Travel Places

The capital of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing is a surprising city. It was the seat of the Ming and Qing dynasty of Emperors until the formation of the Republic in 1911. Hence it showcases centuries of an ancient culture along with all the trappings of a socialist republic. There are modern road and rail networks interspersed with ancient palaces and medieval cities.

What to see:

The Forbidden City is the best preserved symbol of the ancient Qing dynasty. Wooden buildings, beautifully preserved artefacts and a sense of history are what greet you as you wander through this large complex. Tiananman Square is the world’s largest open square and is surrounded by many grand buildings. The Temple of Heaven is a very beautiful temple with extensive gardens and lovely walkways.

When to go:

September to early November is the best time to go to Beijing. There are fewer visitors and the weather is clear and crisp. Winters are icy cold and the summers can be scorching hot.

What to watch out for:

Language is problem here. Engage an English speaking guide before you reach here, otherwise you will not even be able to hire a cab without getting lost.

What a lot of people don’t realise about Thailand is that there’s an absolute plethora of cheap places to stay. Thailand accommodation has literally thousands of hidden gems scattered all over the capital Bangkok, and starting from as little as $80 US/Month.

If you’re on a world tour and would like to stay in the kingdom for a few extra weeks or months, then low budget hotels or guest houses are probably not your best option. Then again, they could be. Keep reading to find out why. Decent Bangkok rentals can be had for just a few dollars a day, but you need to know how to find them, which is easier said than done if you’re a stranger to the this Jungle city of South East Asia.

Description of a Cheap Apartment in Bangkok

So just what will you get for under a hundred bucks a month? Well, as this is at the low end of the Bangkok rental market, such apartment blocks are occupied mostly by working class Thai nationals. The rooms will be basic and may or may not have air conditioning. Most will include an overhead fan, a bed, refrigerator (maybe), private bathroom, and very basic storage facilities. They will be studio rooms no bigger than 22-30 SQM max.

The majority of these budget rentals will have 24 hour security guards manning the entrance, and perhaps a 24 hour minimart on the ground floor.  Such accommodation might not sound much like a home away from home for most travellers, but when compared against a bog standard guest house that uses communal squat toilets, has more mosquitoes than an African swamp, and a list of house rules greater than an Asian Jail, then the pros well outweigh the cons for long-stay tourists.  Don’t forget too that your monthly Bangkok apartment rental will be less than half what you’d be paying at a backstreet Guesthouse.

Finding these Cheap Bangkok Apartments

Obviously the Bangkok real estate agencies will not be prepared to help foreigners find inexpensive rental properties. They make their money purely on commissions, and so there’s no reasonable gain to be had with inexpensive rents that require no long term contracts.  Some of their websites might list a few budget dwellings, but if you really want to uncover the array of hidden gems out there, then the best places to look are the Thai property websites. If you do a search for the word ‘ horpak’ you shall find a couple of good ones. Horpak roughly translates as ‘building to stay’.

Most of these sites are have no English version though, so you’ll probably need to ask a friendly local to help you translate.  Even so, just by browsing the property pages and reading the English numerals next to the photos, you will soon come to realise just how much of this ‘easy-on-the-pocket’ accommodation is out there for grabs.

Bangkok Rentals Between 5-1000 THB/Mo

At the time of writing, 5,000 Thai Baht equates to around $155 US dollars. The standard of living improves quite a bit when paying over 5,000 THB/Month in rental costs (especially in other towns and cities around the country).  For 5,000 Baht and over, you can expect a living space of between 28-35 SQM.  It will be in a good central location and not too far from a BTS (Skytrain) or MRT (Underground Train) station. The room will have air conditioning as standard, a king or queen sized bed, Cable TV, telephone, refrigerator, bathroom, and a small balcony. More common these days too is a wireless internet connection, but this usually offered at an optional cost for those who want it.

On the ground floor there is likely to be key-card security door access for residents (plus a 24 hour security guard out front), a minimart, laundry service, beauty salon, and in some, a very reasonably priced restaurant that will include room service at no extra cost. The down side is that you may be asked to secure at least a 3 month commitment for which there will be a contact drawn up and a deposit put down.

When you move up to Bangkok accommodation nearer the 10,000 THB/Month bracket, then the choices and living standards get even better. More space, better designed rooms, and an improvement in furnishings overall. The facilities in some places may also include a gym, and a pool.

You also start to get some options in condos as well as apartments in this price bracket. The main differences between apartments and condos are that condos are privately owned units within a building, whereas an apartment block has a single owner who possesses the entire building and all its rooms.

With condos, both water and electricity is usually billed direct from the government which can lead to huge saving on power costs over a duration. Water and electricity in apartment blocks is fixed by the project owner and the charges are far greater than that of a condo. At the time of writing, electricity charges in Bangkok apartments that charge over 5,000 THB/Month in rents, are around 8 Baht/Unit, whereas government charges are less than half that.

Apartment Accommodation | Bangkok Apartments Competing with Hotels

New construction projects seem to be never ending in Bangkok and the rest of Thailand. One can’t help but wonder how they’re going to fill them all with tenants. And if that’s not enough, nowadays many of the apartments are competing with hotels, especially the newer constructions. It’s not unusual to see Daily, Weekly, and Monthly rates advertised outside an apartment building. However, the hotels are striking back too. Many hotels are beginning to offer vastly reduced rates for long term residents. Those who want to live in hotels are usually placed on the higher floors. The available facilities, security, and prime locations of hotel accommodation are making them quite an attractive living option for some, especially older folks who have retired in the kingdom.

SUMMARY

If you’re on a tight budget yet want to stretch your holiday experience out in the old Siam, then you will most likely want to find some semi-permanent, less costly accommodation, than that offered by your guesthouse or hotel. Accommodation options for under 10,000 THB/Month, both in the capital and ‘up country’ (that’s anywhere other than Bangkok), really are plentiful. They just take a bit of digging out, that’s all.

Inexpensive Accommodation Bangkok It is there for the taking. This is a country where you can live as cheap as chips without experiencing the squalor often associated with budget housing. Keep updated with the latest Bangkok Apartment & Condo News at Mr Roomfinder.

The relatively easy accessibility of Alaska through cruise ships and the breathtaking beauty of its wilderness have made it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.

Cruise ships begin their journey normally from either Seattle or from Vancouver. Most of them follow a route which takes them to Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan and through the Glacier Bay or the Hubbard Glacier. The tours last from 7 to 10 days.

Which cruise liner should we take?

That, as always, depends on your budget. The liners can be luxurious high end ships, or the more reasonable ones, which are just as good. They are all good value for money, since your board and lodging and entertainment are all paid for.

Where all should we go:

Once you disembark from the ship at any port, there will be a lot of tour operators willing to take you around to show their towns. You must take the helicopters up to the glaciers, since that is a spectacular sight, which is not visible from anywhere else.

How cold is it?

It is chilly, but not too cold. Most cruises are in summer, so just a warm bundling of clothes is sufficient. However, if you do take the helicopter ride, be very warmly clad.

Costa Teguise may be the smallest of Lanzarote´s three main holiday resorts.  But it still offers visitors loads to do.  Along with some excellent accommodation, great beaches and a laid back and relaxed atmosphere.

Lanzarote has been welcoming tourists for over forty years.  Ever since General Franco started to loosen the ties in order to generate some much need foreign currency and to shore up his crumbling economy.  Factors which lead to the rapid emergence of Spain as one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world.

Lanzarote and the other six islands that make up the Canaries were also beneficiaries of this policy.  And by the end of the 1980´s Lanzarote – the fourth largest of the islands – was welcoming over 2 million foreign tourists every year.

During this period Costa Teguise was created as the islands upmarket resort.  Anchored by the flagship Hotel Gran Melia Salinas and the Pueblo Marinero.  Both of which were designed by the ubiquitous island born artist Cesar Manrique.  Who oversaw much of the modern tourist development on Lanzarote.

Indeed it was Manrique´s idea to create a coastal sister to the island former capital of Teguise.  Which is located around 5km away.  Whilst also developing a more upmarket alternative to the main resort of Puerto del Carmen.  Which specialised in offering good value budget breaks at this time.

Manrique´s resort was to include sweeping avenues and an airy open feel.  All located around the excellent beaches which line the coastline of the resort.  The largest of which is Playa Cucharas.  Along with the well appointed beach at Playa Flamingo and the smaller stretch of sand at Playa Jablillo.  Which is ideal for diving and snorkelling as it is enclosed by a barrier of huge volcanic rocks.

During the 1980´s Costa Teguise boomed – successfully attracting well heeled visitors from across Scandinavia and Northern Europe.  However this was not to last.  As Costa Teguise lost its sheen during the 1990´s thanks to the creation of a new resort in the south of the island – Playa Blanca.  Which boasted a better microclimate – making it a more obvious choice for anyone planning their holidays in Lanzarote during the winter months.

Either way Costa Teguise till remains an attractive option for visitors today.  As the resort boasts one of the few five star hotels in Lanzarote in the form of the impressive Gran Melia Salinas hotel.  Whilst there’s also a fine of selection holiday villas in Costa Teguise for visitors to choose from.

Kenya is where safaris originated, when “the white man” thronged this area to see the myriad animals which seem to roam this country in large numbers.

Safaris are now better organised, provide much better facilities, and still manage to give the viewer a thrill when they have their first look at a giraffe or a zebra in the wild. They have among the best game reserves in the world, specially the Masai Mara and Amboseli.

When to go there:
The really spectacular annual wildebeest migration takes place in August and September. If you can manage to get any bookings, go during these months. They move from the Masai Mara to the Serengeti in Tanzania, and it is one of the most amazing sights in the world. The other good months are the dry months of May till September and January and February.

How to go there:
Take the help of a tour operator to organise your tour. Since a lot of travelling is involved, let them make the arrangements. They organise everything including the safaris, the lodges, the flights from one game reserve to another.

Where to stay there:
All the game reserves have a variety of resorts and places to stay in. There are five star hotels, villas to stay in and campsites to pitch your tent in. You can also opt for homestay places which are now becoming very popular.

What to watch out for:
Mosquitoes – like other flora and fauna, they thrive here. Just carry an insect repellent with you and wherever possible wear long sleeves. Watch out for muggers in cities like Mombasa and Nairobi, try not to carry too much money on yourself when you move out.

Barcelona is Spain’s second largest city and its most popular tourist destination. Situated on the Mediterranean coastline, it has some stupendous beaches and some funky architecture. It is full of markets and museums and theatres and open air concerts. Here are our suggestions on the dos and don’ts in Barcelona.

La Rambla:

Walk down this avenue and watch the shops and great eating places. But also watch out for your handbags and wallets, since Barcelona is known as the “pickpockets capital of Spain”. Avoid being accosted by touts or guys offering cheap bargains.

Gaudi Buildings:

Take a bus tour and visit the Gaudi buildings. The paradoxical buildings defy all norms of conventional architecture. They are funky, colourful and very individualistic. While you are roaming around also go to see the still unfinished Sagrada Familia.

Montjuic Fountain:

Built in 1929, this musical fountain has special shows in the late evening from 9 pm onwards. Walk up the avenue and sit back and relax. The music and the lighting effects will leave you spellbound. The majestic Montjuic castle provides a panoramic view of the city.

Barcelona Boardfront:

Walk along the beaches on Sunday night specially, to enjoy some live music and drinks. Enjoy Sangria and some tapas, or just visit one of the many restaurants serving Catalan food. This area of town is great to visit if you are on a stag or hen party. Barcelona stag weekends are truly memorable holdays !

Watch out for:

No change trick, do not fall for it, demand your change from them. Firecrackers near you , they will startle you and in the meantime your pocket will get picked. Touts and prostitutes, avoid them, they will rob you very happily and easily.