4 kinds of affordable Airbnbs in Hong Kong for the budget travelers

For one of the world’s most expensive cities, Hong Kong offers up some pretty affordable Airbnbs. So you can find reasonable, chic apartments that, while small, offer good amenities and prime locations. And you do not have to break the bank. Here are some of the best Airbnbs in Hong Kong for your money.

The one-bedroom apartment with a pretty balcony

While it does not look like much from the pictures, this apartment is highly rated due to other selling points: its convenient location and the nicely-decorated balcony. The apartment is located in a busy area but it is nice and quiet since it is tucked right at the end of the building. Places that are easily accessible from the apartment are Mong Kok MTR Station, Ladies Market, Sneakers (Fa Yuen) Street and Argyle Centre. While the apartment may just be a place to retreat to for the night, light cooking is also possible here.

Location: Mong Kok
Max. no. of guests: 2
No. of bedrooms: 1

The bright and spacious flat with three bedrooms

This tastefully furnished three-bedroom flat is spacious by Hong Kong standards. Two of the bedrooms have king-sized beds, the other one has a double bed, and the common room has a sofa bed. Altogether, eight people can share this home during their trip. As with the other apartments in the Mong Kok area, shopping and dining options are mere steps away. Among others, you will find streetside stalls selling fried seafood, fruits and veggies. Do bear in mind that this apartment is on the fourth floor of a building with no lift, so those with heavy luggage might struggle a bit.

Location: Mong Kok
Max. no. of guests: 8
No. of bedrooms: 1

The two-bedroom apartment with an urban view

Near Times Square, Hysan Place and Sogo is this two-bedroom apartment along Hennessy Road. It can accommodate up to six persons if you don’t mind the crowd; otherwise, four guests will fit nicely. The typical freebies like towels and toiletries are included, and you might also appreciate the hair dryer, iron and washing machine with detergent. The apartment is a great base to reach the southern beaches in Shek O and Stanley.  It is also within walking distance to the Wan Chai Pier which has ferries to Kowloon. On top of that, with plenty of buses in front of the apartment, you can even get to Mong Kok in less than 15 minutes.

Location: Causeway Bay
Max. no. of guests: 6
No. of bedrooms: 2

The studio just in front of the MTR Station

This cute little studio apartment along the famous Nathan Road has touches of greenery to add life to the modern space. While it is a studio, the space is compartmentalised into a bedroom, living room, kitchen, and bathroom. It also comes with air-conditioning, a fridge, a washing machine, and fast WiFi. This is one of the units of the Mirador Mansion and it is located on the tenth floor. Staying here will put you just minutes away from the Avenue of Stars, the Science Museum, malls like Miramar, Miramall and The One, as well as Knutsford Terrace where pubs and bars are aplenty. Getting to other parts of Hong Kong is convenient too as there is an entrance to Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station just outside the building.

Location: Tsim Sha Tsui
Max. no. of guests: 2
No. of bedrooms: Studio

Read more: Top tourist attractions in Hong Kong

Source Tripzilla

Saigon sense market: the interesting market in Saigon

As time progresses, the markets have become a tourist attraction for foreign visitors, but they can be hard to find, especially in district 1 when there are not many markets beside the Ben Thanh market. However, the Sense Market at the September 23th Park became a phenomenon for its fantastic and diverse street foods, especially in Saigon street foods that can only be found in small street markets.

The location

The Sense Market, unlike other supermarkets and shopping malls, is unique for its distinctive location. Never before has a small-scale food court been located inside a park and under a stage at the heart of the city, making it very convenient for passers-by and tourists to fill their stomach and while visiting district 1. This is because the market is 10-minute away on foot from the Ben Thanh market and surrounded by different services and stores. There are two zones in the September 9th Park with the market being situated in Zone B, facing Pham Ngu Lao street and Le Lai street.

Such a structure of organizing the food stores also shows how brilliant the designers are. This is illustrated by the closeness among the food stores that helps to connect different guests, as there are big seats for having meals on one side or right on the walking way. Such seats enable the diners to enjoy every cuisine presented in the Food Town, not being confined to one food shop exclusively like in other shopping malls. This is mainly due to the Food Town’s permission to have different dishes and foods in one table.

Read more: The interesting weekend markets for the young in Saigon

Inside the Sense Market

What distinguishes Sense Market from other malls in the city is the combination of a modern supermarket and a traditional food court that resembles street markets. Taka Plaza, a shopping mall, is the first area to be in the visitors’ sight when entering the market. This 2000-square-metre mall contains more than 400 big and small fashion stalls, giving the visitors a range of product choices at reasonable and affordable prices.

The foods

The Sense Market is well-known for its diversity in the food cultures and street foods with more than 50 food stalls in Asiana Food Town. The name might give you some clues about the type of foods here: Asian foods. From China, India, Japan to Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam, the arguably most famous dishes around Asia gather in one place.

The prices vary too, ranging from 45000 VND to 150000 VND depending on the foods purchased.

Source Local Insider

The best souvenirs from Kyoto

Kyoto is a famous tourist attraction that is just as popular as Tokyo. The city's charm comes from the many temples and the nice neighborhoods it has, which make it a destination loved by visitors from all around the world. Let's take a look at what kinds of souvenirs Kyoto has to offer.

1. Nama Yatsuhashi With Red Bean Paste

Among the Japanese, a long time favorite souvenir from Kyoto is the nama yatsuhashi. Yatsuhashi is a type of senbei, cracker that is made of rice flour, sugar, cinnamon and water, which is mixed, then rolled out into a thin sheet before being baked. When the dough is steamed instead of being baked and filled with red bean paste, it turns into a confectionery called nama yatsuhashi with red bean.

2. Konpeito Sugar Candy

Konpeito is traditional sugar candy that originates from Portugal. True to its name, Kyoto Marun's "World's Smallest Konpeito" is very tiny. White, green, yellow and pink konpeito as small as grains of sand can be found in a jar. It is very tiny, but you can taste the wonderful flavor of the sugar in each piece.

3. Fukkura Usagi Set

Fukkura Usagi is a sugar confectionery made by Kyoto Marun. The sugary treats in the shape of hearts and bunnies are so cute that it's almost hard to take a bite. The bunnies are placed in a box that is filled with konpeito sugar candy. Cute designs such as this are a trait of Japanese souvenirs.

4. Yuumochi

Yuumochi are bite-size rice cakes inside a cute packaging in the shape of yuzu citrus. When you open the lid, you will smell the refreshing aroma of the yuzu citrus. It has a nice texture, almost like something between a gummy and a standard rice cake. The yuzu citrus flavor is very bold and makes you feel like you are eating the actual fruit. You can also taste the mild bitterness of the citrus, making it an addictive treat.

5. Matcha Anpone

Matcha Anpone is a confectionery set with matcha green tea bean paste, homemade cheese cream and monaka (Japanese wafers). The unique trait of this sweets is how you stuff the filling into the monaka wafers. The two types of pastes, homemade mascarpone cheese and bean paste using matcha green tea from Uji, Kyoto, come in jars. The Japanese confectionery, monaka is a crispy waffle made out of thinly baked mochi rice cake with a red bean filling.

6. Suhama Dango

Suhama dango is a cute tri-colored sweet made of domestically produced kinako and syrup that has been mixed together. Kinako is a powder made from ground soybeans. The soybean powder has been mixed in so you can savor the taste of the beans from each bite. The sugar coat also helps bring out the sweetness of the bean as well. Since it comes in a nice bite-sized piece, it is hard to resist eating more than one.

Read more: The ultimate Japanese food guide

Source matcha-jp