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A home away from home

Planning a holiday really shouldn’t be a stressful time. But let’s face it, when searching through the plethora of accommodation websites online, it is hard to know where to start, let alone which option to choose. That’s not the only downfall when looking for accommodation. When looking at hotels and serviced apartments, don’t expect any character. But do expect generic and sterile rooms that feel more like a prison cell complete with a cardboard bed, and then when you look at the price you wonder, how am I supposed to eat whilst on holiday? So what is the solution? Stay at home?

The good news is, some very savvy serial travelers and entrepreneurs have realized these issues and come up with hotel alternatives. Companies like Wimdu offer travelers an organized list of accommodation options which allow travelers to stay in accommodation that is privately owned by locals. There are many benefits to this type of accommodation, starting with the fact that you are staying in an actual home!

Staying in an actual home will allow you to feel comfort similar to the feeling you get from your own home. But as an added bonus, the homes are owned by local hosts, local hosts that have a wealth of knowledge about your chosen destination. This means you can learn more about your chosen destinations, find out what to do, where to eat, what to see, and what tourists traps to avoid!

These types of accommodation give you the chance to make long lasting friendships around the world which is only going to make your holiday more enjoyable. Another great bonus of private accommodation is that it is so much cheaper! Sometimes when travelling it may feel like you are spending more money on accommodation that you have for your plane ticket.

To make things even better it is not just accommodation that has been shaken up by the social travel bug. Companies such as carpooling offer travelers the chance to share the costs of car travel between destinations between people met online. This saves both money and allows you to meet great people around the world.

Are you sold on private accommodation yet? Well to top it all off, private accommodation gives you the chance to stay in locations that are a little ‘off the beaten’ track, unlike hotels that are often limited to metropolitan areas. Private accommodation also allows for your accommodation itself to be an experience. Apart from meeting new and interesting people, hosts around the world have become very creative with their accommodation listings, giving travelers the chance to stay in a cave, a castle, a tree house and even an egg!

This aspect has really created something unique in travel with the accommodation being an experience in itself, the accommodation being the destination!

As you can see, there are alternatives when picking your travel accommodation and the days of walking in to impersonal hotel rooms are over. When travelling you can actually have accommodation that you look forward to coming ‘home’ to which is going to make resting easy and give your more energy to explore your chosen destination.

Have fun exploring!