April 27, 2023 | View Online | Sign Up
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Tokyo. Bangkok. Seoul. Beijing. Ho Chi Minh. Iconic cities on an undeniably breathtaking continent. The downside? Theyâre swarming with tourists.
Second cities solve that problem. Overlooked by the millions honing in on the big names, these wonderful destinations rival their neighbors in culture, food, and history but offer a more authentic atmosphere untainted by overwhelming expectations.
Give the big boys a wide berth on your next trip east and head for a second city. To help, weâve found an excellent hotel in each locale.
In this weekâs newsletter:
The coolest new music-centered stay service
Stunning hotels in Asiaâs second citiesÂ
Airbnbâs most wish-listed eco-stays
Cheers,
Steven
P.S. Flights to Asia can be expensive. Take some strain off your wallet and pounce on a DFC Lifetime Membership for 93% off. A one-time payment of $119 (usually $1690) can save you up to $2,000 on all flights for the rest of your life. The deal ends at midnight, so you gotta move fast.
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| HOTEL NEWS
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The travel experience company changing music festivals
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Music festivals are amazing. Working out the details of your accommodation, food, and how to get there is a bit more chaotic. Thankfully, thereâs a new company hoping to transform the way we experience music by offering curated experiences at some of the worldâs best music festivals.
Instead of booking an individual ticket and working out the details, Vibee builds fully immersive packages, including hotel stays, VIP events, and fully organized transport to and from the festival.
The experiences vary depending on the festival, so itâs best to look through their available choices and find an event youâre hoping to attend.
As an example, for Day Trip Festival in Long Beach, Vibee offers a VIP package including:
A 3-night stay on the Queen Mary
VIP access to the festival, including expedited entry, VIP lounge access, VIP water stations, and more
Access to festival afterparties and private parties on the Queen Mary
Private raised viewing decks over the High Tide Stage
Free drinks, including two fishbowls per room per day
$100 F&B credit
DJ meet and greets
Prices vary heavily depending on the festival and the level of package selected. It could be a game changer for a music fan looking for a hassle-free but brilliant experience.
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| LUXURY AT HOME
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Discover the sheets featured in 100+ Airbnb properties
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Want to indulge in luxurious comfort and exceptional softness? Discover the product over 100+ Airbnb hosts are choosing to elevate their guests' stays.Â
Made from viscose from bamboo, Cozy Earth sheets will make life at home feel as good as a vacation. Their breathable and temperature-regulating fabric helps you stay cool all night long, getting softer and softer after each wash.Â
No matter where your travels take you, you deserve to sleep in the utmost comfort.Â
Upgrade your sheets and get 40% off with discount code ROOMSERVICE40.
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| THIS WEEK'S PICKS: ASIA'S SECOND CITIES
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Asia's best cities...just not the ones you're thinking of
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Weâve talked European second cities; now itâs Asiaâs turn.
The continent is a traveler's dream. For us in the West, it represents a staggering cultural shift. From the neon-tinged excitement of Japan through the ancient aura of China, down to the sun-soaked buzz of Southeast Asia, adventure is never far away.
To take a step away from the tourist trail, we recommend spending some time in the continentâs lesser-known destinations. From mind-boggling mega cities to rural retreats, these are the best hotels in Asiaâs second cities.
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| AIRBNB
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Image: Airbnb
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Airbnbâs most wish-listed Earth Homes
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Itâs Thursday, so Iâll understand if your work-ravaged brain canât stretch back, but last weekend was Earth Day. We shared some of the best eco-hotels on the planet to celebrate, and Airbnb copied us. Obviously.
The home-sharing platform introduced a drastically expanded category selection last year, one of them being âEarth Homes.â To acknowledge Earth Day, the company shared its most wish-listed properties from that category. Here are some of the highlights.
Coming out on top, these earth domes in the Costa Rican jungle are an excellent way to get in touch with nature. Striking in appearance, but nestled about the trees and designed for a full nature reset, you canât get much better than this. Plus, 25% of all profits go to a mangrove conservation charity.
More on the spectacular side, this New Mexico earthship is an eco-warrior. Heated and fueled by solar energy and providing water using filtered rain, you can relax in peace, knowing your stay isnât harming the environment.
While we associate hobbits more with New Zealand, that hasnât stopped hobbit holes popping up across the world. In fact, four hobbit-style stays appear in the top ten, including this quaint effort in Colombia. Set on a glamping site, the houses have no electricity, use ecological baths and solar showers, a natural pool without chemicals, and an organic vegetable garden
to operate.
Once again, sustainability isnât a trend, and we at DFC always recommend using environmentally responsible hotels wherever possible.Â
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| WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING
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