June 27, 2018

Because there’s more to the ‘sharing economy’ than Airbnb.

Dig deep beyond your usual lodging go-to websites and you’ll unearth a world of homestays and holiday rental websites offering whatever tickles your giblets.

From oceanfront villas and well-equipped campsites, to tree houses with views of safari parks, these websites have the rentals to get you into that blissful holiday state.

Innclusive

After experiencing discrimination when attempting to booking travel accommodation, Rohan Gilkes, a serial entrepreneur founded Innclusive – a lodging platform that celebrates people and diversity.

Open to travellers of all backgrounds, Innclusive is available in more than 130 countries and helps provide safer and happier travel experiences by not sharing the photo of the booker until the transaction is complete. Nice, huh?

Pawshake

Parents to fur babies will probably know Pawshake as the online pet services community that lets you book dog walkers and cat sitters to help out when you’re away from home.

If you’re an animal lover and would like a furry companion without too commitment then Pawshake is worth looking into. List yourself as available to pet sit at the pet’s home and you could save yourself a few hundred bucks, a mini-break AND top up your kitty* while you’re at it.

*Sorry, couldn’t resist.

Homestay

Looking to do as the locals do? Homestay pairs travellers with local hosts in more than 160 countries, so you’re bound to discover all the best-kept secrets of the city.

Think it as a dating site for shared accommodation. You match with hosts according to your interests, saving travellers from lots of awkward conversations.

We’re into Homestay because they’re upfront about costs – no sneaky cleaning and service fees.

Home Exchange

Whether you love or loathe the film The Holiday, you’ve seen it and the concept of a home exchange in action. We can’t guarantee you’ll hook up with Jude Law or Cameron Diaz, but we reckon it could be worth a try.

There are plenty of websites that offer this service, but membership-only Home Exchange includes insurance policy protecting you against cancellations once you’ve already splashed out on plane tickets and protecting your house and your possessions against damage.

One Fine Stay

Think you deserve a little pampering and luxury? Take a look at Onefinestay, a website brimming with digs that most of us can only dream about.

Best described as an fancy Airbnb, choose from chalets in the Swiss Alps and oceanfront villas in the Bahamas to penthouse apartments in New York for just a glimpse of what Kim and Kanye’s everyday must be like.

Kid & Coe

Designed to cater for families, Kid & Coe have pretty much thought of everything you haven’t – or haven’t managed to get around to yet.

The family-focused rentals are kid-proofed, with play rooms, backyards, books, toys and high chairs, which means you could potentially have a little space in the suitcase to squeeze in a candle or some perfume for yourself.

Kid & Coe are all about helping you maximise your holiday time, so you’ll find lots of the itinerary planning is done for you. Suggestions of local attractions are already mapped out, as are a list of recommended childminders who you can call on.

Sleepout

Planning a trip to Africa? Be sure to check out SleepOut, a homestay website that’s rich in “the coolest places to stay”.

From beach huts to treehouses and mud castles, you’ll find it all on this online marketplace. Although listings are mainly located in Africa, you’ll find a growing number of unique stays in the Middle East, the Carribean, Central America, and more.

Hipcamp

Those who have road-tripped around the US and tried to camp will know it can be somewhat of a nightmare trying to plan.

Hipcamp has gotten it right and highlights on a map the campsites that meet your needs – including budget, amenities, activities and terrain that you’re after.

You can discover more than 285,000 campsites on ranches, vineyards, farms and national parks.