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| Breakfast in nomad tent in Iran - shared by 11 men and women! |
One friend insisted that she would only stay in 4 or 5 star hotels when travelling.
I thought about that and wondered what sort of travelling experience she wanted, and why did she travel anyway if her view of the world was only going to be from a generic luxury hotel. And a lot of the world doesn't have luxury hotels! What experiences she would miss out on!
I remembered the places where I have slept over the years - on a mat on stony ground in a nomad tent in Iran, in a nomad ger on the Mongolian steppe, in a hut made from reeds in Botswana....
I remember a cheap 2 to 3 star hotel in St Petersburg - we preferred to climb up 3 flights of stairs to our room because the lift was dodgy, but it was a minute walk to The Hermitage - how good is that? Worth more than a fancy hotel room further away!
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| Our reed hut in Botswana - the bathroom is behind the screen! |
Although there might not have been much sleep due to discomfort, these are the experiences we remember and laugh about.
Don't get me wrong - I don't mind a bit of luxury. After leaving Iran we booked into the Hyatt in Dubai just to enjoy first class facilities, and a decent shower! And an alcoholic drink after not being allowed to drink in Iran! And we have stayed in some wonderful lodges whilst "on safari" - very welcome after a dusty day game viewing.
But to limit yourself to visiting places with only luxury hotels seems to be a very narrow view. Plus there are a lot of laughs missed and funny stories to be told!
Light travelling!
Marie
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| Nomad ger in Mongolia - note satellite dish and solar panel! |
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| Buying platform food on the Trans Siberian |
