, the whole thing felt voyeuristic. If I were to go back I would like to find an organization to spend some time volunteering in this area.

Quilotoa

By far our favorite experience was spending time at Black Sheep Inn in Quilotoa. It took a hair-raising bus ride around narrow hairpin turns in the mountains, but the crisp mountain air and quiet, community-oriented inn felt like home. Since we’ve visited they’ve transferred the running of the inn entirely to locals, creating a great long-term resource and cultivating sustainable tourism for the region.

We spent a majority of our time there hiking in the breathtaking mountains and practicing yoga looking out at the spectacular views.

One day we arranged for a truck to drive us to Lake Quilotoa, a sparkling turqouise crater lake in the mountains. The driver took us to the lake then a guide led us on an almost entirely downhill hike back to the Inn.

Another day we explored the Iliniza cloud forest, going from bright sunshine to foggy hills covered in moss and other strange creatures. The hikes changed so abruptly from sunshine to clouds, hence the name cloud forest.

Otavalo

We ended our travels in Otavalo, a gorgeous, bustling market town a little north of Quito. This worked out well; we bought all our souvenirs at our last stop to avoid lugging them around, coming home with some beautiful textiles and crafts.

We didn’t plan in advance, so all almost all the hotels we stayed at were found as we wandered by. This worked out well in Ecuador – we were able to see a place in person and never ran into trouble finding vacancies. Speaking Spanish fairly well helped with this, too.

We spent under $20 per night on accommodation, and easily ate meals for under $4 per person. We ate out on Valentine’s Day at a “fancy” fondue restaurant in Banos and nearly had a heart attack at the prices – $10 each! The trip was perfect for us as short-changed youngsters out to see the world.

I cherish the memories of Ecuador; something about the first travel experience seems create a connection. Ecuador is so gorgeous and full of such kind people. We hope to be back someday, and I hope one day you get to enjoy all it has to offer!

Thanks for having me over, Amy!

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While on the coast, however, we (my brother had come to visit for a few weeks) found out that near the coastal town of Puerto Lopez was an area known as the “Poor Man’s Galapagos,” or Isla de la Plata. Isla de la Plata, part of Machalilla National Park,  is home to a few of the famous species found in the Galapagos–like those funny little birds, the blue-footed boobies!–and is a beautifully preserved area of the coast.

Most of Isla de la Plata is only available through guided tours to control access. We happened to find a tour guide right next to our hostel, and we were set! We didn’t do much research (this was a few years ago and I had never heard of Yelp, so we only a tiny section in our Ecuador book to guide us). You can do land tours of the actual island, but we opted for snorkeling/boat tour since we were craving a day on the water.

Winston Churchill, our guide, made it an experience to remember. It was one of my favorite days in Ecuador! (I loved Puerto Lopez in general). It was my first time ever snorkeling–these were in the days before diving!–and we were lucky enough to see a sea turtle. We also saw the requisite boobies (ha) and many other colorful fish. We fished, ourselves, and while I’m no expert fisher (fisherman? fisherwoman?), I caught a giant fish that Winston made into ceviche for us!

Talk about the freshest ceviche ever.

I love days on the water, and this day was no exception. If you ever make it to Puerto Lopez, Ecuador, make sure to stop at Isla de la Plata–and hire Winston as your guide!

Note: this was the part of the trip where my camera had just died (while I was taking endless pictures of monkeys…) so sorry for some lackluster shots! I was using a disposable camera (do those still exist?!) so all of the photos have an old-fashioned, fuzzy look about them. Some manage to look kind of dreamy, though! ;).

^^starting the day on the beach!

^^my brother snorkeling. the fuzziest of them all but wow that water is clear!

^^my attempt at a selfie with a disposable camera. it was a lot harder in those days ;).

^^a whole bunch of blue-footed boobies on that rock!

^^Winston accidentally caught a pufferfish while we were fishing. It was pretty mad, hence the reason it puffed!

^^this extremely flattering shot showcases my love of fishing and touching slimy things. still! I caught a fish!

^^Puerto Lopez is mainly a fishing village.

^^a perfect sunset to end the day, at that perfect spot!

Linking up with Bonnie, Kaelene, Sammy and Van! 

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My brother and I were traveling around Ecuador after I had completed my study abroad semester in Cuzco, Peru. We had spent Semana Santa (Holy Week in South America/Spain) cruising the coast of Ecuador, from Guayaquil on up, and expected to find a rollicking party in the capital, as we had been swept up in a crazy parade in Guayaquil and had been warned by the inhabitants of the coastal towns that everyone went to Quito for the actual day of Easter.

However, we arrived to a silent city, being told there that everyone went to the coast to celebrate. Even our hostel was fairly quiet (which was okay by me, the party animal).

As Ecuador was so small, Quito ended up being sort of a home base as we traveled around to the mountains, the jungle, and the coast, and I stayed there on-and-off after my brother went back home. There are two main sections for tourists to stay in: Old Town, and New Town. New Town feels like any city, full of hip bars and restaurants, and is the place to go if you want to party. We stayed in Old Town during Easter, close to all the big attractions, and I stayed in Old Town always after that, because it’s beautiful and still fun, while being uniquely Quito.

Easter was my favorite day in Quito. We arrived in the morning off an overnight bus, showered in blessed hot water, attempted to find a bullfight (only to be told is wasn’t the season for that yet, as we arrived at a deserted stadium), and ended up going to a church service, in Spanish, at a huge, ancient cathedral. The cathedral, the Church of the Society of Jesus or la Compañía, is one of the most beautiful and distinctive churches in Quito. After the church service, it started to rain–as in downpour–but we headed to our dinner destination anyway: San Francisco Square for some traditional goat stew. My brother is much faster than me, but I ran behind him in the rain, and enjoyed that stew immensely, especially along with my hot cocoa.

(I was without a camera in Quito, as I took too many pictures of monkeys and mine couldn’t handle it anymore, so these are all courtesy of my brother or a disposable camera…)

A sunny(ish) Quito upon our arrival.

                                                                                            ^me being oblivious in San Francisco Square.

                                                                                           ^fancy a ride in a horse-drawn carriage, anyone?

                                                                                             ^the beautiful church

                                                                                                                                           ^rainy Quito on Easter

                                                                                                                                              ^my brother, much more photogenic than me! especially in the rain.^Hot cocoa in Ecuador just tastes better!

This is letter Q for the A to Z Challenge!

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In the southern mountains of Ecuador lies a small village where people live a long time, it’s amazingly scenic, and it seems like more like a resort in a hot spot, not in a tiny mountain South American village. Pair that with the weather…it’s a contrast of mountains and jungle, but the weather is famously consistent and lovely year-round. Vilcabamba, Ecuador, or the “Valley of the Immortals,” was an impromptu stop on my route from Huanchaco in Peru to Quito, Ecuador. My friend, Linda, from Huanchaco, insisted I visit and stay at an incredible inn called Le Rendez-Vous.

Although it was a long bus ride and a scary mountain van ride up to the village, and certainly out of my way (not to mention arriving in the dark rain made finding the almost-hidden inn very difficult), once I went behind the gates I was thrilled.

It remains my favorite place I stayed in all of Ecuador and Peru (my two stops in South America so far!), and I think the images below will show you why.

I did explore the village, and it was beautiful and quaint, but I almost wish I had stayed all day on my hammock in the garden, drinking fresh juice and reading a book. In fact…I plan to go back there one day and do exactly that! I was also there for one night, so it would be fun to explore more of the area.

Visit Le Rendez-Vous here to make a reservation and for current prices. When I stayed it was $14–which felt like a splurge at the time! It also includes a lovely breakfast on your porch in the garden. I would expect the price to have risen since then, but it’s still a bargain. Ecuador currently uses the American dollar as their currency, which makes things a little easier (although I love to collect unique moneys!).

To get to Vilcabamba, take a bus to Piura (if coming from the south) or Cuenca (if coming from the north) to Loja. From Loja, you’d then grab a van up into the mountains. It’s far up there, but trust me, it’s worth it! 

{the garden at Le Rendez-Vous / so many flowers! / the little bungalows: with porch & hammock! / a blurry photo of my cozy room: with hot water! / my porch / a shot of the main plaza in Vilcabamba, just for kicks}

What’s one of your favorite little hotels you’ve found on your travels? I’d love to hear!

p.s. I’m linking up for Travel Tuesday today! Check it out, I’m so excited to be joining these other fabulous bloggers.

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