Sim's Cozy Guest House

Home Sweet Home! After such a long difficult journey, Sim's is a great place to flop. This has to be one of the best hostels I've stayed in on this trip. Sim is a Singaporean guy that has done his fair share of travel and knows what kind of things travelers want and need. The place is laid out well and the rooms, toilets and showers are clean, but it's all the little things that make the place great! All the things that you wish you had at other places this place had. For example, hand soap is provided at the bathroom sink. No one ever has their own soap when they go to the toilet unless they are showering so half the time your hands don't really get washed. They provide drinking water on every floor and in the places where you need it. The showers have hot water and good water pressure, shelves for your toiletries and hooks to hang your clothes, key and towel. You may think that all these things should be standard in every guest house and I agree, but in practice all the little things are normally either not working or nonexistent. They also have a washing machine that they charge by the hour instead of the load. This makes perfect sense because people have a tendency to leave their washing in the machine all day if there is no incentive to remember to finish your washing. They have an internet cafe and a computer dedicated to sharing music. Even before you get there, their business cards have the address written in Chinese, a map of the city, and bus routes that will take you to the places that you want to go. The restaurant has your standard fare at a reasonable price, but if I did have to nitpick one thing, I'd say the food wasn't very good. And the Chinese breakfast was never available. I tried to order it every day for a week and it was either too early or too late. The bar had a nice feel to it with cheap beer. What more does a tired and weary traveler really need? How about wireless internet access for those with their own laptops? Nice touch! Unfortunately, in all the time I was there, I never managed to take a single picture of the place so you'll just have to take my word for it. If you go to Chengdu, stay at Sims. The travel agency is a bit of a toss up though. They may actually be the only agency that will tell you not to book a Panda tour with them because it's easier and cheaper to go by yourself. But they also charge a hefty fee for ticket booking and tour booking. I booked a tour to the Yangtze River Cruise with them and ended up with a horrible connection and an overpriced boat ticket. Unfortunately, I think they play off the good will generated by Sim and his staff. The staff there are all great! They speak Mandarin and either Japanese and or English. Helen even did my laundry for me when I offered to clean their computers of viruses after the manager told her that they couldn't offer me anything in return for my services. Now that's an empowered staff!

Tanks on Trains in Chengdu

Obligatory Mao

Tianfu Square

Tianfu Square Monument

Tianfu Square Giant Round Thing

Chengdu Waterfall