El Oasis de Dorita Hotel — Hotel in Caraz

The Hostel Oasis is in the mountain town of Caraz (just under 2300 meters above sea level) along side the Rio Santa that drains thE mountaineous region called the Cordillera Blanca and Cordillera Negra, 9 hours north of Lima, Peru. I|| ||Before arriving in Caraz I first spent 3 weeks in Huaraz, a much larger city 60 kilometers to the south of Caraz, which was an 8-hour bus ride (Z-Buss) from the Plaza del Norte Terminal in Lima. The cost was 45 Peruvian Soles. However, as I later found out, there's a Z-Buss terminal in Caraz, so one can proceed directly to Caraz, if that's one's wish. Anyway, from Huaraz I took a collectivo to Caraz which was only 6 Peruvian Soles for the additonal 50 kilometers north. The exchange rate was USD 1 per Peruvian Soles 2.5, giving the reader some idea of the costs.|| ||The word OASIS first caught my attention when I was considering Caraz, as a friend in Huaraz told me it was cheaper and quieter. Both are true, but he never mentioned the VIEW! || ||I've been staying at the Hostel Oasis four and a half months! Its very conveniently located, 10 meters off the main park (Plaza de Armas) at 425 A.Raymoundi. The city market where fresh produce, breads, meats, and more can be purchased is three blocks away. There's a bank with ATM across the street. Other banks, restaurants, pastry shops, a museum, a post office, all within two or three blocks.|| ||The OASIS has 13 rooms for occupancy, both singles (S/20 per night) and doubles (S/40 per night). All the rooms have private bathrooms with showers. There's a restaurant inside, which ,in addition to serving traditional Peruvian staples (Trucha frita, picante cuy, lomo saltado, bisteck pobre, saltado de pollo, aje de gallina, and pescado frito), serves American food, such as hotdogs, pizza, and the like. The beverages available include water, soft drinks, wine and beer. All guests have kitchen privileges to prepare food they bring in. The kitchen is open until 10 p.m. for convenience of the tourists.|| ||There's an open air garden next to the restaurant with walkways on either side leading to some the rooms.|| ||The owner, Helen, and everyone working at the hostel are very sociable and extend themselves to help a tourist in any way they can. They are knowledgable about the area and tourist activities. For reservations one can contact the hostel by 1) email: HelenVM@hotmail.es, 2) Helen's Cell: 966399000, or 3) the hostel telephone: 043391652|| ||The hostel is an economical 'base camp' from which to get up into all the high adventure of mountain hiking, rock climbing, ice climbing (glaciers), mountain-bicycling, camping, fishing, bird-watching or just observing some of nature's grandest and most spectacular offerings as this region is spectacular in its geological features and terrain--that means SCENERY! And you can recreate here to your heart´s content. The Cordillera Blanca, for example, extends almost 180 kilometers from north to south and is largely included within the Huascaran National Park. The Cordillera Blanca has to total of 663 glacial peaks (29 at 6,000 meters--18,000 feet--or higher!) and includes Huascaran (6,768 meters), the highest peak in the Peruvian Andes, and Alpamayo reported to be "the most beautiful mountain in the world". Both hold breathtaking beauty. There are 269 lakes and 41 rivers, providing water for three river basins and recreational opportunities galore! Caraz at 2,256 meters above sea level has foothills immediately to the east 1,000 meters higher and "going up!". Daily excursions into the mountains are as numerous as your desires and that's all that's required. || ||And if physical recreation is not your forte, you can be a park bench spectator and enjoy the snow-capped mountains sitting down. || ||Caraz is also a town with more festivity than I've ever experienced in Peru before and I've been to Peru five or six times in the last fifteen years. From April through August I counted thirteen festivals!||If you like marching bands, you'll love Caraz. || ||I think I'll...

I didn´t stay the night at the hotel but I ate dinner there and it was so good I went back an hour later to eat some more food. The pizza is the best I have had in South America and the service was even better. Jorge was my waiter and not only did he speak great English, but his service was friendly and efficient. I was riding my bike for charity from Alaska to Argentina and I mentioned this is conversation the second time I went back. They gave me my pizza for free and a friendly wave goodbye. It put a real smile on my face, such nice people. I would recommend anyone to eat at this restaurant for great food and service at a really...

I would definitely leave a better review if there was not such an annoying bell ringing all the time, DING DONG DING DONG everytime someone passes at the entrance it rings, in the morning it is like 15 times per minute, really, this is so annoying, it drove me crazy, I couldn’t sleep anymore once it started. And this is such a pity because the place is not bad, rooms are nice, clean and quiet during the night, and the people running the place are also nice. My advise to the owner would be to remove this annoying bell or at least make it with...