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Manila Bulletin devider Drive devider How to find a holiday spot

How to find a holiday spot

Published Feb 23, 2023 09:59 am

Browsing and booking via AirBNB

After a year hard work, no doubt your family is itching for a relaxing vacation, ideally somewhere far from the city to get a proper breather. If you’re looking to organize a long road trip, there’s an easy way to find that perfect vacation spot, even if you don’t have any initial options in mind.

Serving as a boon during the pandemic is the vacation rental site, AirBNB. Thanks to the returning desire to travel, the site has timely upgraded many of its features to help travelers like you find that perfect vacation spot.

Narrow your choices

It all starts with heading to the site. You’ll be prompted with a few initial questions: where, when, with whom and what. For where, simply enter a town. For when, enter your preferred dates. For with whom, enter the number of companions. If you’d like to bring a pet, enter that as well, and the site will bring up all the pet-friendly options. The ‘what’ is optional, as you can choose from a resort, or bed and breakfast to more unique options like campgrounds, tiny homes, containers, or even tree houses.

Browse

Once you fill in at least one or more of the blanks at the top, AirBNB will already narrow your choices. You can narrow it further by clicking on the filters button and tick off essentials like ‘free wifi,’ ‘free parking’ or even handicapped-friendly locations.

Feel free to click the choices brought up to see more information about the place. Take the time to scroll through the listing to see what it offers, check out all the photos, any rules the host may have, amenities, and most especially reviews. Those listed as ‘Superhost’ are highly recommended, though another safe metric to go by is high review scores (the more and the closer to 5.0 stars, the better).

Inquire

If you have any questions that haven’t been answered by the information in the listing, don’t be afraid to send a message or inquiry to the host before booking. They will likely be very eager to answer your questions, like if you can request for particular things like an early check-in, borrow extensions cords or driers, or even setup decorations for a birthday surprise.

Book

If this all sounds appealing, check the reservation details. On the right of the page, you’ll see things like a breakdown of the cost and any additional charges that might be added. It’s important to ensure information (like the number of guests, days) is correct before finalizing or having to change it later on. AirBNB will also let you know if it’s reasonably priced or higher or lower than average in the area.

The most hassle-free way of paying is by major Visa and Mastercard credit cards. However, electronic methods like Paypal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and even Maya are accepted. You can also opt to split the payment into smaller, more manageable transactions.

Before booking, double check the cancellation rules. Some may charge a cancellation fee, while others may let you cancel up to a day before booking. Choose what suits you best, especially if your plans may possibly change.

Once that’s done, you’ll receive an email containing your electronic booking, as well as any additional info you might need, like directions to the place, the host’s contact details, and other reminders.

Your stay

Once at your chosen holiday spot, all you have to do is unpack and enjoy. If you’re unfamiliar with the place, ask you host for ideas of what to do, where to go, or where to eat. Chances are, they’ll be happy to share.

You may have paid to rent the place, but AirBNB’s are still very different from hotels. The host will likely appreciate it if you keep the place relatively clean after checking out. This can be little things like cleaning the dishes or ensuring there’s no trash on the floor. It may seem small but these acts can mean the difference between getting to stay there again or having to find a new place.

Finally, if you enjoyed, feel free to leave a review. Chances are, the host will be delighted to leave you a review as well. This will ensure other hosts won’t hesitate to welcome you into their homes.

Related Tags

Long drive Holidays Airbnb
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