Wakacyjnego Hostel – Krakow, Poland

| August 19th, 2010 | 48102 Comments »http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pausethemoment.com%2F2010%2F08%2F19%2Fwakacyjnego-hostel-krakow-poland%2FWakacyjnego+Hostel+-+Krakow%2C+Poland2010-08-19+06%3A00%3A47Ryanhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.pausethemoment.com%2F%3Fp%3D4810 | Poland, Reviews, Travel

After an uncomfortable four hour overnight train from Prague to Cesky Tesin, a 1-mile trek with our heavy bags and a three and a half hour minibus to Krakow we we’re just looking for a place to lay down by the time we arrived. When we stumbled upon the Wakacyjnego Hostelu Pwst (translation: Drama School Holiday Hostel), we were amazed by how modern and clean it was.

From the outside it’s hard to realize that the hostel even exists. There is no real sign on the front of the building, there is just printed sheets of 8.5×11 with a small logo on them hanging beside the entrance way. I walked in and asked the security guard “How much?” while rubbing my thumb against my fingers in the air. He replies “62.” 62 zloty per person (roughly $19.77 USD/pp). I say “Can we see the room?” while pointing my index and middle fingers at my eyes and then to his. He only speaks Polish yet we’re communicating through hand signals, something that I’ve learned to do quite well on the road. He replies “Follow me.” as he grabs the keys from the desk and walks us to the elevator.

We pass by the shared kitchen area and we’re liking this place already. It’s got everything you need besides an actual oven. There’s a stove top for cooking, dishes, cutlery, spices, a sink and a refrigerator. We’re already imagining what kind of meal we’ll put together when we stay here.

We arrive at room number 22 and as the door swings open we feel like we’re in the wrong place. For $40/night this place is immaculate! Not only does the room have two nice twin beds, two desks, free internet hook up, massive amounts of storage space, and a beautiful ensuite bathroom but it’s also just steps from the main railway, bus terminal, the Galleria Krakow shopping center and about a 3-5 minute walk to Old Town!

The only problem that we found with this hostel is that it’s only open for the months of July and August when the drama school is out. If you’re in Krakow for the summer months be sure to head on over to Wakacyjnego Hostel.

Address: Warszawska 5 – Krakow, Poland

Value: 4 out of 5 stars

Rooms: 4 out of 5 stars

Location: 4 out of 5 stars

Staff: 5 out of 5 stars

Review: Sham’s Restaurant Dahab, Egypt

| July 2nd, 2010 | 42991 Comment »http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pausethemoment.com%2F2010%2F07%2F02%2Freview-shams-restaurant-dahab-egypt%2FReview%3A+Sham%27s+Restaurant+Dahab%2C+Egypt2010-07-02+05%3A29%3A32Ryanhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.pausethemoment.com%2F%3Fp%3D4299 | Egypt, Reviews, Travel

Greetings from Sham’s Restaurant here in Dahab!

We loved Sham’s so much that we ended up spending a lot of our days here. It’s okay though, because we have nothing else to do! Sham’s is a relaxing sea side restaurant with bedouin style seating with hundreds of big puffy pillows, colorful rugs, and small sit down coffee tables.

The staff make this place a fun atmosphere to hang out at, and one of the most important services that Sham’s offers is the free Wi-Fi internet. As far as food goes, Sham’s has the best value for the money. The food quality is excellent and tended to taste much better than the other restaurants that we tried during our visit to Dahab. The prices are on point and are much cheaper than our hotel’s restaurant (Penguin Restaurant).

We’re known here on a first name basis now. As I walk up to Sham’s each and every morning I hear one of the owners yell “Hey, my brother from another mother!”. They treat us very well here, and usually bring out desserts on the house, give us discounts on meals, and more. If you’re in Dahab and you’re looking for a chilled out spot with good food and good prices, head to Sham’s.