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Archive for December, 2011

Every year many Australians make the trip to Bangkok, without doubt among the most exciting and vibrant cities in South East Asia. April is the best time to book a visit to Bangkok, with prices at their lowest from then until June and in September, and with it being such a popular destination, cheap hotels in Bangkok are never hard to find.

Its affordability means it is easy to combine a busy and active trip with a comfortable hotel stay. Hotels in Bangkok are varied enough to suit any sort of traveller on any budget. They are also located across the city, which is easily navigated through public transport, making them handy for exploring and activity.

The business district of Silom and nightlife centre Sukhumvit feature many top of the range 5-star hotels. The bustling backpacker haven surrounding Khao San Road is overflowing with cheap hotels to suit the more modest traveller. However even the swankiest areas have a good range of budget options.

All could make a suitable base from which to start exploring Bangkok. Many hotels in Bangkok are equipped with air conditioning and a pool, which comes in very handy given that the city’s humidity and high temperatures which rarely drop below 30 degrees.

Thailand’s capital is a huge and fascinating city, a mix between old and new. Next to temples and ruins stand towering skyscrapers. There is a variety of food to eat, from weird and interesting looking treats served up by street vendors and traditional Thai cuisine to familiar Western food chains.

Whether it is day or night it is always busy and there is always something to do. Those interested in culture and history can explore temples or the ‘old’ Bangkok, Rattanakosin, which contains the Grand Palace. Shoppers can spend hours in the many modern shopping malls that Bangkok has to offer, such as the MBK Centre or Siam Centre.

After dark Bangkok has a great deal to offer too. The city’s wild nightlife is famous all over the world, and there are plenty of night-markets for people who prefer a more relaxed evening. This is a good way to mix with the friendly locals, and engage in a bit good natured bartering over the price of a potential bargain.

As many Bangkok hotels are situated in central areas, they are well serviced by public transport. This makes getting around the city easy as well as cheap. Trains are good way to travel, while Tuk-Tuks are an exciting way of getting about for the more daring. Boat rides down the rivers and canals are also good ways of seeing the city.

As the capital, Bangkok is the main hub of Thailand, so it is an ideal base for exploring the region, further north lies rainforests, further south are pleasant tropical islands.

One of the things you can do is try to avoid the downtown area, which is where some of the more costly hotels are located. If you can, try to find one in one of the outside boroughs, and around the airports. Remember though, that you are not the only one trying to find a bargain, so the selections may be more limited and you should book your accommodations as early as possible.

If you are driving to New York then you should remember what a nightmare parking and driving around the city can be, but having your own vehicle does allow you do rent a cheap hotel outside of New York City proper. You may want to consider a bargain hotel in New Jersey instead, and these are somewhat more available there.

Maybe you should consider some kind of alternative to a regular hotel. If you are a student or younger person for example, you may want to consider the American Youth Hostel Association as a cheap alternative. While you don’t need to be a student, or a young person to stay there, you have to belong to Hostelling International. It only costs around $30 a night, but you do have to share a room with up to six other people, and you have a secured private locker to store your belongings. The hostel is located near Broadway and 97th street, and has a coffee shop, internet access, and even a laundromat on premises. During the summer, they even offer an outdoor cook out every night.

Another cheap hotel alternative to consider may be one of the shared bathroom hotels, which you can find in limited amounts around New York City, with these usually costing under $100 per night.

Okay so maybe you can’t or don’t want to try these alternatives to cheap hotels in New York City. It could be that you are on a family vacation, or traveling with a group. It could be that you are there on business, and have to stay close to where you are having a meeting. That is all right, there are tips for these kinds of situations as well.

If any of these are the case, try to save money in other ways then. One of them could be that instead of booking just a room, try a room with a mini kitchen in it. This way you will be saving money having to eat at restaurants all the time. If you have kids, try to find one that caters to children with free meals or free accommodations with their parents.

We’ve heard it thousands of times on the TV or radio and seen it pasted all over the internet; fears of global warming are at an all time high, but no matter how many times the message is hammered into our heads nobody seems to be doing anything about it. Scientists believe that global warming is gradually gaining speed and within the next 10-20 years we will begin to see dramatic changes in our earth’s climate. Water levels will raise and so will the temperature, natural disasters similar to those seen in areas of South East Asia and the west coast of America will increase in regularity, crops will dwindle and large portions of land will be engulfed by the ocean. O.K. that might seem a tad bit over the top, but if nothing is done now to slow down and hopefully reverse the process, then those frightening events might turn into a reality.

What is the solution?

We have tried many forms of renewable energy sources, wind power, hydro electricity and solar energy, but on a large scale none of these have proved a success, they just do not produce enough energy to power a large city, let alone a small town or village. Though a few forward thinking entrepreneurs have seen some promise in solar cells; unfortunately we don’t have the technology to store large amounts of power from the sun at this point in time, but they instead have been looking at the smaller picture.

They believe that the answer to our problems is not to focus on developing large effective solar power devices to power massive cities, but to instead create smaller solar powered chargers that can power our little everyday devices. Imagine never having to power your laptop via the central mains ever again or worrying about your mobile phone going flat while travelling far from home, all of these things add up and if enough people start taking power from the sun it may help to reduce our problem. Best of all this source of power is free and non taxable; imagine a world where individuals no longer relied on a central power grid for their energy, but instead on themselves and the community that they live in, things would defiantly be much cheaper.

Obtaining cheap hotel deals are desirable to all travelers as they help save costs on travel accommodation which frees up expenditure for other aspects of their trip, be it for business or leisure. Thus it is important that you know where to look for the best deals available so that you can enjoy a stay at a decent hotel without burning a hole in your wallet. The Internet, especially, has provided many new sources of information about such deals that makes it easier to find a good deal online. However, you may be overwhelmed by the large amount of information available, which may make you more confused regarding where and how to start instead. Hence I have compiled a list of useful tips that you may follow to make sure that you are getting the best hotel deals possible.

1. Start your search online.

The Internet is the best place to start your search for cheap hotels, as there are many aggregate online travel sites which have links to numerous hotels around the world. These sites specialize in comparing rates between different hotels and websites, as well as provide all the information that you need to know about the hotels including the facilities, location and images. You can thus customize your search to only compare hotels with similar characteristics, such as being within the same area or with the same star rating, thus quickly and easily narrowing down your search.

These websites also usually offer the best rates that are lower than booking directly at a hotel’s website. You should however read the fine print for additional charges or restrictions, such as your booking being non-refundable.

2. Look out for cheaper alternatives during peak travel periods.

In general, during the peak travel seasons which may include extended school vacation periods and long weekends, you may discover that rates of many hotels in your chosen destination, including the usually cheaper ones, are higher than usual. However, you will be surprise that certain websites offer attractive deals for hotels even during this busy period.

3. Consider the location of the hotel.

The location of the hotel is also an important consideration when looking for low hotel rates in your destination. Generally, try to find a hotel in areas such as the suburbs that is slightly less accessible or is located away from the city centre as it is usually cheaper than one that is in a more convenient location. You can also consider less-known independent local hotel chains which can provide cheaper accommodation too.

4. Keep an eye out for offers and discounts.

When booking through online booking portals, do look out for special promotions and deals for hotels, many of which run for a limited time only. Many of these deals can net you attractive discounts as long as if you fulfill a requirement for a minimum number of nights’ stay, if there is any.