Homestay Series: All the wonderful weird things happening in a Japanese Home

Although I am yet to experience a month-long homestay myself, I’ve interviewed several friends who had gotten the chance to do just that and “live to tell the tale. " Here is what I’ve got:

15 Tips for a Wonderful Homestay Experience in Japan

        The idea of spending a whole week (or even months!) with a complete stranger-family in a foreign land far far away from home might sound intimidating, but anyhow, do it in Japan!

        Homestay with a Japanese family is the most intriguing experience one can get in the land of rising sun. Not only that it is a much cheaper alternative to cramped-up hotel rooms, Homestay is simply the best way to gain an in-depth understanding of Japanese culture and their way of living. Here, you’ll be granted the front row seat to the daily life of a typical Japanese family, try delicious home cooked food, alcoholic beverages and more.

Ditch the Hotels, Try Homestay in Japan!

        I was traumatized by the expensive room rate and the lack of space in Tokyo hotel rooms during my last visit. Bearing in mind that I will be traveling with my family this time, I searched high and low on the internet for an alternative that I can deem the “Perfect Place to stay”...

Japan Budget Tips: Places to Stay Start from $12 USD in Osaka, Japan

       Yesterday I’ve released an article telling you where to stay in Tokyo on the cheap… However, some of these options are not for everyone and it's good just for a quick rest (for example catching the earliest train.) Here are some budget-friendly options without making you sacrifices comfort in Osaka.

Read more: 13 Budget tips to save money while traveling in Japan

Why I Stopped CouchSurfing: It is NOT FREE

Having stayed with 15 hosts across the globe and hosted 5 surfers myself, I decided to take a break from Couchsurfing. Why? Because it costs too much I currently couldn't afford it. Yes you hear it right-- Couchsurfing is NOT FREE. As a matter of fact, it cost A LOT! It cost my time, something even money can't buy.

A collection of Hostel/Hotel/Apartment in Europe I've stayed In

Since a lot of people ask me for hostel recommendations in Europe, I've decided to put up this list of hostel/hotel/Airbnb/B&B that I've recently stayed in. I can't really do the recommendation because everyone's needs are kinda different, but I'll state down the reasons why I like those places and also the reasons why I don't. Remember to check their reviews on Booking.com before making your decision! 
I've attached the booking.com links to every property mentioned in this article to make life easier for you! Happy planning! 

10 Safety Tips for Sleeping in Airports While Traveling

I know most people wouldn't do this and Sleeping in Airports did get me into trouble sometimes, but when you find yourself in an expensive city with BUDGET hostel dorm beds starting at 60 Euros, and you are nearly broke, I bet you wouldn't mind. After all, sleeping in airports isn't that bad: free wifi, comfortable sofas (in certain places), free aircon... what more do you want? 

WAKING UP IN: HOTEL MIRABEAU, TOURS, FRANCE.

     With The Palace of Versailles being one of the most popular chateaus in France, and I found out that despite it totally lives up the hype I didn’t really enjoy my visit, I reasoned that visiting other Chateaus in the country must be a good idea. Loire Valley is one of those places with elegant Chateau aplenty. Hence, I have to go there, and I was glad that the Tourism Board of Loire Valley stepped in to organize my trip. Making Tours the base of my visit to the chateaus of Loire Valley, I managed to check into Hotel Mirabeau.  

     The hotel is named after Mirabeau, one of the only few early shakers of the French Revolution that I knew, hence, I was excited to see what it had to offer.

WAKING UP IN: HOTEL BOQUIER, AVIGNON, FRANCE.

After a long day traveling on the train, We found ourselves standing outside the magnificent wall of a medieval city also known as “the city of the Popes”. Avignon is the kind of cities I’d love to be back in a heartbeat, find out why HERE! It was the start of the Theater festival when we arrived and we were lucky to be able to check into a quaint hotel— Hotel Boquier. 

11 Hostel Tips and Tricks

Staying at Hostels means fun, new experience, and social life. Are there any hostel tips and tricks you should know about before staying at a Hostel? Yeah, plenty. In fact, the hostel tips listed here are for the first-time traveler as well as for the experienced traveler.

We are Anna & Matt, the girl and guy behind Hostelgeeks, an independent travel brand and blog of the most outstanding hostels in the world: the 5 Star Hostels!

Today, we teamed up with our friend Vivian (Miss Happy Feet) to bring you these 11 hostel tips and tricks.

1. Understanding "What is a Hostel" - in the first place

Stay in a Hotel for FREE: 10 Golden Rule when booking a Hotel/ Hostel Room

1. FREE Hotel Stay (Promotion) 

This is your thing if you are into some FREE/Partly Free luxury. Treat yourself: Give your feet and back a good rest! Click on the Orange links below!

NEW YORK: ALTERNATIVES TO EXPENSIVE MANHATTAN HOSTEL?

image via skift.com

Accommodation in New York is expensive. Although not as expensive as San Francisco, you still have to pay at least $50 for a hostel bunk bed. While staying in one of the most famous boutique hotels in New York is something I would like to do someday, let's stick to budget travelling for now... A smarter move is to stay out of midtown Manhattan.  Here are a few great choices: