GETTY IMAGES; COURTESY OF AIRBNB; INSTAGRAM/BEYONCÉ KNOWLES; INSTAGRAM/AMY SCHUMER
trafalgar.com
Let the experts carefully craft a
unique travel experience and
find all the best deals with all
your group’s needs in mind.airbnb.com
Airbnb aims to let travellers live
like a local by staying in a real
home. There are more than
80,000 listings in Australia alone.onefinestay.com
You’re met at the door, handed
an iPhone to make local calls
and offered 24/7 support at
these exclusive homes.villas.com
This subsidiary of booking.com
lists 540,800 villas, holiday
homes and apartments in
11 countries around the world.theluxurytravelbook.com
Your key to ultra-glam
apartments, villas and chalets
set in prime locations.TRAVEL
WEBSITES
(^5) of
the best
1
2
3
5
4
vegetarian/vegan/pescetarian
when the rest of you are
carnivores. Saward, who’s spent
the past four years flitting
about the globe, says it’s best to
compare food preferences pre-
trip and even pick out a few
must-dine locations.
“Eating out is often
the hardest part about travelling
in groups. Do a little research in
the beginning to find a selection
of restaurants that everyone is
happy with,” suggests Saward.
GROUP HACK: Remove the
decision-making all together
by booking a holiday where all
meals are included. Bartle
believes that’s one of the
highlights of holidaying on
water. “Being on a boat where
there’s no shops makes it really
easy because it’s whatever the
chef is going to dish up – people
don’t have to talk about ‘where
are we going for dinner’,” she says.
“The only decision you’ve got
to make is ‘Should I have
a glass of Veuve or Moët?’”
TIP 5
NAVIGATING
THE AWKWARD
“MONEY” ISSUE
No matter how tight knit your
squad, the issue of dollars and
cents can still ruffle feathers. The
answer, says Rossi Hudson, is to
create a pool of money. “Don’t be
afraid to build in a few hundred
dollars each to the overall trip
cost so you’ve got a kitty,” she says.
It could cover everything
from art gallery entry to train
tickets, grocery shopping and
even meals out, so you’re not
constantly dividing up costs –
just be sure you’re all on the same
page. “You need to have some
understanding about if somebody
drinks and somebody doesn’t,”
says Rossi Hudson. “You don’t
want to be there at the end of
the night saying ‘You had three
drinks and I had one.’”
GROUP HACK: Factor in extra
dollars to cover international
money transfer costs, as many
booking sites are based
overseas and will charge
in a different currency.
Kim Kardashian
(centre) and
friends love a
beach holiday.
Jennifer Lawrence (top
row, far right) and Amy
Schumer (bottom row,
far right) staying cool
with friends at sea.
HOTSPOT: HAMILTON
ISLAND, AUSTRALIA
Best for: Nature lovers who want to
soak up their surroundings along with a
bit of sun and a spa treatment or two.
Group-
friendly
destinations
Byron Bay
Check out the luxe
and lovely girls’
group deal at The
Byron at Byron.
Visit thebyron
atbyron.com.au.
Makepeace
Island
Going to Noosa? You
and up to 19 of your
closest friends can
enjoy your own
island idyll. Visit
makepeace
island.com.
Sumba Island
Nihiwatu resort offers
tree-house
accommodation, all
inclusive meals and
daily yoga classes
overlooking the
ocean. Visit
nihiwatu.com.
Margaret River
Galleries, wineries
and beaches, what’s
not to love about a
holiday in WA? Visit
margaretriver.com.
marieclaire.com.au 177