I dare you to read the headline above aloud and not smile. C’mon, it’ll make your day a little brighter.

Yes, we have posted a review of Hotel Titilaka, which is located on Lake Titilaka, near Puno in Peru. On most counts this looks to be the best bet in the area overall, especially when it comes to service. It is run by Andean Experience, the tour company also managing the Urubamba Villas I reviewed myself a while back, after staying there this past December and doing a guided day-long hike nearby.

Naturally then, the focus is as much on the activities as the structure. Excursions included in the rates include bike rides, hikes, boat rides, and visits to island villages.

This one was covered by contributor Emma Fox, who is just now returning from a trip to the Atacama Desert. We’ll have reviews of the best hotels there and a tour story as well from her in a few weeks. Here’s what she had to say about Titilaka:

Far from the hustle and haphazard bustle of Puno, Titilaka is pure paradise for honeymooners, photographers and bird watching enthusiasts. Titilaka has managed to seamlessly merge the rich influences of the surrounding Andean community with an idyllic upscale experience, while respecting its undisturbed natural beauty as a carbon-neutral property. Sometimes, a stay at a luxury property can feel fraught with formalities and details, but from the moment you enter Titilaka, the slow idyll and sophistication feels just right.

We’ve gotten a few calls from reporters following up on financial trouble rumors and have seen some signs of stress in the travel tour industry. In general the companies serving Latin America seem to be faring better than most overall. Latin America’s domestic economies are not reeling so badly, cheaper airfares are enticing new travelers from North America, and the value proposition is sinking in with those who are trimming but not cutting.

Dynamic Leisure in Tampa went under earlier this year and there have been others, but most of the agency turmoil thus far has been one level removed from the public eye. Joystar has been in bankruptcy court this week, though you wouldn’t know it from their website. Travel Weekly reports they have “$2.6 million in liabilities but only $18,000 in assets.” Plus “Joystar and its parent, Travelstar, estimated an average future gross income of about $16,500 per month and future expenses of $1.6 million per month.” How ’bout those numbers?!

The company basically performed back office and logistics operations for agencies, in their words “selling complex travel products including cruises, vacation packages and group travel through our virtual salesforce of independent travel agents.” They are still soliciting new business it looks like.

The lesson in all this is to deal with reputable tour companies who have a good long-term track record and to ask lots of probing questions about not just their financial stability, but the stability of the real company actually running the trip. And if you’re spending 5 0r 10 grand apiece on a tour, pay with a credit card and buy some independent insurance to protect that investment.