Where to sleep in Asia, part I – Vietnam and Cambodia

If, like me, you like comfort, space and cleanliness, looking for low prices and want a nice place to relax after a day of sightseeing, this post will be very helpful for you. So where to sleep in Asia – Vietnam and Cambodia?

*The entry „Where to sleep in Asia – Vietnam and Cambodia” was created, due to the questions I received during my stay in Asia via my Instagram. All bookings were made for two people through the Booking.com app. I assume that there will not be the slightest problem booking them through other portals (Agoda, Airbnb, Google or stationary).

** 1 EUR ~ 4,50 PLN

Criteria for selecting accommodations in Asia – Vietnam and Cambodia

We set a budget of 80 PLN (17,78 EUR) /night for two people. Off course we didn’t expect luxury. We were looking for nice places that would be clean and have basic amenities available (often decisions about choosing a hotel were motivated by additional amenities on Booking.com, e.g. breakfast included in the price or free airport transfer). We paid attention to the location, room size, efficient Internet and, above all, the opinions of previous guests.

Where to sleep in Asia – Vietnam

Hanoi – Thien Phu Garden Hotel (Rating on Booking.com: 7.6/10)

Price per night ~ 60,50 PLN ( 13,45 EUR)

The rating I left on Booking.com: 6/10

The rating I would leave now: 7/10

LOCATION

We started our trip from Hanoi. And here I made my first blunder, because the hotel is located on the other side of the river that divides the city in half. When I was booking the place, I saw its location on the map. I knew, that to get to the center we would have to cross a bridge. Unfortunately, it turned out, that the bridge is only open to vehicles and cannot be crossed on foot. So every day we were forced to use GRABA (the Asian substitute for UBER).

The hotel is not easy to find (mislabeled location on Google Map), buts location is very atmospheric, among the narrow streets of Hanoi, right on the riverbank. There is also an AHA cafe next to the hotel, where we started the day with tasty coffee every morning. According to some guests’ comments, there was noise coming from the cafe in the evenings, but we didn’t hear it.

SERVICE

The hotel made quite a positive impression (although the photos absolutely did not reflect its real appearance), and according to Booking.com, they were supposed to offer breakfast and airport transfer service. As it turned out, we couldn’t buy breakfasts, because there simply weren’t any. And when asked about the airport transfer, they suggested taking a taxi.

It is worth adding that reviews on Google suggested that customers had problems with reservations. They arrived and there were no rooms available.

During our 5-day stay, not once did the staff come to at least take out the trash. We also did not have a door hanger requesting cleaning service, and we rarely saw anyone sitting behind the front desk. So finally we had no one to report our need. I appreciate that they thought ahead and left us two rolls of toilet paper. There was also a shared kitchen, which we never used, because no one showed us where it was. The staff lacked experience in facility management.

ROOM (Standard Double)

I can’t be very critical here. The room was large, relatively new (you can see that it was refreshed) and had a kettle, which was important for us. The hotel seemed to have two parts – newer and older. Probably the standard of the room depends on the part you go to. There wasn’t much space to store personal items, but it was enough for us. The internet worked very well.

It was our first night on the trip and at the time I thought it could have been cleaner. Now I know that it was clean there, and in Asia hotels have a slightly different definition of cleanliness than in Europe. It’s worth keeping that in mind!

IN SHORT

Adventages:

• Large room with bathroom and equipment (kettle, flip-flops, miniature cosmetics)
• Good Internet
• Atmospheric location between the streets of Hanoi, right next to the river
• Cafe with a garden and a view of the river next to the hotel
• Helpful staff (they shared their computer and printer)
• Possibility to pay by card
• Good value for money
• Clean in the room

Disadvantages:

• Staff speaking little English
• No elevator, narrow hallway
• Inconsistency of many amenities with the description (the hotel has all possible amenities marked)
• Incorrect location on the map
• A small number of eating places around
• Access directly under the hotel possible only by scooter (too narrow street for a car)
• Uninteresting view outside the window (depending on the room)

Hoi An – Crony Villa (Rating on Booking.com 9/10)

Price per night ~ 78 PLN ( 17,34 EUR)

The rating I left on Booking.com: 9/10

The rating I would leave now: 9/10

LOCATION

Crony Villa is a hotel that is definitely not close to the center. Its location is actually the biggest disadvantage, but that is probably the only one problem. The hotel is somewhere halfway between the historic city center and the beach. In any case, both here and there were far from us. Anyway, everywhere was far away. Upon arriving in Hoi An, even GRAB had trouble tracking down this hotel. It’s not located on the main road, and the signboard is not particularly noticeable. Nevertheless, the hotel does offer scooter and bicycle rentals. In addition, GRAB in Vietnam is just cheap, so transportation to the center is not expensive.

SERVICE

The manager and all the staff were extremely nice. Upon arrival, we were greeted with water and cool towels, completed all procedures and were directed to the room. At the hotel, for an additional fee, you can buy breakfast (very basic and monotonous, but at an attractive price) and that’s what we did. Funny thing is, the manager prepared breakfast in the morning. She fried banana pancakes and served coffee :). We ate breakfast in the garden part of the hotel, right by the pool. The garden as well as the whole pool were fantastic. For the price of the stay, it was absolute luxury. Although the swimming pool was small, it was clean and well-kept, the garden was neat, and the dining area was comfortable and practical.

We also used the laundry service at the hotel. It came back the next day clean and fragrant (which is not so obvious!). The hotel contacted us via WhatsApp and it was very convenient. In this way, they also propose cleaning the room and answer any questions.

Crony Villa provided us with transportation to the airport in the nearby city of Da Nang. Their offer was better than GRAB’s, so we couldn’t make a different decision. The staff at the reception also complied with our request and printed our plane tickets.

ROOM (double with balcony)

Our room was located in the attic. Clean, cozy, just right. We had enough space to store things (wardrobe, tables, furniture on the balcony) and a large, comfortable bed.

What surprised us was the sink in the room, not in the bathroom. After opening the bathroom door, we already knew why. The bathroom was simply very small – except for the toilet and the shower, there was no way we could fit another sink in there. As we lived in the attic, the bathroom and part of the room were cut off, which meant that the mirror next to the sink did not hang, but leaned against the wall. In addition, it was a pink, plastic, child’s toy mirror 🙂 A makeshift solution, but it didn’t bother me at all, because there was another, larger mirror in the room. I am also convinced that this solution only applied to our room, or possibly the others in the attic.

The bathroom may be small, but the important thing is that it is comfortable. Unfortunately, there was an unpleasant smell that sometimes came from the drain. This is a common problem in hotels in Asia.

IN SHORT

Adventages:

• Great value for money
• A beautiful and well-kept garden with a swimming pool and a dining area
• Possibility to rent bicycles and scooters at a low price
• Very polite and helpful English speaking staff
• Additional services; airport transfer, trips available at attractive prices, laundry
• Large, comfortable bed and clean linen
• Professional approach to guests
• Good quality bath cosmetics available
• Well-functioning Internet and air conditioning
• Possibility to pay by card

Disadvantages:

• Staff accent – many times I had problems with understanding when talking in English
• Bad smell coming from the drain and problems with setting the right temperature in the shower
• Small bathroom
• Monotonous, basic breakfasts
• No elevator
• Location far from the center and neighborhood – Vietnamese love Karaoke. We heard them every day 🙂

Ho Chi Minh City – Giang Son Hotel (Rating on Booking.com: 7,9/10)

Price per night ~ 64,30 PLN ( 14,28 EUR)

The rating I left on Booking.com: 7/10

The rating I would leave now: 6/10

LOCATION

Unlike the hotel in Hoi An, this one’s biggest advantage was its location. Ho Chi Minh City is a huge city and if you don’t want to bother walking through crowded streets (which is really a challenge in Vietnam), look for something as close to the center as possible. Giang Son Hotel is located right next to the party street of Bui Vien, but it is so quiet that you can hardly hear any loud music at night. (Although it depends on the room you get). The hotel is located in a row of buildings, which makes the building narrow, cramped, even claustrophobic, high and with few windows.

There are a lot of restaurants, cafes, pubs around. We went every morning for breakfast to nearby establishments for Bahn Mi baguettes and delicious coconut coffee. There are plenty of attractions around, so if you don’t plan to spend too much time in the hotel, it will serve as a base for trips to the city. If you plan to spend a bit more time in the hotel (e.g. working on the computer), I do not recommend choosing it.

The hotel has a reception on the first floor. Below it there is a laundry room where you can leave your clothes and pick them up on the same day. Of course, there is no elevator in the hotel, so get ready to climb to higher floors.

SERVICE

The staff was nice, although they didn’t seem particularly engaged. They simply did what we asked for, but there was no crazy enthusiasm. This is not a criticism. I do not expect the staff to fulfill my every request with a fake smile on their face.

To tell you the truth, it’s hard for me to say anything more about the staff. We simply didn’t have much contact with them. Apart from check-in, check-out and asking for a kettle, there was practically no contact. Often the reception was simply empty, because there is a separate room right next to it where the staff spent most of their time. Of course, needless to say, no one came to clean.

ROOM (Deluxe Double)

Don’t let the name fool anyone. If this hotel had Standard or Budget rooms, I would not to end up there. Don’t get me wrong, this room was decent, but calling it Deluxe is a complete stretch of the facts.

Let’s start with the fact that the room was tiny. The description includes information about 12 m². I have some doubts, but I won’t argue. Aside from the bed and dresser, there was no other furniture. There was a TV, a fan and an air conditioner hanging on the wall. There were clothes hangers on the doors. We had nowhere to keep our backpacks, we were constantly tripping over them.

The bathroom – equally small – completely devoid of storage space for anything. Very impractical and a bit neglected, damp and old.

The worst thing was there was no window. No, I’m lying – there was a window, (even two, because in the bathroom too) but with a view of the destroyed facade and the sewer. The window could not be opened, (and even if it was possible, we would have the aroma of septic tank) and there was an unbearable heat in the corridor, which made it impossible to breathe. With no way to ventilate the room, we had to use the air conditioning, which was placed centrally on the bed. Of course, it didn’t work properly, so changing the temperature or air flow sometimes worked and sometimes not.

IN SHORT

Advantages:

• Perfect location close to the center
• Express laundry service
• 24/7 reception
• Fast Internet
• Fan and air conditioning available in the room
• Safe in the room

Disadvantages:

• A window overlooking the sewer and no access to fresh air (many rooms have this)
• No elevator
• Small, damp bathroom, everything was wet after a shower
• The offer does not match the description (photos, amenities)
• Very small room, little space to store things
• Poor lighting, lack of natural light
• No cleaning service
• Payment only in cash

Can Tho – WELKOM INN (Rating na Booking.com: 9,5/10)

Price per night ~ 67,30 PLN ( 14,95 EUR)

The rating I left on Booking.com: 10/10

The rating I would leave now: 10/10

LOCATION

WELKOM INN is located about 2.5 kilometers from the center. It’s not a very long distance, but the crossing is through a main, very busy road. You need to know how to get around the city on foot, because it is not the easiest thing to do. When looking for a hostel, we cross the main road, and find side streets that are much nicer. The hostel is hidden among them. The owners (a Dutchman and his Vietnamese partner) offer to rent bicycles and scooters. Can Tho, although large and crowded, should not be very problematic when traveling by scooter. The roads are wide and are dominated by two-wheeled vehicles, so if you already have minimal experience in driving on Vietnamese roads, there should be no major problem here either.

You won’t find a huge restaurant offer around, but at the intersection of the main street with the side street leading to the accommodation, there is a corner of a lady from whom we ate the best noodles in Vietnam twice. The lady has her stand outside, where there are a few tables that are usually occupied, so you can easily find the place. This was our favorite „noodle-lady” where we ate the tastiest and cheapest dinners. (One portion of noodles cost us about 4 PLN (0,88 EUR:))

SERVICE

I would like to have such wonderful and helpful staff anywhere. We were welcomed with banana muffins, which were simply delicious, and we also got an even better room than the one we booked. The standard of service and amenities was one of the best we had during the entire trip.

You could buy trips at WELKOM INN. We decided to buy a trip to the water market in Can Tho because it was more affordable compared to competing offers. And it was great! We made good contact with the guide, who later helped us exchange dollars for Vietnamese dongs (there are no official currency exchange offices in Vietnam).

At WELKOM INN you have access to the kitchen. You can prepare a meal, make coffee or tea, take a muffin, or fill a bottle with water. In the morning, for the price of your stay, you can have a basic breakfast of toast with strawberry jam, coffee, muffins, noodles. Maybe not much, but for the price and standard, it’s a very useful convenience! In addition, they will do your laundry (they lost my two socks, but after searching they found them :D) you can read a book in the library or play a board game.

ROOM (Budget double)

As I wrote earlier, we received a room of a higher standard because it was available. It was probably a Comfort Triple room. This is already a big plus! We kept our luggage on the third extra bed.

Our room was clean and quiet. This room was located in the second part of the building, where there were no shared rooms. We had relative peace because almost no one lived in our part. The separate bathroom was really large and spacious. The disadvantage of this room, compared to the one we booked at the beginning, was a small window that could not be opened because it was almost at the ceiling. However, this doesn’t change much, because we didn’t feel for a moment that we „need air”. Actually, the air-conditioning cooled very well, so during the incredible heat that prevailed in Can Tho, the fresh air in town was hard to find.

The hostel offers rooms with a private bathroom and coeducational rooms. For a shared room, the price per night is lower. There were two faults in our bathroom – water draining slowly from the sink and a leaking bidet faucet. There is another popular problem in Asia. Ants who liked banana muffins as much as we did. Keeping sweets on the desk always ended the same way. I think that if we hadn’t reacted in time, they would have carried away all the crumbs with the wrappers from our eaten muffins. But hey- our fault. A room is not a place to eat 🙂

Another disadvantage, I might add (a very small one), is that the Internet here was rather average. Vietnam is famous for its fast Internet, so after our last overnight stay, we didn’t expect that a website would suddenly take a while to load. 😉

IN SHORT

Advantages:

• Very polite staff and owners – helpful, committed, smiling.
• Standard and amount of amenities for the price – great value for money!
• Access to kitchen, small snacks during the day, breakfast, possibility to fill a bottle with drinking water
• Good air conditioning
• Additional services: bike (free!) and scooter rental, organization of tours
• Cleanliness
• Spacious, comfortable beds and places to store things.
• 24/7 reception

Disdvantages:

• Slightly problematic location, few restaurants around
• Average internet
• Faults in the room
• Ants and mosquitoes (I really don’t know how they got into our room).
• No one offered to clean the room, there was no information tag
• Payment only in cash

Phu Quoc – Minh Vuong Village Resort & Restaurant (Rating on Booking.com: 8,3/10)

Price per night ~ 58,60 PLN ( 13,02 EUR)

The rating I left on Booking.com: 7/10

The rating I would leave now: 7/10

LOCATION

I have very mixed emotions about this hotel. Starting with the location, it should be noted that the hotel is close to the beach, but there is nothing going on there. To get to the much nicer city beach, we have to walk about 15 minutes. On hot days, believe me, this walk was a challenge. anyway, the beach is charming and worth the walk. Most of the restaurants and pubs in the town are also about a 15-minute walk away. Looking more broadly at the location, relative to the entire island, this is not a place where I would stay again. Phu Quoc is still developing when it comes to tourism and there are places that try to be called „resorts”, but it’s still a long way.

An advantage is the close proximity to the port and airport, which the owners take advantage of by offering free transport. And here comes the hitch! They offered to take us to the port in exchange for leaving a good review on Booking.com or Google. Well, you have to be good at marketing. I’m sure that some of the guests agreed to this deal :). In the end, I gave it an honest seven – because despite a few problems, the owners tried to make our time as pleasant as possible and let’s not forget the price for which we rented the bungalow.

SERVICE

As I mentioned, the family that owned the hotel did what they could to help us. And they had a bit of work to do. The first problem already appeared when they presented us our accommodation. It turned out that the door did not close. So they moved us to another one. At first, it seemed that everything was working in the new bungalow. Well, we will come back to this topic 🙂

Of the entire large family that was at the reception every morning, the only one who spoke any English was a pregnant, young girl. She was the wife of the driver who brought us from the port. Of course, for free. Her English was poor and her accent made it even more difficult to understand. Many times we had to guess what she meant. Sometimes even the translator couldn’t handle it.

here was a restaurant in our „resort” where we were served a simple but tasty breakfast every morning. We had a choice of toast with fried eggs and vegetables or Pho soup. We also had a delicious lunch there, which was quite a surprise to me. Everything was tasty and fresh! In addition, there was a discount for hotel guests, so we ended up paying about 30% less.

On the day of our arrival, the pool was being cleaned and refilled with water. The water, not yet boiled by the sun, was pleasantly crisp and clean. Each bungalow had a view of the garden, where someone worked every day. For sure the garden was demanding and its care required a lot of time. We did not use the cleaning service, and the only time we asked for extra toilet paper once.

ROOM (Deluxe bungalow with garden view)

Surprisingly, we have all Deluxe houses here 😉 For the Bungalows I have the most comments.

As I mentioned, we started with another bungalow, because in the first one the door would not lock. It’s not an option with us, so we received the cottage next door. At first glance everything is fine, but as usual, the devil is in the details. If you look a little closer, you will notice that the solutions in the bungalows are absolutely makeshift.

So: the finishing of the bathroom was terrible. We had a hole near the sink through which insects, reptiles, amphibians, rodents could easily enter. Fortunately, apart ants, mosquitoes and lizards, we had no other guests. The toilet was poorly installed, it rocked while sitting, and a malfunctioning water heater made it difficult to set the right temperature in the shower. The tiles were different and didn’t match. Ants were crawling through the gaps between the joints, heading for the cosmetics left on the sink. But I can’t be that critical, so I’ll add that it was clean and the bathroom itself was spacious.

The electrical installation in our house was faulty. According to my husband’s expert opinion ;)) it did not endanger us in any way. It was just that in the middle of the night one lamp on the ceiling started to glow slightly and the other one was blinking. For me, it was so tiring that it made it difficult to fall asleep at night. Immediately after turning off the light in the room, nothing like that happened. Only after some time did the lights turn on on their own.

*POPULAR PROBLEM OF BUNGALOWS.

Another problem is uninvited guests of various species. No need to say, since there is a shady garden and a swimming pool nearby, there are also mosquitoes? But we could expect them, nothing new. The large lizards on the terrace weren’t a problem either, although I almost stepped on one. Once a calf even woke us up! The poor guy ran away, then hid behind our house, and two men tried to scare him away and catch him with a lasso.

The biggest surprise for us, was the „squatter” in the attic. I would like to believe that it was a squirrel or some bird that had built a nest. I’m sure it was something much bigger. I will also accept a large lizard, but unfortunately, based on the sounds of stomping, we assumed it was a rat. As the bungalow was makeshift, we were very worried that a potential rodent would get inside. We tried to scare this thing off the roof many times, but it came back every night. In the end, we lived with the „squatter”, begging him to stay there and not going downstairs.

As it turns out over time, we had similar situations in every house of this type – a mouse here, a bird there, and other noisy creatures on the roof. Everything made it difficult for us to fall asleep in the evenings. That’s the charm of these accommodations :).

Was there anything else wrong? Leaking kettle, lack of some amenities included in the description on the website, night karaoke in the restaurant, humming air conditioning. But! Everywhere was clean, and the bed, although hard, was very comfortable. Clean bedclothes, comfortable pillows, plenty of space and places to keep things. A big makeshift, but at least it’s presented quite nicely 🙂

IN SHORT

Advantages:

• Kind and helpful family
• Basic breakfast included and a good restaurant with a discount for hotel guests
• Free transfer to the airport and/or pier
• Clean and spacious bungalows
• Scooter rental on site
• Large garden and swimming pool
• Comfortable, large bed

Disadvantages:

• Payment only cash
• Poor knowledge of English by staff
• Giving a „favor for good opinion” offer
• Many defects (buzzing air conditioner, leaking kettle, faulty electrical system, etc.)
• Location away from the city and in the less touristy areas of Phu Quoc
• Wild guest in the attic, ants, lizards and mosquitoes easily getting inside
• Karaoke in the hotel restaurant

Where to sleep in Asia – Cambodia

Kep – Pina House (Rating on Booking.com: 9,1/10)

Price per night ~ 59,50 PLN ( 13,22 EUR)

The rating I left on Booking.com: 9/10

The rating I would leave now: 8/10

LOCATION

We decided on Kep town mainly because it was close to the border with Vietnam. About 40 minutes by bus from the Ha Tien border crossing. I didn’t know how long it would take us to get to the border, how we would get to the town and how much we would pay for it, so I didn’t want to look for accommodations further. Kep is a small town that once had the makings of a pleasant resort, while currently there is not much going on there. Anyway, it’s worth booking two nights in this area, to see where the pepper grows. Because it grows right there. If I were to return to this area again, I would choose a much more interesting city, a bit away from Kep, i.e. Kampot.

Pina House are bungalows that are definitely not close to the center. In fact, the map looked like they were closer. Without a tuk-tuk or a rented scooter, you have a long way to go. There are no pubs, restaurants or too many shops around. You have to drive practically everywhere. Moreover, the facility is not located on the main road. You have to pay attention to the signs, because the bungalows are accessed by a side, slightly obscured, gravel road. But if you rent a scooter, it doesn’t make a difference 🙂

SERVICE

The owners are an Italian and his partner (probably wife) is Cambodian. They have a delightful several-year-old daughter to help them. I won’t lie – I liked the woman and the daughter right away. The Italian seemed harsh to me, and his behavior towards his partner (only in my opinion!) was not right. I witnessed where the wife, while serving him and his friend (also an Italian) breakfast, was criticized and verbally attacked by her husband in the presence of the guest. I don’t know what it was about and maybe it was a one-off situation, so I don’t want to judge in any way, but it influenced my further emotions towards this man later.

Most of the time, the woman took care of us – she prepared breakfast, which was available for purchase, helped us book bus tickets to Siem Reap, and did our laundry for free (!). Her little assistant served us drinks, came with information, called her parents when there was no one at the reception. And she communicated very well in English.

ROOM (Bungalow with fan)

Yes, you read that right, with a fan. It was a mistake! I booked this option by mistake, but I noticed it too late and I didn’t want to change the reservation. Back then, the temperatures in Cambodia were unbearably high and the fan mixed the hot air in the room. I do not recommend the option with just a fan, it is definitely better to pay extra and still enjoy the air conditioning. Especially since even at night the temperatures were still extremely high.

The bungalow is a typical basic bungalow built in a row. A sizable bed, desk, closet, mini-fridge, patio overlooking the inner square. The bathroom is also completely standard – shower, washbasin, toilet, cosmetics and disposable toiletries. Cleanliness – let’s call it standard for Asian conditions. The advantage is good Internet and mosquito nets in the windows. The disadvantage was that they were probably full of holes because we had a big problem with mosquitoes. And it was tiger mosquitoes, those that transmit the worst diseases such as Dengue fever or Zika. It so happened that one night I was watching the Eurovision semi-final late – during two hours I killed about 5 mosquitoes that appeared out of nowhere, attracted by the light of the screen.

IN SHORT

Advantages:

• Quiet and peaceful location
• Polite and good English speaking owners (including the daughter!)
• Help in organizing transport and free laundry
• Possibility to buy breakfasts and lunches of Italian cuisine
• Cheap scooter rentals
• Pets accepted at no extra charge
• Mosquito nets on the windows

Disadvantages:

• Payment only in cash
• Far from the center, restaurants, stores and beach
• Air conditioning extra paid
• A large number of mosquitoes entering our room
• Poor lighting and little natural light

Siem Reap – Siem Reap Homesteanding (Ocena na Booking.com: 9,4/10)

Price per night ~ 59,40 PLN ( 13,20 EUR)

The rating I left on Booking.com: 10/10

The rating I would leave now: 10/10

LOCATION

This Homestay is located about a 20-minute walk from the party center of Siem Reap. On the one hand, I thought this distance would bother me a bit, as walking around the city in the heat is not one of my favorite activities, but I saw the advantages of the location.

First of all, Siem Reap Homesteanding is located in the side streets of a crowded city, so you can count on peace and quiet. Don’t be fooled by the seemingly unattractive gravel street where the facility is located. There are several quite nice and well-kept buildings nearby, which suggests that the estate is rather quiet and typically residential. The owner is on site almost all the time and has also provided the facility with a lockable gate, so you can feel safe. Heading towards the main streets of the city, you will soon find the first restaurants and cafes. If you want street food, you can find it by the river, which is about a 10-15 minute walk away.

SERVICE

The owner of the facility was one of the most helpful person we dealt with during the entire trip. First of all, we arrived in Siem Reap by night bus around 6 am. The owner gave us a spare room for free so we could take a nap and wait until the one we booked became available. Thanks to his kindness, we did not have to spend 8 hours on a park bench 😉

Breakfast was included in the accommodation price. It was a classic breakfast offer. Eggs in the form of an omelette, scrambled or fried eggs (to choose from), baguette, butter and jam, coffee or tea and fruit. The owner contacted us via WhatsApp and asked every day for what time to serve the meal. Homestay also offers a laundry service and, upon request, room cleaning. As if that wasn’t enough, it also organizes trips, and a catalog with the offer was available in each room.

We found out during a severe bout of food poisoning, caught at a street food, how helpful the host is. We had to postpone our plans to visit Angkor Wat by two days, and during this time we could fully count on the host’s help. He brought us a free supply of water, brought additional necessary rolls of toilet paper and offered medicines. He asked about our health several times and seemed very concerned about the situation. After the poisoning, he also adapted breakfasts to our forced diet ;). I could say that the host was at our every beck and call. It is possible that for some he could seem a bit pushy, while I am convinced that he cared about meeting all the needs of his guests.

ROOM (Deluxe type with king-size bed)

Another strong point of this place. The room was simply flawless – large, clean, with very good Internet and a comfortable bathroom. There was a fridge, a lockable wardrobe, a safe, a minibar, and plenty of space to store things. The air conditioning worked very well, and there was a table outside where we ate breakfast every day. In the more expensive accommodation option, you can stay in a room that also has a small kitchen, a separate balcony and a large TV. To tell you the truth, this option could easily be used for a stay of several months. The whole apartment is around 40 m², which is cheaper than most apartments in Poland ;). And how do I know about this? Because that’s where the host placed us at six in the morning, while waiting for the right room.

IN SHORT

Advantages:

• Quiet and peaceful location
• Very helpful owner
• Tasty breakfasts and minibars in the rooms
• Very well-functioning air conditioning
• New building and modern design
• Lockable gate
• Individual approach to guests
• Good Internet
• Laundry service on site
• Airport transfer (could have been free depending on the accommodation option)
• Great value for money
• Clean and comfy

Disadvantages:

• Further distance from Siem Reap center (about 20 minutes on foot)
• Ants in the room
• Rather monotonous breakfasts

Summary – where to sleep in Asia, part I – Vietnam and Cambodia

To make possible decisions easier, I have divided the accommodations into the following 3 categories:

I RECOMMEND WHOLEHEARTEDLY (RANDOM ORDER)

1. Siem Reap Homesteanding (For a wonderful owner and modern, very well-equipped rooms)
2. Crony Villa (for the wonderful garden with swimming pool, and helpful staff)
3. WELKOM INN (for amenities, friendly atmosphere and comfortable, modern rooms)

MAY BE

1. Pina House (for a pleasant, homely atmosphere, helpful and charming staff, but with attention to the problem of mosquitoes, location, and fans as standard instead of air conditioning)

YOU WILL FIND BETTER (RANDOM ORDER)

1. Giang Son Hotel (Due to the poor comfort of stay, very small space, cleanliness needs to be improved and the description does not match the service)
2. Minh Vuong Village Resort & Restaurant (za mało atrakcyjną lokalizację, wątpliwe praktyki pozyskiwania pozytywnych opinii, problemy z komunikacją, podrasowane zdjęcia w ofercie i całą masę usterek)
3. Thien Phu Garden Hotel (for the unattractive location, poor English of the staff and inconsistency of the description with the service)

As you have probably noticed, for little money you can find really nice accommodation in Asia with a lot of amenities. The entire post is only my subjective summary, based on my own experiences in these accommodation facilities. In most cases, accommodation offers rooms of different standards and prices, and their quality may vary dramatically. I hope this post helps you decide where to sleep in Asia, starting with places like Vietnam and Cambodia.

If you already know what accommodation to look for in Vietnam, it is worth learning how to prepare for a trip to this beautiful country. Good luck!