Top Tips When Booking Rentals in Asia, From Airbnbs to Luxury Hotels

Over the course of my time as a journey reporter for Insider, I’ve spent greater than 30 nights staying in leases throughout Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, and South Korea.

I have been protecting regional journey for Insider for a 12 months, which has meant spending loads of time in leases. I’ve spent nights in luxurious resorts in Indonesia, hostels in Singapore and Thailand, a campervan Airbnb within the Philippines, and a shipping container hotel in Malaysia.

After I first began making reservations for these leases, it felt daunting — I used to be unfamiliar with the places and there weren’t many dependable evaluations on-line.

However after testing out dozens of lodging, I’ve realized how to decide on the proper lodging, e-book effectively, and lower your expenses.

Listed below are seven of my prime ideas for vacationers.

1. Learn latest evaluations on web sites like TripAdvisor and lookup vlogs to get a practical image of what the rental is like.

Journey writers and bloggers can have good ideas, however I believe it is extra useful to search out out what the typical individual skilled throughout their keep.

Google Opinions and TripAdvisor have each confirmed to be good locations to gut-check the fact of hostels, inns, and resorts. I recommend filtering evaluations to indicate the newest ones.

In the event you’re staying in an Airbnb or someplace distinctive like a glamping tent, vlogs on YouTube and TikTok is perhaps helpful. 

Photographs on-line, particularly these posted by the rental’s administration, will be deceiving, so do your analysis and have a look at as many evaluations as potential earlier than reserving.

2. Lookup the rental on Google Avenue View earlier than you e-book.

At any time when I journey to distant places, I take to Google Maps and discover satellite tv for pc views of the rental to see its situation.

I additionally stroll nearly across the neighboring streets of the rental to see what the ambiance is like, and if I must make particular transport preparations in case it is situated up a mountain or in a rural village.

3. If one thing in regards to the on-line itemizing appears off, give them a name earlier than you e-book.

Southeast Asia is understood for its distinctive leases — however they will typically be sketchy. A number of movies on TikTok have shown tourists mistakenly booking deserted resorts in locations like Bali.

I’ve stayed in distant leases together with a rural mountain cabin in Thailand and a “haunted” hotel in Malaysia. I used to be initially skeptical of those leases, in order a further precaution, I known as reservations earlier than reserving to ensure the place remains to be up and operating.

I additionally requested for additional info like latest pictures of the rental, directions on the right way to get there, and who to contact in case I obtained misplaced alongside the way in which.

4. Keep away from listings the place friends complain about being “scammed” or it’s possible you’ll end up paying a further charge in individual.

Look out for the phrases “scammer” and “overcharge” in evaluations when doing all your analysis — you may simply be requested to pay additional upon arrival.

Throughout a visit to a funds resort in Malaysia, I used to be requested to pay a further 80 ringgit (round $18.50) upon arrival, regardless of have already pay as you go on-line.

In the event you’re backpacking and are carefully watching your funds, it might be greatest to keep away from these leases altogether regardless of a budget marketed charges.

5. Name prematurely to request early or late check-in — or anything, actually.

I’ve discovered that the majority boutique leases are keen to take particular requests like early check-in or late check-out — so long as the request is made prematurely.

The one exception to this are hostels and funds motels, the place there’s a strict hourly price. In that case, your greatest transfer can be to test if there is a discounted price for early check-in.

6. Be affected person when attempting to snag offers — typically it is value refreshing the web page a pair occasions to get a lower cost.

Flash offers and costs can seem on reserving websites with out prior discover, so I sometimes refresh the reserving web page a number of occasions earlier than making my fee.

For instance, I booked a room with a non-public plunge pool in a luxurious resort in Singapore for underneath $400 on a third-party web site. Though the value listed was nearer to $600, a flash sale netted me a considerable low cost.

7. In the event you can, journey within the low season.

In the event you’re touring in Southeast Asia the place the climate is sizzling and humid all 12 months spherical, it is perhaps value making your reserving in the course of the monsoon season, when it is more likely to a bit rain extra.

As long as you are not reserving a rental in a flood or landslide-prone space, it is completely tremendous to e-book throughout a much less busy season — not solely will you lower your expenses on lodging, however vacationer sights are additionally more likely to be much less crowded.