5 Group Travel Tours That Will Spark Wanderlust

Group vacations are a great way to explore new places. There are excellent benefits of group travel that offer a top-notch experience, especially during international travel. First and foremost, group travel allows for a carefree trip. Although traveling is exciting, the logistics of the trip can be challenging. Trusty tour guides take care of the hard work and details while travelers are free to just relax and enjoy a trip that is already pre-arranged by professionals. Secondly, tour companies have experience with the best places and have streamlined the tours so that travelers can simply appreciate all of the best parts of a vacation. Creating a travel itinerary can take weeks of research, but when traveling in a tour group, the custom itinerary is already organized. Group tours are available all around the world in a variety of locations. Here is a hand-picked selection of group travel opportunities in an array of exciting destinations.

For Adventure Junkies: A Costa Rican Escapade This five-day, four-night vacation to Costa Rica with Under 30 Experiences takes you straight from the airport to Playa Hermosa, a stunning beach where locals surf. The first day in Costa Rican paradise includes dinner and cocktails on the beach before heading to Manuel Antonio and settling in for the night.

The following days are filled with beach trips, relaxing under waterfalls, and optional salsa and yoga classes. An excursion to the fishing town of Quepos includes visits to local markets, tastings of fresh cuisine, and shopping. The adventure continues with Latin cooking classes, a sunset catamaran cruise, and surfing lessons. A group trip to Costa Rica offers all of the best of Central America’s culture, outdoor activities, and adventure travel in a beautiful setting of beaches and jungles.

For Art and History Aficionados: London to Lisbon

Encounter a small group travel experience through several hotspots in western Europe. This 22-day vacation with G Adventures starts in London includes a visit to Paris, France for sightings of the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and world-famous art museums. After an invigorating trip through the Swiss Alps, arrive in Rome, Italy to see witness the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Vatican, and Pantheon. Spend free time experiencing the wining and dining that the Italian nightlife offers.

The rest of the vacation includes the French Riviera, several locations in Spain including Barcelona and Madrid, and finally landing in Lisbon, Portugal. You’ll travel in a small group size of around 10 people for a close, intimate gathering of explorers.

For Those Who Crave the Exotic: An Asian Excursion

An island-hopping trip through Asia with Intrepid Travel takes you from Bangkok, Thailand to Bali, Indonesia to experience spiritual temples, white sand beaches, and alluring nightlife. A group leader takes travelers on a 28-day journey that offers plenty of natural beauty and outdoor activity. Starting in Bangkok, the vibrant capital of Thailand, you’ll see street vendors offering delicious Thai food, opulent temples, and khlong boats. Trek through several Malaysian destinations like the tropical Penang, the thriving metropolis of Kuala Lumpur, and Yogyakarta, brimming with spiritual shrines.

End this month-long odyssey in the tranquil Balinese city of Ubud. Endless strikingly beautiful beaches, serene gardens, and small villages to explore make this tropical destination the perfect end to an exotic vacation.

For Thrill Seekers: A Middle Eastern Expedition A nine-day Middle Eastern vacation with Intrepid Travel is perfect for anyone who is interested in ancient landmarks and mysterious places. This trip commences in Jordan, a place where visitors will be immersed in ancient religious history. Float in the Dead Sea and enjoy the healing properties of the nutrient-rich mud. Visit ancient ruins, go to the Jordan Museum where the Dead Sea Scrolls are held, and see the ancient tombs that date back to the 6th century B.C. An excursion by Jeep through the desert leads to Wadi Rum, a landscape filled with mountains and sand dunes where you’ll spend the night in the desert under the stars.

The next destination is Cairo, Egypt where travelers will be enchanted by the desert sands, the Pyramids of Giza, and the Mosque of Mohammed Ali. One of the Seven Wonders of the World, the pyramids of Egypt are one of the most fascinating places on Earth. Shrouded in mystery, the pyramids are not only visually breathtaking but also a curious perplexity to explore.

The Benefits of Group Travel Are Immeasurable

Aside from the ease of departing on a group travel experience, there is an amazing opportunity to make new friends who have shared the same experiences. Meeting friends from all over the world who are sharing a trip together are likely to become fast friends who will keep in touch and possibly travel together again. Another advantage to group travel is the awesome balance between safety in numbers, the assurance that the tour organization brings, and the freedom of being able to enjoy the locations independently. Traveling in a group is safer than traveling solo, but there is also a sense of individual freedom that the travelers have to stray from the tour if desired. Group travel is a unique experience for anyone who is looking for an adventure of a lifetime. Read more at Domio.

https://blog.staydomio.com/group-travel/

10 Expert Hacks for Decorating a Rental Apartment

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Maybe you can’t knock down the wall between your kitchen and dining room or pull up the wall-to-wall carpet, but there are many less permanent ways to make a rental apartment feel like home.

With a few easy decorating tips, you can keep your landlord happy, get your security deposit back, and have a home that expresses your personal style — until you’re ready to move out, that is.

Before you pull out the paint roller or start online shopping for light fixtures, be sure to get your landlord’s permission for any updates you plan to make. Chances are if the change increases the value of the property or you agree to put things back to their original state before moving out, your landlord will give you the green light.

1. Go Big With Wall Art You may not be able to paint the walls (it never hurts to ask!), but don’t be afraid to hang art on the walls — the bigger the better. Select a large-format canvas, like in this space, a world map, or trio of posters to create an eye-catching focal point. For an even bigger impact, try hanging a large tapestry, rug, or patterned fabric to create interest and cover boring white walls.

Don’t have any large pieces of art? Get the same effect by combining many smaller items into a gallery wall. While spackling over nail holes is one of the easiest fixes before moving out, if you’re worried about nailing into walls, use Command hooks or other easily removable hanging devices that won’t damage paint.

2. Upgrade Bath or Kitchen Fixtures With your landlord’s permission, swap out the lackluster bath or kitchen faucet for a better-looking version. If you plan on making your rental apartment home for a few years and enjoy cooking, updating the faucet is a medium-difficulty task that packs a big punch. While quality faucets don’t come cheap, it’s something you can remove and take with you to your next home. And if you’re relatively handy, the update should take less than an hour. Be sure to store the old faucet in a safe place to be reinstalled when you move out.

3. Hang Curtains Over Blinds The right window treatments add instant coziness to your rental home. Stuck with cheap plastic blinds? Don’t worry — you can hang curtains right over them. Mount your curtain rod as close to the ceiling as possible above the window, then let the curtain fabric brush the floor to maximize the appearance of tall ceilings, like in this property. To jazz up a plain room, choose a patterned or bold curtain fabric.

4. Make It Cozy With Rugs Area rugs transform a rental space from cold and sterile to personalized and cozy. While rugs are a no-brainer in a wood-floored living room, they can be added to any room in the house, from the kitchen and hallways to bedrooms and dining rooms. If your walls and floors are neutral, picking a large rug in a bold pattern or bright colors is an easy opportunity to make a big impact in the room. Even if you have wall-to-wall carpet, adding an area rug on top helps to define the space — just make sure you anchor the area rug with furniture or a non-slip pad underneath to prevent wrinkling as the rug shifts.

5. Paint a Small Accent Wall If you want to paint and your landlord gives you the OK, go with a bold color on a small area. Not only will a splash of color make a huge difference, it will be less work to paint over when you move out. Try a vibrant orange in a hallway or nook, or paint the lower portion of the wall, where chair rail molding would usually appear, like in this warehouse.

6. Hang Temporary Wallpaper Long avoided for being a pain to take down, removable wallpaper has opened up new home decor options for renters and homeowners alike. To save money and time, pick an accent wall to cover in a bold print, like this luxe vacation space . If you want to wallpaper an entire room, pick a smaller space like a bathroom or office.

7. Hide What You Don’t Like Sometimes, the worst part about renting is living with quirks you don’t like and can’t change. But that doesn’t mean you have to stare at them every day. Disguise the ugly backsplash in your rental kitchen with removable tile stickers, toss a rug over a stained carpet, or hang a large piece of art over an awkward opening in the wall.

8. Incorporate Hobbies as Art Worried about where you’ll store your bike or surfboard in a small rental apartment? Instead of hiding them away in a small space, think of them as part of the decor. A colorful bike or guitar hung on the wall or a surfboard leaning in the corner adds personality and immediately signifies to guests that you love adventure. If you love to travel, frame photos from your travels and make them into a conversation-starting gallery wall. Personal touches make a rental feel like home.

9. Upgrade Lighting Staring up at an ugly ‘90s-era ceiling light that’s not meshing with your decor style? Replace it with a new light fixture to instantly upgrade and personalize your space. A modern chandelier becomes the focus of the dining room in this vacation rental. If you don’t want to remove the offending light, get creative and disguise it with a DIY lampshade that fits over the original fixture. More lighting options will make your rental apartment more comfortable. Even if your rooms have existing overhead lighting, adding table and floor lamps will amp up the ambiance. 10. Don’t Forget About the Front Door Especially if you rent an apartment in a large building with identical doors, don’t neglect your entryway decor. Putting out a doormat or hanging a wreath differentiates your home from your neighbors, and makes a great first impression on guests before they even step foot in your apartment. Read more at Domio.

https://blog.staydomio.com/decorating-rental-apartment/

10 Effortless Rustic Wall Decor Ideas From the Pros

Equally at home in a wooden cabin, farmhouse kitchen, or Western ranch, rustic home decor brings the outside in with natural materials and earth tones. Here’s how to pull together all the rustic decor pieces in your space — like a warm leather club chair, wool throw blankets in a Southwestern motif, and a distressed coffee table — with the right rustic wall decor to match.

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1. Create a Western Vibe

Leaning into the rustic ranch look? It’s not complete without a skull wall mount — the ultimate rustic Western wall decor. Now somewhat of a home decor staple, this piece is just as at home in a rustic cabin as a luxe loft. To fit a variety of design styles, variations of the deer buck exist to fit every style, from luxe gold stag heads to the traditional skull and antlers and even the more whimsical jackalope. In this space’s otherwise luxe and modern bedroom, the bull skull mount adds an unexpected rustic element to the room that pulls the design together.

2. Hang a Sliding Barn Door

Sliding barn doors have long been synonymous with rustic design for their industrial elements paired with solid wood planks, often worn and reclaimed from a prior life as walls in a barn or floors in an old home. The style of door also saves space in rooms where a swinging door would be more difficult to open, and their eye-catching look adds instant character to an otherwise plain room. Even if you can’t replace a door in your living space with a sliding barn door version, you can still incorporate its rustic charm into your home by mounting a vintage door directly on your wall as art.  In this charming space evokes a barn door with its rustic wood panels and metal sliding hardware, but the addition of a geometric mirror panel adds extra functionality and style.

3. Explore Texture With Woven Textiles

Since rustic style is all about playing up natural materials, textile art is right at home in a rustic living room. Consider woven wall hangings in different materials and colors to complement your living space. In this space, wood walls, layered rugs, and woven pillowcases in a Southwestern motif already play up the rustic feel. A pair of woven wall hangings made of yarn and rope fibers in complementary colors hung above the couch add a bohemian flavor to the already rustic living room. Other textile wall decor options include Kilim or Oriental rugs hung on the wall, faux fur hides for the ultimate textural element, or macrame art.

4. Think Outside the Box (and Beyond the Frame)

While a photo or art piece in a rustic frame is an easy way to incorporate wall art into a rustic-style home, getting creative with the objects you choose to hang in your space will make your home stand out and express your personal style. Do you have a collection you’d like to display? Use it as wall art. This space adds a creative touch of country charm by hanging four cowboy hats in an arch over the master bedroom headboard. With this approach, what may have been previously shoved in a closet can become the focal point of a room. There are plenty of creative ways to hang hats — but the idea shouldn’t be limited to headwear. Try a collection of vintage movie reels, old wooden toys, or whatever fits your personality.

5. Highlight Reclaimed Materials

Rustic doesn’t have to mean log cabins with plaid blankets — although we’re all about that look, too. Any design that emphasizes natural, unrefined pieces qualifies as rustic — especially anything that uses reclaimed materials. For the creative DIY decorator, a quick browse around a reclaimed materials warehouse results in a wealth of ideas, from a five-panel door used as a headboard to a paned window frame hung on the wall and used as a photo frame or sprayed with reflective paint to become a mirror. Art made from reclaimed wood gives off a rustic vibe, from repurposed pallets to painted or stained wall decor, like this rustic blue geometric piece in an otherwise modern and eclectic space.

6. Create a Rustic Gallery Wall

Many standard wall decor ideas can be customized to fit into a rustic home. A gallery wall, for instance, easily incorporates pieces in a variety of styles, colors, and textures. To really amp up the rustic feel, go beyond framed art prints to incorporate small 3D elements, from hanging wooden or wire baskets holding treasured artifacts to metal or wooden letters interspersed with framed prints or photos in various sizes. The gallery wall in this space, for instance, combines rustic elements like the letter “N” hung inside a floating frame with other more modern pieces.

7. Spell It Out With Typographic Wall Art

Add a personal touch to your rustic wall decor with metal or wooden letters — the city you live in, the first letter of your last name, or a favorite quote or passage. Many flea markets sell old typesetting letters or pieces of antique signage. In this space, an industrial metal “Music City” sign paired with a framed photo collage of an old pickup truck and historic buildings creates a rustic vibe.

8. Repurpose a Ladder as Shelving

If you’re a fan of the leaning ladder shelf trend, opt for the OG model — an antique ladder propped against the wall. In this upstairs landing of a space turned into a jam room (see the tiny guitar amp in the corner), an oversized American flag and vintage wooden ladder combine with navy blue poufs and a natural jute rug to create a laid-back, relaxed rustic feel. This example holds a few books, but leaning ladders are also perfect for storing folded blankets, newspapers and magazines, or even hanging shoes.

If you need more permanent shelving, consider using reclaimed wood planks as floating shelves. This idea combines wall art with functional storage, and gives the room a rustic feel. You could even use floating shelves to hold a variety of framed art prints and other objects that fit your personal decor style.

9. Use Antiques as Wall Art

Nothing gives off an authentic rustic feel better than real objects that have been worn down over years of use. Check out local flea markets and antique stores — the only limit is the space you have available and your imagination.

Look for pieces that can be easily mounted on the wall, like a large vintage wall map for an industrial loft or old farming tools like a tractor seat or wooden pitchfork for a modern farmhouse. Use the age and type of antique to help your space evoke the vibe you’re looking for — the antique wooden airplane propeller in this industrial space, for instance, adds a preppy feel with a rustic edge.

10. Incorporate Music or Movie Posters

A niche within vintage wall art, movie or music posters offer a great opportunity to quickly share your personality with guests while decorating your space. This space, for example, plays up the “music city” theme with a framed print resembling a bluegrass band concert poster. A vintage Western movie print in a natural wood frame would be at home in a rustic ranch, while National Park prints hung with large binder clips give a rustic feel to a cabin in the woods. The print colors, content, and style of frame each offer an opportunity to customize poster wall art to best fit your overall rustic style.

From https://blog.staydomio.com/rustic-wall-decor/

Read more at Domio.

Why You Should Choose an Aparthotel for Your Next Vacation ?

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Whether traveling is something you do once a year or you plan getaways as frequently as you can manage, it’s important to know about all of the options for accommodations. Less-frequently traveled tourists typically return to the familiarity of hotel chains while seasoned travelers are turning to apartment-hotels.
Every savvy traveler should know about apartment-hotels. It’s a fusion of a stunning apartment and a hotel mixed into one perfect accommodation. You get the convenience of a hotel stay combined with the comfort of a fully-equipped apartment. An apartment hotel, which is sometimes referred to as a serviced apartment, is a fully-furnished, often upscale, affordable home away from home. 
Aparthotels are already quite popular in Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates. They can be found in prolific cities like Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, London, Brussels, and Dubai.

Why Groups Will Love Aparthotels?

Aparthotels are the best accommodations for group travelers for several reasons. Whether traveling for business, pleasure, or as a family unit, an apartment-hotel offers more space and more amenities, all while at a lower cost than a traditional hotel can offer. The special hybrid between a fully-furnished live-in ready apartment and a hotel experience means that group travelers can get much more from their stay. 

Full access to an entire home means more comfort and more space to relax, socialize, and enjoy. The whole group can stay together without having to book single units in a hotel, so collectively, the group will spend significantly less on the space while still enjoying everything the accommodation provides. 

No matter the type of group or the reason for traveling, groups who decide to check in to an apartment hotel will be pleasantly surprised at the comfort and convenience that far exceeds a traditional accommodation.

Here is a list of possibilities and how an aparthotel can be the answer for group travel accommodations.

For Business Travelers

Groups of colleagues or individuals who travel for business will find that an apartment-hotel is much more appealing than a hotel. An apartment-hotel is perfect for rest and relaxation as well as work. Many aparthotel accommodations have plenty of space for meetings and conferences, which is a major convenience for business travelers. Full kitchens are an additional benefit and serve as an alternative to going out to eat for each meal while on business. Home cooking in a fully equipped kitchen, free Wi-Fi, cozy workspaces, and laundry facilities make business trips a seamless way to stay. For Families

When traveling with children, aparthotels are an absolute must. Most notably, families with children will find satisfaction in staying in a home with all of the usual comforts on hand. Multiple bedroom apartments make it easy for everyone to have private space, and children and parents can enjoy their separate rooms. Alternatively, the shared spaces and lounge areas in the home make it easy to spend family time together too. The hotel service aspect that apartment-hotels provide means that any of the family’s needs can be met at any time of the day or night. Packing for a trip for many family members can be time-consuming and stressful but because amenities are provided, there is much less to pack for long stays. For Friends

Friends can check in as a group and look forward to quality time together in the shared areas of the home. Communal spaces like kitchens and living rooms are perfect for cooking meals and hanging out together. Sharing an apartment hotel is super budget-friendly as well, offering some of the best prices in the industry due to the split costs. While shared spaces are nice to have, so is a private bedroom. Many apartment hotels can easily accommodate a large group of friends very comfortably. Equipped with plenty of bedrooms and bathrooms, everyone will be able to enjoy a separate space of their own.

For Couples

For the couple that needs some time away, apartment-hotels are a no-brainer. A private, chic one-bedroom apartment in a big city is a perfect getaway. All amenities necessary are included, and concierge is accessible if needed, so if a spontaneous decision to take a trip strikes it’s easy to pack light. Couples traveling with other couples will be able to enjoy traveling together while being able to have a private room and bathroom too. Most apartment-hotels are located in cities, making it easy to explore the city’s walkable attractions straight from the aparthotel. Read more at StayDomio.

https://blog.staydomio.com/aparthotel/
2019 January 11 from Editor @ Domio