Hey Guys,
In mid December until early January I will be going to Hong Kong and Singapore. I am looking to stay in hostels and was wondering if people normally book just a few nights rather than all of it up front in order to determine if the hostel is good or not?
Also can anyone recommend any good sites with advice for O/S travel for the first time (I will organise a citibank card).
Unless you know there is going to be a shortage of accommodation during that particular period, keep your options open and pay for additional nights as you need them. In years of travelling I've only been turned away a handful of times and there were ready alternatives.
I will be on Hong Kong over Christmas and New Years so not sure if I should book or not worry about it too much.
Accommodation in popular locations could be heavily booked, especially if there are special events, e.g. NYE in Sydney is chockers. Check travel forums for advice.
Definitely tripadvisor. I stayed in a hostel in Singapore for a couple of days it suited me as it was quiet (I am old) Don't book to many ahead you may get to an area and hate it or stumble along a great area and want to stay longer. If you are looking at hostels you might want to look at airbnb.com. Have a great trip.
I think that's peak season and it would be better to book ahead….
Hostelworld.com is a good place to start. It's got reviews for the hostels too. That's usually what helps me make a decision
Definitely go through all the reviews on hostelworld. Determine whether the hostel is a good one before you go. Look out for things like bedbug warnings, and lockout issues. A little research can pay dividends with hostels because a dud choice can be really horrific, and a good choice worth it's weight in gold. Don't neccesarily go for the cheapest one but if travelling peak definitely book all the nights you need. After booking, confirm your booking direct just to be sure. And always ask for a bottom bunk.
Also check out airbnb.com, its private people offering anything from an airbed in their lounge to a complete house/appartment.
What is your budget? You might find you can get a 5-star hotel for what you're prepared to pay for a hostel. We just got back from Hong Kong and stayed on Lantau Island in the Auberge Hotel…it's sort of a hybrid hotel between resort and business. It's only a A$5 ferry ride in 20mins to downtown mayhem. Singapore there are so many 5-star hotels there is a fair bit of competition and you can pick up some amazing deals. Try Agoda, Wotif or any of those hotel-listing websites to get an idea.
Hipmunk is also a good search engine as it covers both hotels and B&B accomodation and provides nice colour coding to highlight cheap, moderate and expensive (relative to the area).
http://www.nomadsworld.com/ for Thailand.
Or try www.tripadvisor.com
Or the traditional YHA (Youth Hostel Association)
Hostels are abundant and a great way to travel.
Have a great trip