#FitrinaTravels: Bangkok 2014 - Airbnb Experience

I wanted to go back to GLOW Pratunam for this trip, but after browsing Airbnb, aiyah no harm trying, so after confirming with dorabanana, we booked an apartment for our Bangkok trip! 

To be really honest, I wasn't completely sure about booking this apartment. Really a bit scared things wouldn't look like the photos provided by the host. But wow, the apartment turned out to be amazing and it looked EXACTLY like the provided photos. 

Airbnb link: https://www.airbnb.com.sg/rooms/1275275?euid=fac53974-c539-e53e-2472-959ab732d001

The only downside is, the apartment was quite a distance away from the city centre. 12 BTS stations away from Siam. However, the journey took us less than 30 minutes and the Udom Suk BTS Station was a couple of minutes away from the condominium. So not that bad lah. But don't take taxi from Siam area though, most of the taxi drivers won't go by the meter and they will quote you high prices. We only took taxi home from Siam once and we were quoted 300baht (WHAT?!), but it was already quite late at night so we decided to just go ahead. 

A very comfortable studio - just the right size to accommodate two people. 

The check-in procedure was very smooth - the host's dad waited for us at the condo lobby and since we bought prepaid SIM cards, we were able to communicate with him through sms. According to the host, if you don't have a SIM card, you can contact him via LINE too! 

Almost everything was provided - hairdryer, plates, utensils, cups, cooking oil, travel guide, a lot of toilet paper, towels, DVD player, microwave, toiletries, etc. We only had to buy water and personal toiletries. 

The rooftop pool was INSANE. Super gorgeous. 

This was the view from our living room. 

Also, there was a night food market around our condominium and I found this stall that sold a really strangely delicious curry noodles. It's like a marriage of curry and mee siam. So sourish and shiok!

I'm missing the shiok noodles now. :( Aiyah can't wait to go back to Bangkok again. Till next time!!

Hong Kong August 2014: Airbnb Experience

For my recent Hong Kong trip, I didn't want to stay in a typical hotel, so I opted for an Airbnb apartment. Actually, I was hoping that I could stay where the locals would stay - small studio rooms in high-rise apartment buildings. I found one that's extremely near 3 MTR stations and the decor looked nice on the Airbnb listing site, so I booked while crossing my fingers. 

Fortunately, the photos on the Airbnb site were a 100% match to what we saw in reality. I enjoyed my stay in the studio thoroughly and I'm now more confident in using Airbnb for my holidays! 

Here's the link to the studio that we stayed in for 4 nights: https://www.airbnb.com.sg/rooms/692723

How the studio looked like.

The sky bridge right in front of the apartment building. This sky bridge links to Austin MTR Exit B5 and Kowloon MTR. 

The best part about this studio is its location - it's very walkable from Kowloon MTR station which means you can simply take the Airport Express to Kowloon station and walk to the apartment building. Super convenient! It's also very near Austin MTR! 

The room was clean and basic necessities were provided. The air-con was damn strong so it was a blessing to us because the weather was super hot and humid when we visited. The only problem we had was the very cranky toilet flushing system. But aiyah no problem for me at all because of the engineer I was staying with. Got toilet flushing problems, send out the engineer boyfriend and no more problems liao. HAHA. But I have told the host about this problem; hopefully he will do something about it. 

My next Airbnb experience will be for my Bangkok trip with Lirong. The apartment that we shortlisted is freaking swanky. Got infinity pool some more. The best thing is, it's freaking cheap oh my gosh?! Airbnb HUAT AH! 

Have a great day ahead guys! :)

Japan Trip 2013 Highlights: Great Accommodation!

I really am enjoying writing these Japan Trip 2013 posts; it's like as if I'm reliving my grad trip again. :') 

Anyway, one of the reasons why we had a relatively good time in Japan was because of the various amazing accommodation that we stayed in. Thank you GohChayChay for researching and finding out about these fabulous locations! :) We had one average stay (Hana Hostel, Hiroshima) but other than that, the rest were really comfortable and sometimes made me want to stay in all day. 

For our first Tokyo trip, we stayed at Guest House toco. and I definitely will recommend it to everyone! :) Although we stayed in a 8-bed mixed dormitory, the experience was still a comfortable one. We were unlucky one night because we stayed with multiple snorers, however I fell asleep quite quickly because the mattress and quilt they used were really soft. Early mornings can be quite a hassle because of the shared toilets and shower cubicles but well it's nothing to complain about because it's expected since we opted to stay in a hostel. 

Here are some details regarding Guest House toco.:

• Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/toco.jp?ref=ts&fref=ts
• Official website: http://backpackersjapan.co.jp/english/
• Price: 2600 yen/night 8 beds mix dormitory
• Nearest station: Iriya station on the Hibiya line.
• One station away from Ueno station (huge station with many connecting train lines)
• Close to a couple of tourist spots, like Asakusa and Tokyo Skytree
• Access to hostel: http://backpackersjapan.co.jp/english/access.html 

A couple of photos to show you guys the hostel's beautiful garden!

In Osaka, we opted for an airbnb accommodation and we definitely made the correct decision. The apartment that we chose was quite small, but it was furnished very thoughtfully and so it was a very comfortable one-week stay. Thank you to Ryan and his wife, and the very cute mother-in-law! Ryan's wife (I feel bad because I can't remember her name!) even bought some juice and ice cream for us when she visited! :) 

If you are visiting Osaka and are planning to visit the nearby touristy cities near Osaka, then I will suggest that you book/rent a space in Osaka, and then make day trips out to the other cities. I think for airbnb accommodations, it's cheaper to book weekly than nightly. That was why we booked the space for 7 nights. We spent two days exploring Osaka, and the the other days were spent in Kyoto, Kobe and Nara. Going to Kobe/Kyoto/Nara from Osaka is like travelling from one end of the East West line to the other end, so making day trips is convenient and quick! 

Here are the information you need if you want the rent the same space:

• Ryan's airbnb listing: https://www.airbnb.com.sg/rooms/857345
• Price: Weekly price (stated in website) = S$918, with administration fees we each paid around S$315 for 7 nights. 
• Nearest train station: Shin Imamiya (I think it's 5/6 stops away from the main Osaka station. If you are taking the shinkansen, you need to change from Shin-Osaka station to Osaka station before making your way to Shin Imamiya)
• One station away from Namba - shopping district. 

The first two photos are photos taken from Ryan's airbnb listing! Their photos are legit. Everything looked the same! 

After 7 nights in Osaka, we moved to the Hiroshima area but we didn't go to Hiroshima straight away. Instead, we stopped by Onomichi first because we wanted to enjoy the sea and the serenity. We definitely did get both out of our Onomichi trip. Onomichi is a really peaceful sea-side city that has amazing sea views. However, the night can get quite scary because everyone is back in their houses and the streets become rather deserted.

We spent 3 nights in Anago no Nedoko Guesthouse and to be frank, I think this was the best accommodation we stayed in. It has a very queer vibe to it but a good queer, not a bad queer. I feel like I was transported back into old Japan when I stayed there!

According to the website:

"Our staff, busy bees ranging from reclamation design to management, is made up of and administrated by members of the non-profit organization of the Onomichi Vacant Housing Renewal Project (Akiyasaisei Project). They are thoroughly committed to the renewal and design of the vacant houses in the old urban area of Onomichi. A variety of faces such as architects, craftsmen, designers, cartoonists, artists, students, and homemakers bring their wisdom, creativity, and fun-loving spirit together."

Perhaps this was why the entire stay felt so nostalgic! 

Details, details!:

• Official website: http://anago.onomichisaisei.com/?cat=1&lang=en
• Price: 2500 yen/night/person for mixed dormitory
• Easily walkable from the main Onomichi train station (10 minutes?)
• It's located in a shopping parade. Just spot the weird panda machine and you are there!

Just spot this panda thingy and you are at the Guesthouse!

I love this guesthouse because they had English-subtitled mangas displayed all over the room!

We then moved to Hiroshima City for another 3 nights. Our stay at Hana Hostel wasn't very pleasant. Maybe it's because the wifi was really terrible; we kept getting kicked out of the network from our room. =___=

But it's cheap and each bed had a really top-notch privacy curtain. So give and take lah.

• Official website: http://hiroshimahostel.jp/photo_e.html#4bed_mixdorm
• Price: 2500 yen/night for 4-bed mixed dormitory

Our last accommodation was 4 nights in Tokyo. We decided to change areas this time round, and also decided on another airbnb location. I was really drawn into the accommodation because it was stated in the airbnb listing that it had a legit espresso machine that makes better coffee than Starbucks. I WAS SOLD THE MOMENT I READ THAT. I thank my travel partners immensely for making my coffee dreams a reality. HAHA.

Stefano was the owner of the house and he was a very generous and humorous guy. He fetched us at the train station and gave us a tour of the area while walking back to his place. His house was really clean, really cosy and he let us use anything and everything in the common area!

Frankly speaking, his house is not very near to the train station. Furthermore, the train station is not very near to the city centre. However, it's a good place to come back to after a long day of walking and sight-seeing.

I'll definitely recommend Stefano's place for those interested to stay further away from the city centre!

Information on Stefano's place:

• Stefano's airbnb listing: https://www.airbnb.com.sg/rooms/952976
• Price: S$36 per night
• Nearest train station: Nishimagome (A-01), last station on the Asakusa line.
• 20 minutes to Shibuya, 25 minutes to Shinjuku, 25 minutes to Tokyo station

First 3 photos are from his airbnb page!

This espresso machine is LEGIT. I had good days in Tokyo because I had good coffee in the morning.

For me, I'd much prefer to stay in an airbnb house rather than a hostel because it feels more like home? Sometimes, you get to make friends with the house owners as well! :) I definitely will use airbnb more often for my future travelling! :)

Hope the post has been useful to those who want to visit Japan! Have a great Friday guys! :)