Indie Travelers.com Reviews

Hotel Pyramid

2006-10-09T13:54:01Z

This is a Chinese hotel in Nepal. It is run by Chinese, the staff is predominantly Chinese, and 99% of the clientele is Chinese. I mention this because if you're looking for the authentic Nepalese experience, this is definitely not the place for you. However, the rooms are nice, and the rates include breakfast - albeit a Chinese breakfast of porridge, pickled vegetables, and hard boiled egg. It is a little more pricey, but again all prices are negotiable and since we got a TV with cable in the room we thought it was worth it. The downside was the paper thin walls and the renovations made a combination very detrimental to sleep.

]]> Thamel (Behind JP School) Kathmandu, Nepal

Panda Adventure

2006-10-06T11:46:18Z

This is the highlight of Chengdu, and should be on anyone's top 5 list of attractions for China. It's the largest ECO-park for Giant Pandas in the world. The park itself was like another world, with bamboo lined walk ways and birds singing. Here you can see every stage of development in a panda's life (both Giant pandas and lesser red pandas). Babies are generally born from August to October and our trip was timed well to see panda pups that nurses could hold in one hand! For those visiting in 2007, a new bird sanctuary for egrets and cranes is currently under construction but will be ready next year.

]]> Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding Panda Road, Northern Suburb, Chengdu, PR China

Dragon Town Youth Hostel

2006-10-06T11:42:15Z

We didn't stay here, but we heard good things so I picked up a brochure. There is also Dragon Town Restaurant and Dragon Town tour agency with the hostel. 27 Kuan Xiang Zi Street Chengdu, China 610014

Mix Hostel

2006-10-06T11:10:05Z

Definitely a backpacker friendly hostel... free internet, free music downloading, large rooms, and friendly (if overworked) staff. Feeling comfortable in a place is subjective. We were turned off by the expensive prices of food and drinks, the smoking of other guests which we could not escape from, and the constant annoyance of hungry mosquitos. Free (and completely useless) mosquito coils are available. It also didn't have the cleanest bathrooms or showers. I'd recommend the Mix to younger backpackers who don't mind a noisy atmosphere. We preferred the cheaper, more quiet, and cleaner Traffic Hotel, but it's really matter of preference.

Room rate: 15RMB/bed (6 bed dorm); 70RMB double; 90 RMB triple

]]> 23# Ren Jia Wan, Sing Hui Xi Lu Chengdu, Sichuan Province, P.R. China 610081

Baba Embroidery

2006-10-06T10:56:32Z

Embroidery shops really are a dime a dozen in Thamel. This very run of the mill shop provided average service and average merchandise at lower than average prices. If you're looking for custom patches or t-shirts you can try this place out or the five other embroiderers along that street of Thamel. Two downers are that there are no refunds and you have to pay in advance!

]]> Near Hotel Tradition - Satghumti, Thamel

Traffic Hotel

2006-08-31T07:18:04Z

Hotel service for hostel prices, we love the Traffic Hotel. The economy beds 30/40RMB (4bed/3bed) are hard, but the clean rooms come with AirCon, TV, and phone. The shared bathrooms are always clean and stocked. There is a 5RMB discount for HI members. The three travel agencies located in and around the hotel arrange tours to the Panda Eco-Reserve, Tibet (by air only), visa extensions, and trips to surrounding areas such as Mt. Emei. A cheap restaurant next door serves breakfast, which is included for non-economy rooms. The hotel also offers an expensive (relatively) internet cafe, mail, and office services. There is even an in-house massage therapist and acupuncturist on the 4th floor! Big surprise...massages are not included.

]]> No 6. LungJiang Middle Road Xinnanmen of Chengdu 610041 Near Xin Nan Men Bus Station Chengdu, China

Anchor Bar & Restaurant

2006-08-31T07:00:14Z

Located directly in front of the Traffic Hotel along the city Channel, this small bar has a comfortable and chill atmosphere. It's a great place to lounge for few hours either reading or talking with new travel buddies. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner at all hours (as far as we can tell). The peanut butter and honey pancake is to die for and it's cheap. The drinks are generally over priced, but it's not a huge deal as the dollar goes far in China. You get 30 minutes of free internet with each meal, and there are free DVD movies after 8pm. Near Traffic Hotel Chengdu, China

Travel Compass Tourist Office

2006-08-14T11:49:02Z

We booked one of their many Great Wall tours through our hostel. We opted for the 10km walk from JinShaling to Simitai (90RMB/person not including entrance fees -75RMB/person). They did not provide breakfast, lunch, or an English guide. In fact, this apparently did not even include directions from where the bus dropped us off to where we could FIND the wall. Luckily, Mongol farmers toting fans, maps, and tshirts helped us out. They (the tourist company, NOT the Mongols) also offer tours of the top Beijing sites (Tian'anmen, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Acrobatics or Kungfu show, etc). The only really good thing about this tourist company is the very competitive prices.

Beijing Sweet Garden Backer's House

2006-08-14T11:38:09Z

Located in the middle of a residential hutong in Dongcheng district, from this vantage point we learned a lot about the hutong way of life (spitting, public toilets, garbage on the street, etc). Despite this education, Sweet Garden was a welcome change from the urban themed Beijing City Center Youth hostel. Rooms had AirCon, but no TV. Beds were uncomfortable and there was mold on the walls. Shared bathrooms were generally filthy and smelly but there was always hot water. The enclosed courtyard was a nice place to sit unless it was torrentially raining, as it often was. 4 dorm beds were 60RMB and included breakfast, 8 dorm beds were 50RMB but did not include breakfast. It was not in the Lonely planet but you can find it in the insider's guide to Beijing 2005/2006

]]> No. 19 Dongsi Qi Tiao Dongcheng District Beijing, China 100007

Beijing New Dragon Hostel

2006-08-14T11:34:37Z

Nestled in the clean and lovely Shijia hutong in Dongcheng, New Dragon has a helpful staff, free internet (up to 30 minutes of use), free laundry, and the softest beds we had in Beijing. It is in a more remote location, although great for meeting other travelers because Saga Youth hostel is just down the hutong. It is worth mentioning that there is a Traveler's cafe but only for breakfast. Dorm beds are 50RMB (10RMB discount for HI members) and doubles are 180RMB.

]]> 26 Shijia Hutong Dongcheng District Beijing China

Beijing City Central Youth Hostel

2006-08-14T11:28:45Z

More like a hotel than a hostel, this is a clean, well organized establishment. There's a TV room/bar/billiards/lounge area on the third floor. Except for having a bit too much going on in one space, it was very comfortable. The large DVD collection was rendered nearly unwatchable by the poor sound system, and locals often used the billiards room for some rowdy fun while we were trying to enjoy our bootleg Superman returns. Dorms were 60 RMB (10 RMB discount for HI members) and had TV, aircon, but no phones. There's a restaurant (reasonably priced but the food is mediocre) and an internet cafe (5RMB/hr) on the second floor.

Beijing Feiying International Youth Hostel

2006-08-14T11:20:59Z

There are few features that make this otherwise run of the mill hostel unique. First, it's a stone's throw away from a subway station (Changchunjie) which is one stop from Tian'anmen square (Qianmen). Second, the Chinese restaurant adjacent to the lobby was among our favorites in Beijing. A huge selection ranging from the tame (sweet and sour pork and fried rice) to the jaw-dropping (Chicken head platter and whole fried turtle) was all affordable and entertaining. Reading the menu was not just another menial exercise, it was an adventure! Finally, the TV room had giant screen TV with a wide selection of bootleg DVD's, perfect for those rainy afternoons during the ho and stormy Beijing summer. Dorm beds were 60RMB/person (10RMB discount for HI members) and all dorms include private bathrooms. You can find the hostel info on the the Hostelling International website.

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L'Isola Italian Restaurant

2006-08-14T11:11:12Z

This classic Italian restaurant was a refreshing change from our usual street vendor food experiences. The lunch menu sports 3 and 4 course specials that are affordable and plenty of food for two. The lasagna was about average, and the salmon was too rare for our tastes, but the Tiramasu was heavenly. Overlooking a busy Beijing intersection near Beijing's Sanlitun bar district, L'Isola was our quiet retreat with Astrud Gilberto softly singing Brazilian hits in the background. To sum up, great service, good atmosphere, great food. Look it up in the Insider's Guide to Beijing 2005/2006.

]]> Pacific Century Plaza Sanlitun District Beijing, China