Airbnb has been added to my top list and the new choice of my travel experience since 2016 when it comes to choosing a place to stay. I had been using Airbnb on my recent trips when visiting these cities in Guangzhou in China, Hong Kong, Penang in Malaysia and Bangkok in Thailand.
The type of lodging that you can look into includes vacation houses, apartments, homestays, hostel beds and motels. Prices are very reasonable, enough there are a few of them are more luxurious and expensive one. Yet again, it is absolutely cheaper than living in a 5-star hotel or resort that cost hundreds of dollars per night.
Living with an Airbnb host has given me an opportunity to get to know the people better by interacting with the host and the locals, meeting new friends who live together, recommend or even take you to their famous local restaurants to eat, understand the local culture and norms and see what the locals are doing in their daily life.
Simply the Best
One of my greatest experiences that I love to share was during my visit to Guangzhou, China. I stayed in the apartment with my host, Tanya Lu and she is very friendly, hospitable and helpful when it comes to asking for travel tips around the city. Although Tanya and I do speak Mandarin, she still communicates with fluent English which makes it easier for me as well.
Her apartment is very clean, tidy and was well decorated with many collectible items from all around the world when she was traveled. It always makes me feel just like home. Her place is situated above many food stalls, opposite a mini grocery shop and a 15-minutes walk to the subway station that can get mostly anywhere in the city.
More interestingly, I saw some ladies sitting on both sides of the walking path near the entrance of the apartment selling vegetables, fish and flowers to the residents. During the morning weekends, there are some elderly doing tai chi in the park and children playing in the playground.
BedroomLiving Room
Dining Area
Happy Traveling!!
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All views expressed on this site are my own and do not represent the opinions of any entity whatsoever with which I have been.
As the author of this blog, I assume no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content and any action you take upon the information on this site. The information contained in this site is provided on an ‘as in’ basis with no guarantees of completeness.
Known as “City of Angels“, Bangkok is a vibrant city filled with countless number of temples, historic sites, delicious street food, and modern skylines. A network of rivers is connected to the long Chao Phraya river where the “wats”, shopping malls, and luxury hotels are situated.
Located in the province of Samut Songkhram, the Maeklong Railway Market has been around since 1905. This authentic market draws thousands of visitors to witness the excitement to watch the train passing through the narrow railway.
Feel like traveling back in time when visiting this former Siamese capital. Founded in 1350, the city of Ayutthaya was the political and economic capital of the Kingdom of Siam. The Chao Phraya River became the prime location as the port city and remained powerful for 7 centuries.
Pattaya is a resort city located about 100 km from Bangkok on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand. It has a long-stretch sandy beach along the coast, suitable for all sorts of water sports activities. It is well known for its red-light districts that attract many foreign travelers especially Westerners.
This is something I love to share when I went on holiday to Turkey with my family. It’s been ages since the last time I took a vacation overseas with them, especially to Europe. The tour group consists of mostly young people, three couples (including my parents, of course), and one elderly lady.
We visited many amazing cities, countryside, and historic sites during this 9-day and 8-night trip. Here’s the fact worth knowing: Istanbul is a transcontinental city in Eurasia, which separates Europe and Asia. The journey started from Istanbul, to Canakkale, Asklepleion, Ephesus, Pamukkale, Konya, Cappadocia and Ankara before the trip ended in Istanbul. The entire journey of this trip was close to 7,000 kilometers!
Before you get too excited about going to Turkey the first time, be sure that you are packed with these important items so that it wouldn’t ruined the holiday. Winter season falls between November and January.
Windbreaker
Upon arriving at Istanbul Ataturk Airport early morning, we entered the arrival hall and suit up immediately with our windbreaker that was taken out from the hand-carry baggage from the cabin compartment. The rain has just stopped and the sun became visible behind the Sea of Marmara. Still, the weather was cold but does not hinder young adults like me from the adventurous tour.
As we head to Ankara city on the mountain road, the temperature hits -2°C during the daytime. Outside was completely covered with snow which is believed to had happened yesterday or two days before (Darn! We missed the snow time).
Long pants
The best way to avoid the cold at night is to wear long and thick pants during bedtime, although most hotels have heaters in the rooms. Do get a warm shower after a long day outside before curling yourself into the nice comfy bed. It can help you to avoid getting flu or cold the next day.
Headscarf
It is compulsory for women to put on the headscarf when entering some mosques in the country, as a respect to their religion regardless of your own belief and religion.
Don’t worry if you forgot to bring it. There are some shops selling headscarves to tourists near the entrances. Some mosques do rent them for visitors, but make sure to return once you left the premise.
Food
It may come as a bit of culture shock when you arrive at Turkey and notice that do not serve any kind of Asian food at cuisines, restaurants and even hotels. You must know that Turkey is a Muslim country with 99% of its population being Muslim.
So, most eateries are pork-free. Although they don’t serve your home country’s favorite dishes, you still definitely have to try their delicious Turkish rice and tomato soup once. If Turkish food isn’t what you expected to eat throughout the trip, then you can bring your own cup noodles or cereals (most hotels have this with milk). It is also a good idea to bring some snacks when taking a journey from point A to point B that takes several hours before stopping and have your next meal.
Medication
It will be handful to carry some medication like aspirin and cold medicine, especially if you travel from hot to cold country. Some people may take time for the body to adapt to a new environment and easily catch a flu or headache for the first one or two days.
Planning A Trip to Turkey
If you are planning to visit the fabulous Turkey, you can check out some of my posts:
All views expressed on this site are my own and do not represent the opinions of any entity whatsoever with which I have been.
As the author of this blog, I assume no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content and any action you take upon the information on this site. The information contained in this site is provided on an ‘as in’ basis with no guarantees of completeness.
Hosteling International (HI-Hostels) offer a real hostel experience and can be found in 80 countries. It is popular in the European countries, U.S, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The type of rooms available can be range from private rooms to dorm bed with shared facilities.
One of the best ways to escape the crowd is to travel to eastern part of the country. Although the tourist spots can attract many visitors all around the globe, Pamukkale, Konya and Cappadocia are the places that considerable less populated compared to the capital city of Turkey.
There are so many spectacular sceneries that can’t be missed while touring or driving along the countryside, farmland, lakes, and mountain roads in Turkey. Every town has its own charms to enjoy its stunning natural views and fascinating historic sites.
Istanbul is a transcontinental city in Eurasia, which separates Europe and Asia between the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea. Its historic sites lie on the European side and the land was once conquered by the Roman, Byzantine, the Latin and Ottoman Empire.
Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated sovereign territories in the world with millions of people living with the land area of just 1,106 sq kilometers. It was colonized by the British Empire and returned back to China in 1997.
Foshan, the central of Guangdong province is part of the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone and their native dialect is Cantonese. The city is famous for the Dragon Boat race, Lingnan Kungfu, Martial Arts and Lion Dance.
Endless Travel Journey 