Cheap Hotels and Accommodation

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Hotels in London

History

Before the 19th century there were few, if large London hotels. British country landowners often lived in London during part of the year, but usually rent a house, if not one, instead of staying at a hotel. The number of companies and foreign visitors were very small by modern standards. The accommodation of them including pensions and inns. Lodging houses were more like private homes with rooms to rent, hotels, and often run by widows. inns served passengers from the coaches that were the primary means of transporting passengers over long distances before the railroads began to develop in 1830. The last surviving coaching hotel with galleries in London is the George Inn, which now belongs to the National. Some hotels in the most modern varieties began to be built in the 19th century. Mivart For example, the precursor of Claridge's, opened its doors in 1812, but until the mid-19th century, London's hotels were generally small. In his book of North American travel (1862), the writer Anthony Trollope said the much larger American hotels were the British. But this time the railways had begun to bring more short-term visitors to London, and the railway companies themselves took the initiative to accommodate them by building a series of hotel "train" next to his terms in London. These buildings were seen as status symbols by the railway companies, the largest companies in the country at the time, and some of them were great. They include:

    * The Midland Grand Hotel at St. Pancras (closed 1935, reopened as due to the Renaissance Hotel in 2009/10)
    * The Great Western Hotel in Paddington (now the Hilton London Paddington and the first railway hotels in Britain)
    * The Great Northern Hotel at King's Cross (closed for high-speed one works and should be rebuilt as a boutique hotel)
    * The Great Eastern Hotel in Liverpool Street (now Andaz Liverpool Street)
    * L 'Hotel Charing Cross Station Charing Cross
    * The Great Central Hotel at Marylebone (now The Landmark London)
    * The Grosvenor Hotel in Victoria

TOKYO

Tokyo is a huge city with several district articles containing sightseeing, restaurant, nightlife and accommodation listings-consider printing them all.

Tōkyō is the capital of Japan. At over 12 million people in the official metropolitan area alone, Tokyo is the core of the most populated urban area in the world, Greater Tokyo (which has a population of 35 million people). This huge, wealthy and fascinating metropolis brings high-tech visions of the future side by side with glimpses of old Japan, and has something for everyone.

Districts

Huge and varied in its geography, with over 2,000 square kilometers to explore, Tokyo prefecture (東京都 Tōkyō-to) spans not just the city, but rugged mountains to the west and subtropical islands to the south. This article concentrates on the 23 central wards (区 ku) near the bay, while the western cities and the islands are covered in a separate article.

The geography of central Tokyo is defined by the JR Yamanote Line (see Get around). The center of Tokyo-the former area reserved for the Shogun and his samurai-lies within the loop, while the Edo-era downtown (shitamachi) is to the north and east. Sprawling around in all directions and blending seamlessly into Yokohama, Kawasaki and Chiba are Tokyo's suburbs.

Central Tokyo

• Chiyoda, the seat of Japanese power (both political and economical) that includes the Imperial Palace, the Ministries near Kasumigaseki, the Parliament in Nagatacho, the corporate headquarters of Marunouchi, and the electronics mecca of Akihabara
• Chuo district, including the famed department stores of the Ginza and the fish markets of Tsukiji
• Minato, including the business centers of Akasaka and Shinbashi and the neighbouring nightclub district of Roppongi, the port district (at least in name) which includes the artificial island of Odaiba, the skyscrapers of Shiodome
• Shinjuku, home to luxury hotels, giant camera stores, futuristic skyscrapers, hundreds of shops and restaurants, and Kabukicho, Tokyo's wildest nightlife and red-light district
• Shibuya, the fashionable shopping district which also encompasses the teenybopper haven of Harajuku (also home to the Meiji Shrine) and the nightlife of Ebisu
• Shinagawa, a major train hub and business center
• Toshima, including Ikebukuro, another giant train hub
• Meguro, a residential area with a few nice parks and museums

Old Tokyo (Shitamachi)

• Sumida, home of the Edo-Tokyo Museum and Tokyo's main sumo arena (Ryogoku Kokugikan), both in Ryogoku
• Taito and Bunkyo, the heart of Old Tokyo featuring the temples of Asakusa and many museums of Ueno
• Koto, famous for Kameido Tenjin and former woodland in Kiba, but now known for its many new public apartment complexes
• Arakawa, home to Tokyo's last original tram line

Suburban Wards

• Adachi, where one can visit one of Kanto's Three Great Temples: Nishi-arai Daishi
• Katsushika, known for the charming Showa-era atmosphere of Shibamata
• Kita, gateway to Saitama
• Edogawa, a quiet eastern suburb
• Itabashi, a quiet northern suburb
• Nakano, home to the otaku paradise known as Nakano Broadway
• Nerima, containing some of the 23 wards' last remaining farmland
• Ota, half industrial complex, half upscale residential area
• Setagaya, an upscale residential area that houses the student drinking spot of Shimokitazawa
• Suginami, typical Tokyo suburb stretching along the Chuo Line

MALAYSIA

Malaysia is a country in South-East Asia, located partly on a peninsula of the Asian mainland and partly on the northern third of the island of Borneo. West (peninsular) Malaysia shares a border with Thailand, is connected by a causeway and a bridge (the 'second link') to the island state of Singapore, and has coastlines on the South China Sea and the Straits of Malacca. East Malaysia (Borneo) shares borders with Brunei and  Indonesia. 

Understand

Malaysia is a mix of the modern world and a developing nation. With its investment in the high technology industries and moderate oil wealth, it has become a rich nation in South-East Asia. Malaysia, for most visitors, presents a happy mix: there is high-tech infrastructure and things generally work well and more or less on schedule, but prices remain more reasonable than, say, Singapore. 

History

Before the rise of the European colonial powers, the Malay peninsula and the Malay archipelago were home to empires such as the Srivijaya, the Majapahit (both ruled from Indonesia) and the Melaka Sultanate. This was to change in the 16th century when the Portuguese established the first European colony in Southeast Asia by defeating the Melaka Sultanate. The Portuguese subsequently then lost Malacca to the Dutch. Finally, the area was divided into Dutch and British spheres of influence with the signing of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty in 1824. With this treaty, the Dutch agreed to cede Malacca to the British and in return, the British ceded all their colonies on Sumatera to the Dutch. The line which divided the Malay world into Dutch and British areas roughly corresponds to what is now the border between Malaysia and Indonesia.

Before World War II, the Malay Peninsula was governed by the British as the Federated Malay States (Selangor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang), which were governed as a single entity, the Unfederated Malay States (Johor, Kedah, Perlis, Terengganu and Kelantan), which were each governed as separate protectorates, and the Straits Settlements (including Malacca, Penang and Singapore), which were crown colonies. Northern Borneo consisted of the British colony of North Borneo, the Kingdom of Sarawak, which was ruled by a British family known as the "White Rajas", and the British protectorate of Brunei.

After World War II, the Federated Malay States, Unfederated Malay States and the Straits Settlements of Malacca and Penang were federated to form a single British colony known as the Malayan Union, with Singapore splitting off to form a separate colony. In the Malayan Union, the sultans of the various states ceded all their powers except those in religious affairs to the British crown. However, widespread opposition to the Malayan Union led the British to reconsider their position, and in 1948, the Malayan Union was replaced by the Federation of Malaya, in which the executive positions of the sultans were restored. In Borneo, the White Rajas ceded Sarawak to the British crown, making it a crown colony of the United Kingdom.

Malaya gained independence from the British in 1957. The Union Jack was lowered and the first Malayan flag was raised in the Merdeka (independence) Square on midnight 31st August 1957.

Six years later, Malaysia was formed on 16th September 1963 through a merging of Malaya and Singapore, as well as the East Malaysian states of Sabah (known then as North Borneo) and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo, with Brunei deciding not to join. The first several years of the country's history were marred by the Indonesian confrontation (konfrontasi) as well as the Philippines' claims to Sabah. Singapore was expelled from the federation on 9th August 1965 after several bloody racial riots, as its majority Chinese population and the influence of the People's Action Party led by Lee Kuan Yew (later the long-ruling Prime Minister of Singapore) were seen as a threat to Malay dominance, and it became a separate country. 

Politics

Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy, nominally headed by the Paramount Ruler (Yang di-Pertuan Agong), who is "elected" by the sultans for a five-year term from among the nine sultans of the Malay states, though in practice the election usually follows a prescribed order based on the seniority of the sultans at the time of independence. This gives Malaysia a unique political system of rotational monarchy, in which each of the sultans would take turns to be the king of Malaysia. The current king, from Terengganu, was sworn in on 13 Dec 2006.

Malaysia's government is largely based on the British Westminster system, consisting of a bicameral national parliament, with each of the states also having their own unicameral Dewan Undangan Negeri (State Legislative Assembly). The lower house, known as the Dewan Rakyat (Hall of the People) is elected directly by the people. The upper house, known as the Dewan Negara (National Hall), consists of 26 members elected by the state governemnts, with each state having 2 represenatative, while the remaining members are appointed by the king. The head of government is the Prime Minister, who is the party leader of the winning party in the lower house. The United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party and its National Front (Barisan Nasional) coalition have ruled Malaysia uninterrupted since its independence, and while periodic elections are contested by feisty opposition parties, the balance has so far always been shifted in the government's favor, partly due to press control and use of restrictive security legislation dating from the colonial era. 

Geography

The climate in Malaysia is tropical. The north-east monsoon (October to February) deluges Borneo and the east coast in rain and often causes flooding, while the west coast (particularly Langkawi and Penang) escape unscathed. The milder south-west monsoon (April to October) reverses the pattern. The southern parts of peninsular Malaysia, including perennially soggy Kuala Lumpur, are exposed to both but even during the rainy season, the showers tend to be intense but brief.

The terrain consists of coastal plains rising to hills and mountains. Peninsular Malaysia consists of plains on both the East and West coasts, separated from each other by a mountain range known as the Barisan Titiwangsa which runs from North to South. 

People

Malaysia is a multicultural society. While Malays make up a 54% majority, there are also 25% Chinese (especially visible in the cities), 7.5% Indian and a miscellaneous grouping of 13.5% "others", such as the Portuguese clan in Melaka and 12% of indigenous peoples (Aborigines) [CIA Factbook on Malaysia]. There is hence also a profusion of faiths and religions, with Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Sikhism and even shamanism on the map.

Most notably in Malaysia, unlike in other countries, the Chinese community is not assimilated and has managed to maintain a distinct cultural identity from the rest of the population. Many traditional Chinese customs, including some no longer practised in China itself due to the cultural revolution, are widely practised by the Malaysian Chinese. 

Holidays 

One of the significant characteristics of Malaysian culture is its celebration of various festivals and events. The year is filled with colorful, exhilarating and exciting activities. Some are religious and solemn but others are vibrous, joyous events. One interesting feature of the main festivals here is the 'open house' custom. This is when Malaysians celebrating the festival invite friends and family to come by their homes for some traditional delicacies and fellowship.

Multicultural Malaysia celebrates a vast range of festivals, but the ones to look out for nationwide are Islamic holidays, most notably the fasting month of Ramadhan. During its 30 days, devout Muslims refrain from passing anything through their lips (food, drink, smoke) between sunrise and sunset. People get up early before sunrise for a meal (sahur), and take off early to get back home in time to break fast (buka puasa) at sunset. At the end of the month is the festival of Eid ul-Fitr, known locally as Hari Raya Puasa or Aidil fitri, when pretty much the entire country takes a week or two off to 'balik kampung' or return to their home towns to meet family and friends, this is the one time of year when Kuala Lumpur has no traffic jams, but the rest of the country does, and traveling around Malaysia is best avoided if at all possible. Another important festival is the Muslim festival of Eid ul-Adha, known locally as Hari Raya Haji or Aidiladha. It is during this festival that Muslims perform the Hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca. In local mosques, lambs donated by the faithful are sacrificed, and thier meat is distributed to all. These family reunions are also celebrated during other main festivals in the country. With people decked out in their traditional finery, these festivals are an integral feature of Malaysia society.

Non-Muslims, as well as Muslims traveling (musafir), are exempt from fasting but it is polite to refrain from eating or drinking in public. Many restaurants close during the day and those that stay open maintain a low profile. Business travelers will notice that things move rather more slowly than usual and, especially towards the end of the month, many people will take leave. The upside for the traveler is the bustling Ramadhan bazaars in every city and town, bustling with activity and bursting at the seams with great food. Hotels and restaurants also pull out all stops to put on massive spreads of food for fast-breaking feasts.

Other major holidays include Chinese New Year (around February), the Buddhist holiday of Wesak (around June), Deepavali or Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights (around November) and Christmas.

Some uniquely Malaysian festivals of note include the Harvest Festival at the end of May each year and the 'Pesta Gawai' in early June, both thanksgiving celebrations held in East Malaysia.

Thaipusam is a Hindu festival that falls in January or February and is one of the must-see events. The largest procession in the country takes place at Batu Caves, north of Kuala Lumpur. Devotees carry decorated altars or kavadi up a flight of 272 steps towards the temple, all this while also having spears and hooks pierced through various parts of their bodies. This masochistic practice does not harm the devotees in any way! The ability is attributed to divine intervention and religious fervor. 

Climate

Malaysia is close to the equator, therefore a warm weather is guaranteed. Temperatures generally range from 32°C at noon to about 26°C at midnight. But like most Southeast Asian countries, Malaysia's sun-shining days are interrupted by Monsoon season from November and February every year, and night temperatures can hit a low of about 23°C on rainy days.

Temperatures tend to be cooler in the highlands, with the likes of Cameron Highlands and Fraser's Hill having temperatures ranging from about 17°C at night to about 25°C in the day. Mount Kinabalu is known to have temperatures falling below 10°C. 

Regions

Peninsular Malaysia (Malay: Semenanjung Malaysia) occupies all of the Malayan Peninsula between  Thailand and Singapore, and is also known as West Malaysia (Malaysia Barat) or the slightly archaic Malaya (Tanah Melayu). It is home to the bulk of Malaysia's population, its capital and largest city Kuala Lumpur, and is generally more economically developed. Within Peninsular Malaysia, the West Coast is more developed and urbanised, and separated from the more rural East Coast by a mountain range. 

Cities 

• Kuala Lumpur - the multi-cultural capital, home of the Petronas Towers
• George Town- the cultural and cuisine capital of Penang
• Ipoh - capital of Perak with historic colonial old town
• Johor Bahru - capital of Johor, and gateway to Singapore
• Kuantan- capital of Pahang, and commercial centre of the east coast
• Kota Kinabalu- capital of Sabah, and the largest city in East Malaysia
• Kuching - capital of Sarawak
• Malacca (Melaka) - the historical city of Malaysia
• Miri - the resort city of Sarawak and gateway to UNESCO World Heritage Site Gunung Mulu National Park

THAILAND

Overview

Thailand is an extraordinarily beautiful country that offers nearly everything travelers could ask for. On this trip, we made three separate visits - first, we spent the first week of our trip in the islands relaxing and recovering from a few hectic months preparing for this trip and for our wedding; second, we spent a couple of days in cosmopolitan Bangkok, relaxing and recovering from six weeks in India; finally, we spent our last week of six months in Asia savoring the amazing offerings of Northern Thailand before leaving the continent for South America.

Even though Thailand has clearly been discovered by tourists, it is still one of the top destinations in the world; it has some of the best beaches in the world, gorgeous mountains dotted with rice fields, a world-class city in Bangkok, arguably the friendliest people on this planet and probably the most interesting cuisine (especially if you like spicy food) you can find. Also— and somewhat unbelievably–it is still dirt cheap. Outside of 5-star hotels (which are - admittedly - very expensive), nice hotels can be found for under $30 and incredible meals are available for under $5. With all of this on hand, what more could one want?

 Places We Stayed

Ko Phangan/Ko Samui

White Sands Bungalows: We’ll always remember our bungalow at the White Sands fondly; it was the first place we stayed during our six months in Asia! (It was also Shanna’s first experience with spigot showers and with geckos in the bedroom…) Two iguanas lived in the shower, but this place was literally a few steps from the beach so, at $9 a night, we couldn’t have asked for anything better!

Santhiya Resort: The fact that we were given “welcome massages” and a “welcome cocktail” within five minutes of arriving at Santhiya should have tipped us off that we were staying at one of the nicest places on earth. And we were. We paid about $100 a night to stay here, but we’re pretty sure the prices were at their lowest because the hotel had just recently opened. Our pictures of the infinity pool, which overlooked the turquoise Gulf of Thailand, are good candidates for our screensavers once we get back; it was amazing! The hotel has its own private beach and a dock you can swim to, and it’s walking distance from all of the other bars and restaurants. If you’re going on your honeymoon soon and you ask us what we recommend, we’ll most likely direct you here.

Chaweng Villa Resort: This place ($50ish a night) is very centrally located (just steps from the Ko Samui’s main strip). We liked our bungalow, which was situated in a nice garden just a few steps from the beach.

 

 

 

 

Bangkok

Baiyoke Sky Hotel Ahh, the buffet breakfasts here were fantastic, and the building is the tallest in all of Thailand (kind of a cool claim to fame, especially given that Bangkok has some pretty huge skyscrapers). The rooms (about $100 a night) had the sterile feel that’s typical of big hotels, but they were clean and comfortable.

 

Oriental Hotel The nicest place we have ever stayed in our lives, hands down. Someone should write a poem about the buffet breakfast, the pool is inlaid with gold tiles imported from Italy and every floor comes with its own butler–enough said. We’ll remember the Oriental for the rest of our lives and have vowed to return here on our 25th anniversary. We got a night’s stay here as a wedding gift–good thing, because the prices are too astronomical to even put in print.