places to stay

I’m often asked where the best place to stay is in a particular destination: here are some of my personal favourites.

Ecuador: The Black Sheep Inn (Chugchilán)
This award-winning, eco-friendly hotel is located in a spectacular corner of the Andes (about five hours from Quito). It is run by Andreas Hammerman & Michelle Kirby.

India: Karmi Farm (Darjeeling)
Run by Andrew Pulger-Frame this beautiful family home is set amongst cardamom groves, and has a stunning verandah over the Indian Himalaya. Andrew also runs a small medical clinic with the support of Nomad Travel to help families in the local area who would otherwise not have access to medical facilities.

India: Oriental Hotel (Ladakh)
Eco-sensitive, family-run guesthouse owned by Nawang. The best Tibetan momos and Italian pizzas in town. His son Dawa runs a trekking and tourism service.

Nepal: Rhododendron Lodge (Deboche)
Just down the hill from Tengboche, on the way to Pangboche, lies the secluded hamlet of Deboche. The rustic Rhododendron Lodge is owned by the wonderful Ang Kanchi, who is also the local medical assistant. After six weeks of climbing at high altitude on Everest in 2004, I followed the advice of my friend, the late Anatoli Boukreev, and descended to Ang’s tea house Deboche for a complete rest before making my summit bid. Ang nursed me back to full strength with a sensible and nutritious diet. Ang‘s kindness and support came at a critical time for me. Much of the credit for my subsequent summit success goes to Ang.

Peru Los Niños Hotel (Cusco)
Run by Jolanda van den Berg, the profits from this delightful establishment are ploughed into a foundation to help street kids in the city.