CombatCritic's "TravelValue"

Monday, December 10, 2057

Countries Visited ... So Far ... 41 And Counting!

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List (Alphabetical)

Bahrain – Kingdom of Bahrain

Belgium – Kingdom of Belgium

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bulgaria – Republic of Bulgaria

Canada

Croatia – Republic of Croatia

Czech Republic

Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat/Grønland)

France – French Republic

Germany – Federal Republic of Germany

Greece – Hellenic Republic
Holy See

Hungary

India – Republic of India

Ireland
Israel

Italy – Italian Republic

Jamaica

Japan

Korea, South – Republic of Korea

Luxembourg – Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Macedonia – Republic of Macedonia

Malta – Republic of Malta

Mexico – United Mexican States

Micronesia – Federated States of Micronesia

Monaco – Principality of Monaco

Montenegro

Netherlands

Palau – Republic of Palau

Palestine - State of Palestine
Portugal – Portuguese Republic

San Marino – Republic of San Marino

Saudi Arabia – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Slovenia – Republic of Slovenia

Spain – Kingdom of Spain

Switzerland – Swiss Confederation

Tunisia – Republic of Tunisia

Turkey – Republic of Turkey

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United States – United States of America

- Guam

- Puerto Rico

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - "GOLD" Elite '14/'15/'16/'17/'18/'19 650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie - Over 1,890,733 Review And Photo Views

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Title: Countries Visited ... So Far ... 41 And Counting!

Key Words: countries, country, nation, capitol, Google Maps, Google, map, maps, city, state, world, earth, visit, visited, traveler, 44, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, Yelp

Sunday, December 10, 2056

Why Should You Read My Reviews And Subscribe To TravelValue?

I served my country in the United States Air Force for over 20 years and have visited 44 countries over the last 35 years, all without spending over $75 per night for a nice hotel room and dining in excellent restaurants for well under $25 per person. How do I do it? Through diligent research, exploration, trial and error, and tapping local knowledge.

Would you like to stay in a central, 3-star hotel in a major city for under $20 per night? How about a room with a balcony and view of the Himalayas while attending teachings with the Dalai Lama for just $5 per night? Or a beachfront hotel for $13 per night? Maybe a meal prepared by a 5-star chef for less than $20? Well, you have come to the right place ...

CombatCritic's "TravelValue"

Having several popular travel blogs CombatCritic.com and received numerous accolades from several of the top travel and restaurant websites/apps (Yelp, TripAvisor, Zomato, Tabelog, Booking.com), you can trust my opinions.

Unlike many reviewers who are either afraid to tell the truth or have personal relationship with businesses and biased views, I reserve 5-stars (10 Bombs on my blog) for only the most flawless restaurants, accommodations, businesses, attractions and destinations, those where you absolutely and without a doubt get the most “bang-for-the-buck”.

CombatCritic.com

I try to remain as objective as possible in all of my reviews, providing the pros and cons as I see them and a rating based on the overall “value” as compared to similar entities in similar locations. I accept no "freebies" and only identify myself as a critic after having been a customer and paid the bill, so you can trust my reviews.

Here is a breakdown of my ratings both on my blogs (where I use a ten point scale) and on travel and dining websites (that all use 5 point Likert-type scales) ...

If I hate a place, they get 1-2 Bombs (1-star)

If so-so with numerous”issues", they get 3-4 Bombs (2-stars)

If average (the vast majority of businesses fall into this category if you look at the distribution of my ratings), they get 5-6 Bombs (3-stars)

If above average, they get 7-8 Bombs (4-stars)

If they are one of the very rare “best of the best” values in my experience, they get 9-10 Bombs (5-stars – I always round up from bombs to stars because I use a 10 point Likert-type scale in order to be more discernible).

Now that you understand my philosophy and ratings, on to my reviews …

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Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - "Gold" Elite '14/'15/'16 /'17 / '18

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie

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Title: Why Should You Read My Reviews And Subscribe To My Blog?

Key Words: combatcritic, travelvalue, travel, value, combat, critic, review, reviews, objective, restaurant, hotel, attraction, destination, Italy, USA, India, Asia, Europe

Saturday, April 10, 2021

Hostal Macavi: Inexpensive, Clean, Comfortable And Friendly, Unlike Hostal Playa Candor Down The Street

Hostal Macavi

C/ Écija,11

11520 Rota (Cádiz), Spain

Phone: + 34 956 81 33 36

Website: hostalmacavi.es

Prices: €€€€

I had a reservation through Booking.com at Hostal Playa Candor in Rota, but I finally gave up waiting for a closed hostel to open, having a medical appointment at Naval Air Station Rota early the next morning. Upon arrival, the hostel was dark with no sign of life and nobody answered their phone, but I was lucky enough to find a hostel just down the street, Hostal Macavi, which was obviously open and where I was given a very nice room. They were also very nice, professional, and kind, unlike Hostal Playa Candor.

Hostal Playa Candor - Dark & Deserted Upon Arrival For My Booking.com Reservation And Their Phone Rang Off the Hook When I Tried to Call!

I was greeted by the owner, Vicente, at the door of Hostal Macavi at 22:00, arriving without a reservation and was told they had rooms available for just €30 ($36) for the night.

His English was good enough and better than my Spanish, so communication was not a problem. Vicente told me where I could park and even came outside on a chilly, windy night to ensure I found a legal place to secure my car for the night.

I took the elevator to the 1st floor and when I saw the room, I was very pleasantly surprised for the price I paid. Large and simply, but tastefully decorated with a full size bed, a chair and table, closet, clean linens, a nice, big bathroom and a 42" TV mounted on the wall. They had Wi-Fi, but the signal was so weak, I could not connect. No bother as I had to get to sleep and get up early for my medical appointment early the next morning.

I slept like a log on the comfortable bed with no noise all night, took a shower in the huge enclosure, got dressed and went downstairs for a hot cup of coffee before departing.

Carlos cheerfully greeted me and we chatted for 45 minutes while I drank my coffee. His English was very good, having lived in the USA and England for many years. When it was time to go, he said 'that will be €1', a fair price for a double shot Americano with milk and sugar in an American size coffee mug ... HOOAH!

CombatCritic Gives Hostal Macavi 10 Bombs Out Of 10 And A Spot On My 'WALL OF FAME' ... More Bombs Are Better!

Ten Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians:

HOOAH!: "Phonetic spelling of the acronym HUA, which stands for 'Heard Understood Acknowledged.' Originally used by the British in the late 1800's in Afghanistan. More recently adopted by the United States Army to indicate an affirmative or a pleased response." - Urban Dictionary

"The Department of Military Science and Leadership, University of Tennessee claim HOOAH 'refers to or means anything except no' ... Regardless of its meaning ... the term is an expression of high morale, confidence, motivation and spirit." - WarChronicle.com

"The U.S. Air Force stole 'HOOAH' from the Army because we were part of the Army until 1947 and rather than waste a bunch of time coming up with something new and unique like "ROO-YAH" or "HAL-A-LOO-YAH", we said 'screw it, let's go with HOOAH' ... thanks Army ... HOOAH!" - CombatCritic

Booking.com Blew-It On My Reservation - Hostel Closed Upon Arrival, Then They Told Me 'You'll Have To Work It Out With Them'

Hostal Playa Candor

Av. De la Diputación 95

11520 Rota, Spain

Phone: +34 956 814 313

Prices: €€€€

I made the reservation through Booking.com and late arrival, 10PM, was acknowledged by the hostel. Upon arrival, they were obviously closed (no lights, no sign of life, no cars in the parking lot), so I assumed they had not updated their status during the COVID lockdown.

I called their number at 21:47, just to be sure, and they didn't answer the phone, it rang 20 times before giving up. I have photos of the building and a screenshot of my phone call to prove what I say is true. What was I supposed to do, break through the bars on the windows or doors, knock down a door or break a window, and find a room to sleep in on my own?

I contacted Booking.com the next day and sent the hostel a message because they claimed that someone had been there waiting for me and that I was a 'no-show'. They are running some type of a scam and I refuse to pay. The charge, € 35 ($ 43), in-fact appeared on my credit card, so I sent the photos to Booking.com , disputed the charge through my bank, and will file a fraud complaint with the Rota Police.

Screenshot says 8:47PM, but my phone was still on UTC (Potugal), so it's an hour behind Rota, Spain. The 9:42 at the top is the time I took the screenshot.

I finally gave up waiting for a closed hostel to open, having a medical appointment at Naval Air Station Rota early the next morning, so I was lucky enough to find a hotel just down the street, Hostal Macavi, which was obviously open and where I paid just € 30 / $ 36, for a very nice room. They were also very nice, professional, and kind, unlike Hostal Playa Candor.

This is what the hostel, apparently, looks like when they are open

(from their Facebook page). No comparison.

CombatCritic Gives Hostal Playa Candor 0 Bombs Out Of 10 And A Spot On My 'WALL OF SHAME' ... More Bombs Are Better!

Zero Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"

Saturday, February 13, 2021

Olhão (Algarve), Portugal: Hut One, Hut Two, Indian Hut #1 Scores A Touchdown In My Book

Indian Hut

Rua do Morgado, 3

Olhão Centro, Olhão

+351933012376

https://www.indianhutrestaurant.com

Prices: €€€€

In the back streets of old Olhão, you will find the original Indian Hut, having been in the same location for 10 years. There is a new, but not improved, Indian Hut 2 out on the main drag along the Ria Formosa a few blocks away, but this is our go-to spot.

It is tiny with just a few tables inside and four or five outside under the awning. Being in the mild climate of the Algarve, eating outside is always an option, even on a winter night. The staff are warm and friendly and the service impeccable.

The food is wonderful, having spent four months in India in 2014/2015, I have experienced Indian cuisine at its source, so I know a little bit about what I am talking about. We always start with a couple pappadum (€1 each) and a pickle tray (€3.50), which will easily satisfy four people. The onion bhaji (4 for €3) and chicken samosas (2 for €3.50) are also delicious, but take it easy because the entrees themselves are very filling.

The first time we ate here, I ordered the chicken madras (€8.50), a semi-spicy sauce with big chunks of chicken breast, and an order of pilao rice (€3) which is more than enough for two people (the rice that is). The last couple of times, I had the butter chicken (€10.50) which is the best I ever had. The first time I ordered the 'normal' version, but the second time I asked for 'moderately' spicy and it was wonderful! The serving is quite big, a creamy sauce and several chunks of chicken breast, and it has been difficult not to eat the whole portion, it is that good.

My wife is a saag paneer (€8.50) fan and their's is also very tasty and filling with warm, creamy spinach and chunks of their homemade Indian white cheese. My buddy George loves the fish curry (€9) and gets it as hot (spicy) as the can make it, and his wife Sherry loves the prawn saag (creamed spinach and shrimp - €11).

The wines, beers, and spirits are reasonably priced and a complimentary glass of port is a normal after dinner treat. The only negative is that the entree prices are a Euro or two too high, putting a meal for four, including starters, pilau rice, entrees, drinks, and dessert in the €70 to €80 range which is quite high by Portuguese standards.

CombatCritic Gives Indian Hut #1 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Nine Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "U.S. Marine Response To A Verbal Greeting Or As An Expression Of Enthusiasm"

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