Singapore Hostel

Andy, I've been meaning to ask you for a while...could you reccommend any travel guides for India/ Nepal/ Himalaya? I've been pining over Lonley Planet, but I don't want to buy about 5 of their books to find a better one elsewhere. Also, if you know of any cheap budget hostels, especially in Goa or Kathmandu, I would appreciate it. I only know of Hostel World ones, and hey... I'm guessing not all the world's hostels are onthere.

Sorry, this cut off before I finished.I am thinking of heading out early net year, and I have several months to kill. I am going to visit friends in the US toward the end (maybe July time), but I want to spend some time in India, and maybe do a trek of the Himalaya too. If you could reccommend anything at all that might help, I would be most grateful.I think you have my email address... ash_beck@ntlworld.com.Thankyou,-ash

Andy, this blog and your comments are really so stupid and kiddish.how is possible a guy like you in his 40s never heard about Shenzhen and need to write it down ??you must be really an ugly american no less than then 1000s i met in asia and in the rest of the world.and there's not even a goal in your trip, just traveling for the sake of it, no marrying, no children, no making something out of your travel experience, just living day by day and claiming to be "free".i mean, even a shit is free, she has no needs and no goald but cmon man, you've seen the world more than me, organize your mind a bit (which looks very nebolous) and set yourself a target, you're still on time even if a bit old.i knew many guys like you in the 100s of hostels i've been, and believe me, no one of them ever reached something in their life, they were mainly escapiing from something and building nothing but tales stories to enjoy their backpackers' audience then get drunk from time to time and move somewhere else.i mean, i would love to travel endlessy for 10 yrs but cmon when you look yourself in the mirror don't you see a shit ? it's not the issue that you travel without destination, but that reading this blog, even if quite interesting, you write such many bullshits and so many kiddish things i'm surprised you even reached your 40s alive.get a life man !Marco Polo from (guess..) Venice

Marco: whilst I recognise that Andy does not require me to defend him, I think there are a few things you should know. 1) it is generally considered rude, foolish and afraid to leave libellous comments to someone without publically showing your accountability. If I want to insult you, I will leave an email address or a weblink. I will not put a letter through your door with no return address unless I am afriad of you, or cannot stand by what I have written.2) you are entitled to have an opinion on anything, and to declare it, if you have the guts to own it. However, you must also accept that not all people have the same opinions and views as you. 3) with 2) in mind, not all people see their lives as having to centre around the same thing. Not everyone wants to work 9-5 in a veal-fattening pen and drive a sports car home to his wife and 2 children and dog called rex. Not everyone will go to church on Sunday. Not everyone will pray to Allah every day. We find life where we are, and we find reasons to live every day in each minute detail. Not everyone is going to travel the world for the rest of their lives. If we all did that then none of us would run hostels or pilot planes. We all got our priorities. Just because we differ doesn't make us of any less worth. I strongly doubt I'll change your mind here, but here's my 2 cents with a link to my blog at the bottom.-ash

Hello,Thanks Ash... heheheI had a friend tell me to instantly realize that a person that writes and calls me names as not wishing to do any good. They are trying to provoke persons into an argument.I would agree with what Ash says.Knowledge of cities... Actually I am more talking about the dynamics of business than the city. Although for sure I did not know where this city is and truthfully I really did not care.I on the other hand care now because of the ability to utilize the cheap labor of China to manufacture backpacks for Hobo and then to have them shipped or transferred via Hong Kong.Singapore where I am presently at as of October 2005 is also similiar, you can have labor done in Malaysia and use Singpore as you gate.Ash, we can just delete comments like this. The instant name calling to me is a type of cultural racism. When a persons only goal is to tear down people there is a sadness. Michael Moore is like this, he does not contribute or create, he earns money by trying to denigrate others. For sure I will say negative comments about people, places, or things. However hopefully I remember to type in the comparisons and explain.The person that posted was quite hilarious. I think we should try to discover by the words which country he is from, I do not believe he is an English native speaker. It is a learned language, a second language.Any guesses on country and the specific phrases that are clues?Note, it would be nice if they had spell check on the comments.

Hi this is nat from the travel agency in bangkok.recently following your blog after talking to you last week.Just want to comment to the remarks made by marco polo.I meet different kinds of people in my agency all day.Everybody should simply do what they are happy to do.If you are happy to have a family and 2 kids please do.If you are travelling around the world and it makes you happy please do.If you think andy's blog is stupid,just don't read it.I would probably not like to have marco polo's life,but I wouldn't like to have andy's life either.Everyone should do what they like to do as long as you don't offend others.I like s'pore,andy doesn't.This doesn't make one of us stupid.Anyway just my opinion about life.By the way shenzen is off course a great place to do business.Just take the speed boat there from macau,only 50mins!And oh andy have a nice flight to manila!

Hi MarcoMy first comment was to provide you with a quote from Mark Twain'Denial ain't just a river in Egypt. You sign yourself Marco Polo, a great explorer by any count. You say you'd love to travel for 10 years, then go on to admonish a person who is doing what you admit you wish to do. (I think you are in denial of your own needs, here, and a little envious).You open with a comment that Andy's writing is 'stupid and kiddish' then go on to write a run of stupid, kiddish comments, yourself.StupidTo suggest every man in his 40's should know Shenzen. Why? Do you know every city in the world?StupidTo say he must be 'really an ugly American.' Why? Do you have to be an ugly American to travel a lot?I found this stereotype mind-boggling. It is also the kind of 'kiddish' jibe six year olds use, in the school playground.StupidTo write Andy has no goal.He has lots of goals-To provoke thought is one. He has definately got you to think-although it is at a low level. To make money to travel, is another. He is doing that, too. To be free, is another. He has been free to choose his own path. StupidTo suggest that somebody leave a life they enjoy to marry and have kids is perhaps the most foolish thing you write. Too many people rush into marriage without enough thought, look at divorce statisitcs. That leaves a lot of unhappy kids about.Marriage and children should be an enormous commitment. They are not goals to achieve, because everybody else is doing it.KiddishYour frequent references to sh*t intrigue me. Freud would find you interesting. I think his anal stage is when a person is about 2-3 years old. You should have out-grown this by now and have been able to think of more mature metaphors.You tell Andy to 'get a life.'He has a life. An extremely interesting one which he chooses to share, a little with his readers.If you read more of his blogs you would understand that he can be both philosophical and very clever with words, at times.You, however, seem to have a problem with words. And no depth of thought at all. By your own admission you are not travelling as you would like.I feel sorry for you.Kim from LondonKim from London

hi, I'm a Singaporean chancing upon this blog. I would just like to correct what u mentioned abt seeing "India, Chinese but no obvious Singaporeans.." Singapore is in fact made up of people of Chinese, Indian, Malay descent. Many of whom u saw were in fact native singaporeans. How were u planning to identify locals?