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A hostel, or more specifically an apartment, with three rooms and 10 beds. It was 15 Euro per night and provides a comfortable base to explore the beautiful villages and surrounds of Le Cinque Terre
Riomaggiore en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riomaggiore Between La Spezia and Genova
Enoteca is a pair of wine bars where bottles start at around 90RMB- the same price as you pay in a Shanghainese supermarket.
The low profit margins don't mean that corners are cut though, as the service is spot on, French-style bar food (Croque Monsieur, creme brulee) is delicious and the XinTianDi branch has great live music on Wednesday nights.
Classy on the cheap with a loyal following.
Enoteca 1
53-57 Anfu Lu, near Changshu Lu
Tel: 5404 0050
Enoteca XinTianDi
58 Taicang Lu, near Jinan Lu
Tel: 5306 3400
Couple of miles away from Portugese-Spanish border in a remote mountainous corner. Well laid and not expensive rooms. Owners very welcoming and helpful and can help you up to get to the hot springs on the Spanish side.
Off the village of Lindoso on the way to the lake
Windows Scoreboard- the best of the three Windows around town, Scoreboard serves up a steak dinner for 30RMB, and 10RMB beers to a crowd of expat college kids and credit crunchees.
The music is a lot better than the service, and there are screens showing random TV channels everywhere you look, but it's hard to argue when Fish and Chips cost 10RMB a plate.
3F, 681 Huaihai Zhong Lu
near Sinan Lu
Tel: 5382 7757
Starting in Christchurch can rent a campervan and drive in a loop around the NZ South Island. Amazing and budget way to expore the diverse lanscapes. From driving along the coast seal spotting to spectacular lakes, snow peaked mountains, fossilised forests and glaciers... can take it all in without meeting another car on the road.
Wicked campervans: 37 Allen Street, Canterbury 8011, Christchruch. For a quote or booking; www.wicked-campers.co.nz/
I just spent a week back in my old town Cork. Stayed here and could not believe the value. Got a room for just €69 a night. For a 4-star hotel with a leisure centre and good location I was more than pleased. Will be back.
There are loads of backpacker hostels in Brisbane, especially in the Fortitude Valley with its buzzing nightlife.
But this award-winning hostel really goes the extra mile, with free pick up from the train station and a 'travel agency' for booking tours and surfing trips at cheap rates. The super-friendly staff will even help with finding a job on your travels!
The private rooms are like trendy loft apartments, but the amazing bar and cafe 'Birdee Num Num' comes as standard, with Sunday BBQ 'sessions', live music most nights, and an outdoor heated pool for late-night pool parties.
The best bit about this hostel? The on-site spa for a spot of pampering - a welcome to weary backpackers everywhere after weeks on the road.
www.bunkbrisbane.com.au/
Google map: tinyurl.com/nglwtu
The Solar do Vinho do Porto (Port Wine Institute) may sound a bit fusty and the guidebooks say that it's a bit staid, but if you want to try a myriad of different ports that bear no resemblance to the ones your gran used to wheel out each Christmas, this is the place for you.
It's comparatively cheap too, although the staff aren't the friendliest! The place is still pretty relaxing and it's handy for kicking off a night in Bairro Alto. Try the white ports, they're generally all pretty good.
Rua de São Pedro de Alcântara, at the top of the Elevador de Gloria, opposite the Miradouro Alcantara
The greatest hostel In Barcelona. Situated right on beautiful Placa Reial just off Las Ramblas, a really fun hostel, very clean, easy to meet lots of travellers and have a great time. Free dinner and breakfast, and a great happy hour are also a bonus. Staff were amazing and they provide great activities such as free walking tours and tapas nights. Definitely a place to party.
Placa Reial, Barcelona
Devonport is Auckland's maritime village, just across the harbour from downtown via a 10 minute ferry ride. As one of the first settled areas of Auckland it is full of history, graceful homes and buildings, parks, cafes, art galleries and fantastic views of the city.
This audio guide provides a more in depth experience and covers the main sightseeing and boutique shopping areas.
On a sunny day, or at least one that is not raining, Devonport is a must see place.
Tasty tapas selections - with window seats enabling great people-watching. The lunchtime platters are great value at £7.50 for a varied and filling selection (the veggie one comes highly recommended), or pick from the menu if you want more control.
Little Clarendon St, Jericho
www.tapasoxford.co.uk/
This Marché de la Gare is 10 minutes from Chatelet on RER A (station - Nanterre Ville, direction St Germain en Laye). Nanterre is just to the west of la Défence and is home to a huge plethora of different cultures, many west and north African. The market has its fair share of cheap household tat outside but venture inside the big hall to bustle and hassle with all the others. Veg, meat, spices, smells noises, indefinable languages, and bargains galore and not a tourist in sight. No need to stay nearby. The market is right next to the station and is open 08h to 13h30 wed and sat. Great fun, great food and something a bit different. Oh, and prices at a half of the centre of Paris!
Train RER A from Chatelet/Auber to Nanterre Ville (direction St Germaine en Laye. Station is next to market.
When doing a road trip on the South Island of New Zealand, plan a stopover at Pah Road - a self-catering straw bale studio only 5 minutes from Kaiteriteri - the gateway to Abel Tasman Park. At NZ$120 it's much more affordable than B&B's in Kaiteriteri itself and much closer to Abel Tasman than accommodation in Nelson. Included in the price is a delicious organic breakfast, anything you can eat from the organic veggie garden and orchard, a bottomless bowl of organic eggs, milk in the fridge, real fair trade coffee, but best of all: the unique New Zealand "fire bath" experience (don't ask - just go do it!). Pah Road also provides kayaks and bicycles. Close-by are numerous boutique wineries, a brewery, New Zealand's highest flying fox and a refreshing fresh water swimming spot. Do not miss this friendly and romantic place when next in New Zealand!
Ph:+64 (0)3 528 5410
Email: pahrd@xtra.co.nz
Website: www.pahrd.co.nz/
Coco Loco is nearly five years old and is one of the best backpacker hangouts in Canoa. Owned by a friendly Alaskan woman and her Mexican partner (and his georgeous son mini-Mao), this is the friendliest hostel we encountered in Ecuador.
With a happy hour every night, small snacks restaurant and palm-fringed hammock garden, the Coco is a communal, friendly place that seems to be the hub of activity in this otherwise quiet surfing beach 70 km south of the Equator.
Beds from US$5, awesome breakfast, 24 hour hot water, great staff, hammocks, book club, trip organisation including an awesome totally organic eco-farm/school nearby, happy hour and overall atmosphere make this the place to be!
Two blocks left on beachfront
Canoa
hostalcocoloco@yahoo.com
www.hosteltrail.com/hostalcocoloco
hostalcocoloco.weebly.com
tel: 093 972884
This must be the best I have stayed in. I walked up from the nearby beach looking for a cheap lunch. I stumbled over this place with views over the bay to the front and an ancient greek ruined temple to athena on a mountain to the left. The owner - 'el capitan' - is the son of a converted oxthodox monk who escaped to mount athos after the death of his wife. El Capitan offered me a free lunch if I would transcribe the lyrics of his daughter's song so he could read them - his spoken English is not so good.
I went back to the beach and suggested to my friend that we might stay at El Capitan's that evening for dinner, some drinks and a bed. We could not afford his rooms so we slept in his small-holding, underneath an olive tree and surrounded by tomatoes on two double beds he keeps out there for such occasions. We showered in his outdoor shower - a hose head held aloft by wire and surrounded by vines for privacy.
That cost us €5.00 a piece.
A great guy with a fascinating mistress and wife. All three of whom are full of stories, anecdotes and souvenirs. His wife keeps a collection of ancient miscellany from the neighbouring temple that she finds on her walks.
It's a hostel for hiker and climbers near Soto de Sajambre in the Picos de Europa. You can only get there by foot - it's about an hour from the nearest village. Right in the heart of the Picos de Europa National Park with has some of the most stunning views of the surrounding mountains. It's set beside some mountain pastures and in between centuries old beech and oak woodland. The facilities are simple - shared dormitories and probably best to take your own food but definitely worth it as the views are out of this world.
For the location: maps.google.com/?q=43.166046,-5.005045
For the views: www.mallorcaweb.net/estebanmk/SantaCastilla/SantaCastilla002.jpg
A small town nestled at the base of the Strezlecki ranges , Yarragon has a range of speciality shops covering arts and antiques, bookshops and places to taste the local cheeses and wares. We stayed at the Yarragon motel, a small neat and tidy place just off the main highway (it was cheap accommodation too.)
about 130km SE of Melbourne on the Princes Hwy
www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-factsheet/yarragon-20081113-5zus.html
Google map: tinyurl.com/pf36vv
If you are looking for clean no frills accomodation in Chaing Mai 'Nice Appartments' will be a good choice. Ms Chon is an easy going landlady who will provide clean rooms at a very affordable price, throwing in free tea and Thai bananas for a good meassure.
She will also allow you to leave your bags when you go off on a trek, even if it is a three day trek, and will put away your valuable possesions on a security lock. She will make you sign several forms for that and seal your possesions, but I felt better for that.
There is a 1AM curfew, so if you are here partying this may not be your place
www.adegreeaday.blogspot.com
Off the main road just by the main gat
15 Soi 1 Ratchadamnem Road
It's in a central area , near the metro. The staff are the nicest helpful people. The rooms are a bargain.
The Green Tortoise Hostel in North Beach San Francisco has a lovely, separate cottage just down the street with sunny, private rooms, its own kitchen, DVD stash and internet access. The hostel puts on a bagel breakfast, entertainment every night, and organises trails across country on the Green Tortoise bus. The cottage is friendly, cosy and allows you to dip in and out of the hostel social life.
www.greentortoise.com/san-francisco-hostel/index.php
Broadway, North Beach.
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