Comment manger efficacement aux States ...

Beaucoup de gens me posent la meme question depuis mon retour des States ; "Mais tu as dépensé beaucoup d'argent pour manger labas surement ?"
Et bien, détrompez vous ! Il est facilement faisable de manger "bien" et pas cher du tout, le tout est de savoir un peu les coutumes locale....

Comme c'etait mon 2ieme voyage aux States, je commence a comprendre comment fonctionne les choses labas. Voici quelques petits conseils :

1) Le plus simple et le plus recommander : Demandez aux Americains ! Dés que vous arriver quelque part, accoster un habitant local et demander ou il va manger ! C'est souvent la meilleur façon de proceder.

2) N'evitez jamais les enseignes fast-food ! Vous y trouverez égalemment souvent les locaux et toutes les tranches d'ages ! Tous les Americains adorent le fast-food. Au jour d'aujourdhui dans ses fameux fast-food vous ne trouverez pas seulement les burgers mais égalemment des salades fraiches, pommes de terres en chaussons, chili con carne et autres délices, et surtout a des prix raisonables. Quelques chaines connues : Jack in the Box, Wendy's, Burger King, Taco Bell, ...

3) Verifiez toujours a l'avance si vos chambres d'hotels ont un micro-ondes. (ce qui est souvent le cas !)
Entrez dans un supermarché Americain est une experience en sois ! Vous passerez des heures a analiser tous ses produits inédits, inconnus et farfelus ! Dans les rayons plats préparer (donc tous les rayons!!) vous trouverez plein de choix de plats Made in Usa comme ; macaroni and cheese, jerked beef, mais aussi des plats asiatiques, italiens, mexicains, enfin, de quoi se rassasier a souhait ! 3 minutes au micro-ondes et hop !
Nous avons egalemment utilisé ce systeme pour le petit dej car au States rares sont les hotels petit dej inclus !
Sachez que dans toutes les chambres des hotels - motels Americains vous avez de quoi vous préparer du café et du thé. Certes, le café local est plutot de l'eau chaude un peu coloré mais le petit truc est de prendre dans sa valise des sachet de Nescafé !
Avec du pain et quelques donuts acheter la veille au supermarché vous voila en train de dejeuner tranquille dans votre chambre sans perdre de temps.

4) Autre astuce pour manger sur un budget restreint est de s'arreter dans n'importe quel station service !
Dans chaque station service vous trouverez un micro-onde, des boissons pressions, des cafés a emporter, car dans chaque voiture de location vous aurez a votre disposition des poses-verres. Burritos, hamburger, nachos et autres sont facilemment chauffable dans les micro-ondes et vous donnerons l'energie nescessaire pour continuez votre voyage...a l'Americaine !

5) Enfin, si vous souhaitez quand meme une fois vous faire plaisir en allant au resto, faites attention !
Entrez dans les restaurants et demandez systematiquement a voir les menus avant de vous installez. Verifier aussi toujours si les taxes sont deja inclus dans les prix ou non, sinon, surprise a l'addition.
Et puis il faut avouer, le dollar etant momentanément assez bas, que 25dollar pour un steak n'est pas non plus la fin du monde.

Pour un petit resto Mexicain que nous avons adoré a Page, voir le lien suivant dans ma page Tips and Tricks !

Studytrip Lloret de mar

Just got back from my second studytrip this year. This time I stranded in Lloret de mar - Costa Brava - Spain.

(Beach at Lloret)

Let me tell you my first feeling : "If you're older than 18, don't go there !!!"

Unless you want to go party with all the hormonious teenagers strolling around in the centre of town !

Lloret is one party in the evening with lots of bars, discos and fastfood corners ! Pretty convenient after a night of drinking and dancing.

But being completely honest, Lloret has some nice spots too, you just have to search for them.... There is a bar at Cala Banys that's worth a visit f.i.

(Bar at Cala Banys)

The inland though is very beautiful with nice green hills and little villages to cross, so don't hesitate to rent a car and drive around.

Then again, the hotels in Lloret are old and need to be destroyed and rebuild. (that's my opinion!)

But if you want some advice, here's whats the best of what I've seen ;

In Lloret : Rosamar Garden

Perhaps you'd like a visit to Santa Susana instead ! Nice little beach area with some nice hotels :

Aquahotel Onabrava

Luna Park and club

I will remmember Lloret de mar in a good way, as I partied along with the teenagers. We had a wonderfull time there and ate a lot of fastfood (as the food in the hotels is awfull!)

Go Lloret ! Party on dudes !!

Studytrip Almeria

Yesterday I got back from Costa Almeria where I spended 4 days visiting hotels, again for work.

Unfortunatly, I'm very disappointed about the Costa itself. I'm not a big fan of Spain and certainly not of Roquetas de Mar... But that's personal opinion.

I can understand people who want to go there, as there is a kilometers long boulevard to make nice walks, Aguadulce is a nice bay also and you're not far from Almeria city, wich has a nice Alhambra to visit.

For families there is a theme park called Oasis Mini Hollywood. It's a cowboy theme park with a zoo attached to it, wich makes a great daytrip for families !

Some highlight hotels :

Zimbali Playa - Vera
Playacapricho - Roquetas de mar
Cabo Gata garden - El toyo
Mediterraneo Park - Roquetas de mar

Little review on the guesthouses during our stay...

Now I'm back from my wonderfull trip through Sri Lanka, I'm taking some time to review the guesthouses we stayed in while travelling there.

Let's start with the beginning :

1) Milano Tourist rest - Anuradhapura (source lonely planet & rough guide)

The reception and restaurant area

About 300m from the mainroad, very quiet and easy reachable with a bike ! They rent bikes at the guesthouse for 300rs a day (2€). It' the ideal way of visiting the ancient city, but it's a long journey anyway. Count on +/-25km bike to see it all.

The garden

 The room we had was with A/C, very clean and quiet. The restaurant is inside or in the little garden. (be carefull for the mosquitos, very nasty ones out there!!) The food is not bad, but you can have better in the city for less money. (like everywhere in Sri Lanka once you step out of your guesthouse)




The personel is very friendly and helpfull and there is good wifi connection around the lobby and the restaurant (about 160rs per hour)

The road

The annex building with rooms

                                                    

2) Siyanco Holiday Resort - Polonnaruwa (source Amandine and David, the french travelpartners)

Just a few steps away from the centre and around 2km from the ancient city.

Reception

They rent bikes for 450rs a day, but in the centre we found one for 300rs.

Rooms are small but very comfy with a large bathroom, very clean.

Rooms

The breakfast is outside or inside and they have a restaurant. Try to demand rooms on the backside, beacause on the front you have noise from the mainroad (little, but still)
We payed +/- 3200rs for one night with breakfast. Reasonable price.








3) Highest view - Kandy (source lonely planet and rough guide)

View from the balcony

Very correct guesthouse with wonderfull views over the lake ! The owner Tony is a very friendly and helpfull person who knows how to welcome people ! He worked and lived a long time in Switzerland wich makes him a good bussinessman.
The rooms are maybe a little small but the views and balcony's make everything right ! Just a little downside, the showercurtains... They need to be refreched. (just a hint ;-) )
We had a lovely time in Highest view.

4) Sita's Heaven - Ella (source lonely planet)

The guesthouse

This place is a little paradise... Like they say in the Lonely Planet "you will end up staying longer than you thougth"....

And we did ! 10min from the little town's centre through thee plantations, it's quiet location isn't the best of it's qualities, it's one of them !

The views are stunnishing ! From the commun balcony, the Ella's rock, Gab and little Adam's peak greet you every morning during breakfast and never leave you... You can spend hours enjoying the view.

The owner is building a new annex just next to this one with 6 more rooms, but they don't make noise when clients are in (so no disturbation)

They also propose wireless internet at 60rs an hour ! And it's the

fastest one I found in my whole trip !  The manager is very friendly and has a lovely family (we also loved his big black dog !!)                                             

View from balcony

View at Ella's Rock during breakfast

5) Whatsala Inn - Dalhousie (source tuktuk driver from Hatton)

The nice and very professional manager from this hotel welcomed us as it should.
Very friendly and helpfull and with a cup of thee !
His english is perfect and the service is irreproachable !
They have several kind of rooms for several budgets. All very spacouis and clean.
The walk to the start of Adam's Peak is about 10min.
Nice restaurant with view over the peak.

  

6) Ganesh Garden - Tangalle (source Mr. Sudu from Ella)

This was a little dream coming true after the Adam's peak. 

This bungalow guesthouse has about 10 little cabana's spread in the garden and at maximum 50m from the beautiful, quiet beach. Only thing to know before you go ; all the bungalows have open window or shades, so if you're afraid of insects, don't go !

The guesthouse is isolated from the centre of Tangalle, about 3km along the beach, or 5km with a tuktuk (200rs)

As it is isolated, you're kind of stuck with the hotelrestaurant, more expensive but good.

The beach

7) One and only appartment - Unawatuna (found by coïncidence)

Inside of the appartment

This was the best place ever !!! We found this by coïncidence walking through Unawatuna. The owner is from Switzerland and rents this place for 10.000rs a night, but you have to bargain with the local manager (sri lankan guy named Prema). Just be carefull if you stay there on a thursday night because de bar next door has disconight on thursdays!!! And you don't sleep untill 5.30am !!!!

The other days are wonderfull !!! You have a little kitchen and a nice bathroom. A true dreamspot on the beach !!