2024 Travel Highlights

Clare Valley

Goolwa

Sanur

Nai Yang

Patong

Ao Nang

Railay

Krabi

Langkawi

Ipoh

More Information

Currency

Australian Dollar – AUD – written here as $

Indonesian Rupiah – IDR –  written here as Rp

Thai Baht – THB – written here as ฿

Malaysian Ringgit – MYR – written here as RM

Singapore Dollar – SGD – written here as S$

Accommodation

We typically book our accommodation through booking.com. We like the convenience of booking online, and we can usually pay for our accommodation on arrival at the hotel/resort or room. Also, booking.com advertises many different accommodation styles throughout the world, so you are sure to find the perfect place.

We stayed at

South Australia

Mintaro – Sue⁩’s place – booked through AirBnB – it was ok.

Cosmos on Bank

Cost – $130.05 for 1 night
Pros – Excellent location in the heart of the city. It was a large room.
Cons – Maintenance & repairs needed.
Our verdict – We have since found better and wouldn’t stay here again.

Enfield Hotel

Cost – $134 for 1 night
Pros – It is a large room with a comfortable bed, extra pillows, bedside tables and lamps, a good-sized table and two comfortable chairs, a fridge and kettle.
Cons – The bathroom is aged—tiny basin with no room to keep your toiletries.
Our verdict – was a comfortable bed, and it was close to where we needed to be.

Hotel Grand Chancellor Adelaide

Cost – $148.50 for 1 night
Pros – Great location in the city. Very comfortable, with seating area, good size bathroom with a bath and toiletries. Also, an iron and ironing board, safe, wine glasses, a good selection of tea and coffee, spring water and a fridge.
Cons – Nothing.
Our verdict – Great value. Will stay here again.

Indonesia

Linda Villa 2

Cost – Rp 2,917,553 (AUD286) for 5 nights
Pros – Good location, a short walk to restaurants, shops, and the beach. Lovely large room, fridge, safe, good-sized bathroom. Nice pool. Breakfast is simple but nice – choice of eggs, rice, or noodles and a fruit plate.
Cons – Didn’t have tea and coffee in the room. However, they do have it available to make in a common area.
Our verdict –  It was a very pleasant stay. Large room and refreshing pool.

Thailand

Jinda Resort

Cost – THB 2,200 (AUD104) for 2 nights
Pros – We have stayed here a couple of times before (5-8 years ago). This time, it appears they have really let it go. However, the rooms are on the larger side, and they have throw pillows, bedside lamps and sockets conveniently located near the bed (which I appreciate), and a pool.
Cons – The place needs a bit of maintenance. The air conditioner in the first room didn’t work, so they put us in another room the next day. In the next room, the sliding doors didn’t open very well. It was almost impossible to open them without a lot of force. There is lots of chipped furniture. There were no tea bags, just a couple of coffee sachets. (I drink tea.)
Our verdict –  We won’t stay there again.

Proud Phuket

Cost –  THB 3,703.88 (AUD175) for 2 nights
Pros – Large, clean, comfortable room, seating area (window seat). Robes, slippers, tea & coffee, safe, small fridge, AC and flat-screen TV, and hairdryer. Nice pool with a swim-up bar. Good breakfast. The location is good, close to the markets, shops and massage. 5-minute stroll to the beach, 10-minute stroll to beach restaurants, bars, massage, shops etc.
Cons – The fridge is tiny, with no capacity to make ice. The pool bar was sometimes unmanned during happy hour, and we had to go looking for someone to help us. No early check-in.
Our verdict – Good location and nice room. Will stay here again.

Aree Tara Ao Nang

Cost –  THB 1,134 (AUD53.50) for 1 night
Pros – The bed was super comfortable, but there was only one pillow per person. There was a bath, hairdryer, glasses and coffee mugs, and a small fridge with a tiny freezer but no ice tray. The pool was lovely. It is shaded, so it is lovely and cool. Good location, only a short walk to shops, laundry, bars, etc. Only about a 15-minute stroll to the beach.
Cons – Our room was hot when we arrived, and it took too long to cool down. It felt like the air conditioner wasn’t working, but it did eventually cool down. There was only one pillow per person, but there were a couple of throw cushions as well. There was no tea, just a couple of coffee sachets. There was no milk, just creamer.
Our verdict – The pool was fab, and the location is convenient.

Aonang Viva Resort

Cost – THB 1,540 (AUD50) for 1 night
Pros – We had a balcony and a comfortable bed.
Cons – It looked better in the photos. They only had tea, not coffee.
Our verdict – We wouldn’t stay here again because we liked Aree Tara (above) better.

Sand Sea Resort Railay Beach

Cost – THB 7788.96 (AUD368) for 2 nights
Pros – Large room and bathroom with a seating area inside and outside on the patio. The pool is good. Breakfast is ok with a nice view. The pool and restaurant are close to the beach.
Cons – Wifi not good. The resort is very large, so although the pool and restaurant are near the beach, our room was a long way from the beach.
Our verdict – For Thailand, I think it was a little too expensive. We have stayed at better for less.

Blu Monkey Hub and Hotel Krabi Town

Cost – THB 1,130.50 (53) for 1 night
Pros – The location is good. There are markets across from the hotel, and it is easy to walk to restaurants and bars. The bed is super comfortable, and there are plenty of pillows. There is a bedside table, lamps, and power points. There is also a hair dryer, safe, kettle, coffee plunger, and small fridge. There are a few hangers and plenty of bench space. There is a dual shower (overhead and hand-held). The balcony has two chairs and a table.
Cons – There was no tea, but I’m sure I could have asked for some.
Our verdict – Excellent. When we stayed, it was newly opened. Hopefully, they will keep up the maintenance so the rooms remain pleasant. I would be happy to stay there again.

Unotel Karon Beach

Cost – THB 461.76 (AUD22) for 1 night
Pros – It is a large room with many windows and a good-sized bathroom. There are bedside tables, powerpoints and hanging lamps. The location is very good, close to restaurants, bars, shops, and the beach.
Cons – There was loud music until 2 a.m. I thought we must have been next to a nightclub, but in the morning, the music appeared to be coming from a restaurant next to the hotel. We only stayed one night, so I am unsure if this is a nightly occurrence. The mattress is too firm, and there is only one pillow per person. Only one chair was provided in the seating area. The air conditioning was terrible and eventually stopped working. No kettle and tea or coffee were provided. I purchased a cup of tea from their cafe for 60 baht.
Our verdict – Good location if you want to be near the action.

Malaysia

Hotel Asia

Cost –  MYR 108.53 (AUD39) for 1 night
Pros – Clean with comfortable bed. Friendly, welcoming staff.
Cons – The room is small and rundown.
Our verdict – Ok for one night.

Bella Vista Waterfront Resort

Cost –  MYR 269.44 (AUD97) for 2 nights
Pros – The bed is okay, with bedside tables and powerpoints near the beds. There is a kettle and a wardrobe. There is a good size pool, shaded seating, and a bar near the pool, which serves drinks. The cocktails, beer, and wine are reasonably priced. The bar has a sea view and seating.
Cons – The rooms look much better in the photos. The place is very rundown. Only one chair.
Our verdict – We have found better in Langkawi and chose not to stay here again.

Langkawi Seaview Hotel

Cost – MYR 149.06 (AUD54) for 1 night and MYR 198.40 (AUD71) for the next
Pros – The room is larger than all the other hotel rooms we have stayed at in Malaysia. We will return to this hotel whenever we want to stay in Kuah. There are extra pillows, a seating area, a fridge, an iron and ironing board, a prayer mat, a kettle, mugs and glasses, a TV, a long desk, and bedside tables with lamps and power points. There is also a large bathroom and a balcony with a nice view.

We extended our stay for an extra night and moved to the deluxe double room. It is larger than the standard double room and has more light from more windows. Comfortable bed with extra pillows and throw cushions. It had a small sofa and a coffee table. TV, hairdryer, Kettle, iron and ironing board, mugs, glasses, and a good selection of toiletries. It is a nice pool, refreshingly cool when we use it.
Cons – The only thing I don’t like is the 3 in 1 coffee & tea.
Our verdict – The best we have found in Langkawi so far for budget/mid-range accommodation.

De Greenish Village Langkawi

Cost – MYR 173.92 (AUD62) for 2 nights
Pros – The staff are friendly and welcoming. I liked the fact that there was a kettle, bedside tables, and two chairs. There is also a hairdryer, iron and ironing board. I saw some maintenance being done which was refreshing to see.
Cons – There was no table, as advertised in the pictures of the seating area. The room is tired and needs proper cleaning and maintenance. The bed was horrible and hard, with only one pillow for each person. The sheet was too small for the bed and couldn’t tuck in on both sides. There are no bedside lamps. There is a power point on only one side of the bed. There is no outdoor furniture, as mentioned in the description. The toilet was blocked; they unblocked it. There is no shower screen, and everything gets wet. There are no pool towels. There is mould in the bathroom, shower, and fridge. The carpet in the hotel corridors is filthy.
Our verdict – I would not stay here again.

A Rock Resort

Cost – MYR 442.14 (AUD159) for 3 nights
Pros – The staff are friendly and very welcoming. The newish resort still looks good. The bed is super, super, comfortable and has a couple of lovely pillows for each person. The pool is large and it is lovely to laze around in the pool sipping a drink. The bar has good-priced cocktails, beer and wine. There is a good selection of toiletries and a hairdryer, safe, kettle.
Cons – The room was smaller than expected. There are no bedside tables or lamps. There is only one chair in the room and a narrow desk that holds the kettle. Only coffee is supplied (3 in 1), so it has sugar, yuk. I would have liked a couple of tea bags. The toilet only has a curtain for a door, so I imagine some people won’t like that. We ate dinner there on our first night; our choices were not very nice. The satays were deep-fried, the sauce was too sweet, and the lontong (rice cubes were terrible; they were not cooked or soft). The fried rice was ok. There is no TV, which didn’t bother us as it was nicer to be in the pool. Also, there is no fridge, which I forgot to check when booking and which we did want. Only some hanging room for your clothes. No shelves or drawers.
Our verdict – It is suitable for a day or two. However, apart from the comfortable bed, the room has very little comfort for guests.

POH City Horizon17 Homestay – 2R1B

Cost – MYR 574.60 (AUD206) for 3 nights
Pros – It was easy to communicate with the host and very simple to collect keys. Great location within an easy walk to shops, restaurants, etc. A short Grab ride to Old Town, etc. This is very comfortable accommodation for two people. It was nice to have an extra room (rather than a hotel room) and a comfortable place to sit. It is perfect for four or okay for four and one child, but it would be a bit crowded for four adults and two children. There is a comfortable sofa and a dining table for four. There is a good selection of cookware, crockery, utensils, etc. A good-sized fridge is also available. The building is a pleasant one. There is a microwave, hot water dispenser, washing machine, TV, and coffee table.
Cons – The pool was closed the day we arrived for two weeks of maintenance. We were disappointed because the pool was one of the main reasons we booked this room.
Our verdict – Good location and comfortable room, would stay there again.

Singapore

Hotel 81 Dickson

Cost – S$ 253.22 (AUD298) for 3 nights
Pros – Great location. I caught a train from the Airport, and once at my stop, I only had a 2-minute walk to the hotel. Having the MRT station so close was very convenient for getting around Singapore.
Cons – It didn’t look like the photos on Booking. There was only one pillow each (I prefer two pillows each). The bathroom is very small, and when you shower, everything gets wet.
Our verdict – OK. Good location. Singapore is a lot more expensive than many of the other Southeast Asian countries, so you get what you pay for.

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