One Night in Hongkong

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How would you like to spend HKD500 per night for a boutique hotel room within walking distance of MTR station in central area of Hongkong island, surrounded by great food choices, which also promises true experience of Hongkong living?

It is a steal! But it is not for everyone, based on the comments I read on the internet about Mingle By the Park in Wanchai.

You need to travel light – there is no lift in this 7 storeys refurbished building.

It would help if you are not claustrophobic. Then again, unless you are paying for business traveler hotel chains, most reasonably priced boutique hotels in HK have innovative ways of optimising the use of space. That to me, is a key essence of Hongkong living (having visited a number of friends apartments there).

I stopped over for one night in end Aug, which might be a low season (is there such a thing for HK?). The smallest room, Lite (‘A room with character. Live like it was in the 1960 — when people squeezed an entire family into a space like this!’ – on the hotel website), asked for HKD 500 per night. I went for a little ‘luxury’ – HKD 650 for a queen size bed room.

The room was literally a queen size bed room – not much bigger than a queen size bed, that is. A queen size bed stretched from window to approximately 2 meter from the entrance. Between the bed and entrance, they managed to squeeze in a work table of one (average) body width (I appreciated my Macbook air 11 inch more) and a toilet/shower.

But with approximately 5 minute walk from Wanchai MTR station, 10 minute walk to The Pawn (an old building refurbished into a Pub restaurant), and a great Char Siew restaurant nearby, this is a great find for a one night stop – just check in and leave the luggage in the room, a quick shower maybe, and plenty of choices on what to do, with or without a MTR ride.

And at the end of the night, rest yourself in this 1960′s ambience room and rocked into sleep (and out of it) by the traffic sound outside the window.

Truly Hongkong.

Soul of Nature

Balcony of Alam Jiwa

When I first told friends that I’ve booked myself into a hotel with ‘no TV, no wi-fi and no air-con’, I could see the question marks on their faces. I had the same question mark when I first read the philosophy of this hotel on their website, but the overwhelmingly positive reviews on traveling sites urged me to give it a go.

And it delivered.

Alam, means nature in Malay. Jiwa, means soul. The hotel I stayed for 5 days 4 nights in Ubud, Bali is called Alam Jiwa – Soul of Nature.

The room we got was called Jalak Bali – ‘Bali Starling‘, a specie of bird facing extinction. It is on upper level of a bungalow with high ceiling, 2 ceiling fans and a balcony facing a rice field. The bathtub is next to a window facing the rice field and could get a great view of the moon and rice field if you switch off the lights in the bathroom at night. But the part I like the most is the balcony. The guests can opt to have breakfast served to their balcony so as to enjoy the great morning view of rice field.

Breakfast on the balcony

 

 

 

 

 

 

December is raining season in Bali, especially Ubud. That just seems to make Alam Jiwa even more true to its name. Throughout the entire stay, I was surrounded by sound of falling rain, running river, singing frogs and sashaying trees. Regardless of whether I was reading a book on the balcony, enjoying a glass of wine in the bathtub or dozing off on bed, those were the perfect accompanying music. I understood then why no TV was provided … no distraction needed (nor appreciated).

Lovely staffs of Alam Jiwa, dressing up a xmas tree

Adding to the impeccable setting is the impeccable service from the staffs. Ever so friendly and ever so caring, they were always around to offer helps like driving guests to town, offering dining ideas or carrying your baby. And they seem to be having fun doing all that.

So after 5 days I began to suspect that this a piece of heaven found on earth. At the same time, I could not help but getting more conscious that I am an earthling who must return to the real world sooner or later. I realise a large part of me has left this heaven for too far and too long.

A part of me will always long to come back here every now and then. Even for just a little while.