Agoda’s top holiday ideas for you and your barkada
JULY 30 is World Friendship Day. While not necessarily a true holiday, it’s a good day as any to celebrate with your closest friends. It’s time to plan that next big trip, too!
Traveling with friends not only improves your bond, your pals also help enrich your overall travel experience. Agoda, one of the fastest-growing online travel agents (OTA), shares five reasons why you should round up your barkada and book your next adventure together along with suggested destinations.
1. Your friends know your best (and worst) angles
Friends easily up your IG (Instagram) game as they can best capture poses of your choice. When in the UK, The London Edition provides a great photoshoot backdrop, with its blend of modern and classic European architecture. Located on the edge of the artsy London neighborhood Soho, this glitzy hotel is within walking distance of picturesque galleries and restaurants.
Closer to home, photo worthy properties include Bali’s Bambu Indah Hotel, a green oasis with breathtaking views of rice fields and Ayung River, and Malacca’s The Rucksack Caratel, a hip boutique hotel that serves as a hidden green sanctuary in the middle of the city.
2. Friends help explore your taste for adventure.
Test your taste buds in Malaysia this August. The Agoda Home Vortex KLCC is located right in the city center of Kuala Lumpur and close to all the shops, restaurants, and food stalls selling durian, of course!
More adventurous eaters can head to Osaka to try out Dotonbori Street’s diverse food options including fugu, delicious pufferfish that are notorious for being poisonous. Don’t worry, Japanese chefs need a special license before they can serve this delicacy! A stone’s throw away is Dormy Inn, a minimalist boutique hotel with your very own hot-spring.
3. Friends are the perfect wing (wo)men for a memorable night out
The ultimate party holiday awaits in Las Vegas—from casinos, nightclubs and pool parties. The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is located right on the Vegas strip and in the center of all of Las Vegas’ main attractions.
Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam’s nightlife offers hundreds of bars and nightclubs to choose from—from upscale nightclubs down to hole-in-the-wall dive bars. Take it easy the morning after at Chill Box, a cozy homestay right in the city center.
4. Friends help motivate you during physical activities
Head to Siargao, to experience the world-famous Cloud 9 wave, and see who can “hang ten” for longer. Stylish Soultribe Beach Retreat offers bungalows right on the beach so you can roll straight from bed and onto the waves.
Should you and your active friends find yourself in Laos, Luang Prabang’s meandering mountain trails are best experienced from a mountain bike, or if you’re opting for an easier ride you can cycle along the Mekong River.
My Dream Boutique Resort is a scenic spot off the Mekong River.
5. Wait, you save money traveling with friends?
Traveling with friends means being able to stick to your budget thanks to shared payment of costs.
If Melbourne, Australia is your next target destination, Agoda HomeAquila Nova Retreat is just on the outskirts of the city and is a quiet retreat in the heart of the Dandenong Ranges National Park.
Planning more of a quick getaway within the region? Check out other great Agoda Homes for friend groups like thePrivate Pool Villa by CHATTAin Phuket or the spacious Teega Residence in Johor Bahru.