Mother's World Hotel - Mandalay, Burma

Mother's World Hotel - Mandalay, Burma

$27 for double room with A/C and breakfast (February, 2013)

Mother's World will do in a pinch, but you'd be better off searching elsewhere if you are looking for amenities, customer service, or clean sheets. The rooms are dingy (think 1965), the included breakfast is unappetizing, the location is just okay, and the non-English speaking staff is friendly, but unable to offer much assistance for things like booking busses or pointing you in the direction of a lunch spot. They get 2 Happy Travelers because a few of the staff were friendly enough to (somewhat) make up for the lack of character at this spot. 

We give Mother's World...2 Happy Travelers!

Ayone Guest House - Kaukme, Burma

Ayone Guest House - Kaukme, Burma

$25 for double room w/ A/C, TV, and bathroom (Feb, 2013)

$18 for double room w/o A/C, no TV, and shared bathroom (Feb, 2013)

As this is the only guest house in town (and likely to stay that way since the owner is on the city council), it doesn't really matter what we say about it. If you want to go to Kaukme (to trek into Shan villages), you'll probably spend a night or two at Ayone. Still, for having no competition, the company is surprisingly attentive to guests and is good at assisting with the process of finding a guide, storing your bags, and booking busses out of Kaukme. They have free filtered drinking water, which is always awesome. They did lose our reservation for our 2nd night there (after 3 nights of trekking), which was frustrating, but they had a room for us, just not as nice as we had wanted. If you can make the splurge, opt for a room with a bathroom. The shared bathrooms are a little dingy.

We give Ayone...3 Happy Travelers!

Grace I Hotel - Pyin Oo Lwin, Burma

Grace I Hotel - Pyin Oo Lwin, Burma

$25 for double room with breakfast and bathroom

In truth, we never actually slept at Grace I. We paid for one night's lodging and we hung out there for a few hours, resting after a long bus ride, but we were less-than-impressed with the quality of the room for the price, so we moved. Our room was technically clean, but had a pretty grimy feeling, and the bathroom walls were covered with mildew. The shower head was located almost directly above the toilet and had a drip-drop leak so that, when you sat on the loo, you had a droplet of water dropping on your head or lap every few seconds. (I suppose the advantage of this is that you can take care of your….ahem….bathroom business while washing your hair, if you're in to multi-tasking.) We would have been happy with the room had it cost $9 or $10 but, for $25, we were disappointed. When we stumbled upon San Francisco Guest House for lunch the day we arrived (after we'd already spent several hours in our Grace I room), we decided to check out the rooms. For only $5 more a night, we were offered a much nicer room, so we switched. We did return to Grace I the next morning to have the breakfast that was included in our room rate and it was one of the best breakfasts we've had in Burma. Omelet, fresh fruit, real jam. And the staff at this spot are really kind and helpful. With a few upgrades (or with lower prices), this could be a winner.

We give Grace I...3 Happy Travelers!

San Francisco Guest House - Pyin Oo Lwin, Burma

San Francisco Guest House - Pyin Oo Lwin, Myanmar

$30 for double cottage with breakfast and bathroom

Though we had paid for a room at Grace I Hotel, we stumbled upon San Francisco (represent!) Guest House for lunch and decided to stay there instead, forfeiting our fee for one night at Grace I in favor of a more comfortable room. The rooms at SF are clean, airy, and simple, with upgrades like small flat screen TVs, tiny vanities, and small porches. After we arrived, we realized that the property is Chinese-owned and probably associated with the government, so we have to deduct a point for that. We were upset about contributing money to the government but, having paid for 2 rooms at this point, were left with few options other than paying for a third room, which would REALLY break the budget. So we stayed. Still, both the Chinese and Burmese staff were very friendly and accommodating and were eager to make sure our stay was enjoyable. The room comes with breakfast, but the restaurant isn't really that great, so you should have your meals elsewhere. We also looked at the $40/night cottages, which were really nice and definitely worth the $40. It just wasn't in our budget, or we would have considered it. 

We give San Francisco...4 Happy Travelers!

The Lost Resort - Ko Samet, Thailand

The Lost Resort - Ko Samet, Thailand 

1000BHT for AC (in February, 2013)

This place is run by a British expat and is about a 7 minute walk from the beach, up the hill and in a grove. The rooms are simple but clean and, for this price, you will enjoy warm (not hot) showers, an in-room mini-fridge, a TV with English-speaking channels, free WiFi, A/C, and 2 waters of mineral water each day. It's well worth the price, but we just didn't need all these amenities and were hoping to spend a little less, so we only stayed 2 nights before moving down the road. Still, if you are looking for a bit of comfort but are still on a budget, The Lost Resort is a great option! 

We give The Lost Restort...4 Happy Travelers!

Anjali Hotel - Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Anjali Hotel - Mumbai, India

Rs1800 (in January, 2013)

This is a great option if you just need to crash for a night by the airport. It's only 5km from the domestic airport and 1km from international. It's a business hotel with no frills, but it's a well-run business. We arrived late one evening (on a domestic flight) and left early the next morning (on an international flight). They provided free pickup from the domestic airport and arranged for a cheap ride to the international airport. The room was very small but very clean and had a spotless bathroom, A/C, a TV, and free WiFi. They don't have food or water or any extra services, but they did knock on our door to provide a wake-up call and greeted us warmly even though it was early and we were grumpy. And, for Mumbai, this price can't be beat. 

We give Anjali...5 Happy Travelers!

Cocktails & Dreams - Palolem, Goa, India

Cocktails & Dreams (formerly Silver Star) - Palolem, Goa, India

Rs700 for a double room with bathroom and TV (November, 2012)

Staying at this place is worth it just for the name. I mean, who doesn't want to stay at a place called Cocktails & Dreams?!?! We opted for one of the rooms (versus a hut), as the rooms were a bit nicer, had cleaner bathrooms, and even a TV! The room was comfortable and the staff was helpful and friendly. We stayed for 6 nights and enjoyed getting to know them. There's free WiFi on property, but you'll have to go down to the restaurant and bar to use it. The only downfall is that Cocktails & Dreams hosts the beach's only 24-hour bar, and the party can go late into the night. We only heard the revelers a few times, but we think it might be louder if you stay in one of the property's huts. Considering that huts actually OFF the beach are the same price, this is a great value.

We give Cocktails & Dreams...4 Happy Travelers!

NOTE: We just came across a few threads on review sites saying that they think they were drugged at this location by the staff. We never had anything happen to us (we never had more than 1 or 2 beers while there, so our review is for the lodging, not the bar/restaurant) so we won't change our rating. However, just use caution if you visit.
TripAdvisor thread:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g2334950-i27235-k6130085-SILVER_STAR_Palolem_drink_spiking-Palolem_Canacona_Goa.html

Sevas - Palolem, Goa, India

Sevas - Palolem, Goa, India

Rs700 for a double hut with attached bathroom w/o running water (November, 2012)

We spent one night at Sevas before we left for another location. There's nothing really wrong at Sevas. It's a predictable beach shack with an open-air attached bathroom. Water is provided each day in a large tub. The property is really beautiful, with paths winding through a well-manicured garden. But - the hut construction is pretty shoddy (even by beach hut standards), the bathrooms offer no privacy, the property is very loud at night (dogs, cats, roosters, chickens), and the huts are a 7-minute walk to the beach through trash-strewn forest. Once we realized we could get a nicer room on the beach for the same price, we moved. It's just not a good value for the price.

We give Sevas...2 Happy Travelers!

Haripriya Residence - Gokarna, Karnataka, India

Haripriya Residence - Gokarna, Karnataka, India

Many visitors to Gokarna opt to stay on Kudle or Om beach, but we think Gokarna's charm is that, despite its beautiful beaches, it's still a devout temple town that still actually feels like an Indian town. Staying in town puts you a short walk from the beach, but lets you experience the wave of pilgrims and Hindus visiting temples. In our opinion, there's no better place to stay than Haripriya Residence. Anand and Ani are a wonderful couple who greet you warmly when you arrive as if you're family. In the evenings, they'll sit with you in the living room and chat about parts of India and ask about your life. In the mornings, they'll offer you tea at their own table and, you'll feel right at home! The rooms are simple, but clean and regularly updated, and include small sit-outs.

We give Haripriya...5 Happy Travelers!

Hotel Swadesh Heritage - Udupi, Karnataka, India

Hotel Swadesh Heritage - Udupi, Karnataka, India

We're all for a budget room, but this place was seriously lacking in character. It was dingy and dank and smelled musty. There's very little accommodation for foreigners in Udupi, so you may find yourself circling back to Swadesh. If this is the case, ask to see a variety of rooms before you commit, and consider upgrading to a nicer room in favor of comfort.

We give Hotel Swadesh...2 Happy Travelers!

Agoda.com - Travel Congregator Website

Agoda.com - Travel Congregator

Be wary of small print! Agoda.com will give you a low price quote for your room that doesn't include any taxes or extra fees. It doesn't allow you to select number of guests, which is important in countries where it's common for hotels to charge based on occupancy (i.e.: India). Our $80/night hotel room at JP Palace in Mysore really ended up being $120/night once the charge for an extra person ($20/night) and the taxes/fees (another $20/night) were included. 

We give Agoda.com...2 Happy Travelers.

Fortune JP Palace Hotel - Mysore, Karnataka, India

Fortune JP Palace Hotel - Mysore, Karnataka, India

JP Palace was a splurge for us when Tom was sick and we were both burnt out. It certainly didn't disappoint and we were incredibly comfortable the entire time. The restaurants on the premises are a little underwhelming, but the staff was always attentive and eager to find something that pleased us. While JP Palace in Mysore wouldn't stand out as particularly unique among luxury hotels, having a comfortable (and air-conditioned) place to retreat to from the madness of Mysore during Dusehra was a great choice. Minus 1 backpacker because the check-in staff wasn't very friendly and scolded us for booking our reservation on Agoda.com.

We give Fortune JP Palace...4 Happy Travelers!

Kapithan Inn - Fort Cochin, Kerala, India

Kapithan Inn, $13/night - Fort Cochin, Kerala, India

After arriving to Kochi by train, we opted to take a rickshaw to Fort Cochin rather than the cheaper local bus. We arrived at Kapithan Inn and were greeted by one of the 2 women running this home stay. We had read that the hosts were extremely friendly, but we weren't really shown this friendliness. Instead, our hosts were distant and offered little welcome. However, they weren't unkind, so maybe they were just having a bad few days. The home faces an open field where local kids are usually playing and is guarded by a beautiful gate. It's a great location, close enough to walk to all the tourist spots in Fort Cochin, but separate from the shuffle of backpackers. While the family lives in an attached building with some interesting period and Portuguese details, the building for the guest rooms is simple and unremarkable. Our room was up a flight of outdoor stairs. The room was small and dingy, with an attached musty bathroom. Still, the room was clean and we were happy with the location and lacked the motivation to move rooms, so we stayed 3 nights, making sure to spend most of our time outdoors. The property does have free Wi-Fi, but it didn't work in the room, so we had to go downstairs and sit uncomfortably (both physically and in terms of personal space) on the kitchen stairs to use it. Kapithan Inn was a disappointment - mostly because we felt like they ignored us because we were renting a cheap room.

We give Kapithan Inn...2 Happy Travelers.

Palmy Lake Resort - Alleppey, Kerala, India

Palmy Lake Resort, $15/night - Alleppey, Kerala, India

Rani at Mummy Bamboo House in Varkala suggested the Palmy properties and it was a good recommendation. We opted for the "fancier" of the two Palmy properties, and stayed at the "Lake Resort" versus the "Residency." We arrived via train and they sent a rickshaw to pick us up (for a fee). The property is nice; a green lawn, dotted with individual cottages, all surrounding the main house, where Macy (the owner), and her family live, and where there are additional, more budget rooms. There are large bird cages and aviaries throughout the property filled with pigeons and other birds, that they raise and sell as sporting birds. Aside from the pigeons, some of the brightly colored birds were nice to watch. Our little cottage was very basic, but clean, with attached bath (no hot water), and screened windows (which means you don't need a mosquito net!). While there was nothing wrong with the room, we felt the room should have been a bit more comfortable for $15/night. There were always women coming around to sweep the porches, a testament to the cleanliness of the property. Palmy Lake Resort is located about 7 kilometers outside of town on a quiet road and right on a small backwater canal, leading to one of the main canals. While the room was nothing to really brag about, Macy's cooking was. We had breakfast in the main house each morning, and Macy makes AMAZING appam breakfasts. Don't be afraid of curry for breakfast - it's delicious! Macy also arranged for a day trip on the backwaters with Raju, who was fantastic. While the seclusion of the property made for a relaxing stay, options for eating and activities were very limited without asking Macy to call a rickshaw, so we mostly stayed at Palmy for our 2 night stay.

We give Palmy...4 Happy Travelers!

Mummy Bamboo House - Varkala, Kerala, India

Mummy Bamboo House, $9/night - Varkala, Kerala, India

Mummy Bamboo House has been one of the great deals of our time in India. Wildly popular on TripAdvisor and amongst backpackers, we scored a room by calling a day in advance (during low season). While we stayed there, many other backpackers found rooms just by walking up to the building. Rani, the owner of Mummy, sent a rickshaw to the train station to pick us up (for a fee) and greeted us with open arms. The room was very simple with a basic bed, small veranda, and attached bathroom (no hot water), but it was clean and comfortable for our 2 night stay in Varkala. We saw that more deluxe rooms were larger and had hammocks on the verandas. We were told many times about Rani's amazing cooking but, unfortunately, were never able to try it, as we were still jet-lagged and our schedules were screwy. (We even heard about Rani's cooking from Indians in other towns so, if you stay at Mummy Bamboo, make time to sample her fare.) At the beginning of each stay, Rani provides you with an entire case of bottled water. At the end of your stay, she counts the bottles you took and includes it in your bill. It's a huge convenience. Mummy Bamboo is located about 50 meters from the cliff-side in Varkala, down a shop and guesthouse lined path. While there was no WiFi, we were fewer than 50 meters away from cliff-side restaurants with free internet.

We give Mummy Bamboo...5 Happy Travelers!

Vedic Heritage House - Kovalam, Kerala, India

Vedic Heritage House, $28/night - Kovalam, Kerala, India

Kovalam was our first stop in India (and on our year long trip abroad), so we decided to go over our budget a bit for our first 3 nights. Vedic Heritage House is a beautiful old home, with elegant wood verandas and simple, but comfortable rooms. We were just starting our trip, so it's possible we didn't appreciate the comfort of Vedic as much as we would now, but it was a wonderful stay. The owner, Charles (an Indian), splits his time between Kovalam and Norway and runs a great business. The basic rooms have a large, comfortable bed (or 2 twin, if you prefer) with a fitted mosquito net, ornate wooden furniture, and attached bathrooms of reasonable cleanliness (with no hot water). Both Charles and Mutu, the host/concierge, have studied ayurveda, so Vedic offers absolutely delicious, clean, healthy food. Looking back, it has been some of the best food we've had in India. The puttu and appam breakfasts are still fresh in our memories. Two huge perks of Vedic Heritage is the free, filtered water and the free WiFi. Charles and Mutu both made us feel right at home and welcomed us warmly to India. Vedic Heritage is set back off the beach on a dilapidated public foot path. The path is dirty and unpleasant, but you must use the path to access the beach and the "boardwalk" area. Also, while the room was very clean, we did see 2 large cockroaches in our room in the evenings. While this is not uncommon in budget rooms in south India, we would expect our $28 room to be roach-free. 

We give Vedic Heritage...4 Happy Travelers!