Hacienda Cusin, or other? (after Galapagos)
Jul 29th, 2009, 06:27 PM
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Hacienda Cusin, or other? (after Galapagos)
My husband and I are considering the 7 day Celebrity Xpedition in May. After our 1 night stay in Quito (Marriott) at the end of the cruise, we are thinking about going to Hacienda Cusin for 1 night. Has anyone been there, and if so, what are your thoughts? What is the best way to book it? Does the place offer transportation? How long is the ride? Can we easily go to Otavalo market while there? Alternatively, are there any other recommended haciendas? Thank you for our advice.
Aug 1st, 2009, 10:31 PM
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We spent two nights at Cusin in June after our Galapagos cruise. Loved it, wished we could have stayed longer and would return in a heartbeat. We chose it over the other haciendas because we thought our teen boys would enjoy the basketball, squash, pool, game room, etc. after a week on the boat, but it is equally appropriate for a romantic couples vacation.
Cusin is in a gorgeous setting, rustically elegant, very quiet. Perfect way to experience the Andean culture and climate - an exotic, relaxing constrast to the Galapagos. In addition to the shopping, there were all sorts of opportunities for hiking, lakes, etc. and we wished we could have stayed longer.
BOOKING: Booked directly through hotel on their site. We had two cottages. I think ours was the "Duenita suite" and the boys were in Sierra 13 - both very charming. Ours had a loft level where you could write your novel. Both overlooked a fabulous garden.
TRANSPORTATION: We booked transportation in advance through Cusin. Our driver met us at the Quito airport. Ride was about 90 minutes just before sunset - spectacular. We used the same driver the following day to take us to the craft villages and Otavalo. Spent about 5-6 hours touring around, including lunch (that was plenty for the guys, not enough for me). If you only want to visit Otavalo, it's about 15 minutes from Cusin. Our return flight was on the third day - we visited two equator spots on the way to the airport.
ALPACA BLANKETS - Buy twice as many as you think you want at Otavalo. A lot of the stuff there is poor quality, but the blankets are awesome and look terrific once you get them home - wish I had bought more.
HOT WATER BOTTLE - A lovely touch at Cusin. Order by 7 PM.
LLAMAS - There are several on the premises.
RESTAURANT - Had some very good meals. We were too lazy to go into town at night.
Happy to answer more questions.
Cusin is in a gorgeous setting, rustically elegant, very quiet. Perfect way to experience the Andean culture and climate - an exotic, relaxing constrast to the Galapagos. In addition to the shopping, there were all sorts of opportunities for hiking, lakes, etc. and we wished we could have stayed longer.
BOOKING: Booked directly through hotel on their site. We had two cottages. I think ours was the "Duenita suite" and the boys were in Sierra 13 - both very charming. Ours had a loft level where you could write your novel. Both overlooked a fabulous garden.
TRANSPORTATION: We booked transportation in advance through Cusin. Our driver met us at the Quito airport. Ride was about 90 minutes just before sunset - spectacular. We used the same driver the following day to take us to the craft villages and Otavalo. Spent about 5-6 hours touring around, including lunch (that was plenty for the guys, not enough for me). If you only want to visit Otavalo, it's about 15 minutes from Cusin. Our return flight was on the third day - we visited two equator spots on the way to the airport.
ALPACA BLANKETS - Buy twice as many as you think you want at Otavalo. A lot of the stuff there is poor quality, but the blankets are awesome and look terrific once you get them home - wish I had bought more.
HOT WATER BOTTLE - A lovely touch at Cusin. Order by 7 PM.
LLAMAS - There are several on the premises.
RESTAURANT - Had some very good meals. We were too lazy to go into town at night.
Happy to answer more questions.
Aug 14th, 2009, 07:59 PM
#4
We were just at Cusin for three nights following the Galapagos cruise. Had a lovely room in the old section of the hacienda,Sierra 19 with high ceilings, fireplace, french doors and very comfortable king bed. Bathroom was cold at night with ugly flourescent lighting, but we did have a space heater in the room, and they light a fire for you when you go to dinner...and yes, that hot water bottle is comforting! The gardens and dining room are lovely, although the food is a mixed bag. We ate dinner there all three nights because of the convenience and charm...and some things were great, and some not (avoid the chicken) Good breakfast of pancakes, scrambled eggs, yogurt, fruit & muesli and great coffee con leche. We had the airport transfer they arranged for $60 and it was fine.
The first day, we took a local taxi into the Otavalo market area and walked around on our own, walked to Ali Shungu for a good lunch, and then arranged for a local tour guide/driver, Hans Moser, who I found out about on this site, to pick us up after lunch. He took us to several craft villages, Peguche and Agato, where we went into the weaving workshops of master weaver Andrango, who's in the Smithsonian, and Jose Cotacatchi, who creates lovely colorful tapestries, as well as to a famous musician's house who demonstrated making pan flutes. Then, we went to Ibarra, the wood carving village, which really was too far and not worth it.
The second day he picked us up about 9am and drove out to Lake Cuicocha, a lovely crater lake and Cotocatchi, a great leather town. We had lunch at Hacienda Pinsaqui, which seemed a little more formal than Cusin, but our lunch was excellent, despite the tour group which showed up. Hans was very informative and spoke excellent English and drove safely.
I thought the grounds of Cusin were lovely to amble around.
The first day, we took a local taxi into the Otavalo market area and walked around on our own, walked to Ali Shungu for a good lunch, and then arranged for a local tour guide/driver, Hans Moser, who I found out about on this site, to pick us up after lunch. He took us to several craft villages, Peguche and Agato, where we went into the weaving workshops of master weaver Andrango, who's in the Smithsonian, and Jose Cotacatchi, who creates lovely colorful tapestries, as well as to a famous musician's house who demonstrated making pan flutes. Then, we went to Ibarra, the wood carving village, which really was too far and not worth it.
The second day he picked us up about 9am and drove out to Lake Cuicocha, a lovely crater lake and Cotocatchi, a great leather town. We had lunch at Hacienda Pinsaqui, which seemed a little more formal than Cusin, but our lunch was excellent, despite the tour group which showed up. Hans was very informative and spoke excellent English and drove safely.
I thought the grounds of Cusin were lovely to amble around.
Aug 18th, 2009, 06:47 AM
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Hi Barefootbeach!
Thanx so much for all your helpful details about Cusin and the nearby sights. We think that we'll be staying at Hacienda Pinsaqui for 2 nights, after a 7 day Galapagos cruise. We also will be staying in Quito. This trip will be in May 2010. I just read your trip report on your Galapagos cruise - great report! Again, many thanks.
Thanx so much for all your helpful details about Cusin and the nearby sights. We think that we'll be staying at Hacienda Pinsaqui for 2 nights, after a 7 day Galapagos cruise. We also will be staying in Quito. This trip will be in May 2010. I just read your trip report on your Galapagos cruise - great report! Again, many thanks.
