Finding the right accommodation in Rome is not always an easy task. There are a lot of independent hotels of unequal quality and also a vast of choice of private apartments. This time I planned my trip at the very last minute, but I had a good surprise with the Palazzo Olivia. My number one criteria was the location, because I love walking around Rome. Here it was absolutely perfect, being at only a few minutes from the beautiful Piazza Navona. And for a reasonable price during the high season, I got a one bedroom apartment of 30 m² ! I think I was upgraded because I booked an Junior Apartment for 2, but the one I stayed in was for 3 people (it had an additional sofa bed). There are also some hotel rooms, and some family apartments that can host up to 5 guests.
Author: The_Consulting_Traveller
Review : Hotel La Semilla, Playa del Carmen
This lovely boutique hotel is everything you wouldn’t expect to find in Playa del Carmen, the land of massive beach resorts.
La Semilla’s 9 rooms offer a vintage and authentic atmosphere with furniture picked from flea markets, and the feeling of being protected in a little cocoon. It describes itself as “rough luxury” which is a very accurate definition and is part of the label Design Hotels.
My maid cafe experience in Tokyo !
If you spend some time in AKIHABARA district, you cannot miss the girls dressed as “maids” in the streets that promote the many MAID CAFES of the area. As I was looking for lunch after exploring many manga shops, I was dragged into one of them by one of these giggling young girls who insisted it would be “so much fun”. I was honestly wondering what I was getting myself into… but the curiosity was stronger. So what is actually a “maid cafe” ?
Neko Cafe: Hello Kitties !
I started my exploration of « Only in Japan Cafes » by the now famous concept of cat cafes (or « Neko Cafe »). Cats are very popular in Japan, but many landlords prohibit them. So instead of having them at home, the frustrated cat lovers can spend time in… a cat cafe! The concept is simple : it is relaxing place where you can have a drink, read mangas, watch TV or play videogames… surrounded by feline friends.
Travel planning tips : Flights
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Choose you flight carefully. We are all looking for the cheapest price but there some other elements you need to look at.
- When creating an itinerary, never forget that what seems easy on paper may not be in real life. Are you sure you want to wake up at 3 AM to take this 7 AM flight ?
- How far is the airport located from the city center? Big cities often have at least 2 airports and some of them can be located pretty far. For example in Tokyo most international flights take off from Narita (which is a long way from the center) but some others leave from Haneda (much more convenient!). It can make a big difference if you plan to take a taxi.
- At what time will you flight land? The standard time for hotel check in around the world is 2 PM. It means that if you arrive early in the morning, you will have to wait quite a long time to get your room. Of course you can leave your bags and go for a walk, but if you are jet-lagged after a long-haul flight it can be very tiring. So when possible, I choose flights which arrive in the afternoon or at night.
- Cheaper flights often have 1 or 2 stops before your final destination. Make sure you will have enough time, especially if you travel to the US and have to go through customs and get your luggage before catching your connection. In JFK the line is so long that it can take you more than one hour. Companies sometimes sell you tickets with impossible connections. It happened to me with a United flight that had a 45 minutes stop in Houston, hopefully the second flight was delayed otherwise there was no way I could have made it. Another time I had a flight from Portland to London via Denver. The stop in Denver was only 40 minutes and my first flight got delayed of…40 minutes. So instead they sent me to Vancouver where again I lost the flight to London ! I had to spend the night there, and the following day they booked me on another flight to London… this time with a stop in Chicago. Nightmare !
The Consulting Traveller 
