Now and then I find a place to stay that actually feels like a home. One such place is the Asha Guesthouse in Bangkok. In fact, I like it so much that I have stayed there every time I have visited Bangkok since I found it. So what is so special about the Asha Guesthouse? Well it’s no single thing, instead it is a combination of features which make this such a cool place to stay.

As a place to stay for the budget traveller, the price is surely pleasing. A basic fan room costs only 350 Baht per person per night, an air conditioned room is only 100 Baht more, at 450 Baht per person per night. This is an excellent price for Bangkok.

The facilities here are first rate, a small swimming pool takes up part of the restaurant area, open from early morning until late at night. The restaurant serves a mixture of western dishes and tasty Thai food. Prices for food and drink here are also quite reasonable, especially if you stick to the Thai food.

There are laundry machines that can be used for free, just bring your own detergent, and the TV room has a large selection of DVDs which are also free to watch. There is even a free gym, outfitted with a variety of equipment. Access to such a large selection of free amenities make this place incredibly good value.

The rooms are clean, although all have a shared bathroom, they could do with a coat of paint but that’s not to say they are dirty, just a little run down. The bathrooms are cleaned several times a day and are kept spotless. Every room has a balcony of it’s own, very useful for smokers as there is a no smoking policy in place within the rooms. Security is good, as each door is fitted with brackets for visitors to use their own padlock, along with the standard room lock.

What really makes the Asha Guesthouse a special place to stay when visiting Bangkok, especially for budget travellers and backpackers, is the huge amount of advice the staff and owners hold in their heads about Bangkok and Thailand in general. You can throw your guidebook away when you stay here, you wont need it.

So, to sum up, the Asha Guesthouse is a great budget travel choice if you are visiting Bangkok. It is in the neighbourhood of Saphon Kwai, and is only a few minutes walk from the closes Skytrain station, making access to all of the attractions of Bangkok quick, cheap and easy.

If you have a tight budget, but still wish to spend some time away from home, then a city break can be just the thing to facilitate this. A city break describes taking a few days (usually a long weekend of a mid-week) holiday, in a city that is fairly easy and cheap for you travel too. A mid-week break will often be the cheapest option, many airlines and hotels offer discounts for those people who choose not to visit on the weekend.

A great example would be visiting Paris from London, this is a very short and cheap flight, which means that time in the destination city is maximised and cost is kept to a minimum. If you have never visited Paris before, there will be plenty to see and do, certainly enough to keep you entertained for three or four days.

Most people will be booking their city break on-line, and booking fairly late, this is one of the best things about this kind of trip, you can decide to take off on short notice, it will require far less planning than a traditional vacation. Before booking, do some investigation, although there are many tour companies who are more than happy to book your trip for you, it can often be cheaper to match up a budget airline, with cut price accommodation found on-line.

If you want to get the best from your short trip, pack light. If you are only going to be away from home a  few days, there is no need for a whole suitcase full of clothing and accessories. Try and find a bag that is large enough to carry all of the basic requirements, yet small enough to be taken on-board a plane as carry-on luggage. If you have never travelled this way before, you will be enlightened by how much easier it is to travel when you do not have to worry about your luggage. Remember that some airlines now have strict limitations upon quantities and types of liquid and cosmetics that can be taken on-board as hand luggage. Where possible, try to take small travel sized products and be prepared to have the confiscated.

A city break is a great way to taste the culture of surrounding areas, without the cost of a full vacation, if you don’t like travelling abroad, why not try visiting one of the cities in your own nation? This can be just as much fun, and comes without the possible problems associated with overseas travel.