We'd recommend all of these places, some more than others! Not luxury but all had some good plus points and were value for money, mostly between $25-$40 per night ($100-$150 in NZ, $50-75 in Maldives). These are not luxury hotels but are suited to people on a budget or long-term travellers.
Thailand
Bangkok
Lamphu House - great location just off Khao San Rd, good sized family room, no frills but nice guesthouse
Khao Sok
Morning Mist - Great place in jungle setting with real charm, relaxing, swimming pool and lovely owners.
Chiang Mai
Noble House - 50 meters from old city, good family room comprising 2 connecting bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. No frills but perfectly acceptable.
Pai
Canary Guesthouse - loved this place, on the river, peaceful, brilliant breakfast, very close to 'walking streets' but none of the noise.
Philippines
Sagada
AirBnB - entire home, 4 bedrooms, good location, very good hosts who looked after everything
Batad
Batad View Inn - stunning views overlooking the rice terraces, basic accommodation but Ramon is a brilliant host and we loved this place for an overnight stay.
Banaue
Uyami's Green View Lodge - perfect location 50 meters from bus stop and in centre of town. Great views, very basic rooms but good base for organising tour to Batad.
Port Barton
Ferranco Homestay - lovely owners, very basic room but decent breakfast included.
El Nido
El Nido Viewdeck - great views, room very small, basic standard, 10 mins walk to centre of town but slightly quieter location which we liked.
Sibaltan
Tapik Beach - no hot water, no wifi, no electricity for 12 hours per day. Peaceful, relaxing, beach location, very friendly staff. We loved this place.
Moal Boal
Mayas Native Garden - nice big bungalow room, good location, place lacked some atmosphere but all round decent stay.
Siquior
The Bruce Resort - great beachfront bungalows, swimming pool. Just felt it lacked some character, could be brilliant, as it is, just good.
Apo Island
Mario Homestay - unique experience on Apo Island, good big room, communal eating with other guests, great atmosphere.
Dumaguete
PVL Suites - modern, stylish, right next to hospital which suited us at the time!
Cambodia
Siem Reap
Dom Boutique Hotel - great hotel, very large family suite with 2 bedrooms, great shower, nice pool.
Battambang
Royal Hotel - good location in city centre, large room, clean
Kampot
Les Manguiers - great place, amazing location on the river, great bungalow, complete relaxation, fantastic atmosphere, huge range of games and activities for adults and kids. Brilliant
Vietnam
Can Tho
Ruby Hotel - good central location, clean, helpful staff, 1 night stay.
Dalat
La Na Ni Hotel - great place, wonderful owners who couldn't do enough for us, clean and modern, loved it.
Ho Chi Minh City
Sunland Roverside - we stayed here for 9 days. Good rooftop pool and bar, nice breakfast. We had the family suite which was very good.
Hoi An
The Moon Villa and Homestay - brilliant place. Moon and her family are so welcoming, lovely rooms, nice pool, great location. Felt like home.
Tam Coc
Thanh Dat Homestay - great homestay in the centre of Tam Coc, close to everything, lovely family, clean and large room, 2 double beds, good bathroom.
Sapa
Sapa Panorama Hotel - good, modern hotel, great breakfast included, nice views from the room.
New Zealand
Otematata - great AirBnB, brand new, stylish and modern, great beds. Ideal for exploring Mt Cook region.
Lake Rotoroa - another great AirBnB, very modern and stylish, peaceful location just 2 mins walk from the lake.
Lowe Hutt/ Wellington - just 30 mins drive round the bay from Wellington, nice apartment, good location, much cheaper than other options in Wellington.
Tairua - lovely AirBnB, spacious, great ocean views. Location is the beautiful town of Tairua, we loved this place and was a great base to explore Coromandel.
Lake Tarawera - fantastic US-style RV caravan, luxurious, kids loved it. Beautiful, peaceful location, we could have stayed here for weeks.
Nepal
Pokhara
Blue Planet Lodge - lovely peaceful place, very clean, large rooms, owners are very helpful. A great place to relax after a long trek.
Mystic Highland Resort - guesthouse in the small village of Astam, en-suite bathroom which is always a bonus in a trekking teahouse. Absolutely stunning views of Annapurna I and Fishtail. Sunrise is worth the stay alone.
India
Dharamkot
Anil's Guesthouse - very Israeli, there were 8 Israeli families when we were there. Kids enjoyed but a bit too much for us. Decent rooms and a good kitchen which was useful.
Mandi
Regents Palms Hotel - only stayed for 1 night but modern and clean rooms, right on the main square with great street food.
Jibhi
Jibhi Homestay - really loved this place, great duplex family rooms in separate building. Location on the river, lovely views, very relaxing and great hosts. Also had kitchen for guests to use.
Vashisht
Rasta Cafe - a bit noisy but good restaurant playing Bob Marley 24/7. Basic rooms but cheap and decent value for money. Good atmosphere in the place, great space for kids to run around and play. Enjoyed staying here.
Leh
Solpon Boutique Homestay - great rooms, very peaceful place just out of the area of restaurants and shops. Really enjoyed staying here.
Delhi
AirBnB - good 2 bedroom/ 2 bathroom apartment. The location isn't the best, not really suitable for walking but plenty of taxis and rickshaws to get to all the main markets and tourists areas.
Rishikesh
Samriddhi Retreat - modern hotel, nice rooms, good price. 15 mins walk to Laxman Jhula.
Agra
The Taj Vilas - nice modern hotel, very cheap, clean, large room, decent breakfast.
Jaipur
Milestone251 - very nice hotel, large rooms, clean and modern, very good breakfast.
Udaipur
Rising Shemesh Homestay - great homestay, large and clean rooms, very friendly family, speak Ivrit which was a bonus.
Pushkar
Heli Pushkar - we stayed in the glamping tents, nice room although the toilet had bad smell. Good swimming pool and decent breakfast. 5 min walk from center.
Delhi
Airport Residency - good airport hotel for a layover. Good size rooms, big beds.
Mumbai
Jyoti Dwelling Hotel - good airport hotel for a layover. Good size rooms, big beds, very good buffet breakfast.
Maldives
Rasdhoo
Rasdhoo View Inn - great small hotel, only has 3 rooms but great owner and staff, very clean, nice large room, we ate 3 meals per day here, good food. Very good value for money.
Maafushi
Narnia - Really liked this hotel. Small, friendly, clean, professional, good sized rooms. Staff were brilliant, helped organise fishing trip for us and then cooked a wonderful meal with our catch. Overall, 5 star service in a small, budget hotel, went beyond expectations
Crystal Sands - Larger hotel in Maafushi, the main hotel is of a high standard, we stayed in their building next door which they have recently acquired. Was a work-in-progress as they do some refurb but was cheap and worth the money.
Akasha - Hotel is clean and modern. Good value for money. Breakfast isn't great, not varied enough. Biggest negative is that the pool was only open 9-12 and then 4-6pm. They told us it was due to cleaning but seems very strange to be closed longer than it was open each day. If they sort out pool opening hours, this will be huge improvement.
Thinadhoo
Oyster Inn - apartment with 2 rooms, sleeping for 5 guests. The apartment itself is large and clean, the outside kitchen was very basic and we didn't use. There is a noisy power station nearby but this is being moved in 2020 so will not be an issue. Great value for money on an island with the most amazing beach.
Fulidhoo
Island Break - best hotel we stayed at in the Maldives. The owners are 3 brothers who deliver top quality service. The family room comprised of 2 connecting rooms, very good standard for the price. Breakfast for great. They also organised a great day-trip for us. Overall brilliant place to stay.
Thailand
Bangkok
Lamphu House - great location just off Khao San Rd, good sized family room, no frills but nice guesthouse
Khao Sok
Morning Mist - Great place in jungle setting with real charm, relaxing, swimming pool and lovely owners.
Chiang Mai
Noble House - 50 meters from old city, good family room comprising 2 connecting bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. No frills but perfectly acceptable.
Pai
Canary Guesthouse - loved this place, on the river, peaceful, brilliant breakfast, very close to 'walking streets' but none of the noise.
Philippines
Sagada
AirBnB - entire home, 4 bedrooms, good location, very good hosts who looked after everything
Batad
Batad View Inn - stunning views overlooking the rice terraces, basic accommodation but Ramon is a brilliant host and we loved this place for an overnight stay.
Banaue
Uyami's Green View Lodge - perfect location 50 meters from bus stop and in centre of town. Great views, very basic rooms but good base for organising tour to Batad.
Port Barton
Ferranco Homestay - lovely owners, very basic room but decent breakfast included.
El Nido
El Nido Viewdeck - great views, room very small, basic standard, 10 mins walk to centre of town but slightly quieter location which we liked.
Sibaltan
Tapik Beach - no hot water, no wifi, no electricity for 12 hours per day. Peaceful, relaxing, beach location, very friendly staff. We loved this place.
Moal Boal
Mayas Native Garden - nice big bungalow room, good location, place lacked some atmosphere but all round decent stay.
Siquior
The Bruce Resort - great beachfront bungalows, swimming pool. Just felt it lacked some character, could be brilliant, as it is, just good.
Apo Island
Mario Homestay - unique experience on Apo Island, good big room, communal eating with other guests, great atmosphere.
Dumaguete
PVL Suites - modern, stylish, right next to hospital which suited us at the time!
Cambodia
Siem Reap
Dom Boutique Hotel - great hotel, very large family suite with 2 bedrooms, great shower, nice pool.
Battambang
Royal Hotel - good location in city centre, large room, clean
Kampot
Les Manguiers - great place, amazing location on the river, great bungalow, complete relaxation, fantastic atmosphere, huge range of games and activities for adults and kids. Brilliant
Vietnam
Can Tho
Ruby Hotel - good central location, clean, helpful staff, 1 night stay.
Dalat
La Na Ni Hotel - great place, wonderful owners who couldn't do enough for us, clean and modern, loved it.
Ho Chi Minh City
Sunland Roverside - we stayed here for 9 days. Good rooftop pool and bar, nice breakfast. We had the family suite which was very good.
Hoi An
The Moon Villa and Homestay - brilliant place. Moon and her family are so welcoming, lovely rooms, nice pool, great location. Felt like home.
Tam Coc
Thanh Dat Homestay - great homestay in the centre of Tam Coc, close to everything, lovely family, clean and large room, 2 double beds, good bathroom.
Sapa Panorama Hotel - good, modern hotel, great breakfast included, nice views from the room.
New Zealand
Otematata - great AirBnB, brand new, stylish and modern, great beds. Ideal for exploring Mt Cook region.
Lake Rotoroa - another great AirBnB, very modern and stylish, peaceful location just 2 mins walk from the lake.
Lowe Hutt/ Wellington - just 30 mins drive round the bay from Wellington, nice apartment, good location, much cheaper than other options in Wellington.
Tairua - lovely AirBnB, spacious, great ocean views. Location is the beautiful town of Tairua, we loved this place and was a great base to explore Coromandel.
Lake Tarawera - fantastic US-style RV caravan, luxurious, kids loved it. Beautiful, peaceful location, we could have stayed here for weeks.
Nepal
Pokhara
Blue Planet Lodge - lovely peaceful place, very clean, large rooms, owners are very helpful. A great place to relax after a long trek.
Mystic Highland Resort - guesthouse in the small village of Astam, en-suite bathroom which is always a bonus in a trekking teahouse. Absolutely stunning views of Annapurna I and Fishtail. Sunrise is worth the stay alone.
India
Dharamkot
Anil's Guesthouse - very Israeli, there were 8 Israeli families when we were there. Kids enjoyed but a bit too much for us. Decent rooms and a good kitchen which was useful.
Mandi
Regents Palms Hotel - only stayed for 1 night but modern and clean rooms, right on the main square with great street food.
Jibhi
Jibhi Homestay - really loved this place, great duplex family rooms in separate building. Location on the river, lovely views, very relaxing and great hosts. Also had kitchen for guests to use.
Vashisht
Rasta Cafe - a bit noisy but good restaurant playing Bob Marley 24/7. Basic rooms but cheap and decent value for money. Good atmosphere in the place, great space for kids to run around and play. Enjoyed staying here.
Leh
Solpon Boutique Homestay - great rooms, very peaceful place just out of the area of restaurants and shops. Really enjoyed staying here.
Delhi
AirBnB - good 2 bedroom/ 2 bathroom apartment. The location isn't the best, not really suitable for walking but plenty of taxis and rickshaws to get to all the main markets and tourists areas.
Rishikesh
Samriddhi Retreat - modern hotel, nice rooms, good price. 15 mins walk to Laxman Jhula.
Agra
The Taj Vilas - nice modern hotel, very cheap, clean, large room, decent breakfast.
Jaipur
Milestone251 - very nice hotel, large rooms, clean and modern, very good breakfast.
Udaipur
Rising Shemesh Homestay - great homestay, large and clean rooms, very friendly family, speak Ivrit which was a bonus.
Pushkar
Heli Pushkar - we stayed in the glamping tents, nice room although the toilet had bad smell. Good swimming pool and decent breakfast. 5 min walk from center.
Delhi
Airport Residency - good airport hotel for a layover. Good size rooms, big beds.
Mumbai
Jyoti Dwelling Hotel - good airport hotel for a layover. Good size rooms, big beds, very good buffet breakfast.
Maldives
Rasdhoo
Rasdhoo View Inn - great small hotel, only has 3 rooms but great owner and staff, very clean, nice large room, we ate 3 meals per day here, good food. Very good value for money.
Maafushi
Narnia - Really liked this hotel. Small, friendly, clean, professional, good sized rooms. Staff were brilliant, helped organise fishing trip for us and then cooked a wonderful meal with our catch. Overall, 5 star service in a small, budget hotel, went beyond expectations
Crystal Sands - Larger hotel in Maafushi, the main hotel is of a high standard, we stayed in their building next door which they have recently acquired. Was a work-in-progress as they do some refurb but was cheap and worth the money.
Akasha - Hotel is clean and modern. Good value for money. Breakfast isn't great, not varied enough. Biggest negative is that the pool was only open 9-12 and then 4-6pm. They told us it was due to cleaning but seems very strange to be closed longer than it was open each day. If they sort out pool opening hours, this will be huge improvement.
Thinadhoo
Oyster Inn - apartment with 2 rooms, sleeping for 5 guests. The apartment itself is large and clean, the outside kitchen was very basic and we didn't use. There is a noisy power station nearby but this is being moved in 2020 so will not be an issue. Great value for money on an island with the most amazing beach.
Fulidhoo
Island Break - best hotel we stayed at in the Maldives. The owners are 3 brothers who deliver top quality service. The family room comprised of 2 connecting rooms, very good standard for the price. Breakfast for great. They also organised a great day-trip for us. Overall brilliant place to stay.
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