Recommended: 5 of my Favourite Airbnbs 😍

Hi everyone!

Today I’ll be rounding up the best of my Airbnb stays, in villas or apartments. Since my first Bali trip in 2014, I have been a complete Airbnb convert 😜 I love having a pool and gym wherever I’m staying sooo Airbnb is often much more affordable than hotels offering the same amenities. Apartments are usually away from the touristy areas as well, so it’s great to explore nearby haunts which locals frequent 💕

Everytime I try to recommend to my tai tai aunties some Airbnb apartment, they will just look skeptical and claim backpacking is only for youngsters. BUT if you look at the Airbnbs I have stayed at, a true backpacker will ROFL. My bookings border on luxury LOL 🎆 but at amazingly low prices, akin to staying at a budget hotel 😁 So here are my 5 favourite budget luxury Airbnb stays!

Note: Prices may vary from season to season, so click on the booking’s link for the final price!

1) Bali, Indonesia – Villa Marjens

Price: $98/ night for 4 pax

First on my list would without a doubt be in Bali 😍 I had the hardest time trying to choose our accommodation because all the villas were breathtaking AND cost less than the cheapest hotel in Singapore (okay maybe not Hotel 81). We finally settled on Villa Marjens because the pool was beautiful, and it was the closest to the most happening parts of town 🎉

Would you PLEASE look at this insanely gorgeous place:

The entrance of the villa – certainly more photogenic than my HDB corridor… 😅

Be still, my heart… This was our private plunge pool, perfect for hot, balmy afternoons 🤗

We had a huge, spacious living room area, open concept Balinese style kitchen and an open air bath! 😍

The 2 master bedrooms open up directly into the gorgeous pool… it was the best view to wake up to! 😎

I am falling in love with Villa Marjens all over again just looking at the photos. Location wise, the best parts of Seminyak like Potato Head Beach Club, Sardine’s, Naughty Nuri’s are all a 3 min, cheap taxi ride away 😊 So if you are ever in the Seminyak area, do check this listing out!

2) Hat Yai, Thailand – Plus Condo II

Price: S$45/ night for 2 pax

If location wasn’t a factor, this listing would definitely be at number one. There isn’t much to do in Hat Yai, so I would consider a Bali villa more value for money in terms of overall travel experience. However, with this Airbnb, you wouldn’t even want to leave the place and go exploring 😆

Firstly, there’s not just one but TWO infinity pools in the condominium. It is hands down, the best rooftop pool I have been to, and the conspicuous lack of tourists blocking my view was a huge plus 😁

This is the second infinity pool at a lower level, but still equally breath-taking. I basically spent all my time by the pool, chilling out. Best. Holiday. Ever.

There’s even a cafe at the ground level, serving up our favorite Thai dishes like basil pork and phad thai for about 120 baht (~ S$5) and I loved their Thai Green Tea Latte!

We were kept endlessly entertained by the many facilities – the condo had a fitness gym, pool table, ping pong table, karaoke room and study lounge in case I felt guilty and wanted to catch up on some work (didn’t happen) 😜

Our apartment was absolutely lovely, with just the right mix of modern and cozy – we felt right at home! We always book the entire apartment rather than just a private room, so we had the whole place to ourselves for 8 whole days ☺

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We made good use of the little kitchenette for cooking too, cos’ Zac loves raiding the Big C (Thai supermarket chain) for local ingredients and whipping up some delicious concoctions. I don’t question – I just eat! 😋

We stayed for over a week in Hat Yai, so our hostess Chintana was super kind to extend a discount for us.😍 As for accessibility, the friendly security guard at the condo would never fail to help us flag a tuk-tuk to get into town, which was just a quick 2 mins ride!

3) Krabi, Thailand – Banburi Villa

Price: S480/ night for 8 pax

Another villa! I could villa hop all day 😘 Even though the listing is for 8 pax, we actually fit 11 of us comfortably in all the beds! I simply wrote in ahead to our lovely host Chris to check if 11 pax was fine – flexibility is one thing that I love about Airbnb, especially when we are travelling in large groups and on a budget.

We had this huge pool all to ourselves! 🤗

Check out that magnificent bed ohhhhh I just wanted to lie in it all day ~ The bedrooms opened up straight to the patio and pool, where we spent most of our time chilling.

I didn’t get much photos from this trip but the villa was perfection 😍 Here are some photos straight off the Airbnb listing for a glimpse into the lovely exteriors and kitchenette.

This sprawling compound was all ours! Chris and his wife Bee stayed just behind the villa, so we could pop out to find them whenever we needed help 😊

Chris was the best host ever! When we first arrived, he gathered us all in the living room to introduce us to the facilities and activities to do around Krabi like an overexcited camp facilitator HAHA we felt so welcomed ✨

Bee also prepared a welcome basket of fruits, juices and tea for us 😍

I’m extra particular about the toilets because I’m easily creeped out by dingy, dark toilets that look like they came straight out of a horror movie so I adored the villa’s bright, clean washrooms; who doesn’t want a modern, hotel-style bathroom to wash up in after a long day?!

Honestly, Banburi Villa would be higher up on the list if it wasn’t so large, because I usually travel with just my boyfriend. But it is very ideal for big groups of families and friends!

The best part of staying at Banburi Villas would be the hospitality Chris and Bee extended to us. Chris handled all our sunset snorkelling activities and Bee drove specially to the market to whip up traditional Thai dishes for us! 🍝 So much loveeeeeee

4) Boracay, The Philippines – Blue Lagoon Villas

Price: S$300/ night for 6 pax

Once again, broke university kids are broke. This time, we managed to fit 10 of us snugly into this fantastic BEACH FRONT villa in Boracay! 💦

That view is insane 💢 Blue Lagoon Villas were tucked away on a little private stretch of beach, so we had our own pool AND beach. It was heaven on earth 💖

There are actually a few rooms for rent in the whole compound, but we took the front seaview bungalows right on the edge of the beach. Beach chairs were scattered all around the lawn – perfect for suntanning and enjoying the sea breeze! 💤

Imagine waking up to the ocean waves at your doorstep every morning ❣

The bungalows were full air-conditioned and designed loft-style, so there was another bed upstairs for us. There was even a jacuzzi within the loft – which turned into a bed for a little stray kitten we rescued from the streets 😀

I loved the villa but it didn’t make my top 3 because it isn’t totally private and the hosts weren’t exactly the friendliest. They were civil enough, but paled in comparison to other Airbnb hosts I have met that go out of their way to make your stay comfortable! Still, this listing is real value for money, especially for a beach front property 💕

5) Bangkok, Thailand – Parkland Condo

Price: S$24/ night for 2 pax

Finally we have an Airbnb listing in a metropolitan area! And no, you didn’t read the price wrongly – it’s just $12 per pax per night 😆 that price will get you a pretty dubious hostel bed in Singapore, but in Bangkok, you get an entire condominium apartment with an infinity pool and a rooftop gym 😉

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Not much of a view, but you can see Tesco is just nearby, which made it very convenient for us to stock up on stuff we needed.

The apartment was clean, comfy and cozy 😁 I really loved the full length windows and waking up to the morning light streaming in!

I know after browsing through a million villas with personal plunge pools, this Airbnb just seems mediocre, but generally Bangkok mostly features apartments for rent – villas are quite rare.

Also, do note that Parkland Conda is located in Nonthaburi, which is a residential area north of Bangkok, so you have to factor in the time and cost of cabbing into town (e.g. Siam Square) daily (but Bangkok taxis are unbelievably cheap anyway) 😎 It is also very near to the famous Chatuchak Weekend Market, so if you are just in Bangkok for a weekend shopping trip, this location would be ideal!

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So, that concludes my round-up of the best Airbnbs I have stayed in from 2015 to 2016! 😀 I will definitely be booking with Airbnb again, so hopefully I will explore more places and have more gems to update this post with ✨

Here’s a treat for you if you are planning to make your first booking with Airbnb: Click HERE to get $40 off!

“For my part, I travel not to go anywhere but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson. I hope you have caught a heavy dose of inspiration and wanderlust from my post – happy travelling! 🚗

Love always,
Sally

P.S. I’ll write up a post on my personal tips for booking with Airbnb soon, like negotiating with the hosts for discounts and large groups or how to make ensure the listing you decide to book is exactly as pictured ^.^