Flipkey in Koh Phangan: My first staycation on the island

I’m always looking for new ways to help improve my trip such as Flipkey, and if that means shifting my loyalty from accommodation booking sites that I’ve always traditionally used, then I’m always open for new suggestions.
That’s the wonderful thing about the internet, it’s only a matter of time until something better comes along and you shouldn’t be afraid to jump ship and try out new things.
That’s when I stumbled across Flipkey, a rental booking site to help you find accommodation in many locations around the globe.
I’ve started to shift from week long stints in backpacker hostels to more long term Staycations, you get a lot more added value from renting long term. Flipkey is an interesting website for this new wave of travellers like myself.
What is a Staycation?
(The beach close by, a 17 second walk from my Staycation apartment rental with Flipkey)
Staycation is a term I like to use for location independent individuals that like to move around and set up base in a variety of different locations for a short period of time.
The key term that’s being chucked around is “Digital Nomad” a growing community of individuals that are adapted to this staycation lifestyle and funding it by running an online business to remain completely mobile.
Apartment rentals can also be picked up for the same price as a hostel room if you plan to stay for a long period of time, there is room for negotiation and a bit of research is needed, that’s what brought me to Flipkey.
If you plan to work on a laptop you want your environment to be as natural and homely as possible, if you’re unable to get to work than you’re unable to fund your lifestyle its that simple.
That’s why I’ve recently been enjoying more long term Staycations in different locations around the world to try out this new lifestyle choice and see what’s out there on the market.
What’s the difference between apartment rentals and Hotels?
Hotels and hostels simply don’t cut it, you’re going to stay long term so you can afford to rent out an apartment for a short period of time, which can save you a lot of money in the long run, make you fit in to your newly adopted location a bit easier and create a better environment to work in.
I would like to point out that I have tried Airbnb to live a Digital Nomad lifestyle, but it’s been tricky at times, especially in South East Asia, where listings are often seemed to double in price compared to walk in rates, its better to take the gamble and go around looking for rent options.
Now that’s not very fun is it.
In the past, I’ve had a lot of cancellations with Airbnb, because the owners wanted a fast buck and didn’t fancy hosting me for a long period of time at a discount. If you’re staying for 1, 3 or even 6 months, you have room to negotiate a better price.
Airbnb has a huge mixture of different types of accommodation options, either a hotel listing, a rental agency or a local putting up there empty room to make some cash on the side and meet travellers.
I enjoy meeting locals when I travel and a home stay is a great way to make this happen, if you need to work on your laptop, this might come across as unsociable and if you need to take Skype calls and get your work on this might be tricky with a local on Airbnb.
Hotel listing on Airbnb simply make it look too busy, I want to find a simple affordable long stay location in the destination I’m soon to visit, not hotels or I would have used another website for that, Flipkey sorts this simple need out, heads on.
This is when Flipkey comes along, Flipkey is different.
Flipkey deals with property rental owners, this cuts out the cultural home stay experience, and acts as a global network of properties at your fingertips, ready to rent Directly giving you the type of place you’re looking for.
My first experience with Flip key, Koh Phangan, Thailand
(Nice sun decking, overlooking the beach with an outside chill mat, perfect for Thai weather and reading)
When my boat arrived at the dock of Koh Phangan the owner of the rental company arranged to meet me at the local pier, this was a great surprise as I was given a friendly greeting straight off the boat and onto the island of Koh Phangan.
On the way to the apartment, I got a few pointers along the way, such as, where the local shops are and some tips on places to eat close by.
When we pulled into the property, I got a tour of the apartment, handed the wifi Password, a set of keys and I was good to go, ready to enjoy my staycation on the island of Koh Phangan.
(Tropical Paradise Staycation apartment, perfect!)
The rental property was just what I needed, a compact, affordable living space just off the beach with cooking facilities and fast wifi. Pure Paradise!
Video Review of my Staycation beach apartment in Koh Phangan, Thailand
(Can have a Travel Dave Video tour of the place, happy days!)
My apartment on the island was like a little man cave, I had a cozy couch, a coffee table to do some work on and a nice sized Kitchenette that was perfect for me to use my laptop and crack on with some work.
(Cozy apartment, perfect for a couple to feel at home and get some work done)
It was nice having my own kitchen to use, when you want to stay longer than a month its always nice to have the option to prepare your own food, head to the local market to pick up some produce and great for meeting dietary requirements.
(Perfect size kitchen with everything you would possibly need: Rice cooker, kettle, microwave, fridge, cutlery, everything, perfect!)
And finally of course the double bed! I like to sleep in double beds for long stays as you have more room to sleep, when you’re feeling lazy, sleep in and watch Netflix series, munch on popcorn and relax! Also handy to have an in room aircon fan for those humid nights here in Thailand.
(Look at the size of this double bed, couldn’t get any bigger!)
Did I also mention the wifi speed? It clocked in at 40Mb! The owner told me Koh Phangan just installed Fiber optics on the island to increase and improve local business. This was music to my ears and made working online a breeze in the apartment, it was super quick taking into consideration that this was on a Thai island, I’m easily pleased!
Conclusion?
Overall the stay with my rental apartment in Koh Phangan I found on Flipkey went pleasantly well, I was able to find exactly what I wanted, a safe comfortable room, a peaceful working environment and fast wifi. Great to be able to connect with a local Property owner who wanted me to stay in their apartment rental, all at a great price. It was a win win for both parties and it’s nice when it all works out like that.
You want everything during your stay to go smoothly and it did.
Thank you for reading! Any more information you would like to know about either using Flipkey for finding your next property rental, working online as a digital Nomad on the island of Koh Phangan, Thailand or renting the same apartment, you can either post below in the comment section or send me an email by heading to my contact page, feel free to get in touch, thank you.