Monthly Archives: February 2011
My Favourite Hotels Rooms for under $40 per night! (Part 2)
In part 1 of this post, I featured a hotel in Thailand (Ko Lanta) and Nepal (Pokhara) that we had found to be great finds for under $40 per night. (Link back to Part 1). I have selected hotels that are under the $40 per night level, as this is the expense level I try to keep to, when long term traveling. This amount is about where I feel I need be, to get some comfort and character, but also be sustainable for long term travel. In part 2 of this post, I am looking at a hotel in two more of my favourite long term traveler friendly countries – Vietnam and Bali (Indonesia).
Bali
Puri Bening Hayato, Toya Bungkah
We found this hotel while doing a cross island scooter trip a couple of years ago, and I have done some investigation to make sure it still exists! This was a very old hotel, and in h=need of a bit of repair at the time, but at $25 per night it was cheap, spacious, and in another wonderful location. Toya Bungkah is located on the side of Lake Batar, and both the lake and town are located in the crater of the active volcano, Mt Batar. To reach the town you travel down into the crater from the road that runs around the volcano rim at kintamani. The town is located in a fertile market garden area, and drying onions where the dominant smell when we visited. The hotel had excellent views from our 3rd floor room, both to the volcano behind us and the lake and rim wall in-front. In addition, it was an older, 70′s style complex, with big rooms, and adjoining balconies. And we were the only guests! It was cheap, retro, and located in a surprisingly non-balish corner of Bali! limited information available at http://hotelpuribeningbali.com/
Lake Batar
Overlooking the carpark!
Vietnam
Sea Star Resort, Phu Quoc Island
Vietnam is probably the ultimate for hotel rooms under $40.00 per night, in-fact I can only think of 1 hotel I have stayed in, in two visits to Vietnam that cost more than $40.00! But for comfort, friendly family run service, and amazing location, the Sea Star Resort, Phu Quoc Island rates as the best in my opinion. This resort has a series on bungalows, set in 3 or 4 rows facing the the beach and ocean. The front row is right in the sand of the beach, and the second row, where our $40 bungalow as, was a mere 5 meters or so from the beach, with access and views between the front ones, to the beach. In addition, Sea Star has an excellent restaurant located under the palm trees beachfront, that served as good a local food as any of the restaurants in town. They rented motor-scooters for only a few dollars a day, and happily suggest routes and day trips to enjoy. Absolutely recommend the Sea Star resort, and refer as many people as possible to their website for more information – www.seastarresort.com
Sea Star Resort
Restaurant at Sea Star Resort
These two posts cover 1 cheap but nice hotel in each of my favourite countries. I hope this gives either comfort, lead or food for thought if you are heading to any of these places. I think I might keep this series going for a few more posts, and see if I can share some info on a few more places I have stayed under $40. keep you posted!
A Close Shave?
This is a photo of me getting a shave after spending 10 days walking the Annapurna Sancuary Trek in Nepal. We returned to Pokhara, but a fortnight’s growth of red beard had to be dealt with by a professional! And 50c seemed to me a very reasonable fee!
Part the way through the shave I noticed what set this particular barber apart from his competitors………
Nepalese Barber
My Favourite Hotels Rooms for under $40 per night! (Part 1)
Long term travel is expensive, and probably the biggest expense of the lot is accommodation. Unfortunately, unlike transportation costs, which you can control by limiting the amount you move around, you pretty much need accommodation every single night of your journey. Therefore, the longer the travel experience, the greater the cost.
Accommodation cost obviously vary greatly, both between different countries, and between different standards of accommodation within each country. I have stayed in a huge variety, from $4.00 per night tea houses in Nepal, to $400 a night hotels in Europe, but in general I try to keep my nightly expenditure to under $40.00, and will usually spend lots more time in countries where you can get something reasonable for that amount (or hopefully less!!).
So, I though I would reflect on a few of my favourites. You will probably see from the photos, it is often more about the location than the comfort for me, although there is nothing better than landing a soft comfy bed and a powerful shower.!
Here are my first 2 examples, one each from, Thailand, Nepal. I will do two more ( Bali and Vietnam) next week.
Thailand
Lanta Riviera Resort – $35.00 per night (800baht)
We hadn’t organised any accommodation In Ko Lanta, figuring we would work it out when we got there, however, we took a deal on the ferry from Ko Phi Phi that we were sure was going to be a disaster. You just don’t get a good deal from a tout in that situation. Especially when they are prepared to pick you up at the dock, and drive you the 15km or so to the resort. However, under the assurance that if we didn’t like it we didn’t have to stay, or pay for the transport, we (and about 1/2 the others on the ferry), took the free ride, and had a look. We were very happy with the beachfront property, large, air conditioned concrete bungalows, tropical gardens, swimming pool and restaurant of the resort. Definately our best value in Thailand. Check them out at http://www.lantarivieraresort.com
$35.00 per night
Ko Lanta, Thailand
Nepal
Pokhara Village Resort – $20.00 per night
After finding accommodation either very unpleasant, or very expensive in Kathmandu, we were very concerned as to what we may end up with when we arrived at the departure point for our Himalayan trek, Pokhara. The Kathmandu travel agent who organised us a guide and porter, and bus transfer to Pokhara, assured us he owned a very nice hotel in Pokhara, only to cost us $20.00 per night. When we arrived in Pokhara, we were escorted to a different hotel (Pokhara Village Resort), as the original one was full? Anyhow, after a call to our Kathmandu Agent, he assured us he owned this one as well? We were allocated the converted store room on the roof, that turned out to have the most magnificent views of Pokhara lake, as well as the Annapurna Range, we genuinely could not complain! The room was OK, by Nepalese standards, they had a generator for when the power failed, and there was a trickle of hot water from the shower. The room was spacious and airconditioned (completely unnecessary).We stayed at 10 days in total, either side of our trek. The don’t have a website
Pokhara Village Resort
Our View, for $20.00 per night!
I would love travelers to support these hotels, as they were both small, family run operations. These types of hotels are often such a better experience than a multinational chain (although with a little less comfort!), that they help create a lasting memory. Next week I will add another post, part 2 to this, and include a couple of other little gems we have found on our travels!
Trekking in Nepal When You Are Over 40 – What’s the Options?
Trekking in Nepal is an activity that appeals to a huge variety of people. It gets interest from young backpackers, from long term travelers, all the way through to retirees and other older people.
Quite often get asked though, what is the best way for a traveler who is in their 40′s or more, to fully experience the majesty of the Nepalese Himalaya. And my simple answer is that there are many different ways for any traveler to experience these mountains, and this applies just the same to the traveler who is aged over 40. There is several “considerations” for any prospective traveler to take into account, when they are deciding if they are up to the challenge. I have listed below a few of these questions you should ask yourself, and in answering these, you, as a 40 plus year old traveler, should be able to assess if you will be up to a trek and what type of trek you should take -
Trek Tea House
1. How much time do you have?
Treks in the Himalaya can be a variety of different lengths. Day walks are possible, there are several treks of 3 – 4 days and most of the more popular treks are from 8 days up to 30 days or more. Annapurna Cuircut Trek, for example is usually going to be at least 18 days So, your first consideration, of course, has to be how long to you can allow. If you only have a week off work, you are only going to be able to manage a 4 day walk at best, once you allow for arrival in Kathmandu, see the city (not much point visiting Nepal and not spending at least 1 full day in the capital) and then get to your trek start point.
2. How fit are you?
Your level of fitness will also dictate, or at least, eliminate, some of your trekking options. If you are in your early stages of planning a trek, you can make plans assuming you can improve your fitness with a training regime, although it is important to be realistic, and take into consideration unchangeable health conditions, and mobility concerns. That said, I have seam some highly escorted tours on the Royal trek (Annapurna Skyline trek), with one on one guide assistance that can get even the least mobile trekker into the mountains. Everest Base Camp trek, on the other hand, required a reasonably high level of fitness, with continual, day long step climbing required. That said, no trek is a race, and determination and rest can break down a 1000 step climb into lots of small ones!
Getting tough
3. How independent are you?
Trekking most of the “regular” treks in Nepal can be done in a variety of levels of pre-organisation. Many trekkers will book an organised trek in their home country, knowing that all their journey will be planned and organised in advance. This will ensure the maximum use of limited time, but could also make you feel it was a little less of an “adventure” than you might have hoped. At the other extreme, Most of the well known treks can be walked with no assistance from others at all. The “big” treks are busy enough it would be difficult to get lost, and tenting or tea-house accommodation are plentiful. In between these , it is also possible to book organised tour in Nepal, or to secure the services of a guide and/or porter to travel with you.
4.What level of comfort do you require?
Many of the main treks, including the Helambu Trek, the Langtang trek, Annapurna base camp or Annapurna circuit treks, and the Everest base Camp ,can be trekked in varying levels of comfort (not the walking, more the accommodation, food etc). Organised tent treks can be very comfortable, having tens assembled, comfortable mattresses, cooks, porters, semi western meals, and portable showers. Of course, there are plenty of camping treks that are not nearly as comfortable (or expensive), and then there is Tea House accommodation, in simple bunkhouses, with daal bhaat meals 3 times a day.
So, how does any of this help you? Hopefully, it gives you an idea of the option available for trekking in the Nepalese Himalaya. Quite often prospective travelers only hear about the organised tour from their local travel agent in their home country, and don’t realise this is not the only way to see the majesty of the “top of the world”. We were fortunate enough to have arrived in Kathmandu over a month into an extended travel experience, and as a result, organised our own trek in the capital, catching a local bus to our Pokhara, our departure point, and then meeting up with a guide and a porter. Even looking back, it still looks a bit scarily independent, but in reality, it was all very comfortable. We think you should consider this option (so much of a better story once you get back!).
Good Luck, It’s Worth It!
Looking back from the end!
