It is easier than ever to afford to book a private pool villa for a hijab-free holiday or a halal holiday especially with the vast options on Airbnb. Worrying about the health, cleanliness or overall impact on your family and practicalities of travelling during these times they provide a great alternative to hotel accommodation. It is much easier than you think and cheaper to find and book a perfect Muslim friendly pool villa.
Whether you travel as a couple a family or with friends you can enjoy a destination and also privacy for swimming or just chilling.
As a Hijab-wearing woman, I love swimming and sunbathing. Sadly this is not possible on beaches, so private pool villas are the perfect answer. They also don’t have to break the bank as there are so many available options out there from £100 to £1000 so they definitely fit in every budget.
They are also the closest you can get to a halal holiday in Europe where you can cook halal food, enjoy your private pool hijab free, splash with your kids or even enjoy a halal honeymoon as a couple.
It is no wonder that private apartments or villas on sites such as Airbnb and others are booming.
After booking several villas I find that Airbnb is one of the easiest options when it comes to communicating and also in terms of customer service. Of course, always read the small print.
There are very few things worse than booking the wrong villa and your wife’s / family’s expectations going downhill. It will make for more of a holiday from hell rather than paradise.
So below are my tips on what to look for when booking your own villa and also small things on how to improve the experience.
Narrow your search down
Over the years Airbnb has made it very easy for you to search the website and filter accordingly.
The first thing I do when I start searching is to tick the “Entire place” option as many times there are amazing houses but the hosts live in them and you don’t have space to yourself but rather a room. Of course, if you want this then no problem you can look for these places too.
Once you have ticked this then head over to “More Filters”. Airbnb has added so many options here that one day I would love to rent a hut, tiny house or a boat just because I love the idea.
Under “Facilities” tick the pool option. – If you leave this only ticked you might receive options that include hotels, shared apartments etc so you want to narrow it down even further.
Under “Property type” tick the Villa option as well.
Once this is done you will have only private villas with pools available on your dates. If you are flexible do not add any dates so you can see all houses available. I like doing this because some awesome properties can be booked on a day but if I am flexible I can check them out. Works well if booking long in advance.
The most time-consuming part is to actually look through the villas you seem to like as in some areas there can be hundreds of them.
Pay attention
This is where it becomes more labour intensive than anything but also worth it for a great halal holiday without your hijab.
I normally scan all the options and then open the ones I like. I then start looking through the photos.
I know interior photos are important but for me personally the exterior photos are even more important because this is where privacy comes to play.
If I am looking for a Muslim-friendly villa or a hijab-free holiday I want to make sure there is little to no possibility of someone seeing me in my bikini.
Many modern villas will have other houses next to them, or it will be with an open garden- especially if they offer views.
I look at the other houses next to them, the windows if any, the view photos that can indicate if there are houses around, if there are high walls etc. Depending on your level of comfort it’s important to pay attention to these exterior photos from the various angles.
The good thing about Airbnb hosts is that they usually have 30-50 photos and many of the exterior so you can get an idea of the privacy.
I also don’t mind being in remote places as these because they offer the most privacy and seclusion.
Example 1: This villa in Bali is great with high walls and privacy around the pool
Example 2: This villa in Malta is great as well because they have privacy and walls, however, I might ask for some more clarification on the small houses I see in the background.
Example 3: This villa is far away from everyone judging by the photos so it is also a nice contender
Ask for information
If you find a property you like but you don’t think there are enough photos or information make sure you email the owner.
You can ask them to provide additional information about the area or how private it is. Most hosts are happy to answer any questions you might have and provide more details.
Important to note that many of these properties will require you to rent a car so make sure you have all the necessary documents as well or as about transportation options to/from your villa.
Tip: Complete your Airbnb profile with some basic information and a photo. It doesn’t have to be your personal photo but it makes a better impression if your profile is complete.
Reviews
Always check if there are reviews available for the property you need. Reviews can be very valuable and no wonder they are more trusted than anything else.
They provide you with great information about the property, the area and the host. You can find out pretty much half of your questions just by reading reviews.
It also shows you that the property and the owner are legitimate. Airbnb screens every property and they have measures in place to protect you and the host however it always pays to be careful.
I always read the positive and negative reviews and usually start with the most recent of course. Airbnb also has a rating system which displays so I normally at don’t look anything under 4,5.
Tip: If you can’t find reviews for the property on Airbnb do a google search in many cases you will find additional information. Especially more professional rentals can be found on other sites and many have a name for their villa so it’s easy to search.
Enjoy & Reciprocate
Airbnb is still a community so once you are back from your holiday review the property and the owner to help others to find nice properties.
It is great for you to have a review on your profile for your next holiday and by reviewing you are providing information for other travellers like yourself.
I always work with the mantra what comes around goes around. but most importantly don’t forget to enjoy your holiday.
I love finding properties on Airbnb because they offer so many options. I know everyone has different opinions on the company but as Muslims, it offers so many options in creating our own Halal-friendly travel adventure in pretty much any corner of the globe that it excites me.
In many places, you will find Muslims and mosques so that means you can also find halal food available and if you want to save money or you travel with a family you can always cook. It is definitely cheaper than renting two or three rooms in a hotel and you can get extra amenities thrown in for a similar price.
If you are new to Airbnb and you want to get £35 discount I would appreciate if you can use my referral code from this link.