Travel: May 2012 Chelsea International Hostel, Manhattan, New York, U.S.A.

Taiwan hostels such as H132 Hostel (used to be known as Star Hostel) and Hualien11 have pampered me too much. I knew it the moment I arrived at Chelsea International Hostel (CIH)[1][2]. Oh, I only took 2 photos while I was there since most of the time I was out exploring. So, do refer to Chelsea International Hostel's Facebook page[3] for more photos of their interior to get a better idea.

Before I proceed on, I must share that I checked out of CIH and moved into Sleep Inn Jamaica (SIJ) for my last night in New York (NY). It was not an easy move but I just could not stay there anymore. Even if I had to lug my suitcase and 2 bags of 20+kgs down the VERY narrow stairways of CIH, walked 3 streets and down another flight of stairs to get to the subway, I was glad to make the move.

As I have mentioned before in my Hualien11 blog post, there are three main factors that I gauge a hostel by: location, facilities and price. So, was it really all that bad staying at CIH? Well, CIH is located within Manhattan, along 20th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenue. It is located near 3 metro stations (18th and 23th Street on 7th Avenue and 24th Street on 8th Avenue) and served by many subway lines. Hence, a very accessible place. Exploring Manhattan using CIH as the base was much quicker/convenient than SIJ (which require a hotel shuttle bus service after exiting Queens subway station). So, no complaints in terms of location.

Facilities wise, there is free Wifi but only if you are in/near common area, lobby and courtyard. Luckily for me, my room was on top of the dining area. So, I was able to access it in the comfort of my room (though the signal was pretty weak and unstable). So, free Wifi satisfied.

There is a kitchen if you want to whip up a meal for yourself. I did not use it as it seemed to be always occupied by someone. Not to mention that I am pretty much a clean freak (OCD), so I do not feel comfortable using their pots and pans. Mainly, it was because I was out most of the time.

Breakfast provided was pretty decent though the spread they offer do not change much from day to day. Typically, you will find cereals, bagels with the usual jams and butter. Drink wise, there are coffee, tea, milk, and maybe fruit juice. I normally just grab the portions I want and bring it up to my room as the dining area was pretty crowded with people who were either there for the food or for the electric points and free Wifi. Sometimes, I take a bit more and bring it out for my lunch.

Price wise, it cost much more than any hostels which I have stayed in. Perhaps, I was just paying for the convenience of being within Manhattan because it was only slightly cheaper than SIJ! Why the exclamation mark? Well, SIJ was so much larger than CIH in terms of room size. SIJ could fit a Queen size bed with quilt, a wardrobe, a proper desk, bath tub, etc.! The heater worked wonderfully and the breakfast provided looked more appetising.

But CIH? The private room I booked had a single bed, a metal lock, a basin, some open shelves, some hooks to hang your clothes, a heater that only worked below certain temperature. Blanket was provided, but I felt too cold on my 1st night there before the heater even started. For subsequent nights, I wore my jacket to sleep. Yet for all that shortfall, CIH was only SLIGHTLY cheaper.

Where is the bathroom (you might wonder)? It is not within the room. As far as I know, I don't think they have ensuite private room. The bathroom and toilet ARE located outside the room for all to share. Yes, the bathroom and toilet (bowl) ARE in separate rooms. They are connected by the same wall which separates them into two rooms.

The size of the bathroom is SO small, I can't even spread out my arms fully. Mind you, I am very petite. It does its job but I felt like a prisoner in it. It was so unappealing that I did not even take a photo of it. The toilet fits, well, just the toilet bowl in it. That's all. Nothing fancy.

By the way, when I was staying at CIH, my supervisor was in NY with his wife on a vacation too (after our business trip). He kept in touch with me throughout my stay as he was worried for my safety. I am not sure if it was because CIH is located opposite to some sort of police station (I saw a lot of police car parked opposite it), I actually felt quite safe being in NY. So much so that I even walked back to CIH after midnight. So, I guess there is still some good staying there.

Thinking back about my experience staying at both CIH and SIJ, I am not going to save on lodging if I revisit NY again. I don't mind staying at SIJ again especially if I plan to explore outside Manhattan since I had a good experience there. But if I plan on further exploring Manhattan, I will just book a hotel within Manhattan even if I have to pay more than SIJ's rate.

You might be thinking why should I fork out more on lodging since I would be out and about most of my time there. Well, by the time I next visit NY, I would probably be with my family. With QW around, I think I will just pay a bit more for our sanity. If I was alone, then I would go for SIJ. At least I know that if I stay SIJ, there are elevators and I don't have to lug my luggage up and down flight of stairs.

References:

1. Tripadvisor - Chelsea International Hostel
2. Chelsea Hostel
3. Facebook - Chelsea International Hostel

Travel: 2012 May New York Pass

Before I arrived at Manhattan, I actually did not do a lot of planning except seeking advice from a friend who just got back from New York (NY). The best piece of advice she gave was to purchase the NY Pass[1] online and collect in NY. Why? Because it costs less than buying either the NY pass or admission tickets over the counter in NY itself!

You can match the duration of the NY pass to your stay. They offer 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7-day NY pass. I got myself the 7-day NY pass because I was there for a week. It came with a free guidebook, which was informative and small enough to fit into most bags.

For my 1st day in NY, I arrived just in time to collect the NY pass from the Times Square[2] Planet Hollywood. Purposely chose there to make sure that I visit the iconic Times Square at least once to soak up the Broadway atmosphere.

While at Times Square, I took a while to visit the NY tourist information counter to understand how their Metro subway system works. I also visited Madame Tussauds NY which is in the vicinity.

Times Square

To make the most out of the NY pass, I headed back to the hostel and spent the rest of my 1st night planning to squeeze in as many places as possible. Some quick tips on how I planned:

1. Select those places (usually the walking tours) which require online reservations and book ahead. Do note that some are not available daily, while others have limited slots. So, (personally I feel) it is best to plan your other visits around them;
2. Select as many places that I want to visit and start grouping them by location;
3. Indicate the Must-Go places.

The trickier part, as usual, was weather. To make the trip worthwhile, I cleared as many trips which are weather dependent as possible on days where the sky seemed clear. Such trips are rooftop view of Empire State Building and Top of the Rock (Rockerfeller building). 

View from Empire State Building
(aka King Kong building)

As for those pre-booked walking tours, I prayed hard that the weather would be good that day. Luckily for me, I booked 2 walking tours and both days were sunny days. As for the remaining days, I cleared places such as museums, libraries, Grand Central Terminal, etc. 

Here are some of the places I conquered during my 1-week stay in NY:

Rockerfeller building, Empire State building, Madame Tussauds NY, Central Library (where Day after Tomorrow was shoot), Grand Central Terminal, Central Park, NY Skyride, Radio City Music Hall, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, America Museum of Natural History, The Museum of Modern Art, Museum of the City of NY, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Sex, The Charging Bull, Trinity Church, Times Square, Ground Zero, etc.

There are more places which I wished I had time to visit. That will have to wait until the next time I set foot there then.

Before I end, do note that the NY pass is valid for one admission per attraction (unless they change their terms and conditions) and it is activated for consecutive calendar days when used at your 1st attraction.

So if you are going NY, I hope this post has been of some help :)
Enjoy the Big Apple!

References:

1. Official New York Pass
2. Wikipedia - Times Square

Travel: May 2012 Sleep Inn Jamaica, Queens, New York, U.S.A.

Usually, I have good experiences staying at hostels when overseas. Okay, perhaps an exception is U.S.A. I realised that when I reach Chelsea International Hostel (CIH) located in New York (NY), U.S.A. on 29 Apr 2012.

Truthfully speaking, CIH did the job it was supposed to do: provide a cheap lodging right in heart of the busy Manhattan. I have totally no complaints about its location as it gave me the convenience which I much needed to explore Manhattan and fully utilise my NY pass.

But even for a someone who is used to staying in hostels, I could not make myself stay there until the day I fly back to Singapore. I booked to stay at Sleep Inn Jamaica (SIJ) a.k.a Sleep Inn JFK Airport on my last day in NY using the WiFi provided by CIH. Yes, I was desperate to get out of CIH.

As compared to CIH, SIJ was a godsend. But still, do not go in expecting to enjoy the usual hotel facilities such as swimming pool or cafes/restaurants. It is more of a no-frills lodging. But, it was definitely worth forfeiting the money I paid for my supposedly last night stay at CIH.

Entrance

Corridor

SIJ's staff were friendly and helpful, especially their manager, Wendy, who will make you feel just at home. I still remembered that when I had trouble accessing their WiFi and needed to print my flight check in confirmation badly, Wendy took the extra trouble and helped me print it.

The room size is sufficient for me and nicely decorated. Important thing is that heater is in a better working condition than CIH. At the very worst, I had a quilt to keep warm in SIJ instead of a blanket provided by CIH.

Queen size bed

In-room heater

The bathroom size was so much better as compared to CIH. And yes, it does come with a bath tub. Another thing that made me fell in love with SIJ is the little notes found in the bathroom. They made me feel wind down, stress free and well taken care of. It was definitely very reassuring to know that I can always approach the front desk in case I need to replenish my toiletries.

Lovely note in the bathroom

Lovely note (again) in the bathroom

Though SIJ provide simple complimentary breakfast, I mentioned that they do not have cafe/restaurant within the hotel where you can have lunch or dinner. Instead, you can refer to the menus in the room or at their front desk to order food delivery from local nearby restaurants.

The major down side is that SIJ is located in the Queens borough of New York which is kind of far from Manhattan (about an hour subway ride in). So if you are planning to stay there to explore Manhattan, do factor in more time for travelling.

Other than that, it will not appeal to shoppers as there seem to be no shops around it once you take the free bus shuttle ride back from the subway station (according to my 1 night stay there).

Shopping mall next to subway

View outside the entrance

View from the room

Thinking back, I pretty much enjoyed my stay with SIJ :)

References:

1. ChoiceHotels.com - Sleep Inn JFK Airport
2. Tripadvisor - RYWsg in Jamaica

Travel: May 2012 Charging Bull, New York, U.S.A.

April 2012, I was in Philadelphia on a business trip. Since I had already flew half the world to U.S.A., I might as well visit New York (NY), NY~! The Big Apple~! Manhattan!!!

One of the many places of interest (apart from the famous Times Square, Statue of Liberty, etc.) that attracted me was the Charging Bull[1]. It used to be in front of New York Stock Exchange. But now, it stands in the Bowling Green Park. And so, I paid tribute to the Charging Bull during my stay in Manhattan.

Ootd: Fox Fashion fleece hoody jacket

As you can see from the top two photos, there is not a moment whereby the Charging Bull is free from crowd. On top of that, it is "guarded" by an officer who also does crowd control. There is always a queue of people waiting in line to take a frontal shot with the Charging Bull. I did not queue because I was in a rush to visit as many places as possible with my NY pass[2].

Fortunately for me, I asked an uncle to help me take a shot with it from the side. I must say that his photography skill was pretty good because he managed to take a shot as if I was taking with it alone!

Was it worth the time to visit the Charging Bull? Personally, I think it was after seeing so much of it from all the dramas. But given the chance to be in Manhattan again, I probably will not queue up for a frontal shot with it. I am more than satisfied with this side shot.

References:

1. Wikipedia - Charging Bull
2. Official New York Pass

Travel: 2012 to 2013 Stay at Hualien11, Hualien, Taiwan

Taiwan is one of my favourite countries to visit. Hence, I became the official planner whenever we plan to visit Taiwan. In 2012, Hualien was on my list because I was attracted by the beautiful sceneries of Taroko Gorge and Pacific Ocean along its highway after watching Welcome To Taiwan on Channel News Asia (CNA).

When it comes to hunting for accommodation, I look for a hostel that is in close proximity to the train station, within our budget, provides good range of facilities (in particular en-suite bathroom and free WiFi) and of a good rating.

Of all the hostels I searched using HostelWorld.com, Hualien11 caught my attention with its 95% ratings. In comparison with a few others of similar ratings, it seems nearest to Hualien train station. Less than 10 minutes walk from the Back Station exit! By the way, this is not a sponsored post (in case you are wondering).

From their Info tab in HostelWorld.com, the list of tours Hualien11 could help to arrange made it even more attractive (save all our time and effort from planning). Its uniquely designed rooms (all rooms come with en-suite bathroom) caught my attention too! Yes, every room is REALLY designed differently.

The room we stayed in 2012 was a family suite (Sorry, forgot to take a picture of the room! But, you can see it from their website[1]. It is the Plato themed room 柏拉圖四人套房). The room we stayed in 2013 is a probably a White Cloud/Blue Sky themed:

Managed to take a picture of another Double Bed room which was probably waiting for its hosteller to arrive:

I must share that we were delighted to find out that Hualien11 is very close to supermarket, 7-11, fruit stalls and vegetarian eateries. So being hungry at Hualien11 might be the last thing you will experience. FYI, Hualien11 is run by Lisa and her son (I call him Little Boss). Though breakfast is not provided for, hang out in the lobby space with Lisa and she might surprise you by sharing a dish or two which she had just cooked or seasonal fruits.

Dining area in the Lobby

I fondly remembered that we arrived after midnight in 2013. Guessing that we were probably famish, she fried us some noodle so that we did not have to sleep on an empty stomach! I have also tasted her dishes when I was not hungry of course. Hence, I can vouch that her culinary skill is pretty good.

Any down side? Probably just that it does not provide you with any scenic view. Also, if you are not a dog person, you should probably inform Lisa beforehand as she has one by the name of Lucky. By the way, they do not have a swimming pool within the building which they listed as one of their facilities under the Facilities tab in HostelWorld.com.

When in Hualien, stay with Lisa and Little Boss at Hualien11. That was how I felt ever since I stayed with them since 2012. Till this date, we still keep in touch with one another. Lisa is indeed a very hospitable person and staying at Hualien11 really makes you feel at home while being overseas.

References:

1. Hualien11
2. Facebook - Hualien11
3. Tripadvisor - RYWsg review of Hualien11

Travel: Oct 2013 South Gardens Hotels and Resorts, Taoyuan, Taiwan

Oct 2013 in Taipei, we stayed as usual at H132 Hostel (then known as Star Hostel) until hubby's Taiwanese friends checked us out of it on our last day there. As you can see from my other post on H132 Hostel, it is of reasonable standard (about a 3 to 4 stars hotel) with chic modern decoration for a stay that costs less than USD100/night.

That night, they checked us into South Garden Hotels and Resorts. If not for them, I am sure we would never have ended up there. Firstly, the location. It is quite a secluded area tucked away from the busy streets and shops. At least that was how I felt. Secondly, the cost. His friends got us checked into a Starlight room, which costs about USD500/night! Clearly not within our usual budget. The cheapest there was about USD340/night.

But as they always say, locals know best. We felt that way the moment we stepped on the property. It left us in anticipation just from the looks of its foyer.

 

Little rubber ducks swimming around to commemorate arrival of Rubber Duck in Kao Shiung

The reception and lobby area is also very spacious and, I feel, gothic looking. If you have forgotten to bring along your travel adaptor, need foreign currency exchange service, limousine pick up service to high speed rail station or airport, or even wheelchairs and medical kits for handicap, just approach the Front Desk. Oh, their check in time is 3pm and check out time is 11am, which is typical.

Within their compound, you can choose to have your meal in the comfort of your room, have a light bite at the Cheers bar located on ground floor or move up to 2nd floor restaurants for A La Carte or set meals. Because we booked in only around 8pm (after his friends enthusiastically showed us around Daxi district), we did not get to explore the hotel enough. We only managed to have our breakfast there before we head out to airport.

Activities wise, they have hot spring at B1 and 2nd floor, swimming pool and kids' pool at B1, sauna center and aroma therapy or massage center at 2nd floor, recreation center at ground floor (gym, entertainment room, kids' playroom, multi-function room) and I even saw a mini golf course behind their lobby area.

Basement: Hot spring, kids' pool, swimming pool
Ground floor: Recreation center

Mini golf course with excellent view

Their rooms did not let our expectation down. The refreshments in the fridge as well as those placed on the tables (such as mineral water, tea bags, instant coffee mix, sugar and creamer) being complimentary. There is also a in-room safe deposit for use.

Their bathroom and toilet are separated. On top of towels and bath robes which are typically provided by hotels, their toiletries impressed me quite a bit.

The room is spacious and elegantly decorated. What I liked most about it is the open air tub. It is definitely a great way to unwind and relax in total safety and privacy.

King size bed

Open air tub

Would I stay there again? Probably not (because it is not within our usual budget range set for Taiwan). But, it was definitely a nice experience and we enjoyed it very much. By the time we left, we were fully recharged.

References:

1. South Gardens Hotels and Resorts
2. Tripadvisor - RYWsg in Taoyuan

Travel: 2014 Jul Marriott Mai Khao Beach Vacation Club Phuket, Thailand

Hubby got invited to stay at Marriott's Mai Khao Beach Vacation Club Phuket[1]. We have no idea who recommended us, but I for sure am grateful to whoever he/she might be. The 4D3N stay was free (air tickets not included of course). The only price to pay is to sit in for their sales presentation for at least an hour. The sales talk took place at Marriott's Phuket Beach Club. In fact, there are 3 Marriott's property within that area: Marriott's Mai Khao Beach, Marriott's Phuket Beach, JW Marriott@ Phuket. By the way, this is not a sponsored post (in case you are wondering).

Sales presentation venue

We went when QW was just 3 months old. Well, some might say she is too young for a plane ride. At least our paediatrician (PD) Dr. Ho of Australia Clinic think so. I still remembered his words when we told him about the trip, "Baby, can you don't go? You are too young and you haven't finish all your vaccinations yet."

I wavered. Had it not been that hubby had already bought the tickets and booked the room (which was expiring by end Jul), I probably would have asked him to cancel the trip. But not surprisingly, we did see younger babies (at most a month old) on board. Kudos to their parents. Seeing them did put me at ease by a little though.

Good thing about going to Phuket is the plane ride is short enough for QW (2 hours) not to become too cranky. To better prepare ourselves for the plane ride, I did some research and found the advices given by Mama Natural[2] pretty useful. Hence, I faithfully nursed QW when the plane took off and landed. I was glad that QW cooperated pretty well though she did not seemed to like the baby/infant buckle.

Not sure what are your feelings about Phuket Customs. I am totally loving them! For both our arrival and departure, the Customs officers immediately led me to a new counter when they saw me carrying QW. The same goes for those parents who were carrying their babies. They get cleared faster as well. Clearing the Customs faster to me meant that I have more room (freedom) to move about in case QW becomes fussy.

Once we cleared the Customs, our ride to the Vacation Club was already waiting for us. Took us about 15 to 20 minutes to reach the Vacation Club.

Foyer

Lobby

Reception

Welcome drink

Before I forget, we went with his family and my siblings. A total of 6 people because we saw from their website that their typical 2 bedroom villa sleeps 6[3]. Check out the interior of their villa apartment:

Entrance

Bedroom 1 

Bedroom 1 toilet 

Bedroom 2 (King size bed)

Bedroom 2 wardrobe and TV

Bedroom 2 toilet

View taken from living room

Dining area

Kitchen cutleries

Kitchen cooking wares

Kitchen dinnerwares

Washing machine, dryer, iron, ironing board, etc.

Balcony

Most of the stuff you need to whip up a meal can be found in the kitchen, ranging from cutleries to dish washing detergent. The only thing you need to get hold of is your ingredients.

Being quite a distance from touristy places like Patong beach and Phuket center, it does not mean you will be bored stiff there. Rather, I find this place is tranquil and helps to revitalise a lot! A good place if you want to just wind down and recharge. Here are some things you can do within their compound:

Play a game of snooker in their billiard pavilion

Relax at their swimming pool

Dine in at their restaurant 

Vegetarian menu

Play a ball game

Join one of their activities

Some other to-dos within their compound but I did not take a photo of are

• kids club: activities for kids
• gym
• yoga pavilion
• bicycle rental
• table tennis tables
• Not forgetting, SPA!

If you finished occupying your time using the facilities within their compound, here are some other activities that you can do in their surrounding:

Take a free shuttle bus to explore their 2 other properties

Shop and dine in at their next door Turtle Village 

Buy your ingredient to cook a meal
(located within Turtle Village)

Take a stroll

Go to the beach 

Panoramic view of the beach

One thing I really liked about their beach is it gave me the feeling of a private beach. True to what you see in the panoramic view, there is no/hardly anyone at the beach. The waves are pretty strong here, so I won't recommend swimming in it. But, a walk would be pretty relaxing when you want a place to de-stress.

Before I forget, there is another thing you can do at Turtle Village apart from shopping and dining. They have a couple of booth which promotes their property: Anantara Phuket villa. For, again, the price of attending their sales presentation (when we visited them), you can sign up for their freebies which may be Phi Phi islands tour, body massage, etc.

Maybe, it was because of all the freebies. Maybe, it was because we just relaxed around the very spacious villa. Or maybe, it was because we did not go to where most tourists go. I find that Phuket is a pretty good place to relax and recharge. Hence, I do think that Phuket is worth at least one visit. But, my personal preference is still Taiwan or New Zealand for repeated visits.

Would I visit Phuket again if not for those freebies? Unlikely, since I have already seen most of Phuket. Anyway, we enjoyed our Phuket trip and returned home fully recharged. Goodbye Phuket, maybe see you again~

References:

1. Marriott's Phuket Beach Club
2. YouTube - Mama Natural: 10 Tips for Airline Travel with Baby
3. Marriott's Phuket Beach Club - Villas & Amenities
4. Tripadvisor - RYWsg in Mai Khao, Thailand