Sleepy Cedars

As someone who frequents hotels and hostels, it's a delight to stay in one of those elusive other types of accommodation: the B&B. It's often not an option for us further abroad for location reasons, but in Belfast we figured we'd at least have the advantage of language on our side.

And boy, am I glad we did! Sleepy Cedars is a comfy, family-style B&B with only a few, well kept rooms. The bed was as comfy as a large marshmallow. The sparkling clean bathroom had a great shower.

More than any other place I've stayed, Sleepy Cedars feels like a home away from home. This is probably because of the care that Aoife, who has solo responsibility for the B&B, takes of every guest. She was more than just a source of city information, but actually treated us like friends or family.

Mind you, I'm quite partial to anyone who can feed me as well as Aoife. Breakfast was a treat I can barely put words to. Nearly everything was home-made. As well as traditional Irish breads, preserves, cheese and ham, there were cheesy puffs, homemade yoghurt with blueberry compote and home roasted granola, and a delicious spiced rice served in cute little blue teacups.

Everything was delicious, and you couldn't wish for more.

I would highly recommend Sleepy Cedars to anyone visiting Belfast.

Sleeping With the Fishes

In most cities there's a lot to consider when choosing where to stay. But not in Amsterdam. Well, not for me at least.

Why? Because in the city of dykes and canals, I knew I wanted to stay on the water, in a Botel.

After checking out a few options, I settled quickly on the Passenger Ship Avanti.

And boy, am I glad I did!

The entire upper deck is a comfortable common area, with the cabins below deck. Each has a porthole, which provides surprisingly adequate ventilation. This isn't for the spoiled - the rooms are very small. However, they're perfectly comfortable, and I found myself waking up well rested each morning.

The guy who runs the botel is friendly, and the breakfast is more that sufficient. Plus, due to the compact rooms, it's very well priced. What's not to love?

If you don't mind close quarters, and enjoy accommodation with a bit of character, look no further.