Sound level meter. Wikipedia.
Problem
Short term
Note if a hotel is near a city centre cathedral which rings bells, or a chiming clock which rings every hour, or mosque which has a call to prayer in the early hours of the morning.
HOTEL HONEYMOONS
Usually it is the wedding party in a hotel playing music until minight or 1 am. Watch out for downstairs discos and marquees on the lawn. Ask for a quiet room.
On my honeymoon in Morocco, I remember hearing a tannoy announcement in the night in Arabic. I phoned down to reception and asked if there was a fire or emergency requiring us to leave the room. The receptionist told me it was a 'dawn' call to prayer from the nearby mosque.
Quiet Rooms
When checking in, ask for a room on the quiet side. Don't accept a beroom next to a buidling site. It's unsightly, and it may be quiet when you check in at 6 pm, but the noise could start at 8 am.
Noisy Coutnryside
Staying in the countryside could be a solution. But not always. You might be able to hear a dog barking from a hilltop miles away. Birds start their chorus at dawn. We were woken for breakfast one day in Scotland. A large cow was mooing outside our bedroom window!
Insect Sounds
And watch out for chocolate wrappers left by your bed. You don't want to hear a gecko (tiny lizard) or any other insect crackling the paper in the early morning.
Sea Sounds
In Florida when a storm whipped up the crashing waves outside our beachfront hotel gave me nightmares about tsunamis. I had asked for a seaview room!
Heating
Clonk clonk, clonk in the pipes. Peple overhead are taking an early morning shower.
Along comes a trolley rattling down the corridor. Two girls on the staff are calling to each other, no doubt some vital information about towels and waking people with Do Not Disturb signs.
Knock knock, "Rooms service. We want to check your mini-bar - are you checking out?"
"I wasn't, but now you have woken me at dawn, please tell management, I'm considering it."
Night Sounds
IF next door are holding a party, nothing worse than four of them drinking from bottles at nigght and alughing at each other's jokes, but you want to sleep. The other side has a TV playing a late night film.
Don't get involved in an argument. Some people are really nice, "Sorry, sorry!"
Better to try getting the night manager to walk around and tap on their door.
QUIET Signs
Some hotels have reminders in the dorridors as you step out of the lift. I recall the first time I aw one at the Greenbrier hotel in West Virginia, USA.
Many pubs nowadays have SH signs outside the front entrance asking you to speak quietly and shut doors quietly in car parks out of consideration for neighbours in nearby houses.
Long term
Nothing worse than renting an apartment in a thriving developing city such as Singapore, or a holiday resort in Spain, and walking up to hear work starting on a building site next door. If you are working from home, or waiting in for visitors, you cannot get away.
When renting, note whether building works or redevelopment works are scheduled.
Great Reduced Rent Deals
On the other hand, if you are overseas a lot, you could get a great rental deal on an apartment if a railway station is due to open within the next three to six months, but currently just a building site and noise. The owners may need to reduce the price. My family did this and were able to arrange a two-year contract next to a new station.
Noise Reduction On Buiilding Sites
I noticed that one building I passed had a sign on the draped padding about noise reduction.
Story About Noise At Night
A family I know told me a story about how a pilot was going to sleep early when noisy building words started at night in their road. She dashed out and told them, "You have to stop making that noise. My husband is a pilot and he needs to sleep."
The foreman replied, "Sorry, madam, we have to dig here because we are repairing a gas connection."
"She replied, 'No, you aren't. This street doesn't have gas. We use bottled gas."
The works manager muttered something and all the foreign workers jumped into an open-sided truck which drove off!
In Singapore police stations such as the one in the Toa Payoh Community Club are open 24 hours.
Noise Remedies
If you wish to sleep soundly, you might consider:
Buying a sound level meter.
1 Playing soothing music.
2 Noise cancelling headphones.
3 Saving ear plugs from your flight, or buying ear plugs in a drug store.
Useful Websites
TRAVEL
DENMARK
http://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-26404666/copenhagen-noise-pollution-ruling-in-denmark#
https://www.visitdenmark.com/denmark/tourist-frontpage
SINGAPORE
https://www.noisyneighboursingapore.com/articles/singapore-noise-regulations/
visitsingapore.com
UK
visitbritain.com
USA
visittheusea.com
SOUNDS & NOISE
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noise
EARPLUGS & EARPHONES
You will find ear plugs and earphones from all continents at all prices:
https://www.amazon.com/EarJoy-Noise-cancelling-plugs-Aluminum/dp/B01HDDB816
https://www.qoo10.sg/gmkt.inc/goods/goods.aspx?goodscode=582472686&jaehuid=2026058764
https://www.lazada.sg/products/wireless-bluetooth-noise-cancellation-headphone-ph-5050-bl-black-
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
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