In the previous post (here), I’ve talked about the app for transportation, now I’m going to talk about accommodation. Well, usually I try to lower my budget by staying at my friend’s or an acquaintance’s place. As long as they don’t mind giving me some space to sleep and clean up, I’d be very happy even if I have to sleep on the floor, for instance. For me who doesn’t have a lot of money but loves traveling, expensive hotels are definitely not an option. Some people think it’s important to have a good sleep so they are willing to spend money on pricey places, but I don’t need that. As long as I can lay down, rest, and clean, I’m okay. Well, I was born poor so I could pretty sleep in any condition, so why spend too much money on it? But well, of course people are different. If you don’t feel comfortable staying at cheap places, that’s fine too, again, as long as you have the money. And, well, I’m aware that if I stay at a friend’s place, my presence might be troublesome, it can be awkward and it might make them feel uncomfortable, so, no, I don’t want them to feel troubled. Hence, sometimes I’d rather stay at a cheap hotel or hostel. And for this, I usually use AirBnB, and I think I love AirBnB.
Using AirBnB is easy. There are a lot of options, the procedure is easy, and we can read the reviews first. We can also contact the owner before we make the reservation to make sure that what we need will be accommodated. For instance, hotel check in is usually after 12, while hotel check out is usually before 10. With AirBnB, I can negotiate this. I can ask them if it’s okay to check in early, check out late, or leave my bag for a while after check-out, etc. It’s easy and most importantly, I feel really safe. Also, sometimes the owner is really kind as to provide breakfast, or let you do laundry for free, etc. I guess it’s not easy to get such facilities when we stay in hotel. In hotel, usually we have to pay extra, no? I don’t know, I just feel that AirBnB is my best option for accommodation-if I don’t have a friend or acquaintance to stay with.
Well, before I make the reservation in AirBnB, I usually check the location, to make sure that it’s not that far from either where I first get off in the city, or where I have to get on and board for my next destination. This is important for me, because I don’t want to choose cheap AirBnB but end up spending more on the transport to get there or anywhere. However, usually AirBnB doesn’t show the exact address or location before we make the reservation, so sometimes it is hard. Usually they only give us a big circle as to around where the room/house is located, but not really the exact location. (Now it seems that they do, though, i.e. showing the exact location). But, well, what I do to check it is that comparing it with the map I’m making for planning. (Remember how important it is, right? Read here). So yeah, when planning for a trip, I have to open a lot of tabs in my browser so I can check and recheck my itinerary to avoid unnecessary expense.
And, considering how insecure I often feel, I usually choose a private room if it’s affordable, even when I travel with a friend (my friend is not a stranger so basically we’re one and it will make it even cheaper). I love to have some privacy, and I think it’s safer and more comfortable too. Sometimes I have to pray too, and I don’t want people to feel uncomfortable with me praying in the room. I guess I have to be really considerate when others are present. So yeah, staying in a private room is a luxury because I can do whatever I want without feeling anxious about how others might feel about what I do. However, private rooms can be expensive sometimes. In that case, I’m okay with hostel, you know, those with bunk beds, sharing rooms with strangers. I don’t mind hostel, but usually I choose the all-female room because I don’t feel comfortable sharing a room with a male stranger. And guess what? Sometimes I choose hostel and I end up having all the rooms for myself because nobody else stays in the room. That’s really the best, and I really love it. But, ugh, I don’t mean to say that it’s not nice to meet new people. Sometimes I happen to stay in the same room with other travelers, too, and it’s fun, too. We can share experiences and stories, and I don’t hate them. It’s just, if I have to choose, I prefer private room because it’s like my me-time. I can still meet people outside anyway 😊
And, well, as you might have noticed, I have Booking.com app with me too. To be honest, I don’t really use it when I travel. Mostly I use it to make free-cancelation reservation to take care of the requirement for my visa application. I’m not sure if this is wrong, sometimes I do feel bad about it, but what can I do? If I book a reservation that cannot be cancelled or refunded and somehow I end up not getting the visa, it will be hard, I’ll lose my money, and I don’t want that. So yeah, it sucks to be a traveler from a third-world country, for which you need visa to go almost anywhere. *Sigh Well, I hope nobody working in the embassy read this, I don’t want them to turn me down next time I apply for a visa because they know my accommodation reservation is fake. But if they do read this, I hope they can understand that I just want to travel to more places and I have no intention to beg for money from their country and that I’ll definitely leave their country accordingly, so they should not be worried about granting me a visa. Hopefully. But, oh, sometimes I use booking.com to compare prices, too. It’s rare, though, because sometimes the prices are usually high there.
Then, you might see Couchsurfing app. It’s an app to get a free stay at someone’s place. I myself have never really tried it because, yes it’s free but then, I can’t be sure if it’s safe, so I guess I don’t want to risk it. By safe, I mean, I don’t know if the person providing the stay is a good person or not, and it’s free, we don’t pay anything, so it’s a bit fishy and too risky for me. I don’t know I have this fear that I might be drugged, raped, or killed, so I just want to minimize this possibility. With AirBnB I feel safer because I pay, albeit cheaply, and I can complain or report to AirBnB too, but with Couchsurfing, I’m just not brave enough. Well, you’re brave enough, you can give it a try and of course it can make your travel even cheaper. I haven’t used it myself, but I still keep it just in case 😉
Well, I’ll continue with other thingies next time. See you 😉
