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5 reasons why you have to stay at a Bali airbnb

Wednesday, 27 November 2019

My travel styles have been known to hit both ends of the spectrum. When I was in full time employment, my holidays were limited to 25 days a year and consequently, I spent all of my money on them, they were pretty indulgent. Now that I no longer have a limit - or a stable income - and I have discovered a whole new way of traveling; my trips are much longer and cost much less.

As such, I'd never had any inkling to use Air bnb. Unlike your typical millennial, I guess I kind of just found the whole thing a bit mediocre, but that all changed when I switched the location of my searches to Bali, Indonesia and I realised that I could get my over indulgence back at a price I could afford!

I had my first, and second Airbnb experience this summer and while I still have absolutely no interest to use the service anywhere else, I would 100% recommend using it if you plan to visit Bali. Here are 5 reasons why:

Value For Money

Considering just how nice these places are, you'd be surprised at how much they cost. Air bnb prices per property, not per person and between us, our budget was £50. I was there with just one friend which obviously made it £25 per night each but the villa actually slept 4 making it ridiculously cheap per head. It's pretty standard to pay £20 per night for a nice hostel in Bali so this was incredible value for money and we were both very pleased with ourselves.

Facilities

People rent these places out to live in, not just to holiday in and so they have all the everyday facilities you'd need which is not something you often find with a hotel or a hostel. As Schofields points out, having things like an oven and a washing machine makes life much easier for guests and whilst Luke took advantage of the kitchen, if you know me, you'll know full well that I went out to eat at any and every opportunity.

The private pools however, are something I took full advantage of and are where I spent most of my time.

Low Cost Luxe

The first time I went to Bali a few years back, I spent an embarrassing amount of money. I don't regret it because I stayed at the most incredible villas, but as I've become much more aware of life without a travel agent, I've realised that I could have very easily done it myself for a fraction of the price. The villas that I sourced and booked myself through Air BnB were just as good, if not better.

Privacy

Hostels have their benefits and for me, the fact that there are people around all the time is something I like when I'm traveling alone; but privacy is not their strong point.

I loved being able to unpack, to leave things on the floor, to make as much mess as I wanted and know that everything was going to be just where I left it when I got back. As well as privacy from the rest of the world, having a double bed and a room all to myself, plus my own outside en suite was awesome.

Unique Accommodation

A private pool and outdoor bathrooms were all I was after and Luke just wanted modern so our villas were smart and clean cut with a Balinese charm.

Some of them though, were so unique - Air bnb is an amazing place to find something different! Things like tree houses and little huts were a norm among the listings so I'd love to stay somewhere really quirky next time!


For my first experience though, it was very good! I'm glad I did it with a friend but I would be confident to use the service solo now I've seen how it works. Everything looked as the photos showed and our hosts were great when we couldn't find the address and very helpful when Luke forgot all his electronics after we left.

So if like me, you've never used air bnb before, hopefully this'll convince you to give it a go on your next trip! I can't wait to do it again. 

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re-adjusting to reality

Tuesday, 19 November 2019

My Australian visa ran out in July and coming home was fun at first; I had weddings to go to, a family holiday to look forward to and lots of people to catch up with - plus the British summer had improved majorly since I left. But after a couple of months, the weather turned grey, reality of it all being over set in and these last few weeks have been an emotional roller coaster. No one ever talks about what it's like to come home; I am at a very odd stage of coming to terms with my new/old life.

So, as you might have noticed, the re-adjusting wasn't going too well and I decided to go back to Thailand. I should probably start working towards a future in the UK but I just wanted a couple of weeks to debrief first; to get my thoughts together and to start thinking about what I'm going to do when I get home. So here's my plan..
Wearing BMTH Band tee and sparkly wide leg trousers

Driving

I never bothered to drive much when I was at home but in Australia, I learned what it was like to have the freedom of my own transport and it's not something I want to give up. I don't need a car full time since I'd like to go back to work in London but I will be looking at the best temporary car insurance I can find so I have the option. 


Get Back To Blogging

Before I left in 2017, my blog was going from strength to strength. I was being invited on one press trip after another and in between those, I took days at home to sit down and concentrate on writing all about them. I had a routine and a bit more discipline in my life at that point but as soon as I left to go backpacking, that all went out of the window.

I've had three awesome trips since coming home this summer, plus the past three years of memories whizzing around in my head and I think I'm finally back in the mindset to start writing again!


Get Healthy 

I caught a horrible cold last month and it honestly knocked me out for weeks. Then I went away; although I've managed to squeeze in one workout whilst in Thailand so I'm looking forward to getting back to it at home - I think it'll probably also help with the keeping my mind busy as well which is something else I really need to focus on because as you can imagine with the boredom of unemployment, my head had been a bit of a mess. 

Talking of which, I was recently sent a bottle of 5% CBD oil from Mistatera and it seems to really help so that's something I think I will keep going with. I've never even so much as smoked a joint so I was a little bit scared at first but after doing a little research I decided to give it a go. The CBD resin is dissolved in coconut oil and just one drop a day, under the tongue where it can easily soak into your blood stream seems to have calmed my racing mind. I wont lie, I'm an over thinker (that's why it took my 3 weeks to decide to give it a go) and whilst a few things have been driving me crazy over the last few weeks, when I take the oil, I still over think but there isn't a panic about the outcome, just calm, rational thoughts. 


Job Hunt

So I do actually have a cute little part time job which I really enjoy but I need something proper, something to fill the my time and something that I need to use my brain for. 


Have Fun

I guess I kind of forgot that it is possible to have fun at home too - I just need to make a bit more of an effort. As much as I just want to stay in bed and watch Netflix with Matt when it's cold, I've been making a conscious effort to try and plan fun things to do together at the weekend so I don't feel sad when Monday rolls around and I've spent all weekend in bed.

 

I've got a similar thing with my friends. Coming home is weird; everyone is married, engaged or buying a house, plus Georgia is moving countries so I think I need to work on getting to know my friends again as well.

Make Plans 

This is a bit of a weird one because I hate making solid plans for the future but I know that when I don't have anything to look forward to, I get really sad; and apparently impulsive - which I why am now writing this post from a hammock in Thailand. 

So without booking anything, I'm starting to think about where and when I want to go next. 

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Spontaneity

Thursday, 7 November 2019

How am I feeling? My heart is racing. I'm excited, nervous and a little bit sad all at the same time. I've just got my flight confirmation; I leave in two days.

I got back from my last trip just over a month ago and I have been going stir crazy with no trips to look forward to and no job to fill my time. All I've been doing is thinking about the adventures of the past three years; the ups, the downs, the people I met, the places I lived and it has in all honesty been driving me crazy. I need something new to think about. 

I've had enough of feeling sorry for myself. I want to have some fun so I'm going back to Thailand. Only for two weeks mind, but hopefully I'll be in a better frame of mind to restart my life in England for real when I get back.

Time to get packing!

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