Accessible travel. How to choose!

September 11, 2010.
Road down to Hua Hin.

Many years of traveling in my powered wheelchair doesn't make me the Guru of accessible travel. But I can tell a lot about my experience. I have traveled in a caravan, I have traveled to cottages, I have been flying to different parts of the World and stayed in different kinds of accommodations. Accommodations more or less adapted to handicapped people. Sometimes very satisfying, sometimes very disappointing.

So here some tips how to choose your accommodation.
1 Find the original website of the accommodation. Google the hotel, the resort, etc.
2 Read carefully the description. Try to find all the information about accessibility.
3 What is important to you. Write an email to the accommodation with all your questions about accessibility.
4 Location. In the center of town, at the skirts of the town center or in the middle of nowhere. Ask for proof. For instance the picture. A resort which aims to be accessible and tells you they are 10 min from the town center. Is this ten minutes of walking, driving a car, cycling a bike or what? I investigated the location. They are 12 km out of the center in the middle of nowhere.
5 How to get around. Most of the time you will and have to go out for lunch and/or dinner. Or you just want to walk and look around at your destination. I go crazy at the country side. I like to see and to meet people. I don't like to stay in a resort where the only distraction are the same people at the same pool every day. And I don't like to order a taxi every time I think of leaving the accommodation. I don't like to take shuttle service at fixed times. I like to be free in my wheelchair. So check how you can get around.
6 Price Price can vary a lot in Hua Hin. So check out the different possibilities like hotel, guesthouse, villa or apartment. Ask how many people can stay for this price. And what you get for your money. For instance the resort in the picture. This resort asks 15.200 Baht / 40.2 = 378 Euro per night for a groundfloor apartment in high season, max 4 persons, in the middle of nowhere. Compare this price to Tira Tiraa ground floor adapted apartment. Apartment per night, high season, 4 persons, down town Hua Hin, 167 Euro or 6713 Baht.

Do you have more tips. Please write a comment on this Blog. We and fellow disabled travelers will appreciate every positive input.