For our recent trip to Bali, we picked the pullman Bali Legian Nirvana hotel – I had seen it on a previous visit from a walk along the beach, sitting just across from the beach road in Legian. After the more basic all seasons hotel Legian (review here), I was looking forward to a more […]
While I have been a Hilton Honors program member for almost 20 years, I haven’t stayed as much at their properties as at some of the other chains. Most recently, I stayed at the Hilton Kuching on points (read my review here). It is one of the best know hotel brands around the world, so
The Accor group has more than 3,700 hotels in 92 countries, making it one of the largest hotel chains in the world. Yet, its LeClub hotel rewards program gets very little coverage in the blogosphere – let’s find out if that lack of coverage is deserved or it is a hidden gem?
After an amazing trip into the Okavango Delta by canoe (read here), as part of our Cape Town to Victoria Falls adventure (read here), we had a stop over at the Elephant Sands Lodge. We had seen plenty of elephants at Etosha National Park (here) as well as in the Delta, so I wasn’t too
I have recently stayed at a number of Accor hotels across Asia, mostly due to their generous points promotions and frequent private sales, as well as their much wider availability in Asia, compared to most American chains. I’ve mostly reviewed ibis and Mercure hotels, their mid-scale brands. Now, I just booked a stay at a
Summer is a busy time for hotels all around the world. Even some Asian destinations that experience their rainy season during the Northern summer are receiving a growing number of tourists. That makes it difficult to find hotel bargains and there are slim pickings for hotel reward program promotions. So, here are the ones I
If you enjoyed my review of Etosha National Park and the photos of the amazing wildlife, you will need a place to stay. The Okaukuejo Camp we stayed at during our trip is a great option for independent travelers! We loved our stay there and you have options for any budget to make this your
If you have read my hotel and airline reviews, you have an idea of how many perks you can get as an elite member in one of the reward programs. From separate, shorter check-in lines at the airport, lounge access and free luggage check with airlines to room upgrades, free internet or free breakfast at
After completing my ASEAN Explorer trip, courtesy of the AirAsia ASEAN Pass, I showed how I managed to make 11 flights for only $360 across four countries in my post on the trip’s airfare cost! A lot of people love the idea of traveling to exotic places, but never go, because they think it is
We planned a getaway from one of my favorite cities, San Francisco, to the wine country and needed a reasonably priced hotel near Healdsburg. Having visited the town before, and after reading online reviews, we settled on the Best Western Dry Creek Inn Healdsburg. I hadn’t stayed at a Best Western in a long time
On my recent ASEAN Explorer trip, I had a short stop over on my return in Kota Kinabalu. With little time and an early morning departure, I wanted an affordable hotel near the airport and picked the C’haya Hotel. Having stayed at airport hotels many times on business trips, I had low expectations – and
Manila get’s pretty hot during the summer months, so it is great that there are plenty of options to escape the city heat for a weekend getaway. If you have beach time and scuba diving on your mind, Anilao (read my Snapshot) is your best choice from Manila. For a recent trip over a holiday