Let’s face it – While Travel Guide Books can be a good resource or very handy reference when you’re traveling, unfortunately most of the information is not up to date. If you want current and in depth information on specific destinations including hotel and restuarant reviews, touring options etc from a traveler’s (and consumers) point of view, I suggest that you do some research online.

There are numerous online travel forums, online travel communities and travel portals available where travelers share their tips, recommendations and advice with fellow travelers.

As Traveler and a Travel professional, I utilize these travel forums when doing both research on my own personal travels or on behalf of a client. My favorite travel forums are – Thorn Tree, TripAdvisor, TravelFish and VirtualTourist.

Each of these travel forums are very unique and presented in a somewhat different format. See below

• Thorn Tree Travel Forum
  One of the most useful forums, it is geared primarily to the younger and budget oriented traveler. In their forums, travelers seek advice from other travelers on a variety of topics. If you go to Thorn Tree, you’ll find some very interesting and active conversations (threads) going on. Thorn Tree is part of Lonely Planet, the largest travel guide book publisher in the world.
• TripAdvisor
  Probably the most popular and well known travel forum online, this is the place to go when researching hotels. On TripAdvisor, fellow travelers contribute their unbiased reviews on hotels, guesthouses, B & B and specialty lodging around the world. TripAdvisor caters to a slightly more upscale and older traveler than Lonely Planet.
• Travelfish
  Unlike other travel forums mentioned here, Travelfish does not cover the whole world. Travelfish deals exclusively with Southeast Asia and caters primarily to the budget traveler - backpackers and flashpackers - and to those travelers who are interested in an off the beaten path experience. The editors have compiled quite a list of guesthouses and budget hotels in each locale - and their reviews are usually spot on.
• VirtualTourist
  This is not really a travel forum per se like Lonely Planet or even TripAdvisor, but an Online Travel Community. On VirtualTourist, travelers from around the world share their insight and travel recommendations on various destinations. Travelers submit a destination or trip review based on their own travel experiences, often accompanied by trip photos.

Curiuously enough, TripAdvisor is owned by Expedia.com and in 2008, TripAdvisor acquired VirtualTourist. Talk about a Travel Conglomerate!

I was very fortunate to have chosen the ANCASA HOTEL for my brief 2-night stay in Kuala Lumpur. Situated only two short blocks from Chinatown, the hotel’s location is ideal - Puduraya, the interstate bus terminal is next door while the public mass transit system- the overhead monorail and underground trains - are within easy walking distance. As a bonus, Starbucks Café with free WIFI is conveniently located directly across the street. And at $51USD including breakfast, the price is right. While the hotel is short on facilities - no swimming pool and only a stripped down and small fitness center – all rooms come with cable TV, free wifi, a hot water utensil and a small refrigerator and the breakfast buffet was more than satisfactory with a variety of hot and cold dishes, rolls and pastries as well as fresh fruit. The hotel management seemed very keen on customer service.

The young manager, an Indian fellow who I believe is first generation Malaysian, was especially accommodating. Upon check in, he personally gave me a guided tour of the hotel and its facilities - gym and the massage treatment concession - and answered most of my questions about Kuala Lumpur. While he was showing me around, we chatted a bit about the terrorist attack in Mumbai, India as well as the political situation and demonstrations in Thailand. Although he did give me a bum steer as to where to find premium T-shirts as gifts, I cannot really fault him for that – he meant well.

Bottom Line – I would highly recommend the ANCASA Hotel for the first time visitor to Kuala Lumpur. While short in facilities, it is very affordable for a 3 star property and you cannot beat the location.