Ocean View Airbnb Over Manu Bay: Raglan, New Zealand
For $130/night (inclusive of all fees), we stayed in this “peaceful bush and beach cottage” in Raglan, New Zealand, directly above the iconic Manu Bay. The house itself was nothing too extraordinary - quite old school, to be honest - but the surrounding areas, the views, and the privacy were what was exceptional.
Our Airbnb in the Costa Rica Jungle
We spent a week in an Airbnb unlike any other rental we've ever stayed in - this was true open-air living in the jungle! Our A-frame bungalow had no walls, so we lived among the monkeys and had the experience of a lifetime. Read on for my review of the good, the bad, and the unexpected.
Kasbah du Toubkal: A National Geographic World's Most Unique Lodge
The drive from the coast of Taghazout to the High Atlas Mountains took around 5 or 6 hours. Repetitive at first (it was backtracking our original route, going back through Marrakesh), but dramatic by the end with beautiful views of the snowcapped mountains and treacherous one-way sized roads on the edge of a cliff. We were headed to the Kasbah du Toubkal, a National Geographic "one of the world's most unique lodges." A three-night stay at this remote lodge was a Christmas gift from my boss– she's known to give extravagant, generous, and extraordinary gifts. (Thank you Kyra!) That being said, we really didn't know what we were getting into, as we drove up the bumpy dirt road to a tiny rural village...
Ups & Downs in Taghazout, Morocco
On our first ever trip to Africa, I was feeling jittery and excited to check off another continent on the bucket list.... and perhaps a bit nervous after reading mixed reviews on Morocco. We were headed to the tiny surf town of Taghazout in Morocco for a surf contest. Our 12-day stay at a local surf and yoga villa had it's ups and downs, from fabulous ocean views and rooftop yoga to multi-day sickness and food poisoning. It was quite the experience...
Living the Resort Lifestyle: Acapulco, Mexico
A few months after returning from Italy, our next stop was Acapulco Mexico for a surf contest. Shaun had been to Acapulco for this surf contest at least 4 or 5 times, but it was a first for me! The contest is sponsored by the Princess resort, which is on the sand at the contest site. We typically opt for Airbnbs or boutique hotels, so the resort lifestyle was a little different for us, but we definitely enjoyed the 4 pools and 5 restaurants over our 7 day stay.
An Honest Review of Our Airbnb in Martinique
We stayed at an Airbnb in Sainte-Marie, Martinique while we were visiting for the Martinique Surf Pro. Budget nightly rate, basic (but sufficient) accommodation and dozens of great reviews. What could go wrong? Well, hundreds of mosquito bites, several power outages, and an unreachable/unresponsive host. At least the garden is pretty, though.
Why I Love Airbnb
Airbnb has been a travel lifesaver for us! For instance, we've been to a handful of tiny towns for a surf contest that only offer one or two hotel options within dozens of miles. Or (more commonly), when we visit a tourist-popular city (think: Paris, Sydney, Tokyo), all of the decent hotels are all ridiculously out of our price range. We used Airbnb in every country we've visited so far: up and down Australia's east coast, before/after our camper van reservation in New Zealand, in villas while in Bali Indonesia, in the heart of Tokyo and out in Japan's countryside, down the Atlantic coast of France and in the center of Paris, as well as for our quick trip to Spain. I'll be honest — some Airbnb accommodations have been better than others. We've stayed in a fabulous penthouse, but we've also seen cockroaches. I'll break down the good, the bad and the ugly, and ultimately, why I highly recommend using Airbnb!
A Peaceful Week at Villa Zenith
Our first week in France was spent in Lacanau-Océan, a super cute and lively beach town on the Atlantic coast that hosts the Medoc Ocean Lacanau Pro surf contest. Before we left for Europe, I was searching for a hotel/Airbnb/vacation rental/hostel, anything, for several days and was struggling to find somewhere for us to stay in Lacanau. Everything was either miles away from the ocean, or way over our price range. One day, while re-doing the same search I must have done a dozen times, an adorable surf hostel, Villa Zenith, showed an opening for a private bedroom + private bathroom for €80/night... Perfect. Oh, and it's two blocks down from the beach. Amazing! I booked it within minutes.
One Week of Luxury
We decided to treat ourselves to a resort lifestyle in Bali after living in a camper van for a month in NZ. We spent one week at the Komune Resort and Beach Club, which boasts two pools, two restaurants, full bar, spa, hair and nail salon, air-con gym and yoga classes. Everything you can dream of for a week of luxury. Also, Komune hosted the surf contest at Keramas that Shaun competed it, so it was super comfortable and convenient to stay on-site for early morning heats.
A Slice of Heaven
Bali is unreal! After only one night, we were already researching how to extend our visa. It's that good! Our first stop is Keramas in East Bali- a quiet, local area with black sand beaches, world-class waves and an abundance of rice paddies.
Dozens of Millions of Sheep
After driving past literally thousands of sheep every day, we developed quite an adoration for the fluffy creatures and a yearning to cuddle 'em! Luckily, we stumbled across Smith's Family Farm in Marlborough Sounds where we camped for the night and finally got up, close and personal with the cuties.
The Penthouse Airbnb
Back in Coolangatta! Thankfully, we booked accommodation months ahead of time for these two weeks because the Gold Coast is jam packed for the WCT Quiksilver Roxy Pro surf contest. We totally lucked out and booked the most amazing Airbnb - 14th floor penthouse apartment with a gorgeous balcony with full ocean views.
