2015年12月18日/淡水在地

【記者隋昀珈報導】Taiwan has become a popular tourist destination, thousands of people from all over the world would come and visit each year. There are many spectacular spots to visit on the island, spanning from the south to the north. Most people would choose tourist destinations close to public transportation and that is why Damshui is a great place to visit. The town has all the great merits such as food, people, scenery, culture and history. Even though it is a relatively small town, there is still a lot to explore. Some travelers like to revisit Damshui and see its beauty from a different perspective while others like to stay for a few days and really get to know the place and soak it all in.
National Geographic’s Andrew Evan’s once said “Don’t be a tourist. Plan less. Go slowly. I traveled in the most inefficient way possible and it took me exactly where I wanted to go.” during one of his TED talks. By not planning out every single tiny detail of the trip, we would have more freedom to explore the place and might find some unexpected surprises. Traveling is all about losing yourself and the exploration of a new environment.
Even though it is better not to plan out every single detail, there are still some things that should be taken care of beforehand such as transportation, lodging and a simple time table and so on. Since travelers come from all over the world and googling one hotel at a time is a waste of time and lots of work, there is a simpler solution that is both fast and convenient.
Airbnb.com is a website for people to list, find or rent rooms and lodgings. It has over 1,500,000 listings in 34,000 cities and 190 countries. It was founded in 2008 and its headquarters are located in San Francisco, information has been confirmed just press the search button and a list of available rooms or apartments will be listed on the next page. Or you can just scroll down and select the city you wish to visit.
Once, the listings appear there will be a little map to the right of the page where the available places will be shown in little red dots with the price tags attached. Just click on the one that is located near to a place your liking and all the details will appear. Each listing will include an introduction about the place and what amenities there are included in the apartment. Some people might list a few house rules that need to be followed. If the listing meets all the travelers expectations and the time slot is available, then they can put in a formal request and book the room for the trip.
For example, a one bed bedroom apartment for up to four guests would cost about two thousand per night. It is located near the Danshui MRT station. There is one bedroom, one bathroom and two beds. The amenities include a kitchen, air conditioning, washer and dryer, free parking, wheel-chair friendly, cable TV, wireless network and a hot tub. A few house rules include no pets allowed and no gambling or partying of any kinds. According to the comment section, people who have been there highly recommend this apartment stating that it is very clean and feels like home.
Another great thing about this website is that potential visitors can have a better understanding of the apartment with the comment section. Users can choose to give a review and rate the place at the same time. The apartment will be rated on the following factors such as accuracy, communication, cleanliness, location, check-in and value. The above are rated on one to five star scale. With the comments and reviews users would know what exactly they are getting themselves into.
Traveling is a great way to broaden your horizon and see the world, get lost and explore new places while getting a perspective on life. Though we aim to get lost, a little planning would not hurt and would make the trip a lot smoother. And one way to make it easier for yourself is to use the right tool. So if you are planning to take a trip and want to book some rooms for any major cities like Danshui, try using airbnb.com, it is both convenient and reliable, many travelers had tried this website and have gotten satisfying results.

(104學年度第1學期/第212期/編輯:陳宥瑄)