The first time I stayed I was with a group of friends in one of the beach front huts, that unfortunately don’t exist anymore, the beach, service and room rates were great, and that’s what motivated me to go back a second time. The replacement beach front accommodation from the luxury Rasanada resort does look very impressive, but above many peoples budget ranges.

I’m glad I had the chance to stay here when the beach front accommodation on Thong Nai Pan bay was still basic and rustic. If you look at the new resorts and hotels in Koh Phangan that are popping up, and with all the development, there’s not too many like the old Baan Panburi left.

The Old Baan Panburi Beach Front Huts

Just behind the Baan Panburi is a small village of grocery stores, internet cafes, travel agents and restaurants. These small outlets do come in handy, as Thong Nai Pan is around a one hours drive on dirt roads from the main Koh Phangan town of Haad Rin.

Around this small village you may come across somebody called ‘Mr. Handsome’, and he’s a real character. Mr Handsome is like the Richard Branson of Thong Nai Pan, he sells food at his ‘Handsome Sandwiches’ stall, fuel at his ‘Handsome Gasoline’ stall, there’s ‘Handsome Laundry’, the list of things he trades in is vast. All of Mr Handsome’s services are often highly recommended by many travelers who have crossed paths with him, you can even buy a Handsome T-Shirt.

Mr Handsome's Wife at Handsome Sandwiches

The second time I stayed, the Baan Panburi complex now sat between the Panviman Resort and the Rasananda, which are four and five stars, respectively. The beach front huts from the Baan Panburi were no longer there, having been replaced by some good looking luxury beach front units by Rasanada.

The accommodation at Baan Panburi is now essentially a series of beach huts, set in a nice garden, with paths leading around the complex to the seafront. Most of the huts are basic but good quality, with a fan, mosquito net, nice bathroom and a small porch, complete with a hammock.

There is a few premium huts, these are larger, closer to the beach and provide a higher level of comfort. Included in the larger huts is a better bathroom and air conditioning, the actual build of the more premium huts also seems more solid than the basic ones. Each unit here includes a handy foot washer outside, which is good for keeping your hut free of sand after you’ve been on the beach.

The large restaurant and bar area at Baan Panburi is located on the beach, and has been redesigned at the time Rasanada took over much of the beach front. The food here was always great the both times I stayed, with plenty of traditional Thai and western dishes available. Regular fresh seafood beach barbecues are a highlight of the Baan Panburi dining experience. The dining area is relaxed, and there is games such as ‘Jenga’ to play for guests to entertain themselves. I also highly recommend the restaurant down the beach at the Panviman resort, the food is sublime and the dining room is elevated, providing great views of the Thong Nai Pan Bay.

The Spectacular View from the Panviman Restaurant

Getting to Baan Panburi is quite a trek from where the boat drops you off, but it’s rewarding in the sense that you are far away from the noisy Full Moon Party revelers, and can relax in peace. Getting down to Haad Rin for the party is easy though, just ask ‘Mr. Handsome’ and he will sort you out with transport.

In closing, I can say that I would most definitely consider Baan Panburi as a place to stay the next time I visit Koh Phangan. The rustic but high quality beach huts are just me kind of accommodation, the price is great value, and it’s the perfect place to nurse a Full Moon Party hangover.

Becoming more and more curious about the D&D, the next time I visited, I wanted to make sure of getting a room there, so I phoned them to book a room before I arrived in Bangkok. On arrival, alone, wearing my backpack, I felt as if they were about to say to me “sorry, we’re full”, but I interrupted and said I had a reservation.

The D&D Inn Sign Above the Busy Khao San Road

I have to admit I had previous misconceptions about this place, since it is so popular with Thailand backpackers. In my mind I had it down as somewhere like where DiCaprio’s character in ‘The Beach’ movie stays in Bangkok, when getting to my room I found it to be almost the opposite.

Usually when I stay somewhere, I like to go into a property and have a look at the room before I check in. At the D&D I had pre-booked without checking the place out, but I breathed a sigh of relief when I was shown my room.

The D&D Inn, Khaosan Road, Bangkok

The first thing I noticed was that the room was clean, a good sign for a budget Bangkok hotel or guest house. Amenities included a TV, a shower with hot water and a telephone. There was also a small room next to the bathroom with a window to the outside. I’m not sure what the small room was for, but any surplus space can come in handy.

The D&D inn is big, bigger than you would think when you look at it from the outside. There is a grand total of 145 rooms here, and when a place regularly sells out that number of rooms, you know it’s popular!

Everywhere I went in the property was super-clean, the lobby, the staircases and hallways were always well-kept. Breakfast was basic but high quality food, the fresh fruit for breakfast they have in Thailand hotels is a staple for many travelers diets in the country.

Something that definitely deserves a mention is the rooftop swimming pool and bar, not every guest house in Bangkok has one, but it really is great. When you’re staying in the heart of the hustle and bustle of Bangkok’s Banglamphu district, a pool is the perfect way to cool off and relax after exploring the area for the day.

The rooftop pool area is also a great place to mingle with other guests and make friends, a lot of the backpackers or ‘flashpackers’ who stay here meet travel buddies and end up hitting the road together on their adventures.

Overall I’d say the D&D Inn on Khaosan Road wasn’t what I expected, it was a lot better, the rooms are great value and if you can get in here, you can be sure of a great accommodation experience.

This hotel is not to be confused with the Ngoc Huong Hotel on the same street. The one I’m reviewing is at 46 Chu Van An Street, ‘Ngoc Huong’ is at 8-10 Chu Van An Street, and is of a better quality, with prices around $30 USD.

The Ngoc Hung Hotel in Hue

The one room that was available at the Ngoc Hung Hotel was quite special and different to most of the others in the building. The three-bed room was huge and came complete with air conditioning, TV, refrigerator and even a full PC with internet access, it was a real treat and I wanted it.

Eventually we agreed upon a price of $8, which was a steal considering the quality of the room, and the fact that it was almost half price. We made an agreement that if there was a different, smaller room available in the morning i’d have to move into it.

Ngoc Hung Hotel Room

The large clean room had three beds, two singles and a double, the mattresses were quite hard, which I do like, but hard beds are generally the norm in Southeast Asia.

The standout feature of the room was the computer, this is not a normal addition to rooms in budget hotels in Vietnam. The PC had a flat screen monitor, big speakers and a decent internet connection speed compared with other connections I’ve experienced in Vietnam.

The Computer in the Ngoc Hung Hotel

The bathroom was clean, but very small, smaller than it looks in the photos, I am aware that things like this were common in Asia, but it was as if all the bathroom furniture were miniature versions of the real thing. The sink wasn’t large enough to dunk your head in, notice the tap-to-sink size ratio in the picture below.

Taking a shower was probably the most dangerous bathroom experience I’d ever ever had. The shower was above a tiny bath (that was too small to take a bath in), which was slippery, curved and had a step within it. Standing up and balancing in it was difficult in itself, but once the water and soap hit the bath it became treacherous. I did actually slip one one occasion and smashed my hand into the toilet bowl.

Ngoc Hung Hotel Bathroom

After leaving, and doing some more research about the place, I found out that there’s been a few bad experiences at Ngoc Hung Hotel in Hue, mainly regarding dealing with reception on check-out and changing money. I never experienced any of this myself, maybe it’s a hit-and-miss situation, or they have learned their lesson.

Overall my experience at the Ngoc Hung hotel was unique, although I still don’t understand why such a large room would have a tiny bathroom attached to it. Thumbs up for the computer and large beds, but I wouldn’t book any tickets or use reception for changing money after doing more research.

In Vietnam, almost every time a driver takes you to a guest house or hotel upon arrival, this will put up your room rate, the fact that An Hoa doesn’t pay these drivers makes your stay much better value. Not only will the room rate be cheaper, you won’t suffer any hassles for taxi rides and tours from ‘in-house’ drivers. Bear in mind that the drivers are just trying to earn a living, always be polite to them when saying no.

The An Hoa Hotel, Nha Trang

After arriving in Nha Trang, I headed down a street across from the beach and came across a place with around six or seven guest houses, or ‘Mini Hotels’ as they are styled in Vietnam. I looked in a few of them, but on arrival at An Hoa, I found the staff were very friendly and full of good advice, I also noticed that they had internet terminals to use for the guests in the lobby.

When they took me to the room I was really impressed, it was big and clean with a balcony. The balcony isn’t facing the beach, but you can simply turn your head to the left and see across Nha Trang Bay all the way to Hon Tre Island (with the VinPearl logo).

My Room at the An Hoa Hotel

The room had cable TV with good channels like Animal Planet and Discovery, a large bed, fridge, and plenty of cupboards and drawers to store my gear in. There was two doors, one normal sized door at the side, and a large double-door to go out to the balcony.

The bathroom was like a large wet room, with plenty of space to shower and put in your toiletries. Sometimes hotel bathrooms in Vietnam and around the rest of Southeast Asia can be very small and pokey, so the comfortable size is always a plus point.

Bathroom at the An Hoa Hotel

The service at reception was great, when exchanging some US Dollars to Vietnamese Dong they gave a superb rate. I’m not even sure how they came up with such a good rate, it’s almost as if they ripped themselves off! I asked the best way to get to the market from there, the receptionist quickly organised a ride there, which would have been a long walk. The motorbike driver charged a fair price for the trip, the market there is great, and I enjoyed a long walk back down the beach.

The receptionist suggested a boat tour around the local area, and I had also heard about it previously. The boat tour only cost around $6, it wasn’t what I had expected but it was very interesting to say the least! The boat tour was the most craziest day trips I have ever been on, in both good and bad ways.

On the first stop on the boat ride, we visited an aquarium, which was very disappointing and quite depressing. They had rare marine life that was kept in very poor conditions. Giant turtles were crowded into small tanks and rare fish were swimming in dirty, almost stagnant water. The aquarium is an optional addition, you can opt not to pay and wait on the shore or in the boat. My advice here would be not to go into the Aquarium and support this kind of thing. It would be great if the owner of An Hoa could advise people not to go to the aquarium on the boat tour.

The Street with An Hoa Hotel

After that, the trip became surreal, but fun! The host got out a karaoke machine and handed out songbooks to us, then out of nowhere, they set up a full band, complete with a drum kit and guitar, all on a small boat with a few passengers. We also stopped off for snorkeling, and at Hon Tre Island for some seafood, which is the big resort development by VinPearl resorts.

Throughout the whole trip, everyone kept wondering what the host meant by ‘floating bar’, he kept going on about it during the whole trip. Suddenly, the boat stops, starts playing loud electronic music and he jumps into the water with a float, a bottle of wine and some plastic cups. The whole thing was totally bizarre to me, but I joined in, jumped into the water and enjoyed a glass of horrible tasting wine!

The 'Floating Bar'

After the fun boat trip, arriving back at An Hoa Hotel, the receptionist asked me if I’d enjoyed it, I had to say “yes, except for the aquarium”. The trip was an experience-and-a-half.

Upon leaving, the owner asked me to go on TripAdvisor and make a review, he said he enjoyed the feedback to see if there was anything he could improve on. This is great, and it’s good to see somewhere that is interested in receiving public feedback instead of buying fake reviews.

Among the online travel culture, TripAdvisor lost some it’s reputation as a trustworthy website recently, as it was uncovered that accommodation owners were paying people to post fake, but positive reviews about their businesses. There is also a culture of people posting fake negative reviews, with the aim of bringing down the ratings down for other competing businesses. TripAdvisor is currently under investigation from the Advertising Standards Agency, due to their inability to control the fake reviews and comments made by anonymous users.

The fake negative reviews on TripAdvisor are easy to spot, anonymous profiles with no photo, ambiguous accusing statements made without any specific details of their actual stay. You see lot of these reviews on higher rated hotels as people try to bring them down. You can also see some of these fake negative reviews on the An Hoa Hotel TripAdvisor page. The fact is that I can go on TripAdvisor right now and rate any hotel as I please, with any comments that I like.

I had a great stay, would definitely stay there again and I am confident that the An Hoa Hotel has a good TripAdvisor rating on merit, from real guests that have stayed there.

Once a guesthouse or hotel in Southeast Asia becomes featured in the Lonely Planet guide ‘Southeast Asia on a Shoestring’, the place usually puts up their prices, ironically becoming overpriced. This has happened to a lot of the places in Vietnam, I found that most of the places featured in the guide were not very good value anymore.

Mini Hotel Alley in Pham Ngu Lao

After ducking in and out of a few places on De Tham street (the main backpacker street in Pham Ngu Lao, some call it the Saigon Khao San Road), I heard from a local about a street behind it called ‘Mini Hotel Alley’ just off Bui Vien Street.

The first sighting of Mini Hotel Alley was very pleasing, a whole street of small, vertical mini hotels on either side, all competing for my custom. Bargaining for prices here was a possibility, but in the end it was not necessary, I think they knew if they gave me a good price in the first place, this would distract me from looking elsewhere.

TiTi Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

I went into a couple for a look and was offered prices between $15-20 USD, the rooms were quite average though, but I knew there would be a bargain around here somewhere! I eventually came to TiTi Hotel and met a guest on my way in, I asked “Is this a good place to stay?” to which she replied “yes, I think it’s really good”, a positive sign.

I was offered a room rate at a discounted $12 USD per night, since I was staying more than one. On sight of the room I knew it was a bargain, the place looked brand new, immaculately clean with a stylish decor, perfect bathroom and it even had a flat screen TV on the wall.

A Room at TiTi Hotel

TiTi Hotel is in a great location to explore what Ho Chi Minh City has to offer. You can walk to the market, the park, the famous Saigon War Museum and all the shopping, dining and bars you can handle from TiTi.

The staff at reception also gave a great exchange rate swapping US Dollars to Vietnamese Dong, the rate was better than all the money changers around the Pham Ngu Lao area. The staff are also quite flexible, on my day of check-out I had a bus to catch to Nha Trang at night, therefore I would have liked to have a late check-out and pay for half a day.

The Spotless Bathroom at the TiTi Hotel

They allowed me to check out late and pay for half a day, although they said it’s something they don’t normally do. Under normal circumstances I think you’d have to pay the full rate for a late check-out at the TiTi Hotel, but I asked nicely and they eventually agreed.

Overall I really enjoyed staying at the TiTi Hotel, and would most definitely head there again on my next visit to HCMC. Two thumbs up.

Both times I have stayed here, I have successfully gotten a discount on the room rate, advertised rates are $30 USD or 300,000 Rupiah and upwards per night. The first time I stayed in 2010 I ended up paying 250,000 Rupiah per night, an the second time I paid 260,000 per night. This shows that the staff are flexible to your budget, and I think if you went in low season you could really grab a bargain.

Suji Bungalow in Kuta, Bali

A place that has the busy Poppies market streets to the north and south, with Legian Street and Kuta Beach to the east and west, does sound like a place where you wouldn’t get much sleep. The bungalows themselves are set in large garden area and there is not much noise to speak of, there is the feint drone of the Legian Street nightlife at night, but other than that, the place is actually quieter than staying in an expensive hotel or resort on Legian Street.

Some of the units around the pool and garden area are actually two-story. The first time I stayed here I stayed in a single story bungalow, the second time I stayed on the top level of a two-story unit. Both times, the rooms were consistent, the only major differences were in the bathrooms. The bathroom in the single story bungalow was smaller, but decorated with more style than the large bathroom on the top level unit.

The Suji Bungalow Garden Area

During both of my stays, the rooms were cleaned daily to a high standard, the bathrooms were clean and the beds were made up immaculately. I left a sweet drink outside my room in the single story bungalow, this attracted some ants, the staff saw this and put down some special ant repelling liquid for us, problem solved.

Inside one of the Bungalows

The rooms at the resort are quite basic, this is exactly what I look for, but the rooms do have some useful luxuries inside, including air conditioning, a TV, phone and refrigerator. There is also free WiFi in the reception area, I found the WiFi connection to be very slow, but there’s an internet cafe about 50M down the street which has PC’s and a WiFi connection.

The Bathroom at Suji

I wanted to rent a DVD player, so I went down and asked reception about it, I discovered that they don’t have them on-site, but the man there was very helpful and organised one for me, he even came and installed it for me. The price of the DVD player was 50,000 IDR for 24 hours.

What impressed me the most about the bungalows themselves was the large verandas and balconies, they come with two chairs and a table and overlook the garden and pool areas. You don’t even find this size and quality of balcony in some much higher priced resorts in Bali, it’s a real treat.

The Large Balcony

Suji Bungalow has a great pool area, that comes complete with a separate shallow pool, a slide, sunbathing chairs and loungers and a poolside drinks service. Most of the patrons at Suji are of a good nature and friendly, handing around the pool is a good place to make friends and start conversations. I found out that a lot of the guests there were repeat-visitors, this shows the quality and value that Suji Bungalow provides.

If I go to Bali again, Suji will definitely be considered as a place to stay, I have stayed at three other places in Bali, both had their positives and negatives, and I’d have to say Suji was the best quality place I have stayed in.

The Aroma Daily Guest House in Siem Reap

Normally, in this situation I take a quick look inside the guest house, thank the driver, then leave to find another one. I don’t like being pressured into things. Arriving at the Aroma Daily Guest House, I was really pleased with the first impression, the place was really clean, and when they showed me the spacious room, complete with a descent bathroom and cable TV for only $8 USD per night, I was sold!

The Bathroom at Aroma Daily

As I had been to Siem Reap before, I already knew the Aroma Daily Guest House was just a short walk over the bridge to the main town area, so the location was just fine.

With any budget guest house in Siem Reap, there is usually a few ‘in-house’ drivers who hang around in in the lobby and out front of the place, Aroma Daily was no different. These drivers want to take you on a tour around Angkor, the tours around Angkor are great, but if you are a backpacker or on a budget, make sure you shop around for prices.

QUICK TIP: A driver around Angkor for the day should cost you around $15 to $25 USD. I once met a group of backpackers who paid $90, they got ripped off in a big way.

The staff at reception were very laid back, and sometimes not there at all. Luckily the one time we did need help from the staff they delivered well.

The room I originally got was at the back of the guest house, and at night things became very noisy, there was some sort of party area for locals behind Aroma Daily. I also noticed that the room was just outside the range of the WiFi connection.

After the first night, I went and asked reception if I could switch rooms to the other side of the hallway. The man a reception was helpful and simply gave me the keys to a new, quieter room, complete with WiFi, and to top it all off, it was the ‘Honey Moon’ suite! The suite came complete with red heart-shaped pillows, which were just about the only difference in the décor from the other room.

I stayed in the 'Honey Moon' Suite!

My actual stay at the Aroma Daily Guest House was great after that, the only hassles came from the group of drivers out front. I never used the Aroma Daily drivers during the whole stay, I liked to take a walk over the bridge to and from the town area, and met a great driver in town for the Angkor trip, so I didn’t need the in-house drivers.

The fact that I didn’t require their services seemed to frustrate the drivers more and more each day, each time I walked past them their words became progressively aggressive towards me.

The Aroma Daily Guest House is Very Clean

In the end, the attitude of the drivers became the biggest downside to the place, but they didn’t totally ruin the stay. I enjoyed staying in the ‘Honey Moon’ suite a lot, and the actual guest house is good.

I won’t be going back to Aroma Daily though, next time I’m there I will stay somewhere different, hopefully somewhere where you don’t have to walk past rude and annoying drivers each time you enter or exit the place. Maybe for that I might have to splash out on one of the more upmarket hotels in Siem Reap, there is over 150 accommodation options in the town to choose from.

I might check for a late deal on-line next time, hopefully somewhere with a pool which is what I sometimes miss in Cambodia. A lot of the budget options don’t have a swimming pool, which are good to have on really hot days.