BEST AWARDS: Accommodations…So Far! :)

As we depart from Vietnam, we have officially completed half of our year long journey around the world. In some ways it has flown by, yet it seems like eons ago that we were in Florence, Italy.

 

We have tried to post pics and videos of our more interesting accommodations but some folks have asked for details so we thought we should award a “BEST” to each place and also send direct links in case anyone wants to bookmark them.

 

Our goal on this trip has been to stay at least a week but preferably 2-3 weeks in each place. Our philosophy on accommodations has been to try and stay in apartments or houses when possible. It is more affordable and gives us a better feel for the culture and community. We can cook for ourselves, seek out the best bakery and grocery shop and tackle laundry like the locals

 *****

Florence, Italy

AWARD: Most Colorful Neighbor

We wrote about “cranky lady” in our blog but this really was a great neighborhood apartment. Three bedrooms, great proximity to all the sites and good value! https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/933558

 *****

Oia, Santorini, Greece

AWARD: Best Sea View

It is hard for me to be objective, because Oia is still one of my favorite places on earth. Staying in a cave house was a dream of mine, so Lydia House was a dream come true! Definitely one of our splurge accommodations but worth every cent and comfortably fit all of us! Plus Manos, the owner, is so gracious and made our stay unforgettable! http://www.vrbo.com/357131

 *****

Athens, Greece

AWARD: Best Amenities For Free

We picked AVA Hotel from TripAdvisor and we weren’t disappointed! Great location and great service.  Free breakfast, free candy, free movies, free slippers, etc. Definitely a good value for Athens. http://www.avahotel.gr

 *****

Pitsidia, Crete

AWARD: Best Place For Insanity

Wescott rates all accommodations on whether or not it has enough room to do the Insanity Workout indoors…our Villa Potamis in Pitsidia was very spacious and perfect….it also had a pool! Great kitchen too. It was a little too far from Matala but if you want to be off the beaten path, it is a great house for your $$! http://www.vacation-apartments.com/11533.htm

 *****

Barcelona, Spain

AWARD: Best Location

Our Barcelona 4th floor walk up apt in the Barri Gotic district was so ubercool we felt like hipper humans simply walking in the front door. The neighborhood was unbeatable with El Salon, one of the best restaurants we have discovered on the whole trip, right across the alleyway…Laura Kelso, you would love it!! http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p970965?flspusage=fl

 *****

Seville, Spain

AWARD: Best Piazza & Worst Wifi

We don’t want to make a habit out of awarding “worsts” but we had to do it here. The apartment was dynamite with a terrific roof deck and adjacent to a quaint piazza with several good restaurants. But the Santa Cruz neighborhood, while ground zero cool in terms of its location next to the cathedral, was also the worst part of the city for wifi. It was so bad we had to get an extra room 10 blocks away at a hostel just to do email and Skype calls….!!! http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p1004734

*****

Lisbon, Portugal

AWARD: Best Interior Decor

Our apartment in Lisbon was a three bedroom centrally located in the city.  But the best part was the decor! Frederico, the owner, is an interior designer and has created a uniquely eclectic vibe with use of local artists pieces mixed with antiques. It is awesome! We actually had the pleasure of staying in 2 of Frederico’s apartments because our stay in a Lisbon was extended and they were both amazing! Apt1:  https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/991682 Apt2: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/823181

 *****

Marrakech, Morocco

AWARD: Best Urban Oasis

Right in the heart of the old Medina, Riad Sekkat is a wonderfully zen escape in the heart of the Marrakesh chaos. And everyone who takes care of you at the Riad is amazing! We definitely had some of our best meals in Marrakesh at the Riad, and the cook, Raja, taught us some cooking techniques! Siham, the house manager, went above and beyond to make our stay unforgettable. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g293734-d1389183-Reviews-Riad_Sekkat-Marrakech_Marrakech_Tensift_El_Haouz_Region.html

 *****

Bwejuu Beach, Zanzibar, Tanzania

AWARD: Best Unspoiled Beach To Get Away From It All

Bwejuu is definitely the most “off the beaten path” we have been so far on this trip. Most tourists go to the northern coast of Zanzibar rather than the east. We stayed for 3 weeks in two different hut-type accommodations. The first was Crazy Mzungos which was exactly what it sounds like…. A funky backpacker type place with a great sand floor bar and a good chef! http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g616019-d1942330-Reviews-Crazy_Mzungo_s_Flashpackers-Bwejuu_Zanzibar_Zanzibar_Archipelago.html

The second was Pakacha run by a local man who has integrated the village into his establishment. More likely to see cows walking by on the beach than people  http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g616019-d2374032-Reviews-Pakacha_Bungalows-Bwejuu_Zanzibar_Zanzibar_Archipelago.html

Both were fun and funky!

 *****

Arusha, Tanzania (on safari)

AWARD: Most Luxurious Tent & Best Organic Farm

We used safaris.com to book our entire expedition and were lucky enough to get matched up with Kibo…a very cool Tanzanian company! They owned both lodges we stayed in during our safari, Kitela and Lake Masek Tented Camp. Kitela has a gigantic organic farm on the property that grows food, not only for Kitela guests, but many other Kibo lodges. For those of you obsessed with gardening, it is worth the trip to Tanzania just to take a tour of the Kitela organic farm. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g790144-d3421174-Reviews-Kitela_Lodge-Karatu_Arusha_Region.html

Lake Masek is a tented camp right in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area on the edge of the Serengeti. The tents are the most luxurious tents known to mankind with footed bathtubs, flushing toilets and amazing outside showers. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g317085-d1547561-Reviews-Masek_Tented_Camp-Ngorongoro_Conservation_Area_Arusha_Region.html

 *****

Arusha, Tanzania (rental house)

AWARD: Best Mountain View

With a sunset view of Mount Kilamanjaro from the swimming pool, dining room, and master bedroom, this house can not be beat on the Mountain View! Add monkeys swinging in the trees on most nights for an added bonus! Such a cool house and great place to chill after safari! https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1669725?guests=7&s=h4cq

 *****

Bagamoyo, Tanzania

AWARD: Best Body Surfing

We changed places in Bagamoyo because the first place we stayed at was a nightmare. The Bagamoyo Country Club is probably the nicest place in Bagamoyo. It is on a spectacular stretch of beach and has a decent restaurant. But all in all, you should not travel to Bagamoyo if you want an outstanding beach experience. There are a ton of awesome reasons to visit Bagamoyo, but a great hotel is not on the list. If we had to do it over again, we would have tried a small guesthouse and skipped trying to be on the beach.  http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g678704-d1758132-Reviews-Bagamoyo_Country_Club-Bagamoyo_Pwani_Region.html

 *****

Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

AWARD: Best hotel room with dining table for 8!

We picked our hotel in Dar based on TripAdvisor reviews and we weren’t disappointed. Tanzanite Suites isn’t the most awesome hotel but it is a good value.  Plus we were able to get a 3 bedroom suite that had a dining room table for 8 which was an awesome hang out for all of us as we regrouped before headings to Asia. We visited some of the more expensive hotels in Dar but decided they weren’t worth the money. http://www.tanzaniteexecutivesuites.com

 *****

Hanoi, Vietnam

AWARD: Best, Best, Best! Value!! Service!!!

Finnegan’s was so outstanding, we can’t decide on only one “BEST.” For $45/ night, we had a great room in a great location with an awesome breakfast included. But the best part was the service! Viet and his whole family took care of us and helped us get the most out of our 2 weeks in Hanoi! He even called Tuck and Jones orphanage on our behalf and set up our visit!!! Thank you Viet and everyone at Finnegan’s for making our visit unforgettable!! http://hanoifinneganshotel.com

 *****

Hoi An, Vietnam

AWARD: Best Home Base

What does “home base” mean? As we talked about it, we decided it meant a place that makes you feel at home! Ha An had a killer breakfast (included!) free bicycles, a pool table, a fruit basket in your room…everything! The bed and pillows were super comfy too! http://www.haanhotel.com

 *****

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

AWARD: Best Host…laundry room gets honorable mention

Our apartment in HCMC was gorgeous! Well decorated and had a killer view.  But it was our host who made our stay there so spectacular. Bach is so thoughtful and accommodating, he makes you want to stay and stay!!! He read our blog before our arrival and moved a Wii into the apartment just for our stay. He kept our baggage for us for 5 days while we went to the beach. He put extra toothbrushes, toothpaste, Oreos, coffee, snacks, water, laundry soap, everything in the apartment for us to use. This is the type of service you expect from a good hotel but you never get pampered like that in a rental apartment! It was awesome!!!! https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1980685

 *****

Mui Ne, Vietnam

AWARD: Best Pool for Kids

Even though Mui Ne is on the beach in Vietnam, we didn’t spend anytime at the beach…that is because our pool was KILLER! It had a slide that was so fun, I spent as much time on it as the kids Roaming Jones kids and Sharples kids agree that what we will all remember about Mui Ne will be the epic Sea Links pool!!!  The house was decent.  In a golf resort where all the houses look exactly the same but the pool was unforgettable! http://www.agoda.com/sea-links-beach-resort-golf/hotel/phan-thiet-vn.html

*****

In the spirit of trying to keep a journal of accomodatons, restaurants, sites, etc. I have become an uber-reviewer on TripAdvisor.  Feel free to check out my profile and follow along on further details if you want  http://www.tripadvisor.com/members/misopiso88