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One of Peru's best kept secrets just keeps getting better and better. If you're looking for a trip that won't cost a fortune and takes you a bit off the beaten path, look no further than EcoQuechua Lodge, situated in Santa Teresa, Peru, not far from Machu Picchu. Located in the high jungle, it offers a lovely and tranquil getaway. Like a jungle lodge in the Amazon, some windows are open to nature so that you feel like you're part of it all (beds have mosquito netting). There's just something about this place that makes my stress melt away as soon as I arrive. Let me stretch out in a hammock with a good book and one of their awesome pisco sours and I can spends days at a time here, forgetting the outside world even exists. The entire lodge uses natural materials, including wood, rock, and bamboo, and its newest rooms feature private bathrooms. Ever dreamed of living in a grown-up's treehouse? This is that dream come true. The owners and staff couldn't be friendlier and are genuinely interested in ensuring that you have everything you need and are having the best time possible. Make your reservation includes dinner as these are bound to be some of the tastiest that you will have in Peru—lunch can also be added and breakfast is always included. Massages can be booked with advance notice and an outdoor Jacuzzi is currently in the works. The nearby Colcamayo hot springs are actually much nicer as well as hotter than those in Aguas Calientes, the town right below Machu Picchu, despite it being named after the springs. You are much better off getting your fill of the soothing waters here. Other outings that can be arranged through the lodge are zip-lining, a tour of a coffee plantation, and a hike to Llactapata, an Inca site from which you may catch a glimpse of Machu Picchu. If you're a coffee lover, the coffee plantation tour is highly recommended, mostly so that you can buy one of the world's best coffees, organic and grown here  in the high jungle. To get here does require a bit of planning but don't let that keep you away. If it was any easier, there would be hordes and then you wouldn't want to go! Basically, you can either take the train or a bus. To take the train, you will need to get a ticket first to Aguas Calientes and from there to Hidroelectrica. At this point, you cannot buy tickets for the second leg until you get to Aguas Calientes so, if you are coming direct from Cusco or the Sacred Valley (recommended) be prepared to get off and have a cup of coffee until your next train leaves. From Ollantaytambo, the trip to Aguas Calientes takes about 1.5 hours and from Aguas to Hidroelectrica, about 30 minutes. The downside to taking the train is that it can be expensive and there are only a few trains per day between Aguas Calientes and Hidroelectrica. For this reason, you can't just go from the lodge to Machu Picchu and back in one day. On the other hand, if you're up for a hike, it's about a two-hour walk from Hidroelectrica to Aguas Calientes and it's a flat, easy trip. Taking the bus from Cusco is infinitely cheaper but will require a bit more investment in time. You will take the bus to Quillabamba but get off at Santa Maria. From there, you can get a shared car to Hidroelectrica and get off at the EcoQuechua Lodge. The entire trip will take between six and seven hours. Spend a couple of nights at the lodge, walk to Aguas Calientes, spend a night there, and then visit Machu Picchu first thing the next morning. You can then do the trip in reverse or take the train back. A couple of notes of warning are in order. The bus trip is not recommended during rainy season when the road can be more dangerous. If you are afraid of heights, you should be aware that the road travels along the edge of mountains so can be a bit awe-inspiring or nerve racking, depending on how you feel about such things. Also, while mosquitoes as we know them aren't a huge problem (ie. no jungle diseases), there are small biting flies that can be problematic at some times during the year. Always carry repellent with you and you should be fine. Despite all of this, the lodge is a truly unique and special place. It's a great way to get away from it all and feel like you're on a secluded retreat without breaking the bank or having to make a huge detour from your trip to Machu Picchu. Pull up a hammock, and I'll see you there. Originally from the U.S., Maureen Santucci now calls the ancient Peruvian capital of Cusco home, where she has lived for almost six years, working as a travel consultant and writing for Fodors Travel Guide. This article was written on behalf of Tucan Travel, experts in adventure tours to Machu Picchu and all over Peru.

The waitress brought exactly what I ordered, but it still came as a surprise. Instead of a plate, my Fish Amok was served in a coconut shell. The classic Cambodian dish was presented made with freshly caught fish from the Gulf of Thailand. Cambodia's culinary traditions are made with the bounty of the land and water, with influences brought by successive invaders and visitors that have given variety to the Khmer approach to preparing food. The annual monsoon floods enrich the soil around the Mekong and Tonei Sap. The river system is one of the most diverse habitats on earth, and fishing has always been central to the Khmer economy. A paste made of fermented fish, Prahok, is a key flavoring agent, both as a sauce and mixed into meat, rice and other dishes. Cambodia's climate and topography make ideal conditions for growing spices. Kampot Pepper, the King of Peppers, is prized for its aromatic floral qualities. The Cardamom Mountains are the indigenous home of the eponymous spice. The Khmer also use cardamom and Kampot Pepper for their medicinal properties to soothe a variety of complaints. Other homegrown spices include tamarind, ginger, lemongrass and Kaffir lime leaves. International flavors also characterize Cambodian cuisine. The influences of India are as evident in the temples and monuments of Angkor Wat as they are on the Cambodian table; Indian style curry (Kan) is on most menus. The years of French colonial rule also left a taste for baguettes (Nom Pang), and as a result, Cambodia is the only Asian country where bread outweighs rice. The French also left recipes for paté, chocolate desserts, and beer, as well as French roast coffee. Cambodia is also influenced by its neighbors as Thai, Laotian and Vietnamese food are widely available. These nations all use sauces that rely on coconut cream, sugar, and chili. Chinese immigrants have also brought their traditions, and rice noodles have been embraced by the Khmer people. Early explorers from Spain, Holland, and Portugal brought potatoes, corn, peanuts, and chili peppers from the Americas. The most popular, and most distinctly Khmer dishes, are Amok and Lok Lak. Amok is a curry in banana leaves. The sauce is made of coconut cream. It's usually made with fish, but can be prepared with chicken, beef, or pork. It can also be made for vegetarians, with eggs, bamboo shoots, or tofu served appealingly over banana leaves. Lok Lak is a stir fried beef dish with onions, tomatoes and a black pepper sauce. On the coast, Kampot Pepper Crab (Kdam Cha Mrich Kcchei) brings together the King of Pepper with fresh local seafood. Spices, fish paste, and pepper on the vine are served with crab in the shell. Only freshly picked green peppers are used. Other popular Khmer meals include Babor, a rice porridge and pork bullion, a Khmer variation of a Chinese dish. Another adaption is Bai Cha, which is fried rice with sausage. Kuy Teav is a breakfast of rice noodles, a piece of pork, and egg and pickled vegetables. Num Bamh Chok is bean sprouts, mint, and vegetables infused with curry and poured over noodles. An interesting dessert called Kralan, is a sweet rice pastry with coconut, beans and sesame, cooked inside a bamboo pole. People come to Cambodia from all over the world to sightsee and learn about the country's vast history, but you can actually taste it as well. Born in The Hague, Andrew Kolasinski arrived in Canada as a small child riding in the luggage rack of a DC-7. Since then he has felt at home anywhere. As the publisher and editor of Island Angler, Andrew spends half the year fishing for salmon and trout, and in the off-season he travels the world looking for a story. This article was written on behalf of Tucan Travel, providers of tour packages to Cambodia and all over Asia.

What's your favorite painting? Hold that image in your mind for a sec, then imagine the brushstrokes, shapes, and colors brought to life—so you could actually walk right in. Whoa. Right? Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde has brought my favorite painting to life in a unique way that melds contemporary technology with a masterpiece of 19th-century art: Vincent Van Gogh's "Starry Night." The Starry Night Bike Path, a winding half-mile in the city of Eindhoven that is illuminated by thousands of LED lights and special paint, interprets the swirling shapes and colors of Van Gogh's painting. I don't know about you, but for me the work of Van Gogh is highly personal—as if the artist, with his dramatic strokes and thick layers of paint, is reaching out to me across the years, teaching me a new way to see and feel. I'm psyched that a contemporary artist is attempting to transport an audience in a similar way. Roosegaarde has spoken enthusiastically about how the path, which opened to the public on November 13, makes a statement about technology and cultural history—and is also a popular spot for first dates. What's not to love? Van Gogh's original "Starry Night,"which he painted in 1889 while in an asylum in Saint-Rémy, France, is on display in New York City, not far from the Budget Travel offices, at the Museum of Modern Art. It is the museum's most popular work and, for me, it's up there with the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building for must-see NYC attractions. The city of Eindhoven, where the Starry Night Bike Path is located, was Van Gogh's home for a few years and appears as a backdrop in some of his paintings. These days the city of more than 200,000 is a major technology hub (the Philips electronics company was founded there) and boasts major museums, theaters, and miles of bike paths. Eindhoven is about 90 minutes from both Amsterdam and the Hague. If you don't happen to be in the Netherlands at the moment, pretend you're cycling or strolling on the Starry Night Bike Path with this video!

Would you like some heat with that ice-cold drink? Chile peppers are as ingrained in New Mexico's food culture as fresh pasta is in Rome's. Fact: "Red or green?" is the official state question, in reference to when a waiter asks what sauce you'd like on your enchiladas—or chilaquiles, or breakfast burritos... You get the idea. (Answer "Christmas" if you want both.) New Mexico's chiles are mostly grown and harvested in southern New Mexico, in and around the village of Hatch, a.k.a. The Chile Capital of the World. The early fall months are the only time you can get the chiles fresh, so locals buy them by the pound, roast them, and freeze them to cook with throughout the year. Fun trivia: Green chile peppers are simply unripened versions of red chile peppers. New Mexico is so serious about its chiles that there's even a Chile Pepper Institute in Las Cruces, New Mexico, which promotes chile pepper research and education. You can visit the teaching garden, where more than 150 varieties of chiles are grown, June through October for free. Santa Fe hotel and restaurant La Fonda on the Plaza is paying homage to the beloved pepper with its new chile drink menu—and you can make them at home! Local boutique The Chili Shop sells red chile powder by the bag in mild, medium, medium hot, and extra hot both in store and online (from $5.75). Click "add to cart" and get ready to feel the burn.