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  1. Hi Kiki!
    Amazing blog post! I’m trying to plan my 5th year anniversary this year. Do you know how much +- will cost the whole itinerary? Would it be worth going the first or second week of September?

    Sincerely,
    Jazmín

    • The Blonde Abroad

      Hi Jazmín! Thank you, thank you! The budget for your trip completely depends on accommodations and how much you’re spending on meals, and fuel.

      For our Garden Route road trip, we spent between R1500-3600 per night on luxury family-style accommodation. There’s a variety of accommodation for all budgets along the Garden Route from hotels to campsites to self-catering guest homes.

      We spent on average R150-240 ($10-18) per person per meal at some of the best restaurants along the Garden Route. However, you can eat for MUCH cheaper, especially if you stay at self-catering accommodation and cook for yourself!

      Petrol will be one of your biggest expenses that you’ll need to budget for when planning a Garden Route road trip. We spent between R4500-5000 (but keep in mind that I drive a heavy 4×4 Land Rover Defender). You could rent a much more economical car and spend about half what we did.

  2. Matt

    Who did you hire the land rover through? Thanks

    • The Blonde Abroad

      Hi Matt, didn’t rent it—that’s actually my car! 🙂

Instagram

What if you could travel the world… without paying for accommodation? Sounds too good to be true, right?
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Here’s the secret—@homeexchangecom. It’s a social network where you swap homes with fellow travelers, whether it’s an apartment or a house.

While we stayed in a gorgeous, centrally located apartment in Manhattan to celebrate the holiday season, our guests enjoyed a sunny winter in Southern California while staying in our cozy home. It’s a win-win!

No expensive hotel stays, no home sitters needed. Home exchange saves you thousands by giving you a free place to stay in someone else’s home.

You can filter your search for homes with a pool or something pet-friendly or kid-friendly to find your perfect home away from home.

We left a little welcome basket and some local travel tips for our guests to make it extra special for them.

So whether it’s a modern apartment in the city or a beach house getaway, this travel hack can make your dream vacation a reality.
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Bonus: When you sign up using the link in my bio, you’ll get free GuestPoints! These let you experience the magic of HomeExchange as a guest first—even before you host anyone in your home.
A fairytale stay 🏰 
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I highly recommend staying a night or 2 at @themanor_house in The Cotswolds.

It’s located in the tiny, picturesque village of Castle Combe—one of my favorite stops of our trip.

We had the entire village to ourselves early in the morning and at sunset which was so magical!
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#themanorhouse #cotswolds #castlecombe
I can confirm—The Cotswolds are a dream! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🍂
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I took a spontaneous trip with my friend to the countryside of England and it was everything I dreamed it would be!

The Cotswolds feel like stepping back in time with historic villages and adorable cottages). While these places might seem similar at first glance, each village was actually quite unique. These are some of the cutest villages we visited:

- Castle Combe
- Bourton-on-the-Water 
- The Slaughters
- Stow-on-the-Wold
- Broadway
- Snowshill
- Bibury

Some amazing villages and towns not featured but also worth visiting include:

- Broadway
- Burford
- Daylesford & Daylesford Farms
- Chipping Campden
- Cirencester

Are The Cotsworlds on your bucket list?
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#cotswolds #england #uk
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