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| SALGADO, BRAZIL Name: Hotel Balneario de Salgado Address: rua da Estancia 1 Price: $41.50 Rating: Honorable Mention Reviewed: 1994 Review: Good three star hotel conveniently located a couple of blocks from the bus terminal to the city of Aracaju and nearby towns. Rooms are fairly spacious, fairly clean (could stand to be dusted a bit more) and come with a frigo bar and air conditioning (a welcome relief!). There’s a balcony overlooking the backyard of the hotel. Helpful staff. Recommended! Price includes breakfast. Advisary: There’s no formal bus terminal in this small town. You’ll have to ask the locals (in the best way that you can since no one speaks English) what time the bus leaves for the particular town or city you want to go to. The best place to ask may be at the small telephone company (run by one person) located on the main plaza. Don’t ask the above mentioned hotel since they will, most likely, give you the incorrect times. SALTA, ARGENTINA Name: Hotel Continental Address: Price: $24 Rating: Mediocre Reviewed: 1991 Review: Basic but clean hotel located near the bus terminal. Friendly staff. Recommended! SALTO DEL LAJA, CHILE Name: Hotel Salto del Laja Address: Price: $64 Rating: Best Reviewed: 1990 Review: Excellent hotel located within walking distance from where the bus lets people off and facing the waterfalls. The price paid was for a suite with an excellent breakfast included. The room was spacious, spotless and included color tv. The food as well as the service in the restaurant was excellent. Helpful staff. Highly recommended! SALTO, BRAZIL Name: Hotel Cascata Address: Price: $11 Rating: Mediocre Reviewed: 1993 Review: Adequate hotel located a short distance from the bus terminal by taxi ($4) and three blocks from the downtown area. Rooms are basic, clean and that’s about it. This seems to be the best hotel in this rather plain and ordinary city. Suitable for an overnight stay. Recommended! Price includes breakfast. Drawback: Ants! SAN ANTONIO DE TACHIRA, VENEZUELA Name: Hotel Adriatico Address: Calle 3 y Carrera 6 Price: $22.50 Rating: Mediocre Reviewed: 1997 Review: This is your typical small border town (Cucuta, Colombia is only a few kms. away) and located just an hour and a half from San Cristobal by por puesto (shared taxi - $4 - fixed rate). The Hotel Adriatico is one of the two best hotels located right in the downtown area. (the other one is the Hotel Don Jorge) and the por puesto will drop you off right in front of this one. Rooms are spotless, somewhat on the small side and come with air conditioning, a ceiling fan and color tv (a little bit of cable). Very much recommended! Advisary #1: If you’re thinking about visiting nearby Colombia, you might want to think twice. Cucuta, Colombia (a population of over 500,000) is very easy to get to. My travel sources that I rely on (various travel books) explain that the bus terminal in Cucuta is extremely dangerous. The area isn’t policed and the bus terminal is crawling with con men who will use any means to try to get your money. Skip Colombia! It’s not worth it! A word of advice is to stay in Venezuela. You’ll have enough challenges as it is in this country. Advisary #2: The military is corrupt in this part of the country. Upon leaving the city by por puesto (shared van) along with other passengers, we were stopped by customs officers with big rifles. Everyone had to show their passport including myself. Upon showing my passport to the two officers, they became overly excitied and suspicious because I was an American citizen. I was forced to take my belongings inside the large customs building. I suspect that they were searching for illegal drugs. One of the uniformed officers took me into a private room with no windows, a light bulb swinging from the ceiling and a small wooden stool. He searched my belongings and didn’t find any drugs but he did find quite a bit of American dollars that I was traveling with. Even though he didn’t speak English, he did motion that he wanted $100 before he would permit me to leave. A bribe! I paid him the $100 and then he permitted me to leave to join the por puesto waiting for me outside. This area of Venezuela is possibly one of the most dangerous parts of the country because it’s so close to the Colombian border and the military seems more corrupt here than in other parts. This area is best avoided as tourists have been raped, beaten and murdered. SAN ANTONIO, CHILE Name: Hotel Jockey Club Address: Price: $13 Rating: Honorable Mention Reviewed: 1990 Review: The best hotel that this city has to offer located right across from the waterfront. Helpful staff and a couple of them spoke English. Highly recommended! SAN BERNARDINO, PARAGUAY Name: Hotel Casino San Bernardino Address: Price: $48 Rating: Best Reviewed: 1991 Review: Excellent hotel in this small and peaceful resort town located a short taxi ride from the bus terminal. The hotel is situated on beautiful and well-kept grounds and next to a big lake. Rooms are spotless and very spacious and come with color tv. Amenities include a swimming pool. The superb restaurant is worth trying. Highly recommended! SAN CARLOS, CHILE Name: Hotel Portal de Itihue Address: Price: $21 Rating: Honorable Mention Reviewed: 1990 Review: Excellent hotel located in the center of this small city. Rooms are spotless, fairly spacious and come with color tv. Helpful staff. Highly recommended! SAN CARLOS, VENEZUELA Name: Hotel Central Address: Price: $24.50 Rating: Mediocre Reviewed: 1997 Review: Good hotel and the best that this city of 71,600 has to offer located a short distance from the bus terminal by taxi ($2 - fair price!) and one block from the immediate downtown area. Rooms are clean, spacious, comfortable and come with color tv (including HBO) and air conditioning. Most rooms have a balcony (including mine) and I was fortunate to be on the 4th floor with a superb view overlooking San Carlos and the many very typical Spanish-looking roof-tiled houses down below. Very much recommended! Drawback: When you take the elevator up to the 4th floor, you push the number 3 to take you to your desired floor. There is no number 4 located on the inside of the elevator. SAN CRISTOBAL, VENEZUELA Name: Hotel Horizonte Address: Price: $16.50 Rating: Mediocre Reviewed: 1997 Review: Several inexpensive hotels in this bustling city of 290,900 and this is one of them. Adequate hotel (recommended by a cab driver) located a short distance from the bus terminal by taxi ($2 - fair price!) and a couple of blocks from the main shopping street in the immediate downtown area. Rooms are basic, clean, average size and come with color tv and a fan. Recommended! Advisary: You might be tempted to stay in one of the few inexpensive hotels scattered within the bus terminal vicinity. However, since this area is not the safest, I would recommend staying elsewhere in the city. SAN FELIPE, VENEZUELA Name: Hotel Hosteria Colonial Address: Price: $38 Rating: Mediocre Reviewed: 1997 Review: It’s really more like a motel. Good hotel situated a good distance from both the downtown area and the bus terminal by taxi ($2.50 - fair price!). Rooms are spotless, spacious and come with air conditioning and color tv. Amenities include a swimming pool. A bit high in price, perhaps, for what you actually get but still recommended. Attached is a expensive restaurant with mediocre tasting food. SAN FERNANDO, CHILE Name: Hotel Marcano Address: Price: $11.50 Rating: Mediocre Reviewed: 1990 Review: The best hotel (which isn’t saying much) that this city has to offer. Rooms are clean and fairly spacious. Friendly and helpful staff. The excellent restaurant is worth trying. Recommended! SAN FERNANDO DE APURE, VENEZUELA Name: Hotel La Torraca Address: av. Boulevard y Paseo Libertador Price: $16.50 Rating: Worst Reviewed: 1997 Review: Dilapidated and barely adequate hotel located a few blocks from the bus terminal and centered around the main plaza and other dilapidated looking hotels. Rooms are basic, fairly spacious and come with air conditioning and color tv. There’s even a balcony overlooking the plaza. Attentive staff. Not recommended in the least. Drawbacks: 1) The key is very tricky to work the lock. 2) Many insects and large fast crawling bugs on the floor. The majority of them come through the faucet in the bathroom and they crawl underneath the door as there’s a sizeable gap between the floor and the door. Wedge a towel against the bathroom door and that should confine the bugs to just the bathroom area. Travel Tip: There’s an excellent restaurant worth trying approximately a couple of blocks on the way to the bus terminal. I forgot the name of it but it’s the only decent place to eat in the city. Excellent food at reasonable prices. SAN JUAN DE LOS MORROS, VENEZUELA Name: Hotel Ana Address: av. Los Puentes Price: $21 Rating: Mediocre Reviewed: 1997 Review: Good hotel located several blocks from both the bus terminal by taxi ($2 - good price!) and the immediate downtown area. Rooms are spotless, comfortable, spacious and come with color tv and air conditioning. One of three hotels to stay at in this city of 78,500 and this hotel is still recommended as being a good choice. SAN JUAN, ARGENTINA Name: Central Hotel Address: Price: $9 Rating: Best Value Reviewed: 1991 Review: Good but modest hotel located reasonably close to the bus terminal. Rooms are spotless, fairly spacious and don’t come with really anything. Family-run hotel. Friendly and helpful staff. Recommended! SAN SEBASTIAN, CHILE Name: Hotel Riviera Address: Price: $18 Rating: Mediocre Reviewed: 1990 Review: Adequate hotel located within walking distance from the bus terminal. Rooms are fairly spacious, spotless and that’s about it. The staff isn’t very friendly. However, still recommended. Also, it seems to be the only hotel in town. SANARE, VENEZUELA Name: Posada Los Sauces Address: Price: $32.50 Rating: Mediocre Reviewed: 1997 Review: Adequate posada located a short distance from where the buses stop at and from the downtown area by taxi ($2 - fair price!). The above mentioned price was for a cabin. If you want just a regular room, the price drops to just $16.50 per night. The cabins are clean and don’t come with anything except two bedrooms and a lot of extra space. It’s definitely overpriced for the single traveler but it could be quite suitable for a family of four. The location that the cabin is situated on is beautiful. Good and reasonably priced restaurant. Recommended! SANTA CRUZ, BRAZIL Name: Hotel Iraja Address: Pca. da Matriz 40 Price: $27.50 Rating: Honorable Mention Reviewed: 1994 Review: Very good hotel located a block from the very tiny bus terminal (one booth run by one person), across from the river and in the center (what very little center there is) of town. Rooms are spotless, spacious and come with air conditioning and a frigo bar. Most rooms on the second floor (mine included) have a partial view of the river. Very picturesque. The hotel is situated in a peaceful setting. Highly recommended! Price includes breakfast. SANTA CRUZ CABRALIA, BRAZIL Name: Pousada Rio Camurugl Address: Mirante da Costa Vermelha Price: $14.50 Rating: Honorable Mention Reviewed: 1994 Review: In this very small resort town (population: 7,000) located just 23 kms. north of the bigger and more popular resort town of Porto Seguro, there are several inexpensive (but good quality) pousadas to choose from. Good pousada conveniently located in the center of town and within walking distance to the beach. Rooms are comfortable, spotless. fairly spacious and come with a fan and frigo bar (empty). Recommended! Price does not include breakfast. SANTA CRUZ DO RIO PARDO, BRAZIL Name: San Juan Hotel Address: av. Cel. Clementino Goncalves 601 Price: $16.50 Rating: Best Value Reviewed: 1999 Review: Very good hotel (the best that this city of 40,000 has to offer) located a good distance from the best terminal by taxi ($3.50 - fair price!) and several blocks from the downtown area. Rooms are fairly spacious, spotless and come with color tv (the color doesn’t work properly) and a fan. Helpful staff. Highly recommended! Price includes breakfast. SANTA CRUZ DO SUL, BRAZIL Name: Tobaccos Palace Hotel Address: Tr. Erico Verissimo 430 Price: $27 Rating: Mediocre Reviewed: 1996 Review: In this large city with a strong German influence (every year they have Oktoberfest) of 118,000, there are many hotel choices for the traveler to select from. Adequate hotel conveniently located directly across the street from the bus terminal and a good distance from the downtown area (approximately 45 minute walking time each way). Rooms are clean, comfortable, fairly spacious and come with color tv. Recommended! Price includes breakfast. SANTA FE, ARGENTINA Name: Zavaleta Hotel Address: Price: $30 Rating: Mediocre Reviewed: 1991 Review: Adequate hotel located within a few blocks from the bus terminal. Rooms are clean and fairly spacious. Recommended! SANTA MARIA, BRAZIL Name: Hotel Dom Rafael Address: Price: $13 Rating: Mediocre Reviewed: 1993 Review: Along Rua Rio Branco in the downtown area, there are a fair number of inexpensive hotels and this is one of them. Rooms are clean and come with black and white tv. Friendly staff. Recommended! Price includes breakfast. SANTA ROSA, BRAZIL Name: Rigo Hotel Address: rua Olavo Bilac 166 Price: $27 Rating: Honorable Mention Reviewed: 1996 Review: Very good two star hotel (the best in the city) located directly across from the bus terminl and in the immediate downtown area. Rooms are spotless, comfortable, extremely spacious and come with color tv (doesn’t work properly). Most rooms (mine included) have the added advantage of having a balcony overlooking the city. Picturesque! Piped in music to the rooms add a nice touch. There are more expensive rooms available of superior quality but, quite frankly, I was impressed with this one. Highly recommended! Price includes breakfast. Drawback: The only drawback that I could find in this otherwise excellent hotel is the fact that there was no fan in the room. I strongly suspect that in the higher priced rooms you would get air conditioning. SANTANA DO LIVRAMENTO, BRAZIL Name: Hotel Livramento Address: Price: $19 Rating: Mediocre Reviewed: 1993 Review: In this border town across from Rivera, Uruguay (within walking distance) there are accomondations to fit most budgets. However, this hotel is perhaps more expensive for what you actually get. This adequate hotel is situated directly across from the bus terminal and four blocks from the downtown area. Rooms are simple but fairly clean. Friendly and helpful staff (offered to carry my luggage across the street to the bus terminal without expecting a tip). Recommended! Price includes breakfast. SANTIAGO, BRAZIL Name: Selton Hotel Address: rua Selveira Martins 1066 Price: $22.50 Rating: Mediocre Reviewed: 1996 Review: One of the two best hotels (the other is the Hotel Vila Rica) that this city of 52,000 has to offer. Adequate hotel conveniently located a half block from the bus terminal and several blocks from the downtown area (allow at least 30 minutes walking time each way). Rooms are comfortable, clean and come with a fan and private bathroom. For only $14 will get you just a room with the communal bathroom located down the hall. For $26 you can get a room with a fan, color tv and private bathroom. Recommended! Price includes breakfast. SANTO AMARO, BRAZIL Name: Hotel Amaro Address: rua Cons. Saraiva 27 Price: $6.50 Rating: Worst Reviewed: 1994 Review: Barely adequate hotel located a few blocks from the bus terminal and in the center of the downtown area. This hotel is like the town itself - decaying and delapidated. Rooms are spacious but hardly clean. Walls are dirty and the entire room is rather depressing looking. Clearly, the hotel and city has probably seen better days. There’s another hotel on the main street that doesn’t seem any better than this one. Not in the least bit recommended. Price includes breakfast. SANTO ANGELO, BRAZIL Name: Santo Angelo Turis Hotel Address: Price: $16.50 Rating: Honorable Mention Reviewed: 1993 Review: Very good reasonably priced hotel located a short distance from the bus terminal by taxi ($2) and within walking distance from the downtown area. Rooms are spotless and come with a small writing desk. More expensive rooms also include a tv. Very friendly staff. Highly recommended! Price includes breakfast. SANTO ANTONIO DA PLATI NA, BRAZIL Name: Hotel Plaza Address: Price: $9.50 Rating: Best Value Reviewed: 1999 Review: Good hotel located a 10 minute walk from the bus terminal, several blocks from the downtown area (allow at least a 30 minute walk each way) and is situated on the edge of the city (population: 38,000). Rooms are fairly spacious, spotless and come with color tv (the color doesn’t work properly, tho) and a fan. Helpful staff. Highly recommended! Price includes breakfast. SANTO ANTONIO DE JESUS. BRAZIL Name: Hotel Santa Rita Address: Pca. Pe. Mateus 135 Price: $14 Rating: Honorable Mention Reviewed: 1994 Review: Very good hotel located a short distance from the bus terminal by taxi ($6) and in the center of the downtown area. Rooms are comfortable, spotless, spacious and come with black and white tv and a fan. There are rooms slightly less expensive without any tv and rooms slightly more expensive with color tv. Helpful staff. Highly recommended! Price includes breakfast. SANTOS DUMONT, BRAZIL Name: Hotel Itaipu Address: rua 13 de Maio 383 Price: $20.50 Rating: Mediocre Reviewed: 1995 Review: Barely adequate hotel (probably the best that this city has to offer which isn’t saying much) located several blocks from the bus terminal and a few blocks from the downtown area. Rooms are simple, clean, fairly spacious. dark and gloomy (due to insufficient lighting) and come with color tv. There are rooms available without the color tv and private bathroom for a few dollars less. Recommended! Price includes breakfast. Advisary: This is an especially poor and run down city of 45,000 and this hotel is not located in the best area (there really is no good area) so be careful. |
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