5 Reasons mothers prefer Airbnb self catering holiday homes | Travel Guidebook SA

2 – LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION

I cannot stress this enough. Yes, we want easy access to all the best locations, restaurants & tourist attractions around but do not want to pay R20 000 a night as a family of four when booking vacation rentals. How we get around this is to find the most central location that has all our day trip activities within 10 - 50km. Think of what is important to you like wine estates, restaurants, antique shops, art galleries, and fun activities for the kids. Then you place them out on a map and find a self catering holiday home on Airbnb that is perfectly located away from all the major cities but close enough (10-50km) for a day trip out.

3 – PRIVACY

To us as a family our privacy and quiet time are important. When we go out and about, we are between people 70% of the day but when we get home, we want quality time with our kids and just disconnect.

Will I have exclusive use of the property? Will there be any other guests using the facilities of the property? Will I have access to a maid on a daily base even if at an added charge?

These are important questions when we search for private holiday rentals on booking sites like Airbnb.

4 – FREEDOM, LUXURY & SPACE

Booking a self catering villa is all about having your own space and not having to share it with anyone. Complete freedom to do what works for you as a family. You have access to a fully equipped kitchen so that you can cook meals for your family on days you do not want to go out. Remember that your accommodation is the base of your holiday from which you can engage in any activities and destination.   

5 – DAY TRIPS WITH FLEXIBILITY OF LOCATION

We like to plan day trips so that each family member gets a WOW Day during our trip. So, things I would look at will be: do we have easy access to major roads like the N1. How long will the traveling time be going and coming back? I will then start planning the day trips as follow:

Day 1 will be close to home like Franschhoek & Helshoogte so that daddy can get his fix on local food & Wine (Tokara / Boschendal / Babylonstoren / Delaire Graff). For dinner, we would pick a local’s restaurant like Pappa Grappa on our way back to Paarl. The food is great and the atmosphere is warm and welcoming and the kids want to go back year after year.

Day 2 will be early morning surfing in Muizenburg at the Shurfshack Surfschool for the kids followed by lunch in Simon’s Town visiting the Penguin Colony with early dinner in Fish Hoek.

Day 3 will be a rest day where we can walk down the historical main road for lunch at Giovanni on Laborie Estate and dinner at Noop Restaurant on Main. Kids can enjoy the day in the pool and mommy get to catch up on some reading.

Day 4 will be driving to Constantia Uitsig for a fun-filled day at the Bike Park for the kids while Mark & myself can enjoy a quiet table at the famous Blockhouse Kitchen for lunch. Take a slow drive back via the V&A Waterfront for dinner.

Day 5 will be a day out in nature, so we go hiking up Paarl Rock and end of the afternoon on a quad bike trail at Rhebokskloof.

Yes, we have some of the most amazing tourist attractions around us but visiting the local spots makes the trip so much more special. As you go back year after year, you will be greeted by your first name and feel accepted into the “local family” if I can call it that.

To make all of this possible for our guests we created La Maison On Main that’s located on the Main Road of Paarl in a 1900’s home that’s a prime location and walking distance to restaurants and shops. It is private and has all the trimmings a family will need while on holiday.

I will be adding more detailed blog articles on our day trips out so that you as a guest can make a more informed decision about what you might like to add to your next trip while staying with us at La Maison On Main.

Websites you might like to visit for more ideas and things to do while staying with us:

www.lmom.co.za | www.capetownetc.com | www.insideguide.co.za | www.getaway.co.za