Accommodation

An essential part of travel is finding the right accommodation. Whether you are travelling as a family, solo, or as a couple it is often the most stressful part of planning a trip. We have travelled extensively throughout the world and over the years have spent hours researching the best accommodation options trying to find the right deal.

We have stayed at budget hotels, hostels, Airbnb, guest houses, resorts, mid to high end hotels and luxurious hotels and apartments in some of the most expensive cities in the world. The style of accommodation that’s right for some travellers can be totally different for others and it’s really a personal choice as to what’s right for you.

We want to help you with accommodation recommendations to suit your travel style, whether it’s a short stay your looking for, or a longer period in an apartment we have guides for finding something that fits you.

What type of accommodation best suits you?

The first decision is deciding type of accommodation are you looking for. Below is a list of the hotel booking sites we use time and time again. They are the exact sites we use when booking our travel and we are firm believers in them. Which is why we are confident in recommending them. They are the best hotel booking sites and consistently offer superior deals. Use them to book your hotels and resorts.

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Resorts and Hotels

Thankfully with so many review sites and accommodation guides available on the Internet, choosing what type of hotel or resort is right for you is very easy, as you can read reviews on what to expect form travellers who have stayed before.

Hotel Booking Sites

Booking.com

Booking.com is by far one of the most popular hotel booking site for countries such as Australia, United Kingdom, Europe and United States. This is the main booking site we use

Book Here

Agoda

Agoda is our first choice for hotels and guesthouses in Asia. They have a large inventory of places to stay in Asia and offer great deals often unmatched by other booking sites

Book Here

Expedia

Expedia offers a range of services from Hotel booking to flights, tours, packages, car rentals and cruises. A popular choice for hotels and resorts in Australia and abroad.

Book Here

The advantages of using an online booking site is that you can refine your searches to your preferences of exact location, ratings, budget and amenities of the hotel or resort. Some good bargains can also be found especially if the property is short on booking they often lower prices just to fill rooms.

Rajah Brooke Suite 137 Pillars House Chiang Mai — Our room at 137 Pillars House Chiang Mai

Hostels

Although we don’t stay at Hostels that often we have had a lot of fun staying at hostels when travelling with our children who are in their 20’s. Hostels are a great place to meet people of all ages and perfect for solo travellers looking to interact with fellow travellers. Hostels are an affordable option which allows you to stretch your travel funds further.

The level of comfort varies but usually you get shared style accommodation, and basic amenities. Many hostels cater to couples and female travellers wanting more privacy. Boutique hostels are fast becoming a popular accommodation style. One of the best hostel booking sites is Hostelworld.

What about Airbnb?

Airbnb is either shared accommodation in someone’s home or the whole use of a home.

The Airbnb trend of people opening there home to guests is an alternative to traditional hotels and was once a popular alternative. Controversy has at times painted a bad light over some Airbnb operators, so our advice is to use at your own risk. Overall most operators do the right thing as future ratings are based on a feedback system. However, many Airbnb properties due to excess cleaning, maintenance, and added conditions are no longer as cost effective as they once were.

House Sitting

We have tried house sitting and can say from personal experience that house sitting is a great option for long term cost effective travel for extended stays in a destination.

So, what is House Sitting

Basically, house sitting involves a home owner opening their home to a stranger to care for their home and pets while the homeowner is away. The advantage for the guest is that you get full use of someone’s home which allows you to live like a local with all the amenities of home. In some cases, it’s also possible to have use of the homeowner’s vehicle. Especially if the home is out of town.

The first half of 2017 we spent 5 months travelling throughout England and Scotland and if not for house sitting we would not have been able to stay for that length of time. If you are new to the concept of house sitting, you can read our complete guide to getting started which details the ins and outs of house sitting, what to look for in a house sit and much more.

Stunning view from the back yard of our House Sit in Scotland.

We have met many lovely people during our time house sitting and are often asked to return for repeat stays. The cost savings with this type of accommodation can be substantial and we highly recommend giving it a try. Read more on house sitting in our house sitting overview.

Our preferred partner for house sitting is TrustedHousesitters.