The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps
The first time we saw a life-sized windmill was at Delft. Walking out of the train station with our luggage, the windmill was welcoming us from a distance. We agreed to go up close and admire the lonesome windmill soon. That happened only at the …
There are free parks and playgrounds for children to run around in Netherlands. To have a bit more of a tourist fun, you can consider Miffy Museum in Utrecht and Madurodam in Hague. More on Madurodam later. About Miffy Museum (Nijintje) Utrecht Centraal is the …
I asked hubby to look through the listings on TripAdvisor, booking.com, Airbnb, etc, and he started to feel my stress. With about a month left to book accommodation in the almost peak season, there weren’t many choices within our budget (all others were in crazy prices, at least for us). Moreover, we wanted accommodation that provides a crib and a kitchen to cook meals mainly for our toddler.
Booking Airbnb seemed to be our best option, and it’s generally cheaper than other choices, even though still not ideally affordable.
In this post, I will first share with you money saving tips for booking an Airbnb, followed by our reviews of the Airbnb accommodations we stayed in in Netherlands (Delft and Rotterdam) and Belgium (Antwerp).
Here are a few tips to help you save money when booking an Airbnb:
*Minimum amount applies.
Location: Beautiful old house situated very near the main square, Markt, where the Town Hall and New Church are. Hence, it’s in a good central location to explore Delft. Moreover, Delft hosts a nice outdoor market every Saturday between April and October and it’s literally at the doorstep of the house. The house is also relatively near to Delft train station, although it takes a bit of time and effort when rolling our luggage and stroller through the cobbled grounds and slopes.
Kitchen: Even though it’s an old house, it has a modern kitchen well-fitted with oven, microwave, and stove. Pots and utensils available as well.
Bathroom (some ranting ahead): Basic toiletries and towels were provided. Also, having a washer and a dryer around was a big plus point for us. However, we needed help to operate the shower head which is part of an old plumbing system. Nancy, the host, said we had to trial and error for it to work, but we just couldn’t find the sweet spot. In the end her son came because we insisted help. He kind of made the shower head work, but the water flow was weak still. Regardless, good that he came because he too realised that the drainage outflow was indeed extremely slow and helped us to clear clogged drainage. Initially, when we feedback about the drainage, Nancy said the water outflow was slower because it’s an old system and didn’t offer to come check. Glad the son came, otherwise we would have been showering in a pond of dirty water for a week!
Bedroom: WiFi was provided but it was weak or no signal in the bedroom. LAN cable was provided in the bedroom but no use for us who didn’t bring along a laptop. Even then, there were only small side tables and our own laps to put a laptop.
Living Room: We placed the baby crib in the living room because we sleep in separate rooms back in Singapore. Nevertheless, there is no space in the bedroom for a crib. At night, street lights shone brightly in and streets (a pub is nearby) could be noisy. Alas, the long days also meant the noise went later into the night. We were not affected by the light and noise in the bedroom, but not so ideal for Baby E sleeping in the living room.
Others: Floor is dusty, so for Asians who take off shoes at home like us, note that it’s best to keep those shoes on. Her son came and just walked all around in shoes, even into the bathroom. So I guessed it’s different culture. Another thing, soundproofing is not great and light sleepers might be disturbed by the neighbours upstairs when they moved around. Regardless, Nancy was very prompt in communication with us prior and during the stay.
Recommended? I would recommend this for a short stay over the weekend to explore Delft. Since it’s not super near to the train station, not sure if it makes a good base to explore the surrounding regions from here.
^Due to new listing, for first few reservations.
Location: The apartment is about 15 minutes’ walk from the central station. We took a bit longer as we had 2 big suitcases, or usually with a stroller, and the roads weren’t exactly wheels friendly. It’s also quite near to the main shopping area and thus a very good base to explore Antwerp.
Host: Host Sophia was very hospitable. She met us at check in to show us around the apartment and was always available if we needed anything or had any question. In the apartment, we could also find a list of recommended eateries that could be found nearby.
Positives: Apartment is as described – stylish, clean and comfortable. Very comfortable bed, bedsheets, towels, and excellent toiletries were provided. The bedsheets felt super clean and crisp too.
Child-Friendliness: Baby E (almost 2 years old) loves the apartment because of the many toys and books Sophia had in the apartment. She also provided a toddler bed and high chair for us – even a set of child’s utensils! Oh, and Sophia specifically got baby shower gel for Baby E.
Soundproofing: Due to the thin walls, we could sometimes hear Sophia’s children running around in their apartment upstairs. It’s not noisy but noticeable. According to Sophia, this is a 90 year old art-deco building from the thirties and hence the light soundproofing.
Heating: I cannot handle cold well (unlike my husband), so I specifically shortlisted apartments with heating. However, turns out the apartment’s thermostat was controlled by the building. Sophia mentioned that in Belgium, the thermostat would only be turned on when the temperature outside falls below 22°C to be environmentally friendly. But it feels colder than 22°C inside for me! :P Good thing the blanket was thick enough, and Sophie provided us with a portable heater for the toilet (which became my favourite place to hang out because of the comfortable warm heat).
Recommended? Overall, excellent apartment and host. Will recommend it to anyone visiting Antwerp.
Location: Located in a nice and quiet neighbourhood, the apartment is also super near a huge supermarket that opens till 10:00PM. Hence it was super convenient for us to get food/groceries. Apartment is also very near to the tram station and it takes about 15-20 mins by tram to and fro Central station. The subway station is a bit further away, about 8 mins walk. A few stops and you will reach Blaak Metro.
Positives: Spacious apartment that’s as described and shown in the pictures. The apartment overlooks a canal and Baby E loved watching the ducks swimming in it.
Amenities: The kitchen is well-stocked with sauces, spices, etc. With the supermarket nearby, whipping up a meal was made easier.
Bathroom: The standing shower system seems aged but still in good working condition. Many clean bath towels were provided, albeit on the small side – in between face and body towel size. Bedsheets were also provided. Towels and bedsheets didn’t feel particularly clean though. There’s also a washer available, though the dryer was not working when we arrived.
Noise: There’s a tennis court opposite the apartment and we could hear players late into the night especially if it’s a long summer day. Imagine hearing ‘tok tok tok’ of the rackets hitting the balls. We could also hear loud booming sounds of parties going on across the lake on weekends.
Recommended? I’m half-hearted whether to recommend this accommodation. The building and apartment feels old and not super near to the central. And the amenities provided is nothing to shout about. However, the business running the apartment is friendly and responsive. So well, perhaps it’s more suited for a relaxing, slow-paced holiday.
If you are interested in AIRBNB, remember to make your first booking through my referral link to get some sweet discounts! :)
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If you are like me, one of the things I like about planning is that I learn more about the history and culture of the destination before going. This gives me a greater understanding and appreciation of the place I’m visiting. Hence, I am going …
Christina’s Note: Here’s another article by Sharon Au, ex-mediacorp actress and currently head of styleXstyle.com. This time it’s on the things to do in Vienna. If you haven’t read her first article on this site, here goes: “If You Only Have One Night In Budapest” 3 Non-Touristy Things …
Christina’s Note: I love the film, The Grand Budapest Hotel for its editing, plot, camera angles, acting and the backdrop. The beautiful landscape and architecture made me want to go to Budapest! But before I have the chance to do that, here’s an article by Sharon Au, ex-mediacorp actress and currently head of styleXstyle.com.
“If all they were meant for was to teach you how to love again, then it was worth it. Some of the best adventures are meant to end” –Erin Van Vuren.
Many people told me they went to Budapest for a day trip, enroute to Vienna or Prague. So I thought to myself, I will just spend a relaxing night there. Big mistake. Not only did I extend another night in Budapest, I cried when it was time to leave. Here, I found my castle in the air. At the end of 48 hours, it had overtaken Paris and Amsterdam to become my favourite city in Europe. Some things, like love, you just cannot explain. Everything in this Hungarian capital agrees with me, but most of all, its quietude soothes even the most battered of souls, and its informality makes one feel right at home. I think this is why art exists. Suddenly you are reminded to love yourself again.
The best way to explore this city of surprises and wonder is by walking. So abandon your pretty but impractical summer sandals, and throw on your most comfortable sneakers, unless you want to have blisters as big as your toes. If you only have a day in Budapest, here are my top three recommendations.
Collect your beautiful moments here at this stylish boutique hotel situated on the iconic Andrassy Avenue. In all my years of travelling, I don’t think I’ve seen hotel bathrooms as spacious as theirs. And as their name suggests, the staff seems bent on making every moment of your stay Instagrammable — you will find yourself enveloped by their warmth and gracious hospitality. Take a left turn and stroll along Andrassy Avenue. It’s a pretty long stretch, and you may just find plenty of reasons to make Budapest one of your fave cities too.
You have to order the BBQ pork ribs (Hungarian-style of course). You will never eat another anywhere else again. And if you love a red wine with strong character, you must savour a bottle of Ordogarak 2011.
Explore Buda Castle. And then watch the city transforms into magic, as the day turns into night. From the top of the hill, you hear the melancholic strings of the violins, you see Baroque beauty, you drink in the sunset, you exhale love. You would not want to leave. I sat there from 8pm to just a little past midnight, lost in Middle Ages dreams.
Article is reprinted from the original with permission.
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This post is following Part 1 of Travel in Paris With Young Children by our guest writer Jane! Find out more about her in Part 1. :) Today, she’s going to share her trip to Disneyland Paris with young children. As mentioned in my previous post, the main highlight …
Today I’m really delighted to introduce Jane, who is going to be a guest writer of this space. She is currently based in the South of France as her husband is posted there on a work stint. She has hung up her corporate suit for …