Accommodations in Hanoi, Bangkok and Chiang Mai

When backpacking, finding the perfect accommodation to fit your budget, personal requirements or state of comfort is a tricky business. I am not a picky traveler but there are certain requirements I have to fulfill if I were to be happy with where I will be staying. They have to be affordable. Not necessarily cheap.

“Cheap” connotes grubby establishments that smell, paints chipping off the walls, bathrooms that grow an abundance of mildew, poor ventilation, mediocre security, dust mites from the pillows, musty smelling bed sheets, dark corridors and a generalized second-rate neighborhood. These are what I try to avoid. I need to be comfortable.

I need a place which can somehow help me with my travel arrangements, reserve me a taxi cab, offer suggestions to my itinerary. Little things that, in the whole scheme of things, may make my crossings faster and easier. I prefer air conditioned guesthouses, with good electrical sockets for my camera and cell phone to charge with. I put a premium on cleanliness and comfort. I have to feel safe. And I need a place I can comfortably lay my head down at night. I walk so much when I travel, so I really need to rest well at night so I can recharge well for another hectic day tomorrow. I need clean bathrooms; somewhere I can – hehe – read my Lonely Planet in for 30 minutes without feeling like I need to get out of the bathroom. If they seem like I require a 5-star hotel from my aforementioned manifesto, you’d be so wrong with such assumptions. During my last travel February and March 2008, I stayed in the following hotels, guesthouses and pension houses. The following places were "picked" differently. Some were from online or travel book recommendations which I was able to reserve early. Some were out of necessity. Some were from a previous travel. This entry is my tribute to these establishments which took care of me.

New World Lodge Hotel - 2 Samsen Rd Banglumphu Prana, Bangkok, Thailand - 10200. Located in the heart of backpacker's area, Banglamphu, New World is a few block's walk from the hustle and bustle of the traveling pack, quite hidden from the frenzy. It is located beside the river (though i did not see the riverside from the entrance or from my room). Newly renovated, this hotel is actually a far cry from the guesthouses that congest in the area. Its high-rise building, its elegant foyer, the homey restaurant (Sara) - all these separate this hotel from the rest of the accommodations. It IS a hotel! For a 2-bed airconditioned room with breakfast, the damage was B1,600. I was supposed to stay elsewhere but I could NOT get any rooms in one of the budget guesthouses at Soi Rambuttri. Not a single darn room! So I had to get this one, which is 2-3x more expensive than my original choices. But really now! B1,600 isn't bad! It also has an in-house taxi that you can hire for your airport transfer - for a charge of B300, which is way way cheaper than negotiating for one on your own.

The disadvantage of staying at the Khao San Road-Soi Rambuttri area is its distance from most of the shopping malls and tourist attractions. The advantage - feeling the vibe of a decadent, eclectic mix of tourists from all over the world. This area is a virtual sea of different nationalities.
Most taxi rides from the airport would cost you between B250 to B400, depending on traffic. Tips are optional. A 30-baht tip for the airport ride would suffice.

The receiving room - lounge area near the check-in counter.

Sumptuous breakfast buffet, rate-inclusive at the New World Lodge Hotel, Bangkok.

My 2-bed room at the 5th floor

Pattaya Centre Hotel. If you're planning for an overnighter in Sin City Pattaya, this is a good alternative. Located along a sidestreet in the city center, it's a stone's throw from the baywalk. Google for their rates.

Euro Luxury Pavillion Hotel - 122/23-26 Soi Somprasongruam, Rajrarop Road, Pratunam, Between Baiyoke 1 and Baiyoke 2, Bangkok, Thailand, Tel. no. (662)02-656-3013-14-15.

I found this little hotel out of necessity. I arrived in Bangkok without any reservations and decided to go straight to First House Hotel (which is popular with Pinoy tourists). Unfortunately, the hotel was fully booked... so, I had no place to go in the wee hours of the morning. I walked the dark alleys, and through the sinewy bowels of Pratunam. Near 7-11, I saw a little street that had signs of this hotel. I was my lucky discovery.

In the morning, I didn't realize that I was at a prime location - right in the heart of Pratunam. From the main road of Rajprarop, it is a few strides from Indra Regent Hotel and the Baiyoke Towers. This is shopping central.

Unfortunately for Euro Luxury Pavillion, their establishment isn't an easy find. Most other tourists would stay away from this area. It has a neighborhood of Africans, Arabs and Indians. But despite appearances, it is a very safe place. A tip in finding the place: Look for 7-11. Right across it, is a soi (a side street)! That's where you will find Euro Pavillion!

If you are not picky with your neighborhood, Euro Luxury is a great place. With just 800 baht, I'm surprised this place doesn't get fully booked most of the time I am there. My room had a huge bed. There is a disconcerting smell of incense that lingers. The windows are covered by a thick velvety cloth. The bathroom is spacious - probably a third the size of the room - and clean and dry with new fixtures! Its major advantage is its very central location in Pratunam. I doubt if I could find another respectable place as inexpensive as this one. There are a couple of internet cafes nearby. Narula, the hotel manager, was accommodating. I was just grateful to have found the place at 3 AM!

Tung Tram Hotel. A very popular family-run guesthouse in the heart of the Hoan Kiem Lake District (google it for address and contact numbers), this 16-room hotel is my home in Hanoi.

The people manning the place are always polite and helpful. The hotel is located at a quiet street. Just across the hotel is a temple. I always stay at room 201, 2nd floor - air conditioned, with clean bathroom, and 2 beds. The other empty bed is usually where my luggage sits. At $12-15 a night, staying at Tung Tram is a coup. Teyet, the girl at the counter (who's now married and has been replaced with an equally kind lady), will help with all your travel needs (plane, bus, train tickets, etc.) For my next trip this June, I emailed them early and got no answer. I knew why. I saw their email inbox when I was there. They had an unbelievable backlog of several months! They are unable to constantly check on their reservations that's why travelfish has been receiving complains.

I emailed them again, and finally got a reply confirming my reservations within 2 days! They do reply when they can but it seems impossible to reply to every mail that gets through. My first email reservation last year was through travelfish, and I didn't have any problem. Tung Trang also offers an airport pick-up service ($13) which I would highly recommend! It's safer than chancing on the several scams that permeate arrivals in Hanoi!

My 2-bed aircon room at the Tung Trang Hotel!

Lamphu House. An oasis in the heart of Banglamphu, Lamphu House is a well-placed garden guesthouse, quite hidden from the teeming crowd of Soi Rambuttri. A tip on finding it: the entrance is just beside 7-11 of Soi Rambuttri. My aircon room was 900 baht, with 2 huge beds and a veranda. This felt like a luxury room. A single bed fan room is just 350 baht. All guests would have to pay a refundable 100 baht (for the card key).

The disadvantage: one needs to reserved at least 2 months before your arrival in Bangkok. This guesthouse is almost always full! Upon my arrival in Bangkok (I first stayed at the Euro Luxury Villa hotel), I gave them a ring and I was asked to visit them and pay for my onward-travel reservations. (I had a Bangkok-Yangon-Chiangmai itinerary.) This practice was tedious and defeats the purpose of reservations if you have to go to them first just to pay in advance!

One more theing, they DO NOT accept credit cards! I love the laidback atmosphere of Lamphu, very relaxing! Google for their website.

The view from my veranda at the Lamphu House.

My other unoccupied bed in my room!

My bed - at the Lamphu House! I love the elegant interiors, the wooden floor, the veranda, and huge bathroom!

The restaurant at the Lamphu House!

CM Blue House, Chiang Mai, North Thailand. This guesthouse has nothing but good reviews. I chanced upon this guesthouse from my London-based Malaysian friend Irene. Run by 2 Americans, this amazing place is tranquil- your home away from home! The check-in counter is available (before 7PM) for your questions. They have complimentary maps upon check in. I got a fan room for 350 baht per day. You don't need an AC in cool Chiangmai.

Located in a quiet street from Moon Muang's backpacker area (the street beside the day market), the Blue House has a self-service restaurant, and will arrange for hilltribe treks. Google for their website.

CM Blue House - 30/1 Moonmuang Road. Soi 6. Chiangmai 50200Thailand Tel : 05-341-8511-2Int'L : 66-53-418511-2.

CM Blue House's 2nd floor veranda.

My 2-bed room at CM Blue house.

Umbrella-lantern adorning the ceiling, making the room too dimly-lit for a decent reading! I would sit at the bathroom reading my Lonely Planet.



This is the Eye in the Sky!

Bangkok, Here I Come Again!

My reservation for Lamphu House for tonight didn't pan out. Fully booked! But I reserved for my 2nd arrival in Bangkok, on the 27th, then on March 2nd. I got the confirmation a few minutes ago. I have to drop by the hotel tomorrow to pay for my reservations, which is fine with me.

As for tonight, I also requested for a room at the new boutique hotel near Chao Phraya River at the Erawan House. It looks nice, and relatively new. They charge 850 baht for a standard room with 2 beds, and 950 baht for a superior room with 2 beds. This includes breakfast.

I don't know where to stay tonight. Exciting. I'll probably just go straight to First House Hotel at the Pratunam area, which is favored by a lot of Pinoy tourists.

I also got an update from my Air Mandalay flight from Yangon (Myanmar) to Bagan, which says that it's been delayed by an hour. I had this update earlier too. Air Mandalay people are so reliable, really competent staff. Most correspondences are replied ASAP, and I mean within 3-4 hours, or overnight at the latest. Even the more difficult credit card transactions (you cannot directly book online as most of the hotels, establishments, airlines don't accept credit cards except in occasional promos that would take days to process) are processed fast..

Credit card transactions for Myanmar air travels are to be booked and paid in Bangkok or Singapore, thus booking is an indirect process. This several change of hand will also draw extra charges, making flights within Myanmar more expensive than they should be.

I inquired from 2 airlines in Myanmar. I didn't get a reply from Air Bagan. Air Mandalay was a different case! They were swift. Another interesting point to consider: travelers should check out online promo first before purchasing them from travel agencies in Yangon. Sometimes. these promos offer as much as 40% discount.

I got my Bagan ticket (one way) at just $80, instead of the pricey $190 one-way ticket. The return flight rate (plus extras) totaled to $180 instead of almost $400. Credit card transaction charges include a service fee and an airport tax of $10.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Landing in Someone's Favorites List - and Ramblings of a Restless Traveller Prior to a Backpacking Trip

We just found "Eye in the Sky" in someone else's list of favorites. "Wikiworks" at Stumble upon has us shortlisted. The profile says that she is from Mandaluyong, like myself! I would like to thank her for including this site in her list. I appreciate it.



I was surfing through her profile and it seems she has great taste in movies too: Garden State (one of those contemplative movies that lingers long after you've seen it), Breakfast at Tiffany's, Last Kiss... obviously not your average filmbuff. :->



Visit her site: http://wikiworks.stumbleupon.com/discoveries/

It's the eve before I leave for Thailand and Myanmar. I am pins and needles about not having had a rservation for my first leg in Bangkok.

For this trip alone, I will be away for around 3 weeks, and will be taking EIGHT plane rides and several train travels. I am a little anxious....no, excited about Myanmar, especially of Bagan; and I am so excited about visiting the temples of Sukhothai from Chiang Mai.

It's ironic though that my Myanmar leg seems more "organized" than coming in through Thailand. In myanmar, I've had someone pick me up at the airport from my hotel - relatively good price. Ive have vouchers for my plane rides from Yangon to Bagan. And I already know which places I wanna visit. I can't say the same about Thailand. Though I've been there several times, this is the first time I won't be on a package tour. Everything wont be spoonfed to me. No airport pick-ups. No half-day package tours. No spiffy hotels (I've stayed in the touristy M.O.R. Indra Regent in Pratunam 3x already). I have been reading about guesthouses or backpacker's hotels the past 3 days. Ive exhausted my Lonely Planet scouting for one, then checking them out through their websites, as well as reviews from thorntree and trip advisor. It's a harrowing experience.

Take for example Lonely Planet's "Rambutri Village Inn". This is on top of Lonely Planet's picks. The amenities and its rate are amazing. Most reviewers seem to agree except for a very sore point. 90% of all these world-weary travellers seem to agree that the staff of the hotel borders on the "rude" and "unhospitable", even "irritating and offensive". Sure, I don't have to deal with them much anyway, but when I am travelling alone, I would prefer dealing with accommodating and smiling people than what's otherwise available. Another thing about this hotel is the anti-Thai sentiments.

If you have a Thai (or probably any Asian lady with you - since Thais and Filipinas basically look the same) with you, chances are, you will be stopped and questioned coz they don't allow local girls inside. Sure, that maybe an obvious effort to curb the rampant sex trade in their city, but for those who are "clean", it would be annoying to be constantly stopped. It is bigoted, if you ask me. Another sore point, albeit humourous, is the presence of annoying "tailors". I didn't know they have such trade in Bangkok. i've never experienced this before. Para ito sa mga magpapagawa ng shirts and dresses in Thailand. Supposedly, while guests move in and out of the hotel, these persistently annoying tailors will keep dogging you around, no matter how many times you politely say "no". It's a minor rush reading exasperatted guests' comments about these guys. Haha. Ako, I wanna visit this hotel just to see hilarity meets desperation.

On the other spectrum of this, is "Lamphu House". Second in Lonely Planet's List, this guesthouse has only about 30 rooms or so, and quite affordable yet very clean. Imagine, may aircon room with private bath and 2 single beds ka na for something like Php 750. That is very cheap. This guesthouse has soooooo many glowing reviews for their impeccable service and hospitalibility which a weary traveller would appreciate. The problem is, because of such reputation, they are almost always full. During peak season, one would have a good 1-2 months wait list just to get a room. I tried booking for them, just 2 days short of my trip. They replied in approximately 8 hours saying that they are fully booked. Oh well. At least I tried. However, I sent them a booking request again for the other dates when I come back to Bangkok from Yangon, and then from Chiang Mai/Sukhothai. This leg will be around March so I am still hoping I would get those dates.

For now, am gonna have to look for a hotel for my Sunday trip. Every Pinoy seems to be staying at First House Hotel, which is at the Pratunam area - very central. Yun nga lang, it's a bit mahal than the usual good-but-cheap backpacker's fare. They are said to have 300 rooms. Problem is, I can't seem to find their website for my reservation/booking. Ala una ng madaling araw pa naman ako dadating sa Bangkok, which means ill be repeating my KL experience again. Hope it doesn't rain this time.

I will try to document the trip when I am moving around. Trouble is, there seems to be limited net accessibility in Myanmar. I think Blogger.com is allowed there. I will try to document my travels to remind me of how I got through Myanmar on my own - the expenses, the people, and of course, the must-see places to visit.

And I pray that I will be safe.

This is the Eye in the Sky.