Neighborhood: (Nishi)Waseda and Takadanobaba Also Called: N/A Pros: Because these are both university neighborhoods, there is plenty of affordable dining – from restaurants to grocery stores. At the 7/11 in this neighborhood, they’ll even heat your food for you, in case your place doesn’t have a microwave. Because these are both university neighborhoods, places like cafes or…
Neighborhood: Yamashina-ku Also Called: Otowa? Pros: It is a residential neighborhood, so you can see how people really live here. It’s pretty, with mountains and cherry blossom trees nearby. It’s quiet. It has plenty of dining options—though many are chains—and the employees/servers are very nice. It is right on a major subway line through the city, so…
Neighborhood: Tennoji-ku (ward) Also Called: N/A Pros: It was within walking distance or a short subway ride to almost everything we wanted to see, from a distinctive Japanese puppet show to their Times Square-like area. It felt safe, but that was true of everywhere we visited in Osaka, so not sure if that merits mentioning. It was…
Neighborhood: Tonsai Bay Also Called: N/A Pros: Lots of different restaurant, shops, and activity vendors are within easy walking distance. There are even a few local Thai stands, which is rare here. (None of them are any more affordable than anything else on the island though, so choice does not equal affordability here.) You don’t have to…
Neighborhood: Thong Sala Also Called: Town, Port Pros: Lots of different restaurants and shops are within easy walking distance. This also means that food tends to be more affordable, because there are many options. It’s fairly equidistant from various parts of the island, from the parties on the east side to the beaches of the west side,…
Neighborhood: Sukhumvit Also Called: Nana Pros: There are always people out, so it feels quite safe. There are both a regular subway (MRT) stop and Skytrain (BTS) stops nearby, making transit easier. (That said, neither of those goes everywhere you’d want to go as a tourist.) Cons: We had trouble finding local food. The variety was great:…
Neighborhood: Haw Par Villa Also Called: Queenstown, West Side Pros: It’s peaceful and quiet. It’s quite safe, though that’s true of much of Singapore. You can see how people actually live, rather than just the touristy spots. It’s close to the Harbourfront (where Sentosa is) and a wholesale market for produce, along with several hawker centres. Cons:…
Neighborhood: Boeung Keng Kang 1 (BKK1) Also called: N/A Pros: Not as many guesthouses, which means that you can see how people actually live and the level of pestering (for things other than tuk tuks) is lower. The food is more authentic, especially from the local market (which you won’t find in any guidebook or site). It’s not close to the Russian…
We have now been traveling for eight months straight, so we’ve tried quite a few airlines, train and bus companies, hotels, apartment rental sites, and everything in between. Here are our honest, un-sponsored loves and hates: Loves Airlines: Turkish Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, China Southern – All three served us meals and allowed us to check baggage, two of…
Neighborhood: Otres 1 Beach Also called: N/A Pros: Many nearby restaurant options, so you can go to a different one for every breakfast, lunch, and dinner – if you wanted to. (Otres 2 options are more limited.) Close to Otres Village, which is fun to explore, especially for the Night Market. (This is also true of Otres 2.)…