Our favorite hotels around the World!
Mexico
Villas Parota, Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico - fantastic, extraordinary villa!
Just few kilometers away from the international airport of Puerto Vallarta in the city of Nuevo Vallarta (Mexico, the Pacific coast) we discovered a fantastic place – Villas Parota. Villas Parota has several accommodation options and Villa la Ceiba became our home. When we stepped into the house, we stopped in amazement … WOW… and were amazed the whole week that we spent there! An absolute unique ambiente! The furnishings of the villa are extraordinarily beautiful – highest ceilings with almost royal chandeliers, spacious rooms, amazing decorations and paintings! A superb bathroom! Every woman’s dream! Continuation and our pictures >
HomFor Viaducto, Mexico - our cozy home in Mexico City.
HomFor Viaducto has become our home in Mexico City. This is a complex of apartments located just in the middle between the international airport and the city center. It took us 10-15 minutes of relaxed walking to the metro station and 5 metro stops to the old city of Mexico. (A note for ladies traveling on their own - there are special wagons for women and children in the metro of Mexico City. It is more safe, quiet and spacious there. Ladies-wagons are usually situated at the end of the train, there are signs on the platform.) Continuation and pictures >
NanaVida Hotel Boutique, Oaxaca, Mexico - stylish and beautiful in the heart of Oaxaca!
"NanaVida!" is an exclamation of joy in the language of one of the indigenous groups in the Oaxaca region, Mexico. When things are going well or something great happens, they shout "NanaVida!". When they receive good news, they exclaim: "NanaVida!"
In the city of Oaxaca there is a hotel that has the same name - NanaVida Hotel Boutique! We stayed there, and I can assure that the name is very suitable for the place!
NanaVida Hotel Boutique is located in the central part of Oaxaca city, but it is built in such a way that all the windows and doors overlooking a quiet, cozy courtyard and garden with fruit trees. It is very quiet in the rooms; the night life of the city does not disturb the sleep of NanaVida guests. We stayed at this hotel for five days and enjoyed every moment! Our morning began... Continuation and our pictures >
Anah Suites, Playa del Carmen, Mexico - luxury apartments on the Caribbean Sea.
Aparthotel Anah Suites Playa del Carmen (Caribbean coast of Mexico) is ideally located - just a few minutes' walk to the main street and to the beach, but at the same time away from the touristy part of the city. That was very important to me, because I really appreciate silence and privacy. It was very quiet at night, no one and nothing disturbed our sleep. The ferry station to the Cozumel Island is a 15-minute walk away. And just within 3 minutes of walking there is a huge supermarket. In this part of the world we traveled by car that is why a reliable parking was important for me. Anah Suites has a private underground garage which guests can use without any additional charge and there is no need to reserve it in advance.
The building is modern and everything is new. We lived in a huge 3 level apartment, with two bedrooms, a terrace surrounded by greenery, a fully equipped kitchen and a hydromassage bath... Continuation and our pictures >
The Explorean Kohunlich, Mexico - All-Inclusive Luxury Resort by Fiesta Americana
For 5 hours we were driving the car through the storm, heavy rain, lightings, closed roads because of the car accident and with only one eye (the second was swollen due to the insect’s bite)… That was a day! But it was worth it! We achieved our next destination The Explorean Kohunlich and there…
– We were met with flowers and strawberries with chocolate!
– Our photos were at the beds in the bungalow prepared for us!
– There were words of greetings in Russian in the room!
We were delighted! We beamed with happiness and gratitude! We arrived at The Explorean Kohunlich at about 5 pm, but we managed to eat because lunch there was till 6 pm. Then at 7 pm there was dinner! The table decorated with flowers was laid for us; we were offered delicious dishes! What a gorgeous welcome! Continuation and our pictures >
Playa Selva, Tulum, Mexico - a dreamlike resort right in the beach of the Caribbean!
My birthday was exactly as I wished it this year!
– I wanted to wake up without an alarm clock in a lovely place by the sea. And I woke up in the beautiful and cozy house in Playa Selva right on the the Caribbean beach… awakened by the sun and the sounds of the sea…
– I wanted to eat my birthday cake sitting on a snow-white beach. And I had it. For breakfast!
– I wanted a quiet day without unnecessary movements. Just some time to think, sum up and make plans for the future. And I had a perfect place for this program – a hammock on the terrace with the view on the Caribbean Sea in the house of Playa Selva! Continuation and our pictures >
Las Mariposas Eco Hotel, Oaxaca, Mexico - committed and environmentally conscious!
I have never seen a hotel like this! The team of the Eco-Hotel Las Mariposas makes "bricks" from plastic bottles, which will be used as building material for houses for families in needs in Mexico! In addition, they collect milk packaging which further will be used for walls insulation in the houses. There is a container for collecting special plastic (mainly plastic bottles' caps) in the lobby. Las Mariposas sells this plastic (some factories use it for producing furniture) and the money goes for buying wigs for cancer patients! And this is not all - Las Mariposas supports many very human projects, there are many letters of appreciation and awards on the walls around! Las Mariposas is one of the first hotels in Oaxaca which began to produce its own electricity by installing solar panels. The water supply system of the hotel is arranged in such a way that it allows collecting rainwater in the cisterns for further use. Rain water is used not only for watering plants in the garden, but also for cleaning the floors! The amazing Theresa leads Las Mariposas. Practically from nothing she created this Eco-Hotel in 35 years of work! Continuation and our pictures >
Casa Kaan, Xpujul, Mexico - an idyllic bungalow complex in the mexican jungle
On the way to the pyramids of Calakmul (one of the largest preserved Mayan pyramids!) we settled in a wonderful place Casa Kaan near the town of Xpijul, Campeche region, Mexico. Hotel Casa Kaan is located away from the main road and the town, there are several bungalows with a huge private area surrounded by untouched jungle. We were cordially greeted by the owner of Casa Kaan Nicholas and led to our house "Aguacate".
This place is just a fairy tale! Here we are, deep in the Mexican jungle, but at the same time enjoy all the comforts of modern life... Continuation and our pictures >
Casa Ambar, Tulum, Mexico - a designer hotel on the Caribbean coast.
On the way from Cancun to the south of Mexico we stopped in Tulum on the Caribbean coast for a couple of days. We stayed at Casa Ambar in the heart of the trendy coastal street in Tulum, just one minute's walk to the white sandy beach. We stayed in a room with a terrace facing directly to the jungle. This place became our favorite - we had our regular tea-times and lengthy conversations with Anna, sitting there and enjoying the nature directly in front of us. Beautiful!
The hotel Casa Ambar is built in harmony with the surrounding nature, even huge palm trees are growing in the lobby. Ecological awareness is one of the priorities of the hotel team. Casa Ambar produces itself the largest part of electricity it needs by using solar panels, composts biological waste and recycles all glass, cans and plastic. The sustainable water system in the hotel converts sewage waste water into... Continuation and pictures >
I love hotels with a story behind or with some unique concept. Our hotel in San Cristobal - the Ganesha Hotel - has both! The Ganesha Hotel is absolutely beautiful and not a mainstream hotel! You have the feeling that you are not in Mexico at all, but in India! I really had that Himalayan feeling there and really enjoyed it! Each room in the hotel is dedicated to an Indian god or goddess, is also decorated accordingly and color thought through. Even the furniture is from India! The hotel has 8 rooms in total: for Ganesha, Brahma, Shiva, Shakti, Parvati, Lakshmi, Krishna and of course for Buddha. We lived in the Ganesha room. It was not only super comfortable there, it also suited us perfectly! Because Ganesha is the god-protector of travelers! Our report with pictures>
Thailand
U-Tiny Boutique Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand - a beautiful oasis in crazy and amazing Bangkok!
We stayed at Bangkok several times, and each time our stay was so different: from colorful Chinese and Indian quarters to a very quiet and unhurried life among Thai people in one of the bedroom suburbs of Bangkok. We have our favorites – places where we felt especially well! One of our favorite hotels in Bangkok is U-Tiny Boutique Home. It’s located in a quiet and green area of the city, not far from the international airport Suvarnabhumi. Tastefully furnished rooms, perfect state of cleanliness, great swimming pool and a beautiful garden - it is all about them! But most of all I was impressed by the warm welcome of the team. The staff of U-Tiny Boutique Home is definitely one of the best examples of Thai hospitality, politeness and benevolence! During our stay we didn’t see a single frown face, only cordial smiles and sincere kindness. Thank you, dear U-Tiny team, for such a warm welcome! We had a great rest and now we are ready for new adventures! Our pictures >
Kamalar Palace Resort Ayutthaya , Thailand - gorgeous villas in the heart of the former capital of Thailand
In the centre of ancient city Ayutthaya (a UNESCO world heritage site) there is Kamalar Palace. This is a settlement of 21 villas with a private road between them. There aren’t any external vehicles and thus no traffic noise. Only birds are singing and banana trees rustling in the wind. Mr. Kamalar hospitably offered us a villa of 200 m2. Two floors, three bedrooms, a balcony, a huge hall and a patio with fruit trees – all these at our disposal! It was quite inappropriate to stagger through the magnificent hall into villa. So we straightened our shoulders and unbent our backs (arched slightly due to the heavy rucksacks) ….and proudly stepped inside... continuation and our pictures >
Hotel Adagio Bangkok, Thailand - our stylish home in crazy Bangkok
We are very happy when we are in Bangkok. Amazing city! I always try to find accommodation at different areas and hotels to expand my vision so to say. We have some favorites – places which we didn’t want to leave. One of them is Adagio Bangkok. One of the best location in the city. Central part of Bangkok, 2 minutes walk from BTS Phrom Phong station, 3 minutes walk from huge shopping centers – Emporium and EmQuartier, 100 m from the famous Sukhumvit street with all the restaurants and many other attractions for any taste. Admirers of local non-tourist activities have an opportunity to dance with locals in the nearby park (Benchasiri Park). Everyday at 6 p.m. there’re sport dance lessons. Sometimes we have hotels which we would like to leave as soon as possible. Our hands are packing our backpacks in few minutes, our legs are walking straight to the exit... But it was absolutely different with Adagio Bangkok - we didn’t want to go anywhere, it was so cozy and comfortable! Our only desire was to sit there with a book and a cup of tea... a lovely lazy sunday morning feeling... all day long. Our deepest thanks to the great Adagio team for the warm welcome and the great days in Bangkok! Our pictures >
Vietnam
Gold Sand Beach Bungalow, Island Phu Quoc, Vietnam - idyllic right on the beach
Island Phu Quoc, Vietnam. After several very intensive weeks on the road we longed for peace and solitude to digest impressions and get new energy. We went to a comparatively non-touristic north-west part of the Phu Quoc Island and settled in one of Gold Sand Beach Bungalows. Just near the sea. Peace and quiet. Only the noise of the sea… and (sometimes) of Anna 🙂 We got up at dawn to see the Sun and celebrate a new day start with a cup of tea at the beach. These dawns were unforgettable! And I won’t forget Son – the owner of Gold Sand Beach Bungalow! Not every day one can meet a Vietnamese man who speaks Russian fluently, got education at St. Petersburg University and spent his holidays at students’ construction team at the far north of Russia! And then many years later he built a nice bungalow at the sand beach of Phu Quoc and every day he himself and his family work for us – tourists – to make us happy! Our pictures>
Indonesia
Gajah Biru Bungalows and Spa – beautiful Villas in Ubud, Bali
We spent almost one month on the island of Bali and we drove it through the length and breadth with a motorbike. Let people talk what they want about Bali, but I love this island very much. Don’t be lazy, leave touristic places, then you will find enough secluded spots, authentic villages and untrodden pathways.
Our home in Ubud was beautiful “Gajah Biru” (“blue elephant” in translation). It was one of those places you don’t want to leave. We stayed at the cosiest bungalow with panoramic windows and a huge terrace. From the terrace I could see the roofs of traditional Bali houses and the pool where Anna was having fun. Surinder, the owner of the "Gajah Biru Bungalows and SPA", is one of the most hospitable person I’ve ever met! And the most creative one! You can see it in every detail of the interior – every picture is unique, every statue in the garden is one and only! And what about the café where breakfast was served – it was a whole museum of original ideas and design solutions! And the breakfast itself – it was not only the feast for taste receptors, but pleasure for eyes and soul! Our photos>
Coconut Garden Beach Resort, Maumere, Island Flores, Indonesia – stylish bungalows built right in the beach
Coconut Garden Beach Resort was one of our personal highlights on the Indonesian island Flores. We crossed the island from west to east, from Labuan Bajo to Maumere. Mostly by hitchhiking as the buses were very rare. Flores is beautiful, still quite far from mass tourism, and therefore not rich in infrastructure and hotels where you’d like to stay longer. There we were, tired, hungry and dusty, at last at Maumere and found ourselves in hidden paradise of Coconut Garden Beach Resort. Check yourself>
Australia
Palms City Resort, Darwin, Australia - here we started our 8000 km journey through Australia!
We’ve reached Australia. It’s a completely new country, new continent and new stage for us. We’ve landed at Darwin at sunrise. It was magnificent and in spite of a sleepless night at the plane we were delighted. The delight of new discoveries! We also were happy to have an invitation from Palms City Resort and we knew we were expected there. At 6 a.m. we were warmly greeted at the hotel and moved in one of the houses. Can you imagine: a cozy, fully equipped house under the palm leaves with terrace, kitchen, barbeque and … with our own whirlpool surrounded by tropical plants! Wow! At 6.30 a.m we were happily hopping... continuation and our pictures >
Cuba
La Villa Teresa, Havanna, Kuba - an exceptional hotel overlooking Havana
La Villa Teresa is located on one of the highest hills in Havana in the suburb Vibora. The magnificent building is 100 years old! But it did not always look so gorgeous. Silvio and Jenny, a young family, bought the nearly ruined villa a few years ago and rebuilt it. After three years of reconstruction La Villa Teresa is now open for guests. It is a unique hotel in Havana! I can hardly imagine how much work, energy and will were invested in this project! In Cuba, where buying simple things for everyday use could be a real challenge! I respect people who are able to build something valuable out of almost nothing! La Villa Teresa is located in a very quiet residential area in Havana, in a small street with almost no traffic. The center of the city is easy to reach by taxi (for those who prefers comfort), or by public bus (for those who like some adventures for a very reasonable price). We always took a bus and were very pleasantly surprised. Continuation and our pictures >
India
Sukhayus Cherai Beach Ayurveda Resort
I have wanted to reward myself with Ayurvedic treatments for a long time. And since the birthplace of Ayurveda is Kerala, India, I considered this region. I researched throroughly and settled on the Ayurvedic resort of Sukhayus Cherai Beach.
Because:
1) The location of the resort Sukhayus Cherai Beach is unique - on a narrow isthmus between one of the best beaches of Kerala (Cherai Beach) and backwaters with fishermen with boats and regionally unique Chinese nets... Read the full report and see our pictures >
Arco Iris Boutique Hotel – the rainbow you’ve never seen!
While travelling in India, we discovered a unique place - Arco Iris Boutique Homestay. This hotel is so different from all other numerous and popular Goa hotels. It is located off the beaten touristic tracks – in small Goa village Curtorim in South Goa.
Arco Iris Homestay is fenced by a huge garden full of birds. The majority of tourists don’t even suspect that Goa can be so peaceful and quiet.
This manor house is more than 2oo years old and it was built by the Portuguese long long time ago at the colonial period. Arco Iris house is furnished with unique antiquarian furniture from different parts of India; as for the building itself is was reconstructed so that to immerse you in the atmosphere and splendor of colonial times. Arco Iris Homestay is a real museum with only one difference - you can use the exhibits actively - sleep in the 200 years old bed or rock in the creeping chair, which is a contemporary to the bed. Read more and look at our pictures and video >
Sur La Mer Resort is a very special hotel, so unique and unforgettable!
Anna and I spent at Sur La Mer Resort one wonderful week and several times went to visit the owner of the hotel Aneel, when our Goa trips were through Morjim. The atmosphere here is wonderful, I had a holiday feeling all the time as if Christmas and Birthday coincided. And in the evenings, when the lights were on, beautiful music sounded and the hotel sparkled against the sunset, I was just delighted with beauty and the atmosphere of Sur La Mer! Read the entire report and look at the pictures >
Egypt
Sheikh Ali Dahab - where charming local history meets modern comfort
We are travelling around the World for more than 4 years now and have "tested" many hotels, also in Egypt. Sheikh Ali Resort is definitely one of the best in Dahab! And one of our absolute favorites! Here we lived like princesses!
Sheikh Ali Dahab Resort is a historical place. The father of the hotel owner Gabaly - Sheikh Ali (the hotel was named after him) was the first person who invited tourists to this area many years ago. In times, when there was almost nothing in Dahab except of desert. He founded the very first camp for travelers in the region. It was the beginning of tourism in Dahab. Read our entire report with pictures >
Skyrock Dahab - where Art, Nature and Sports meet - at the Red Sea in Egypt
Skyrock Dahab is located in a quiet part of the town, in Assallah. In just 3 minutes walk you will reach the Assallah Square with local shops and markets. In about 5 minutes walking you will enjoy the tourist part of Dahab - the pedestrian zone with many restaurants, shops, diving schools and yoga studios.
Skyrock Dahab is located directly on the Red Sea, just 5 meters from the private beach, equipped with loungers and parasols... To our report, pictures and video >
Costa Rica
Rancho Naturalista is one of the most famous lodges for birdwatching worldwide!
A recommendation for travellers, who wish a fully care-free time in the Costa Rican jungle - Rancho Naturalista!This is one of the finest lodges in Central America! Perfect for nature-lovers and people, who enjoy a quiet and serene green surroundings. The lodge is located deep in the rainforest. Jungle as far, as the eye can see. Our travel report with pictures and an interview with the owner is here >
Olas Verdes Boutigue Hotel Is located directly at the Guiones Beach. That's the quiet and less touristic part of Nosara. Here is the exact location on map.
Olas Verdes Is the perfect choice:
- For surfers who want to have it luxurious and comfortable during their stay. The beach in Nosara is one of the best for surfers, also very good for beginners. The hotel has its own surf school. It is a 3 to 5 minute walk to the beach.
- For yoga - friends who want to live nice and quiet in nature. The hotel is located in the jungle and has a yoga hall in the countryside with everything you need for yoga.
Our travel report with pictures, a lot of information about the area and a video from Nosara is here >