A few weeks ago, I went on a trip with a group of friends to Phuket, Thailand. We were all fresh graduates from university, so we didn’t have a stable income. We’ve planned and saved up for this trip for a year with freelance money and whatever else we can get. Once we’ve collected everything, we realized that finding an accommodation was a challenge for our budget. We wanted somewhere clean, with great location, and definitely big enough for all three of us. Long story short, we found the perfect accommodation which was the cherry on top of a great holiday. Here’s how we did it, and how you should too when traveling on a budget.
Be Critical with Hotels
The first thing that came to mind when looking for accommodation when traveling are hotels. Hotels provide services that are beneficial for travelers, such as breakfast, room cleaning, laundry, etc. However, they can be quite expensive. They’re probably the most expensive type of accommodation besides renting villas, especially if you opt for a hotel room in a resort.
This is why it’s a good idea to do a price comparison search from all the various hotel searching websites and apps, such as Agoda or Trivago. If you have a credit card, these websites usually have massive discounts for a limited time for luxurious hotels. This is how we got our accommodation in Phuket. We searched it up on a hotel searching website, and found a three-star hotel located in Patong city center, a few minutes from the food markets and the beach, discounted for 64% on that day only!
Embrace Bed and Breakfasts
From the other trips that I’ve done, I found that bed and breakfasts are the most charming accommodation you’d be able to find. It’s a warm and friendly environment, where everyone who stays there will gather and bond during breakfast or even dinner. Sometimes, fellow travelers will talk and end up traveling the area or doing activities together.
If you’re not much of a people person, though, this might not be the best type of accommodation for you. You’ll have to sleep in a bunk bed or a single bed in one room with 3 to 5 other people. Bathrooms will be shared. Breakfasts are usually buffet and homemade, while dinners are more rare but sometimes available, depending on the owner. Price-wise, bed and breakfasts are usually the cheapest. There are now many new and hip bed and breakfasts in tropical islands such as Bali, so don’t be afraid to check them out.
AirBnB is a Miracle
AirBnB is probably the best thing that has ever happened for travelers worldwide. They provide us with private accommodation, usually an entire house or apartment! A private room in a house is also common, which basically means you’ll be renting a room in someone’s house. However, for holidays, people usually prefer an entire housing all for themselves.
The rates depend on the star rating and quality of the housing, so the more you pay, the more quality you’ll get. Fear not, there are a lot of housing options that aren’t expensive, yet very comfortable and adequate for a holiday. We recommend using the Superhost and Instant Book filter when searching for an accommodation in AirBnB, so that you’ll get the best reviewed accommodation and can book right away without having to wait for the host’s approval.
