So a few months back I took a trip to Lima, Peru. I stayed in a lovely Airbnb by the ocean with a wonderful view that was just a great thing to look at throughout the day.
Now I had never stayed in an Airbnb before but I choose to rent one for four reasons.
The first was the location. I wanted to choose where I would by staying as there are many different districts in Lima that have a lot to offer. The district I stayed in (San Miguel) didn’t have a lot of hotels (only a few from what I remember) and they were all booked for the dates I wanted to travel. So being able to rent a place in San Miguel was was the first reason.
The second is the price. While not true everywhere, in Peru, it is often cheaper to stay in an Airbnb then in a hotel. True they don’t come and clean up after you and such, but I am a grown man who can wash a few dishes and vacuum every couple of days. All the maintenance that I put in through cleaning and tidying up probably took a couple hours out of my entire vacation which is well worth it considering I probably saved a few hundred dollars by staying in the Airbnb.
Third was the ability to cook. I wanted to cook a few meals that I knew I couldn’t easily find at a restaurant here (like Japanese curry rice) and I could save money cooking at home many nights instead of eating out (which I still did). Not only do you save money, you see how the locals shop for food and what it is like to live day to day in the country.
Fourth was that I could make the place feel like home. I rented the entire apartment (still cheaper than a hotel) and was able to relax and make the place feel like mine, if only for a short time.
While not one of the reasons why I choose that particular Airbnb, the view was an awesome addition.
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