White Flower Apartments, Koh Lanta, Thailand

This infinity pool and the quietness make White Flower Apartments great.  We stayed in a one bedroom with a kitchenette, living room, bathroom and two queen beds in the bedroom for 2 nights in May.  A small apartment but it had plenty of room for us!

The beds were comfortable and the kitchen had all the utensils and things you need for cooking.  Air-con was only in the bedroom and not in the rest of the house, but with the nice breeze coming through the screen doors you really didn't need it. Wifi worked great.  The shower had plenty of hot water.  There are lots of dining options near by along with a mini mart and 7-11.

The apartments are on the jungle side of the road up the hill so the beach was a bit of a hike.  To get to the beach we had to walk down the hill, across the road and down another long path which was about a 10 minute walk.  At high tide the beach is very small, but low tide the beach was perfect for playing.

I would recommend these apartments for couples who want to stay long term, or families with older kids and don't mind being away from the beach.  I would not recommend this place for families with little kids.  When we checked in the owner, Sara, kept reminding us to keep our kids quiet since "she didn't want trouble from other guests".  All our neighbors staying here seemed very nice.

Over all we enjoyed staying here for a couple nights.  Anyone else have any place they recommend staying?

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Perfect Bangkok Family Apartment

Luxury in the hustle and bustle of Bangkok!  We consider ourselves lucky to have found such a nice 2 bedroom apartment for our 2 week stay in Bangkok.  Everything about this apartment was clean and updated.  Plenty of space for all of us too!  The apartment is updated and clean.  The hosts, Ron and his family, welcomed us with open arms even providing us with toys for our kids and snacks for our arrival.











The apartment itself is clean, spacious, updated, safe and in a great location.  The beds are comfortable, not hard like we've become used too.  There is a washer in the apartment, pool, gym and kids play area.  The wifi is fast and the kitchen is fully set up so cooking at home is no problem which helps with our 3 kids.  The building is quiet so no neighbor noise.












There are several great restaurants nearby but we mostly enjoyed having a kitchen and ate at home or got street food take away.

There is a Tesco about 1 mile away and a convenient store downstairs.  Nothing is too far.  A 35 Baht taxi ride will take you to the water taxi or the BTS or the mall or Chinatown.  The apartment is on the BTS bus line but with taxis being so cheap no need to pile our family on a stop and go bus.  We paid 80 Baht from our apartment to Khao San Road.








Overall we loved our stay here and would stay here again.  We feel so lucky to have found such an amazing apartment in Bangkok!

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How to find a place to stay in Bali

Never ever ever ever book ahead unless:
 A) you are arriving at midnight with kids in tow on a holiday 
 B) you just want to guarantee a room for the first night 
 C) you like to over pay for things!

Bali has so many budget homestay and guesthouses your head might explode from all the choices.  We booked our first night in Bali ahead of time since we would be arriving at midnight on New Years Eve. We really got ripped off.  But we had 3 toddlers in tow so we needed a guaranteed place to stay.  Turns out our room wasn't guaranteed at all.  But that's another post.

Bali is filled with so many choices all one needs to do is walk or drive around.  Ubud, for example, you can start out on the northwest corner of the soccer (aka football) field (Monkey road & Jalan Dewi Sita) and walk either east or west.  If you walk west you have several homestays with pools that will run you around $20USD that includes breakfast.





We stayed at Gayatri II the first night we arrived in Ubud.  Our neighbors who booked online payed $60 per night.  We just showed up and negotiated a rate of $20 per night which included breakfast. The place was decent but certainly not worth $60 a night, not sure it was even worth $20.  We moved to Pering Bungalows and negotiated a rate of $20 a night including breakfast.  Nice place but we found out our neighbor was paying $17.  There were several other homestays that quoted $15 however they did not have a pool.



If you head east on Jalan Dewi Sita you will find an endless number of guesthouse and homestays for around the same price.   With or without air con, pool or no pool but most all included wifi and breakfast.  The lowest we found was $10USD a night with pool next to the soccer field. Think we will try that one next time we are in Ubud.


We found this to be the same through out Bali. Just arrive in some town, have your family wait at some restaurant and one person spend 20 minutes walking around checking out the different places to stay. Whatever price they say, cringe like you just were punched in the gut. Always start super low and don't be afraid to walk away. Check the comfort of the beds, water pressure in the bathroom and remember to ask if they have wifi. And know for sure if you do book ahead and you haven't previously been there then you are most likely overpaying!

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How to find a place to stay in Bali

Never ever ever ever book ahead unless:
 A) you are arriving at midnight with kids in tow on a holiday 
 B) you just want to guarantee a room for the first night 
 C) you like to over pay for things!

Bali has so many budget homestay and guesthouses your head might explode from all the choices.  We booked our first night in Bali ahead of time since we would be arriving at midnight on New Years Eve. We really got ripped off.  But we had 3 toddlers in tow so we needed a guaranteed place to stay.  Turns out our room wasn't guaranteed at all.  But that's another post.

Bali is filled with so many choices all one needs to do is walk or drive around.  Ubud, for example, you can start out on the northwest corner of the soccer (aka football) field (Monkey road & Jalan Dewi Sita) and walk either east or west.  If you walk west you have several homestays with pools that will run you around $20USD that includes breakfast.





We stayed at Gayatri II the first night we arrived in Ubud.  Our neighbors who booked online payed $60 per night.  We just showed up and negotiated a rate of $20 per night which included breakfast. The place was decent but certainly not worth $60 a night, not sure it was even worth $20.  We moved to Pering Bungalows and negotiated a rate of $20 a night including breakfast.  Nice place but we found out our neighbor was paying $17.  There were several other homestays that quoted $15 however they did not have a pool.



If you head east on Jalan Dewi Sita you will find an endless number of guesthouse and homestays for around the same price.   With or without air con, pool or no pool but most all included wifi and breakfast.  The lowest we found was $10USD a night with pool next to the soccer field. Think we will try that one next time we are in Ubud.


We found this to be the same through out Bali. Just arrive in some town, have your family wait at some restaurant and one person spend 20 minutes walking around checking out the different places to stay. Whatever price they say, cringe like you just were punched in the gut. Always start super low and don't be afraid to walk away. Check the comfort of the beds, water pressure in the bathroom and remember to ask if they have wifi. And know for sure if you do book ahead and you haven't previously been there then you are most likely overpaying!

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Nakorn Ping Hotel, Bangkok

Finally, comfortable beds!!  Something that is a rarity in Asia.  We have become used to beds that are hard as, well, plywood.  Nakorn Ping is located near the famous Khao San Road in Bangkok.  It's a 4 story hotel with about 50 rooms in a more residential area.

The hotel is a bit dated but clean.  Our room was large with plenty of storage space.  The bathroom had the typical shower near the toilet with decent water pressure.  The beds were very comfortable with fitted sheets.  The cable tv offered several channels but only Fox movie channel was in English.  There was a broken fridge in our room that I mentioned was broken to the staff and they blew me off.  Our room had a nice little sitting area and the wifi was very fast but the router was just outside our door.

The front desk staff was friendly but not helpful at all with directions or information about the area.  The hotel is located on a quiet street off the main road.  There are some restaurants around but not a lot of food stalls.  Food prices seemed a bit high in this area.  Khao San road is about a 10 minute walk over the canal and well worth the adventure.








We got a large room with 2 double beds for 1000 Baht a night.  This included hot water and a powerful aircon.  No breakfast but you can purchase coffee and toast for 20 Baht each.  There is a reasonably priced breakfast place next door but make sure your order is repeated back or you might get triple of your order.













 I would say our biggest complaint about the hotel is they have no safes in the room to lock your valuables in.  They don't even have a safe downstairs to offer.  We never felt safe leaving our stuff there.  They also allow smoking in all their rooms.

http://www.nakornpinghotel.com/

Would we stay here again?  Probably not.  It was a nice hotel over all, but there is much better and cheaper to be found around Bangkok!

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MD House, Chiang Mai

M. D. House is in a perfect location in the old city.  Right next to the east entrance to the city where the Sunday market takes place.  It allows easy access all over Chiang Mai.  There is also wonderful wet market close by to get some wonderful fruits and vegetables and breakfast.  That being said I have some mixed reviews about the M. D. House.

We stayed in a room with a double and single bed which is plenty room for us.  They offer triple beds and two double bed rooms too.  The rooms are clean and spacious with TVs offering only one English channel and refrigerators.  They also have safes in the room, however you have to bring your own lock.  We drove to Tesco about 3 miles away to buy our lock so bring one with you.



The beds are like sleeping on plywood.  They do have fitted sheets which was nice, but that doesn't change how hard the bed was.  Hard beds seem to be the way in Southeast Asia.  The bathroom was a bit dated but clean.  The water pressure was minimal but the hot water worked great.

The hotel also has excellent wifi and lots of computers for anyone to use.

The hotel seemed to have a huge mosquito problem but that could just be Chiang Mai.  We played the nightly game of who could kill the most mosquitoes.

The rooms are decent size and so is the hotel.  The noise level is horrible.  We could hear our neighbors upstairs, next door and down the hall.  We could hear people coming in late at night from partying.  We could hear people joking down the hall at how noisy they were being.  Thank goodness the rest of my family are heavy sleepers.

The hotel has two pools right at the entrance.  We were there in early February so the pools were a bit cold despite being in direct sun.  Maybe they are warmer in the summer?  The hotel also offers free breakfast which is about 5 different choices.  We loved the eggs on toast but also stopped off at the wet market every morning for a big fruit and yogurt bowl.

Over all the M.D. house is convenient but there are much better and cheaper places to stay in Chiang Mai so we would probably never stay there again.  We paid about 1050 baht a night that included 3 breakfast aircon and hot water.

http://www.thaimdhouse.com/

A tip on booking tours in Chiang Mai - Use the funky Monkey guesthouse to book your tours. They were ALWAYS less than other tours we priced around town.  Price compare and you will see.  We saved $$$ compared to what others spent.  I've heard great things about the FM guesthouse however they were booked so we didn't stay there.  Also in a great location.
http://www.funkymonkeyhouse.com/

Can you recommend a place to stay in Chiang Mai?

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Pering Bungalows, Ubud, Bali

We stayed at the Pering Bungalows on 3 separate occasions so it must be a decent hotel, right?  Pering Bungalows is located near the northern corner of the soccer field off Monkey road in Ubud.  The location is quiet and perfect for exploring Ubud.

The accommodations are a bit dated but the beds are comfortable and the rooms are big.  Our favorite room was #4 downstairs.  We had a double bed and an extra mattress on the floor for the kids.  The rooms downstairs have aircon while the rooms upstairs get a nice breeze and are fan only.  We stayed a couple nights in the fan only room upstairs and did not need aircon.  Although it was January and the nights were a bit chilly.


All rooms are big with larges terraces to enjoy afternoon coffee or tea.  A large breakfast is served on the terrace every morning.  Breakfast was a fruit plate with coffee or tea and choice of either a banana pancake or eggs and toast.

The bathrooms are huge but also a bit dark and dated.  Water pressure was fine but could always be improved.  Wifi was excellent last time we stayed however the two previous times it was hit and miss.  Their is also a pool that the kids loved playing in a few times despite being so cold, but it was January so maybe it warms up in the summer.




Pering Bungalows seems to get people who stay long term year after year.  We paid $20 USD a night however our neighbor paid $17 a night so negotiate everything.  The people who run the hotel are incredibly nice and accommodating.  We really enjoyed staying here and would probably stay here again.  I know there are better places but you get a lot for your money here!




http://www.peringbungalow.com/

Anyone recommend another place to stay in Ubud?  Please share with us

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Leggie's in Uluwatu

Everyone seems to say the best hotel in Uluwatu is The Gong, but Leggie's was so much better!  Leggie's is at the top of the stairs leading down to Bingin Beach.  It's a great homestay with big clean rooms and a great pool!

As with all the Uluwatu beaches, you have to hike down lots of stairs (seriously) to reach the beaches but the beaches are well worth the hike!

We took a room with a double and twin bed and fan for $15USD.  We wanted air con however they wanted $25 so we settled for the fan.  Plus the air con didn't work that well so why waste the extra money.  They also have a nice pool which is key for us since the kids live in the pool.

We loved Leggie's for the room price, but not the food price.  Leggie's is self-contained so you don't need to leave for any meal.  Meals start about $2.50 but they can add up quickly if you are eating all your meals there.  The food is good, except don't order the beef burger and expect to get real beef.

Over all the rooms were clean and beds were comfortable to sleep in.  Water pressure was not the best and they only have cold water.  But after a day at the beach and climbing back up the stairs you will appreciate the cool shower.

Tip: Try and get an upstairs room for better breeze.  Also, go to the store and get food to make your own sandwiches. For a family of five, our food bill was more than the room bill!

Anyone have any other hotels they recommend in Uluwatu?  We are always looking for a new place to stay.

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Leggie's in Uluwatu

Everyone seems to say the best hotel in Uluwatu is The Gong, but Leggie's was so much better!  Leggie's is at the top of the stairs leading down to Bingin Beach.  It's a great homestay with big clean rooms and a great pool!

As with all the Uluwatu beaches, you have to hike down lots of stairs (seriously) to reach the beaches but the beaches are well worth the hike!

We took a room with a double and twin bed and fan for $15USD.  We wanted air con however they wanted $25 so we settled for the fan.  Plus the air con didn't work that well so why waste the extra money.  They also have a nice pool which is key for us since the kids live in the pool.

We loved Leggie's for the room price, but not the food price.  Leggie's is self-contained so you don't need to leave for any meal.  Meals start about $2.50 but they can add up quickly if you are eating all your meals there.  The food is good, except don't order the beef burger and expect to get real beef.

Over all the rooms were clean and beds were comfortable to sleep in.  Water pressure was not the best and they only have cold water.  But after a day at the beach and climbing back up the stairs you will appreciate the cool shower.

Tip: Try and get an upstairs room for better breeze.  Also, go to the store and get food to make your own sandwiches. For a family of five, our food bill was more than the room bill!

Anyone have any other hotels they recommend in Uluwatu?  We are always looking for a new place to stay.

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Little Pond Homestay in Sanur

This is the best place to stay on a budget in Sanur!  Clean rooms, clean bathrooms, great location and great price!  Our family fit into a double bed with an extra twin bed on the floor.  During the day we would put the twin mattress against the wall for more room.  The beds were comfortable and water pressure worked great.

They have a pool that we loved swimming in.  We could sit on our patio and watch the kids play.  It is set off the main road so you don't hear the noise of the bars or traffic.

What I really like about Little Pond is their set reasonable price.  No haggling, unless you are going to stay long term.  Sometimes you just get tired of trying to negotiate rates.  It is also an easy walk to the beach and night market.  Wifi was descent most of the time.






















Tip:  Avoid room 15 there seemed to be lots of large ants in the bathroom at night.  We also got a room with air con but at night it seemed to be a bit cold and we would sometimes turn it off.  Not sure if we really needed air con.





Rooms at the time we stayed were $15 with fan and $20 with air con.

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Rainforest Bed & Breakfast Kuala Lumpur Review

Location is super important for us. We have kids and little legs don't want to walk forever. The Rainforest Bed & Breakfast was clean, full of character and a great place to stay in Kuala Lumpur. It is ideally situated in the center of Bukit Bintang with easy walking distance to the covered walkway to KLCC, monorail (which is not stroller friendly) and KL tower.

We stayed in the family suite which was huge with a private bath. The room had a king bed plus two twins, a sitting area, plenty of room  for a crib, large closets and lots of windows. The beds were comfy and not hard but not overly soft. The linens clean and fresh. The bathroom was big and tile clean. The A/C (aka Air con) took a while to cool down the room, but worked great after an hour of being on. Cable tv only got CNN and Nat Geo and wifi only worked in the common areas.

The noise level was not a problem. We stayed in room 34 and no one was above us that we heard. The noise from the street bars was not overly obnoxious and one could easily sleep through it.

The  third floor in Asia is really the forth floor and the stairs were narrow and might be a safety issue for little kids or drunk people. Not sure if the stairs or the textured walls (scrape your arm) were more dangerous. The staff was very friendly and carted the luggage for us up and down the stairs however they were not very knowledgeable about area attractions.

There is a large sitting area on the 3rd floor and the main floor. There is also a wonderful balcony to sit and enjoy a drink or two on. Breakfast was pretty basic. There was toast, fruit, corn flakes, oatmeal and ritz cracker and beverages of coffee, tea and hot cocoa. There was only one toaster so if it's crowded get in line.

Overall we really liked the Rainforest B&B and would definitely stay there again!  A bit pricy for 200RM a night but we liked it.

Tip:  If you stay in room 34, enjoy the fun entertainment above the bed.  Enjoyment for kids and adults!

Anyone else stay here or have a recommendation for KL?

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