Los Alpes, Quito

Advantages: Beautiful setting, churches and Spanish colonial architecture
Disadvantages: Traffic noise and fumes, some street crime

...We happened upon the Plaza de la Fundación rather by accident, because it does not feature prominently in the guide books. Fortunately, my wife and I had only just started out on our walk around the old town of Quito, and it helped us orient ourselves, both historically and geographically. As its name implies, the Plaza de la Fundación was where the original Spanish colony was founded. An Inca city had stood on the site, but was hastily demolished by its inhabitants, a tribe who called themselves the Quitu, to prevent it falling intact into the hands of the conquerors. Not long before, the last Inca emperor Atahualpa had been perfidiously executed, despite a vast ransom having been paid for his release, thus starting an ignoble tradition that some Latin American kidnappers persist in upholding to this day. The Quitu must have... Read review

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Advantages: pleasant climate, lots to see, bustling with local activity
Disadvantages: usual big city issues - traffic, smog, beggars, street vendors

...Quito is the capital of Ecuador and stands almost 3,000 metres high on a plateau nestled among the Andes mountain range. It is just 22 km south of the Equator and yet, because of its height, it benefits from a warm eternal spring-like climate. It is a large and sprawling urban mass that is split into the two distinct areas of old city and new city. This produces a place of startling contrasts – a strange mixture of old colonial and new contemporary architecture, streets populated equally with wealthy businessmen and poor beggars, noisy bustling markets separated by quiet parks and streets, upmarket fashion and souvenir shops contrasting with impoverished street stalls. There are many attractions here including the huge Virgin of Quito who looks down over the city from her lofty position on Panecillo Hill. The views from here... Read review

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Advantages: Good for beginners, good nightlife, sunny, access to La Grave, free swimming/skating
Disadvantages: Limited skiing, not ideal resort layout, frustrating slope and lift layout at hometime

...Located in the southern French Alps, and close to Alpe D'Huez and Serre Chevalier, Les Deux Alpes might not be the first ski resort that springs to mind when you think of European skiing. It's a little unfair as, on an individual basis, the resort compares extremely well to just about any in France. It is the second oldest in resort in the country, after the world famous Chamonix and can boast more than 200km of runs to itself. However, while 2 Alpes may individually have a large ski-area, it lacks the collective might of areas such as the Trois Vallees or Espace Killy when it comes to a linked network of slopes. Essentially, with 2 Alpes what you see is what you get. For most this won't be a problem - almost 100 different pisted slopes plus good opportunities to drop into off-piste powder fields should keep all but the most... Read review

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