14 Ways to Save Money on Your Accommodation

Accommodation can be one of the most expensive parts of your vacation if you do not plan carefully. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to keep the budget down.

1. Look for a package deal. Once you have created your travel budget, you should have a pretty good idea of how much you can afford per day. Go online to see what kind of package you can get at around that rate. For example, booking flight, hotel and car rental on Expedia can offer significant savings.

2. Be clear about what is important to you and your family. If you are single, chances are you won’t care what your room is like because you will be outside of it most of the time soaking up the sights. But do check if you get stuck with a single supplement fee.

If you are traveling as a family, a suite with a refrigerator and microwave can help you keep the kids fed and costs down.  Remember, the less you spend on your room, the more you have to spend on other things.

3. Consider staying with family. If you have any family in the area, see if you can stay with them?

4. Try Airbnb. Some of the properties are really great and a fraction of what you would pay for a hotel. Just be sure to check the location in relation to all the places you want to visit. You may need a rental car if you are not driving to your destination, which can add to the cost. Check for public transportation and typical taxi fares.



5. Consider travel hostels.  Hostels have come a long way in the past few years, and are clean, modern, and full of amenities. Some of them can be a bit out of the way, but their cheapness can more than make up for location. Backpacker hostels in New Zealand are a way of life and are used by people from 8 to 80, so don’t worry about being "too old" to go to a hostel. Just be prepared to share kitchen and sometimes the bathroom, or pay more for a private room if available.

6. Watch your travel dates. Peak times will be at the holidays and in the summer in many locations. Travel in the off-season can cost a fraction of what it does at peak season.

7. Bid on travel booking sites such as Hotwire or Priceline. You can get some great bargains this way. With Priceline, you can’t pick the exact hotel, but you will have an idea of location and rating.

8. Beware of location. City center hotels can cost a small fortune compared to others a bit further out. So too can airport hotels if you are not careful. Consider the cost and availability and time factor in relation to public transportation and/or taxis to where you need to go (and/or car rental), and see what makes the most sense.

9. Loyalty programs. If you are a frequent traveler, join a loyalty program for the same chain of hotels. It can add up to a range of perks and might also get you a room upgrade at no extra cost.

10. House Swapping. House swapping is becoming more popular, as families who want to visit certain locations but still enjoy comforts of home exchange with others. Just be careful of location, and do be careful of their property and your own valuables when you have anyone in your house.

11. Camping. Camping can be a great adventure. Campsites can be very basic, or full of amenities.

12. Caravan parks. Caravans are one up from camping in a tent. They are warm, dry, have a stove and fridge, and can be a fun way to enjoy a holiday at the seaside or other scenic location.

13. Deals and discounts. Look for bargain deals, coupons and more. I am going to be adding more information about travel deals, coupons and more ways to save money on this blog very soon.

14. Check the fine print of your bookings.  Before making any booking, be sure to read the fine print so you know exactly what things will cost.

Senso-ji Temple A Must See in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan

If you ever visit Japan,  regardless of where you visit, be sure to visit Senso-ji temple (otherwise known as Asakusa Kannon temple ) in Asakusa, Tokyo. This is the oldest temple in Tokyo. It is easily accessible by public transportation and an easy walk from Asakusa station. This beautiful ancient Buddhist temple is huge and worth a visit. The nice thing about it is, it's free. There's no entrance fee.



This place is absolutely stunning. For someone who loves colors, this place is an eye-candy. It is colorful and plenty of vibrant structure. The architecture is amazing and this temple is traditional in every aspect despite being in the heart of Tokyo. It is crowded with locals along with tourists but has a peaceful atmosphere.

Senso-ji is a great temple surrounded by beautiful Japanese gardens. If you are planning to visit, note that this place gets packed with both locals and tourists people so if you want to have a moment in the temple or take pictures without a lot of people in it, try visiting very early in the morning or late at night because you will definitely see crowds of people here especially during peak holiday season.

Senso-ji Temple is surrounded by hundreds of small shops that sell scrolls, incense to burn, charms, souvenirs, gifts, and food. There's plenty of traditional food stall, affordable yet great restaurants, and cafes. Cash Only in some places so be sure to carry some with you.

Since Senso-ji temple is a Buddhist temple, you'll see a lot of people that are visiting to actually pray and perform their prayer rituals.

One fun activity to do when visiting Senso-ji temple is renting a Kimono for you to wear while walking around and for picture taking. Yes! You can rent the kimono and walk around the shrine. There's plenty of rental shops around.

You'll see lots of locals and tourists walking around and dressed in traditional kimonos.

The place is definitely delighting to any photo enthusiast. I especially love the beautiful and stunning pagoda.  It is more fun to take a photo with it in the background especially when you're wearing a Kimono.

Senso-ji is breathtaking, majestic and beautiful even at night. There are also very nice artworks in the temple's ceiling. Enjoy the surroundings. It is a wonderful cultural experience.

Senso-ji is definitely a must see. It is one of my favorite places in Tokyo, Japan. The temple has a lot of history. You'll always see locals and tourists around. There are people worshipping, groups touring and learning proper temple etiquette, or throwing a coin in for luck. The temple is known to make all wishes come true and bring good luck, happiness, and good relationships.

You will feel like you're time traveling back to the ancient Japanese era, the moment you enter into the temple’s property. The picture below is the Kaminarimon Gate, also known as Asakusa's biggest landmark. The big red lantern weighs about 1534 pounds (700 kilograms). There are always lots of people here to take photos.

The two statues guarding this gate are deities Fujin-sama (god of wind) and Raijin-sama (god of thunder and lightning). There's a dragon hiding inside the big red lantern.

There's a lot more to see around Senso-ji temple. In fact, the place is huge and has lots of gates and areas to explore. I won't spoil it for you 😊

Things to do in Helen, Georgia

Hello, lovelies. We had a one-week sweet escape and decided to visit Suwanee, Georgia.

We spent our valentines day at Helen, Georgia. For 3 days, we enjoyed several activities in the beautiful small town, an Alpine village in North Georgia. It's a great vacation spot year-round. The three days at Helen, Georgia was too short for me. We were wanting to see more and have more fun but we have to go back home because of work. I must say that we did enjoy our stay there.



If you and your friends are wanting to visit Helen, Georgia, here are some things you can do there. I am sure you will enjoy the place.

Things to do in Helen, Georgia:

1. Enjoy the Cool River Tubing. This is one of the most popular things to do in Helen, GA. This is a very fun activity but you can't enjoy this much during the winter season, the water will be way too cold. You can have a very relaxing and exciting time floating down the scenic Chattahoochee River for one or couple of hours. The Chattahoochee River runs through downtown Helen. In fact, many restaurants have decks over the rivers, people can enjoy dining and the view of the river. You can check out more about this at http://www.coolrivertubing.com/main.asp



2. Visit Unicoi State Park.

Unicoi is one of Georgia's most beloved state parks. It is located two miles from the Alpine village of Helen, where we stayed.

If you're an outdoor person, you will surely enjoy hiking and biking on the scenic mountain trails. During autumn, the park gives very colorful views. There are numerous picnic tables located throughout the park. We paid a pass good for one day that cost $3 at the self-pay ticket booth.

The park pass payment is per vehicle. You can find great information about Unicoi at http://www.gastateparks.org/info/unicoi/

3. Head on to the beautiful Anna Ruby Falls.
Located just north of the Unicoi state park, you'll find the rare double falls. You will enjoy some pleasant and clear mountain scenery and have your camera ready for these awesome falls. 

You can also enjoy picnicking, or go more hiking for more nice views to watch. There is a parking fee for cars. If I remember right, it cost $3 also. It's well worth visiting. The fee and pass for Anna Ruby Falls are not valid for Unicoi State Park. Please check for the updated fees.

4. Reach the summit of The Brasstown Bald.

You can drive to up to the Brasstown Bald and walk a couple of steps to reach the summit. The scenic overlook is just amazing. Different season gives different views. Whatever season it is, the view is just wonderful. It would be better if you go there on pretty days so check the weather forecast so you can really enjoy the view but, if you're in Helen, Georgia be sure to really visit this site because even if you go there during foggy days, reaching the summit will still be unforgettable. Brasstown Bald is Georgia's highest mountain. It is rising 4784 feet above sea level.

5. Enjoy panning at Dukes Creek Gold and Ruby Mines. Yes, you can pan for gold and screen for gems like rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. The mine is run by extremely nice and helpful attendants. They know a lot about gems and precious metals and the industry. They'll show you how to pan for gold and gems. You pick a bucket that is reasonably priced according to what types of stones are in there. You sift through it and pick out the stones. Take a peek at their website's photo gallery at http://www.dukescreek.com/gallery.htm and see what treasures some of their customers found.

6. Enter the Charlemagne's Kingdom. You will see the largest model railroad in Georgia. I enjoyed watching it myself. The scaled miniature Alpine model landscape and railroad layout are amazingly beautiful. You'll love the railroad track, and the tiny electric trains running around and the tiny hot air balloons floating, the cute ring circus, mountains, lakes, rivers, and villages populated with replicas of buildings that can be found in Germany. When you're done watching the beautiful railroad model, you can buy nice gifts at the gift shop.


7. Have fun to play mini-golfs. You can visit Alpine Helen Mini-Golf, an 18-hole miniature golf course located at the south end of Helen. We really enjoyed our visit here. We played miniature golf at night and there are not many people during that time. There's an ice cream parlor beside this mini-golf place called Scoop De Scoop Ice Cream Parlor. You can visit their website at http://www.helenalpineminigolf.com. Another fun place to play mini-golf is at Pirate Cove Adventure Golf. The place is also beautiful, a good place to take pictures too under cascading waterfalls. It has some huge pirate statue around the golf course. We did not enjoy our games here because there were a lot of people playing. We were actually in a hurry to finish every course because there were other people waiting for their turn. It was crowded but other than that, the place is really nice. I guess we had a bad timing, maybe playing mini-golf during daytime was a bad idea. There are many Pirate Cove Adventure Golf around the country. The one in Florida is really nice too. Beautiful landscape. We enjoyed playing there during our vacation last year. You can learn more about Pirate Cove Adventure Golf at http://www.piratescove.net.



8. Visit the historic Nora Mill Granary. I learned that this grain mill and shop first opened in 1876. Did you know that the original water mill is still in operation? Interesting. You can tour the facilities and see the water-powered process. You can also purchase a corn mill, grits, and biscuit-and-gravy mix. There's an on-site gift shop where you can purchase some gift items for your loved ones and friends.

9. See the Bears at the Black Forest Bear Park. It's interesting. The bears are adorable.

10. Enjoy the specialty shops in Helen, GA. There are a lot of awesome shops around. You can also relax in a beer-garden, enjoy German bands, food, and more fun.

11. Don't miss the Horses. You can ride on the horse and carriage around. I miss this one and some other things. It was so crowded last Valentines week but I'm definitely hoping to visit Helen, Georgia again. Hopefully in another season, maybe Spring or Fall.



12. If you want to witness the Oktoberfest, make sure to visit Helen, Georgia starting middle of September.

 I learned that the entire town participates in the Oktoberfest. You'll love the cold beer and hot off the grill German-style wursts (sausages). The fun and memorable parade is an awesome attraction.

There are a lot of things to do in Helen, Georgia that I have not mentioned yet. I'll write Things to do in Helen, Georgia 2 and more pictures soon.