In my working career we often traveled on company sponsored “pay-off” trips. These trips were always well choreographed and located at large upscale resorts in tourist destinations. Although enjoyable, they usually lacked the intimacy and culture that we also enjoy.
Now our favorite type of travel lodging is AIRBnB. We enjoy the typically small hotels and private residences that you will find on AIRBnb. We have stayed at AIRBnB’s in the US, Europe, Central America and Asia and generally find the experience wonderful as well as sometimes challenging.
For those who haven’t traveled using AIRbnB, a typical experience is arranging to meet the owner at the house, a guided tour, advice on the best local cafes and restaurants, the best local sights to see and anything specific that is of interest to you. Like any lodging situation, some are better than others but if you read the reviews and do a little homework we think you can avoid the major pitfalls. This type of lodging will typically provide what you find in your own home: a kitchen, living room, multiple bedrooms and bathrooms. Compare this to a hotel room and you can easily see the advantages. On a recent trip to St. Louis, we rented a turn of the century 3 bedroom 3 bathroom home with a beautiful reading room and family areas where we could all congregate. This made the entire experience more enjoyable.
I will try to post pictures of the places we stay that we find unique or interesting in some way, in reviewing our options in Asia, this will be easy.
Matt
Asian Detour 