Seems like the banks and telcos are getting a lot of frustrated customers who can’t seem to get through their hotlines to get assistance from customer service officers.

This is a common occurrence: You call a hotline number, press a whole bunch of numbers to help them select the right team of customer service folks to answer your call, and when you finally get to the last step, it says that they are experiencing high call volume, please hold on and a customer service officer will be with them shortly.

Wouldn’t it be more efficient if there were a webform for customers to key in their details, problems (in brief, or a drop down list to select the type of problem they had), and a phone number for call back? The banks or telcos could set up a team of customer service officers and give them access to these forms to give these customers a call back.

I know how frustrating it is to try to reach customer service folk on hotlines. Maybe it’s time to review the process.

Of course, getting through is only part of the problem. Many a times, customer service officers are not empowered to make decisions, and are completely inflexible. But that is a story for another day.

There’s only one part of the trip that I’m a little worried about, and that’s the drive from Queenstown to Milford Sound!

I’ve been hearing stories about how steep the road is, how narrow, how dangerous, bla bla bla. So is it dangerous to drive to Milford Sound?

Yes, I think it can be dangerous during winter, especially since avalanches do occur and if you are not used to driving during this season. The roads are definitely windy and narrow (one lane each way, possibly many blind spots).

But it isn’t as bad as people make it out to be on forums and other websites, I think! Here’s a video I found, made by a guy who seems to drive or ride a motorcycle into Milford pretty frequently. It’s a 10-minute long video, but I do recommend you sit through it and judge for yourselves if it is dangerous or not!

Driving along Milford Road – Homer Tunnel to Milford Sound

Homer Tunnel is supposedly the most dangerous part of this drive, as avalanche risk is the highest here, and it seems to me the winding roads after you exit from the tunnel are a little steeper than at other parts. Also, I’ve read that some parts of the roof on either side of the tunnel are low. Then again, if tour buses can pass through… Cars should not be a problem!  Just steer clear and be careful that you don’t drive too close to the sides!

Here are some other resources you can read, to ensure a safe journey into Milford Sound:

1. Driving to Milford Sound: Tips for a Safe and Enjoyable Trip [PDF]

2. The official website of the NZ Transport Agency

3. Check the Road Status before driving in

4. The Milford Road, on Kiwi Discovery

5. New Zealand Road Code

6. South Island Highway Conditions

Will update more when I’ve actually done the drive! (Or rather, when my husband has).

If you’re planning a Getaway in New Zealand too, read on for more!

(1) Group-buying Sites

As some of you know, I really like group-buying deal sites. So it must come as no surprise when I tell you that I totally embraced the idea of scouting on deal sites for travel discounts!

The idea was first put up to me by a family friend, Debra, who lives in Christchurch. She told me of this site called GrabOne.co.nz, which offers discounts on various types of deals ranging from food, to accommodation, to cruises, to products and fun activities!

So far, I’ve bought the following deals from GrabOne:

1. A 4* hotel accommodation with breakfast for two at NZ$ 99 per night (value $203)
2. Lake cruise and homestead roast farm dinner for NZ$ 75 per pax (value $95)
3. Tandem Paragliding with photo and video package for NZ$ 135 per pax (value $189)

There have been others I wanted to buy, but the timings just didn’t suit me. Today, they are offering a deal on a Milford Sound cruise (NZ$37) as well as a dolphin swim experience (NZ$69). There are really fantastic accommodation deals, like a Queenstown service apartment at NZ$215 for 2 nights.

Also, I must say that the support provided from the GrabOne team is super fab. They not only answer the questions you may have on the discussion pages of each deal, they also get the merchants involved to answer questions there, so that folks who are buying the vouchers can be assured of issues like availability, what the T&C includes, etc. Totally transparent. Worried that something you buy may not have availability on the day that you want to redeem it? Check with the merchants before you buy. Great service.

Really glad that our friend told us about this site! Of course, there’s also GrouponNZ.co.nz, but I personally feel that the deals offered on that site are much less attractive.

(2) Travel Deals: Activities & Attractions

No NZ South Island holiday is complete without tandem sky diving, bungy jumping, whale watching, tandem paragliding, jetboat rides, cruise, Lord of the Rings tours, and such! And there’s no better site to seek out discounts for these, than BookMe.co.nz!

I stumbled upon this site by accident while searching for good deals on activities in Queenstown (which can be quite costly, I assure you).

These activities are discounted for up to a month prior to your redemption date, and is a simple to use site that offers immediate booking and confirmation with credit cards. Unlike GrabOne, there is no need to buy the voucher then contact the merchant to redeem the vouchers (which gives me a bit of jitters – what if they don’t have any more slots for the day I want to go?).

They also have flash sales for ridiculously low-priced deals. As I write this post, they are getting ready to launch a Shotover Jet flash sale on 10 March, for NZ$1! This is usually priced at NZ$119. Super awesome and highly recommended by friends who have been there. Unfortunately I’m not going to be in Queenstown on 10 March. Will probably have to buy it at full-price, then.

So far we’ve only bought a hot springs discount voucher for Tekapo, but will be booking more deals soon, as the March dates have just been released this past couple of days. Super excited!

Being an environmentally-aware tourist: I really wanna go swimming with seals in Kaikoura but we’re a bit worried about the impact it would have on the fur seals – does it stress them out? We want to travel and see the animals that Kaikoura is famous for (whales, dolphins, seals etc) but definitely not irresponsibly.  Will do more research about that before buying the vouchers.

I read a whole research paper on the effects of tourism on the dusky dolphins in Kaikoura, by the way, and decided not to go swimming with the dolphins.

While the study was inconclusive about whether it actually affects their reproduction and population numbers, and their rest times which is from late morning to early afternoon, it seems that the dolphins are actually curious animals and they would forgo rest to cavort with humans if they are visited during rest hours. Not good. I’m sure in the long run there would be negative effects on them! Whales, on the other hand, never completely rest as they may drown if they go into deep sleep. So we actually booked a whale-watching tour for 7.15am, in hopes that we won’t be disturbing the dolphins, which we will also see during the whale-watching tour.

(3) Accommodation Options

I know many of us have concerns about staying at hostels. The typical initial impression would be that hostels are bug-ridden, noisy, dirty, dorm-style rooms with shared toilets. But this is not true of the YHA New Zealand hostels, it seems!

The hostel rooms look pretty decent from travellers’ photos and reviews on TripAdvisor, and for about NZ$80 per night (member price) you can get a private double room with ensuite bathroom! (Way cheaper than 3* hotels/motels that cost at least NZ$130 a night and have lousy reviews on TripAdvisor). When I travel, as long as the rooms are clean and comfortable, I’m good. I don’t actually spend a lot of time in the rooms, after all.

This photo of YHA Wanaka Purple Cow is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Membership: At NZ$42 a year, you get access to discounted rates at YHA hostels and member discounts, which include things like car rental, and the activities I mentioned in the previous 2 sections.

If you live in Singapore, you can apply for the HI membership (which is also recognized at YHA hostels) for only S$15, to be eligible for discounts at YHA.

If you would like to stay with local hosts who rent out spare bedrooms or whole apartments (great price, good solution for a group of friends travelling together!), check out the following websites:

1. Roomorama.com (My personal choice! Read why here and here)
2. Airbnb.com
3. Wimdu.com
4. 9flats.com

If you prefer more luxurious accommodation, these are the hotel-booking websites I use. I do suggest checking out the hotel listings on all these websites before you book, as this ensures you get the best price!

1. Booking.com
2. Wotif.com
3. LastMinute.com

(4) Car Rental or Hop On/Off Bus

At the start of our planning, we contemplated whether we should buy a hop on/off bus tour (like Kiwi Experience which costs about NZ$600 per pax just for the bus ticket) or rent a car and do a self-drive tour. In the end, we decided to go with the car, as this means we don’t have to adhere to bus schedules, and can stop any place we like.

The Kiwi Experience bus tour seems to be a great way to meet young travelers, but a lot of reviews on travel forums say that it’s also better for people who wanna party. Um, not my kind of thing, and especially not on my honeymoon!

We managed to book a car from a company called Shoestring Rentals which is a small company that offers discounts to YHA members. Our total rental (car plus GPS) for 13.5 days was $611. We expect to spend about $400+ on fuel for the entire trip. The car rental option is probably the best if you travel in a group of 2-4 pax. Rental costs can then be divided, and amazingly, it works out to be a really economical way of travelling!

Communicated with Cameron McKenzie (owner of Shoestring Rentals), who is just about the most helpful guy I’ve dealt with from NZ companies so far! Obviously I can’t comment on the car itself yet, but this guy has been a great help, offering advice from driving routes, places to visit, route planning, maps, and more! He’s also offered to send the car to our accommodation at Christchurch on the first morning of our rental, and drop us off at the airport after we send the car back to them on our last day (this will be at 4am!). So helpful and kind of him. It really is true when they claim on their website: “We’re a small company that’s BIG on service”.

(5) Prepaid Internet and SIM Card

Thanks to Isman (GroovyGenie) I found this wiki site that contains lots of information about prepaid mobile services in various countries! Awesome for travelers. Do bookmark it!

Unfortunately, there is just no cheap way around it in NZ, nor any reliable way. I’d love to try out the 3G and broadband services there since NZ started talking about next-generation broadband and ultra-fast broadband even earlier than Singapore did, but seems that it’s spotty in towns and smaller villages. I heard that speeds are okay generally in places like Christchurch, Queenstown, Auckland and Wellington, but everywhere else it’s just not reliable. I don’t know about that.

In any case, I think it’s going to cost me at least NZ$80 for 2 weeks of connectivity. Is it worth it? Here’s a summary or breakdown of the different telcos’ prepaid plans:

2degrees: $19 Prepaid SIM Card Starter Pack + $20 for 1GB data usage within broadband zones + $10 for 100MB data outside of broadband zone (and this is definitely not enough because most of our travels are outside their broadband zone).

TelecomNZ: $29.95 Prepaid SIM Card Starter Pack + $50 for 2GB data usage.

Vodafone NZ: $29.95 Prepaid SIM Card Starter Pack with $15 stored value + $30 for 500MB data usage.

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If you want more information on planning your travels around the South Island in NZ, do drop me a message below. I’ll be happy to help if I can, especially with names and comparison of reputable tour companies for the various activities, your options, and more. Happy Planning!

For now, I shall start my own countdown… 8 days to NZ!

Mainly, the new feature in this camera is the built-in GPS which auto tags your photos so you’ll know where exactly you took them. I think that’s really useful for holidaymakers. I have to admit when I was in Rome, I took so many photos that afterwards, I could hardly remember the names of the places I went to! With the GPS function, I would have been easily able to recall the locations.

The camera also features a 28mm wide angle lens and 14x optical zoom. Not only that, it also has full HD video capture, for making videos! *wiggles brows* HAHA.

Anyway. This is the contest prize, the Canon Powershot SX230 HS, which retails for S$449 right now.

The contest mechanics is simple. All you have to do is to submit a photo of yourself with a Canon product while on Holiday, and you could be a lucky winner of this new camera! Additionally, if you vote for any of the photos, you could also win one of the 9 sets of Canon Goodie Bags. More info below:

PLEASE JOIN!

This contest is open to all participants living in Singapore. Contest closes 9 Jan 2012.

Edit: Some people have asked me, how are they supposed to take a photo of themselves with their Canon camera? Well, you could use another friend’s camera, or even a mobile phone camera! Good luck, y’all!

So here are the 3 winners of the little giveaway I had a couple of weeks back!

1. Roxanne
2. Yanjun
3. Lyndsey

Congrats, y’all! I will be emailing you soon to get your mailing address so I can send you the vouchers! Do go down to the FRANK stores and get your card soon. Let me know which one you’ve chosen, okay?

By the way, look at what the awesome folks at FRANK by OCBC sent us on our wedding day! That’s really a very sweet gesture. Thanks for the gift and well wishes!

But that doesn’t mean I don’t have a good reason to still share the news with those of you who don’t know about this!

“What is FRANK by OCBC?” you may be wondering. So I’m going to try to explain it the way I see it, and hopefully you guys will like the concept as much as I do!

To me…

FRANK is a ‘retail concept’ of a bank which comes in the form of a physical shop/bank. You step into a FRANK store and you’ll be surprised at how it does NOT look like a bank, but a regular store instead. It’s so fun, so non-threatening, so warm and so unlike a bank! It all ties in with OCBC’s new direction, of making banking accessible and friendly and easily-understood by its customers!

They’re really doing a great job at making saving and banking fun and accessible to youths, I must say!

FRANK is about being true (Frank, get it? Haha) to yourself (about how much money you have, how much money you owe, how much money you need to save).

Come on, face it. How many of us are really FRANK with ourselves about our monetary matters? In fact, I for one, hate looking at my bank balance until I absolutely have to! It depresses me. But NO LONGER! Cos now with OCBC, I get better control over my money, and I can save better! How? Read on!

So how do I get into this FRANK thing?

FRANK by OCBC has 2 main products – the FRANK Account and the FRANK Debit Card. Yes, both are interlinked. (Debit Card applicants must be above 16 years though!)

So let me share with you some of the awesome things about a FRANK Account:

• No initial deposit – WOOHOO!
• No monthly fees – WOOHOO!
• Cash withdrawals at any overseas ATMs that carry a Mastercard logo
• Practically no queues at the OCBC ATMs in Singapore cos there are over 1100 ATMs islandwide! (I always snigger and give condescending and patronizing looks to people who have to queue up to get their own money from their bank accounts, hahahaha)
• Banking on the go – online banking and mobile (application and mobile-optimized online banking website!)
• Attractive interest rates of 0.3% to 0.6% per annum (this is not an investment-based bank account, so that’s really what you get!)
• And the best part is that you can create “Savings Goals” every month, which will help you save more! For example you can set a “Boracay trip” goal, and aim to put $100 in every month automatically. You won’t be able to touch this money or withdraw unless it’s an emergency (you’ll have to go through several steps to withdraw from this section of your account). You can have more than 1 savings goal too! See? Saving can be fun!

But that’s not all!

Each FRANK account also has a FRANK Debit Card tied to it. What’s so awesome about this debit card?It’s a MasterCard and NETS card, 2-in-1! Discounts as an OCBC cardmember! AND! The designs – WOW. Over 130 card designs to choose from!

Here are some designs that I really liked!

Camera, Broadway, coffee mug stain and giraffe prints! <3

The gallery of card designs available, on display at FRANK Stores. The designer series is updated frequently, so you can change the design of your card without having to change your debit card number, as frequently as you want! Over 130 card designs to choose from! Each change comes with a fee, but you can get it free now! Read to the end to find out how! (Giveaway, yo!)

Another design that I thought was super adorable… Hello, Kitty!

So I bet you’re not wanting to rush down to the nearest FRANK Store to get your cards. There are currently 2 Frank Stores – at NTU and SMU – but fret not, you can sign up for FRANK accounts and debit cards at any of the 54 OCBC branches islandwide too.

OKAY! So I have some news for you guys.

Those of you who want to get a FRANK Account and Debit Card, I have 3x FRANK card design vouchers worth $20 each to give away!

(It costs $20 to make each card design yours, or to change your card design). Do note: If you don’t wanna get a special design now, you can still get the debit card with the basic design.

With these vouchers, you can choose any design as your debit card, or (if you already have a FRANK debit card) to change your card design to any of the 130 card designs, absolutely free.

If you want one, just leave a message below before 17 Nov 2011 at 2359 hrs. I will pick 3 readers randomly to get a voucher each. This will be mailed to you, so please ensure you leave behind a REAL email address so I can contact you for your postal address.

Also, great news for those of you who have graduated from school. They’re opening a new FRANK Store soon, at VivoCity! It will be the first one outside campus, and you can head there to check it out from next week onwards, I think! Keep a look out! I’ll be attending the launch event for the VivoCity Store next week, so… Stay tuned for more cool OCBC stuff. <3

Debit Cards not your thing?

TADAH! FRANK Credit Cards are coming soon! (actually they’ve launched, you just have to go to the bank to request for an application form, or email frankbyocbc@ocbc.com for a digital copy)

In my next post, I’ll be sharing (raving) about the OCBC online banking site and mobile banking app. Both of which in my opinion are THE BEST in Singapore! As I tweeted last week…

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BTW, I just want to give a shout out to the senior bank executives from OCBC who came up to me during the FRANK store launch event to speak with me about a previous issue that I wrote about, on their bank services. I was surprised to know that they had read it, taken the feedback seriously, and was really glad to hear their reassurances that their backend operations are being improved. I just have to say that despite my previous grievances, OCBC still remains my bank of choice, not just because all the rest suck, but because they have proven to me that they are worth staying with.

I bought this charger from Deal.com.sg at S$39.90 last month, when local company Andino Holdings launched their new product, the Andino PowerPlus™ Xtreme 5000mAh. Nearly 1000 people in Singapore grabbed the deal over the few days it was running.

To me, it was a good deal, at S$39.90 what more with the S$18 in Deal credits that I had. I was considering buying the Sanyo Eneloop Mobile Booster, which was being sold on eBay for $65 but hey, this is half the price!

With the Andino charger rated 5000mAh, and my Nexus S being 1500 mAh, this means I can get at least 3 full recharges with this device. Pretty awesome.

My only gripe is that it didn’t come with a micro USB cable (which they said would be included), which my phone uses. Gonna write in to the company to ask about it; hope they can send me a micro USB head! Currently using my own cable with the charger.

Oh yes, and the device is pretty light too, at 140g. The surface is glossy and a total magnet for fingerprints, but that’s okay.

It has 2 USB ports, as you can see from the image below.

I’m currently using a 3-pin power plug with a USB connector to charge up this thing.

Anyway, I read that Andino is going to have another sale for this item soon on Deal.com.sg, so if you want to sign up for a Deal account and keep a look out, please use my referral link.

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A word of caution: Beware of what you buy. Do not buy fromDealshop.com.sg or any other deal sites that do not list Andino Holdings as the merchant, cos Andino has already declared that the pics and text of the ad was copied from theirs, but the product is not theirs. Weird eh. I wonder who the 11 people who bought were. I guess they might have gotten scammed.

Many of you must have read at least one book by Canadian author Malcolm Gladwell, whose books The Tipping Point, Outliers and Blink have all made it to the Number 1 spot on the New York Times best-sellers list.

This August, I’m privileged to be invited by the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) for their 30th SIM Annual Management Lecture (AML), where Malcolm Gladwell will be speaking in two keynote presentations:

1. The Human Capitalization Challenge
2. The Entrepreneurial Profile

I’ve read two of Gladwell’s books, and I’m definitely excited to hear him speak in person.

His books are logical; you will find yourself nodding in agreement while turning the pages, and yet they are also set against conventional wisdom; making you think twice about topics ranging from social psychology to marketing, politics to self-help, and also decision-making strategies.

Having studied Human Resources in my diploma course, I am aware that many companies these days have a problem not just in talent acquisition and talent retention, but also talent capitalization. In the first keynote, Gladwell will share his thoughts and learnings about how to best ‘exploit’ the available human capital in an organization, to ensure highest efficiency at the workplace. This is relevant not only to HR managers, but also all persons within a managerial-level position, business owners, as well as supervisory-level staff.

The second keynote should be of interest to current business owners and potential entrepreneurs. Gladwell will be profiling the ‘entrepreneur type’, so I’m definitely interested to see if I fall into that ‘type’. I’ve never thought of myself as a risk-taker; yet Gladwell opines that entrepreneurs are operationally risk-averse. Regardless, this session is bound to shed some light on how we can encourage innovation and entrepreneurism at our workplace.

If you’re interested in these talks, check out the SIM-AML Facebook page, where you can find out how you can buy a ticket to this full day seminar event, as well as how you can WIN a complimentary event pass worth up to S$1337.50 (inclusive of GST and buffet lunch).

SIM Annual Management Lecture 30th Anniversary
Event details:
26 August 2011 (Friday)
9am to 4pm
Shangri-La Hotel Singapore

This post is sponsored by SIM Annual Management Lecture.

If you’re a fan of TEDx, you’ll definitely like this series of talks brought to you by the NUS Office of Alumni Relations.

Every month, U@live brings 1 speaker from the NUS community (students, faculty, alumni) to the central stage to speak for 10 minutes. This forum is meant to inspire young people to believe in the causes they are inspired about, to take action, and in turn, inspire others.

I know what you’re thinking: Do I need to be an NUS Community member to participate and/or attend? Nope! Anyone is welcome to participate and/or attend!

Visit the U@livewebsite to find out more about the event, or read on!

This July, U@live presents Prof. Kishore Mahbubani, Dean, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in an event bound to create headlines and make YOU think about the world beyond Singapore and our role in it.

“Do Asians believe in the rise of Asia?”, Prof. Kishore asks. Do you think the decline of western dominance comes at a time when Asia is ready to take on the western world, to provide the type of leadership that the world needs? Are we ready for this shift of global power to the east?

Do Asians believe in the rise of Asia? – Prof. Kishore Mahbubani

Come join us on 27 July 2011, 7:30pm onwards at the NUS Shaw Foundation Alumni House.

Here’s how you can take part:

Join the Google Moderator page to ask questions:

You can also login with your Twitter, Facebook, Windows Live, Google Account, Yahoo ID, or Open ID to interact with the speaker and ask questions through the U@live website:

I’ll be attending the event at NUS. Hope to see you there!

If you would like to nominate a speaker from the NUS Community because he/she has inspired you, contact U@live!

Watch this short video to find out more about U@live:

Introduction Video – U@live by NUS

I still clearly remember how we first met.

Some time in January this year, I was complaining on Twitter that London hotels and even budget accommodation were so exorbitantly priced, and that the ones within my budget were dingy, dodgy and disgustingly flea-ridden (according to tripadvisor reviews).

Suddenly, out of nowhere, I received a Tweet from you, asking me to consider the various apartments available on your website for rent.

My initial thought was: “Pssh. Property agents!” – But after checking out your Twitter profile page, I was surprised to find that you were not a property agent!

And so I clicked.

And there I was, transported into a world full of amazing properties available for rent as holiday homes, in over 250 cities around the world!

My first impression of you was instantly dispelled, and I was immediately drawn to the exhilarating possibility of finding an accommodation in London that was affordable, clean, and homely!

How Roomorama.com worked just blew my mind – it was a platform that helped match hosts (people who have rooms or apartments to rent), and guests (who are looking places to rent).

It’s kinda like a hotel booking site, except I get to stay at apartments in non-touristy neighbourhoods rather than in hotels. Like this one, Doughty Street in Bloomsbury, London:

I found that Roomorama.com answered all my needs as a traveller! I usually prefer to stay with locals, interact with them, instead of staying at hotels.

I found that hosts on your website usually offer free use of the apartment’s kitchenette where I could cook meals if I found eating out too expensive, boring, cumbersome, etc. Many hosts also offered wi-fi internet, washing machines, etc. That’s brilliant! Although I don’t cook, at least I can microwave. Hehe!

After searching searching through a pretty impressive list of hosts and their homes, I finally settled on getting a room in the Bloomsbury area in London.

Still within Zone 1 of London, this apartment was, as the host promised, within a short walking distance to the Russell Square Underground Tube station. Perfect!

Plus, the host (Jeffrey) was really really friendly when we corresponded through Roomorama.com‘s private message! His rates were listed at £42 a night, for 2 persons! Seriously, how do you beat such prices with hotels? We ended up paying £70 a night for 3 persons (we asked him for the extra sofa single bed for my sister) including a small Roomorama.com admin fee. Very reasonable prices, indeed!

So thank you, Roomorama.com for bringing to us such an awesome service, and definitely, for answering to my frustrated call of help that fateful day in January. Without you, my London trip and stay in May 2011 wouldn’t have been as wonderful, as homely, and as amazing.

Much love from,

A super Roomorama.com fan
(who has booked yet another Roomorama.com listed property in London for the trip next month!)

Read about my latest Roomorama stay in Kensington, London, in July 2011! Nothing short of fantastic.

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To my readers, here’s what you should do if you see a room or apartment on Roomorama.com that you like.

Roomorama.com Booking Instructions

1. Click on “Inquire Now”.

2. A pop-up will appear, as below. Select your dates, and drop the host a message, asking if he would accept your booking. (Be nice, this is not a hotel booking, and hosts can reject dubious characters – after all, they are inviting you into their homes!) Feel free to ask any questions you may have about the apartment/room that you want to book.

3. Wait for a response from your host. If he accepts your inquiry, you will be notified that you can make a booking. The dashboard below is what you will see when you log in to your account.

4. Once accepted, you can make the booking, and pay. What happens is that you’ll pay the total booking amount to Roomorama.com, who will hold the funds for you till you check in to the apartment. This is to prevent errant hosts from running away with your money! So you see, it’s completely safe with Roomorama.com!

5. After you have made the payment, you will receive a “Secret Code” by email. Do not give this code to the host yet. Store it somewhere safe, and after you have arrived at your apartment and have inspected that everything is in order, do pass the code to the host, so he/she can get claim payment from Roomorama.com.

The Roomorama.com fee we paid was only a total £24 for 3 persons, 3 nights. So convenient and reasonably priced!

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Perhaps you’re now wondering: Okay, the booking process seems simple enough. How was the actual stay itself?

A review of my stay

We arrived in London on 17 May, and after some delays at the airport, we got to Jeffrey’s apartment safely. Armed with a 3G data-enabled SIM card and Google Maps, we found that the apartment was a mere 12 minute walk from the Russell Square Tube station. Jeffrey was already at the apartment, waiting for us, when we rang on his doorbell.

It was a little unfortunate that we had been shopping so much all over Europe prior to arriving in London, and we had really huge heavy luggage. Unfortunate because most London apartments, town houses and budget hotels don’t have elevators! HAHA!

Anyway, we managed to get our luggage up into the apartment, and I must say Jeffrey and his house mate Chris keep a cozy, neat and clean home.

We settled in quickly enough, with Jeffrey showing us around the apartment, the stuff we could use (like the washing machine, Wi-fi, kitchen, glasses, food we could help ourselves to, etc.) during our stay. Jeffrey also had a whole stack of maps, guide books, and even Oyster Cards for us to use as we made our way around London! That was really a nice gesture on his part.

We chatted for a bit, and he shared with us that he’s an American expat artist and a social worker (actually I had read that on his Roomorama profile page already, hehe). Anyway, he was really a lovely host!

I have no photos of his apartment, unfortunately, because I was too excited. But I can say that all his photos are accurate representations of his place, except he moved the furniture in the room around a bit.

All in all, it was a great stay, and we totally appreciated the fact that it was so accessible, and just minutes away by Tube from 2 of our favourite places in London – Covent Garden and Leicester Square / West End!

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A video about Roomorama.com

You might also want to check out their blog for featured properties, promotions, and new cities that have been added to their listings!

If you like this post, please click on my Facebook like button below, and also Tweet it!