The Importance of a Good Guesthouse

Sitting on a bus for 12 hours, to arrive at the border of Thailand and Laos, fill out all the paperwork, and board a bus that drives into the city. After another hour on the bus, the destination of Vientiane is reached. Armed with Lonely Planet or whatever maps people could find, about 20 new tourists scatter around to find a place to stay.

Hotels masquerading as guesthouses, real hotels, buildings with a few rooms for rent and everything in between can be found. The inexperienced traveler quickly becomes overwhelmed with all the choices. Sliding into each asking for prices, keeping a list on Lonely Planet, the newly dropped in traveler does not know where to stay. How can you find the best place to stay?

Guesthouses are the ideal place for a budget traveler. Hotels may offer nice features and modern day comforts, guesthouses offer a more personal touch. Any good guesthouse will develop a rapport with it's guests and try to make sure the stay in the place is a pleasant one. If you run into money problems, a good guesthouse will generally trust you enough to let you have a few days to stay for free. Most hotels will not do this and nothing can be done to change that, short of handing your credit card over to them.

Guesthouses offer a great opportunity to meet locals. Whether you sit and talk with people while they work, have a few beers, or go out clubbing the people who work at guesthouses generally enjoy interaction with the tourists and don't mind telling you about their culture.

Scrap the hotels and go for a guesthouse. Look for places close to the tourist areas with a friendly staff and reasonable rates. Staying at these types of places will help you make the most of your traveling experience.