Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sleeping
HOSTEL, CAMPING
Babou Camping & Hostel $
( 0262-374 717;
www.baboumaramures.com
;
Breb; tents/campervans 16/20 lei; dm in-
cl breakfast 58 lei; Apr-Oct; )
Babou's sits in glorious hammock-strung mead-
owland with views of Ukraine. There's a pine-accented hostel with a four-berth dorm, a
kitchen and a communal area, or a huge garden to pitch in. Extremely new, clean and effi-
ciently run by Dutch people. Call to arrange a pick-up.
BREB
En route to Budesti from Ocna Sugatag, rustic Breb is an isolated village replete with an-
cient wooden houses and a 16th-century wooden church. A famous woodcarver (Patru
Pop) lives here, and this tiny traditonal village is also home to the culturally immersive
Somewhere Different tour company. For a price, owner Duncan can pick you up from
Sighet. But there are also four buses running from Baia Mare and regular minibuses from
Sighet.
Sleeping
The best accommodation in the area is in Breb.
GUESTHOUSE
Village Hostel $$
( 0725-141 545;
www.somewheredifferent.com
;
Breb; cottages per night 280 lei)
Run
by a charming English couple - who also run the culturally immersive Somewhere Differ-
ent tours - the hostel has five traditionally styled cottages with wood-beamed rooms, log
burners, immaculate kitchens and bedrooms carpeted with sheepskin rugs. You're also
given a mobile phone on arrival with useful contact numbers.
Dinner can be arranged at local houses, and your cottages are fully prepped for self-ca-
tering, with milk delivered daily along with cheese and freshly baked bread. Rustic chic
gets no better.
SĂPÂNŢA
Săpânţa village, 12km northwest of Sighetu Marmaţiei and just 4km south of Ukraine, ex-
udes pastoral charm with vividly hued rugs hanging over walls, hayrick-dotted cornfields
as far as the eye can see, and horses and carts trundling at a snail's pace. The main draw of
