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Over my six months in Southeast Asia, I stayed in lots of interesting places:
Crazy party hostels, like Monkey Republic in Sihanoukville and Hanoi Backpackers Hostel in Hanoi.
Super-basic bungalows on stilts on the islands of Don Det and Koh Chang.
Hotels with swans made out of towels in Ao Nang.
But most of the time, it was a guesthouse. Guesthouses are a staple in Southeast Asia — they’re family homes with rooms for rent. But that’s where the similarities end, because they vary QUITE a bit beyond that!
One of the more unique ones where I stayed was the Siti Hawa Guesthouse in Senggigi on the island of Lombok in Indonesia, just east of Bali.
It was a bit isolated, being quite far south of town (not to mention far from WiFi!), but it was on a gorgeous, mostly deserted stretch of beach, and the rooms were pretty nice. There was a private bathroom, but only a basin for showering.
Honestly, I only ended up there in the first place because Lonely Planet said they had a pet monkey. (They didn’t.)
But it was worth it — because of the location, on the beautiful beach, and the lovely grounds, which were like a botanical garden.
I usually paid around $10 USD per night for lodging in Southeast Asia — much less in Laos and Cambodia. At Siti Hawa, I paid 100,000 rupiah (about $12 USD), which is about how cheap most decent places in Senggigi are, but that included breakfast.
Come join me on a tour of a typical Southeast Asia guesthouse!
This is cool, Kate. I mean $10 is very cheap and the accommodations look comfortable/rustic as far as they go. As long as safety is not an issue, I don’t mind staying pretty much anywhere and you picked a good spot.
I love accommodation in South East Asia its great quality friendly and so cheap.
I love the look of Siti Hawa guesthouse. I try to avoid nice flashy hotels now even when Im in the US and Europe whilst guesthouse are no where near as cheap as they are in Asia. I definitely prefer the whole guesthouse b&b experience
Hope your’e enjoying the UK by the way 🙂
I think Thailand has value and an abundance of guest-houses unlike anywhere else. It would be a great country to be a professional blogger in.
when i was in asia 6 years ago the prices were lower … any way it is a pleasure to see these views again! i highly recommend of a QUIET simple vacation there.
Wow, what a time you have. Its called living life to the fullest. Stay safe and keep on enjoying life!Exciting blog