Quick Review: Lily Guest House at Chungking Mansion in Hong Kong

We recently stayed in Lily Guest House located at Chungking Mansions in Hong Kong. This is the 2nd time we stayed at Chungking so we basically had an idea what to expect. This time around is a bit more of a hassle than last time. If you have been to Chungking, it is not the best of places, elevator is small, it has a long wait, not the cleanest and a bit noisy. Also, the rooms are inside big lofts that were segregated to smaller rooms.

As expected, our room is quite small, 3 people barely fit. It was as expected. Unfortunately, the water heater for the shower did not work. We were moved to another building in another floor after the 3rd day of our stay. 2nd problem is we didn't have an electric kettle in our room. There is a hot/cold water dispenser but it is located in another loft. So you have to go through three doors just to get hot water. A fridge is also located outside the room for everyone to use. People are polite and none took any of our drinks that we placed there. Rooms are really not cleaned everyday and toiletries were scarce.

If you're planning to stay in any guesthouse in Chungking, here are my tips:

1. Bring your own toiletries (e.g. toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, and shampoo). Just to be sure as some do not provide these even if it is indicated in the booking.

2. Bring your own towels.

3. Bring a big enough tumbler for your water so you don't have to keep going to the water dispenser.

4. Bring slippers/flip flops. For whenever you take a shower. Just to be on the safe side.

5. The ones managing the places are quite polite so be polite in return. If they could provide what you need, they will most probably try.

So these are just some of the things I personally experienced. Every stay is different. So if your planning to stay here, don't be finicky. This is a budget guesthouse and is an adventure in itself.

Quick Review: Go Sleep Hotel Hankou

The last time we went to Taipei, we stayed at a Go Sleep Hotel Hankou. It is located in Wanhua District. It's still near Ximending, a couple minutes walk and you're there. This is also a bit cheaper than our last hotel. Probably due to the location being a bit farther from the train station and food is served as buffet style.

Missed this a few times as the sign was a bit small.

As for our room, we had one double and one single bed. It's good enough for a family of three.

You get a small tabe and chair, a small cabinet, a tea kettle, complimentary water with tea and coffee. If you also choose a room without a window, the rate is a bit cheaper than with a window.

The flat screen tv is mounted on the wall to maximize the space. It has a decent channels and a few channels with english movies.

As for the toilet, it has a shower and a bathtub with cold and hot water. The toilet is western style. The sink also has hot and cold water. The setting though is a bit tricky as the pressure is very good so getting the right temp may take awhile. The mirror also has heating to prevent it from fogging up. Just make sure to turn on the switch on the side. The hair dryer is near the water basin. Shampoo and body wash is also provided.

Bath tub is of decent size so it takes awhile to fill it up if you want to soak.

Floor gets slippery when you get it too wet so be careful.

 As for the breakfast buffet, below are just a sample of the choices. Some of the choices will be changes out during certain times so stay for a bit if you don't fancy some of the choices.

The drinks are unlimited and are open 24/7. Downside to this is, it is located on the Ground floor and the rooms are located on a separate floor.

Overall, this is a great bang for the buck type of hotel. It is clean, has a decent breakfast, and still a walking distance away from Ximending.

Gudetama Chef in Taipei

Here is a quick look of the Gudetama Chef in Taipei. Food is of course a bit more expensive compared to regular cafes' because of the theme. Although it was a bit on the pricey side (compared to where I usually eat), it was still a nice experience. You could pre-pay your food through their website. You will also have to reserve through their website, just to make sure that you will have seats. There are times that the place is packed but there are times that you could just walk-in.

One Piece Cafe in Taiwan

Below is a short clip of the time we visited the One Piece themed cafe in Da-an, Taipei, Taiwan.

Enjoy!
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Things I learned when I visited Korea during winter

I recently came back from a trip to Seoul, Korea. It was my first time to experience snow and -0 temperatures. The lowest I experienced before this was around 10C in Taiwan. I didn't really know what to expect. But along the way there are some things that I learned and will share to future travellers to countries with cold climates (with the exception of VERY cold countries - e.g. Canada).


CLOTHING
1. Get a good set of base layers. (e.g. thermals)
- Good examples of these are Uniqlo's heattech line. It is your base layer that will help retain heat and at the same time wick away sweat (if any). Quick dry fabrics are also an option.

2.  Sweaters, Hoodies, Jackets, etc
- Next layer will be the one you would like to wear when your inside shops or restaurants. Whenever you go inside malls, restaurants and the likes, they usually have heaters so you most probably will be removing your winter jacket. So this layer is the clothes you prefer.

3. Winter Jacket
- This layer is your outermost clothing that will protect you from the wind, snow and cold. Options are Down jackets, Down parkas and the likes. Get one that is water resistant because you never know when it will suddenly rain or sudden snow fall. This will also help in keeping you warm while walking outside.

4. Pants
- Other than the warmers you have as base layers, I suggest you get pants that are also wind blockers. Sometimes, the warmers are not enough and when cold winds blow, you will definitely feel it.

5. Socks
- Get your self socks that are suitable for cold climates. My suggestions is get the fleece lined ones to insulate the heat to prevent your hands from freezing.

6. Shoes
- Winter boots are the best bet here. They offer coverage, warmth, and prevent you from slipping from ice patches on the street. But if your mostly indoors, any shoe will do.

7. Gloves
- Try to find something with fleece lining for heat retention and outer lining that is wind proof and water proof. This helps when playing with snow or just plain walking outside. Prevents freezing hands. Preferably get the one with touch screen compatible so you don't have to remove the gloves when you need to use your phone.


SKIN CARE
- Because of the cold weather, the air will most likely be dry. This in turn will cause dry skin. Protect your skin before going out with moisturisers, hand creams, moisturising aloe gels and the likes. Don't forget to also apply moisturisers on your face and lip balm for the lips to prevent wind burn. Dry skin hurts.


ACCESSORIES
1. Face Mask - helps your nose and lips from freezing. Also keeps cheeks warm. Added benefit of air filtration from pollution and/or someone near you who has colds. It is also fashionable in Korea to wear one.

2. Neck Warmer - Keeps your neck warm and you could pull it up to also cover your mouth, cheeks and nose.

3. Scarf - Same as the neck warmer.

4. Bonnet - Prevents your head from getting cold. And if you pull it down more, also covers your ears.

5. Hand warmer - Small packets that could be held to keep your hands warm for a number of hours. You could also place these inside your shoes.

6. Umbrella - For the sudden downpour. Although, these are readily available at convenient stores at around 6000 won for the disposable transparent ones.


These are just some tips based on my experience. Other thing that I did was I ate street foods that are spicy or street foods dipped in hot soup, they give hot soup with it. You could also buy warm drinks from convenient stores or vending machines and keep them in your pockets while holding them then eventually drink it to warm you up more.

If you have other tips leave them in the comments below. Would like to learn more!