Housing Types / Options for Living and Traveling in SE Asia

Housing
By Gems Of Travel
Bookmark:
In This Post

Different countries will have different styles for housing.  Be aware of what you are booking/renting and set expectations accordingly.

When traveling, nomading, or living in a Southeast Asian country; you may have specific needs like (1) quiet, (2) privacy, (3) lots of space, (4) cheap, (5) social, and (6) fun amenities.

Woah that sure is a list of requirements! Most likely, you’ll need to prioritize, and getting to know the different types of accommodation (especially in SE Asia) will help you understand the housing situation you’re signing up for.

See the below post for extra info on renting in Southeast Asia.

Accommodation Options – A Quick List

Use these terms to search for accommodation in Southeast Asia.

Airbnb applies to all of the below.

Note

🔸 See below for “Accommodation Types In Detail” with pictures.

Short-term Stays:  (Traveling, Nomading)

Social & Shared Spaces

– Hostel
– Dorm

Private Room

– Hostels (Hostels have private rooms and dorms, both)
– Hotel
– Resort
– Mansion, Baan (in Thailand only)
– Nha Nghi, Kach San ( in Vietnam only)

– Holiday home
– Villa

Private Room – the setup is not fully private

– Homestay
– Guesthouse

Medium-term Stays:  (Nomading)

Social & Shared Spaces

– Hostel
– Dorm

Private Room

– Hostels (Hostels have private rooms and dorms, both)

Note

*DISCLAIMER:  Private rooms in hostels will be expensive on a monthly basis compared to other options*

– Hotel
– Serviced Apartment
– Condo
– Mansion, Baan (in Thailand only)
– Nha Nghi, Kach San ( in Vietnam only)

Private Room – the setup is not fully private

– Homestay
– Guesthouse

Long-term Stays:  (Nomading, Expat, Retiree)

Private Room

– Hotel
– Serviced Apartment
– Condo
– Mansion, Baan (in Thailand only)
– Nha Nghi, Kach San ( in Vietnam only)

Private Room – the setup is not fully private

– Homestay
– Guesthouse

Tip

After checking out, ask the hotel/hostel staff about storing luggage.

Many hotels/hostels will have an area where you can store luggage for several days, or even a couple of weeks! No need to have a reservation during those days!

This is great if you will be doing some adventuring and returning. We’ve used spare hostel lockers or storage rooms for weeks. Be sure to use your own lock on the locker and/or lock + tether you bag within the storage room so no-one can easily walk-off with it.

Accommodation Types In Detail

Airbnb

Most know what Airbnb is. However, Airbnb prices are very inflated compared to the normal local market.

Much better deals can be found by walking around and searching for a long-term accommodation, manually.

Airbnb’s lowest allowable price is $150 which set the bar very high for Southeast Asia. Yes, your read that correctly. Because of this, decent monthly rentals with the monthly discount included will cost $250-$300 instead of their fair value of $125 (including electric, moderate AC use, and all other utilities).

Also note that stays under 30 days are, technically, illegal in Thailand.

Warning

Thailand: Do not expect the Thai Airbnb host to register you with the local police/immigration. This will be an issue if you extend your visa, because you will not have a TM30 on file, which is required.

Hostel / Dorm

Hostel Dorm Rooms are a very popular and cheaper way to travel, but not nomad. Great for bouncing from one city/country to the next, meeting fellow backpackers, or a place just to store your luggage while adventuring.

A private bed contain within it's own walled pod in a dorm room at a hostel in Southeast Asia. The pod is the exact width of a twin mattress. It's entrance has a curtain. Inside is a mattress, pillow, sheets, and a fold-out table that is built into the wall.
Guests socializing in a hostel common area in Bali, Indonesia. Some are sitting around drinking Bintang beer.

You pay for a single bunk bed in a shared room with 4/6/8/12 or more beds inside. Showers and bathrooms are also shared. Amenities such as a swimming pool, billiards table, and onsite restaurant & bar make life feel like a real vacation.

Warning

Use the lockers and bring your own lock to use.  Take security seriously for your personal belonging – things get lost and stolen in hostels dorm rooms.

Hotel

Self explanatory. There are several variants of a hotel, as mentioned below.

A furnished hotel room in Southeast Asia without a kitchen. The image shows a split-duct airconditioning unit, bathroom entrance, a queen-sized bed with all sheets, a window with draperies, a table, refrigerator, television, nightstand, and trashcan. The tenant has belongins laying on the bed, nightstand, and floor.
The wardrobe storage area that is building into the wall near the door entrance. This is within a furnished hotel room in Southeast Asia without a kitchen.
The bathroom of a furnished hotel room in Southeast Asia without a kitchen. It has a partial divider between the shower and toilet & sink area. A "wet bathroom" is the most common style in Southeast Asia in which there is no divider between the shower and sink & toilet. The flooring is tile, and water from the shower can splash anywhere within the bathroom.

Homestay / Guest House

There seems to be no adhered to definition in Southeast Asia for naming the accommodation as a “homestay” or “guesthouse”.

A furnished studio room rented monthly in Southeast Asia. The image is at the entrance of the room getting a view of the left-hand side of the room that has a small refrigerator, a small television, a small table and a chair. On the back-side wall, there is a window near the chair, and large windows with curtains and a glass door opening to a balcony. Not shown is the split-duct airconditioning unit.
A furnished studio room rented monthly in Southeast Asia. The image is at the entrance of the room with the bathroom the the right, a queen-sized bed with all sheets, windows with curtains and a glass door opening to a balcony, another window to the left, and a small table with a chair. Not shown is the split-duct airconditioning unit.
A furnished studio room rented monthly in Southeast Asia. The image shows the back side wall of the room. A window to the left, and to the right are large windows with curtains and a glass door opening to a balcony. The tenant has a setup in the middle of the room with a laptop on the small table, and a chair pulled up next to it facing outside, looking out the large windows.
A modern concrete three story home in Southeast Asia. The ground floor has a gate and a small area for parking. The front door is not far from the street. There is also a rooftop with some plants.
Areas to hangout at a guesthouse in Southeast Asia. The area is open-air with a roof covering. There are chairs and tables with some outdoor space for relaxing.

They range from a private room in a local’s house with bathrooms being shared or private to locally-owned & managed hotels.

They can be basic, or provide an intimate, comfortable, vibe along with unique layout and charismatic host, personally greeting you and supplying you with tips & recommendations.

These tend to be ‘one-offs’, where no two properties are exactly the same. You are likely to find a gem that made your stay memorable.

The possible CONs are that some are less private than you may preferred – (1) smaller buildings, (2) a single place where everyone puts their shoes, (3) shared kitchen and lounge space, (4) possibly shared bathrooms, and (5) frequently passing by the front reception. Overall, this gives the feeling that everyone knows where you are, and what you’re doing – no privacy!

Fun Fact

In Thailand:     “Baan” is another word for “hotel” / homestay / guesthouse.  “Baan” is a Thai word directly translated as “home”.

Mansions (in Thailand only)

Don’t let the name “mansion” confuse you – it is not a giant house for 1 person.

“Mansions” are local hotels that are also apartments, too. So, they provide short-term daily stays, and long-term rentals.

Typical options at a Mansion are “AC rooms” and “fan rooms”. Fan rooms are cheaper due to only have an air fan and no AC unit in the room.

Also, some Mansions have remodeled rooms or larger ones that act as apartments, while the daily rooms can also be rented as monthly (long-term) stays.

Outside the big city, you will often not find many foreigners staying here. But, in Bangkok foreigners like them due to being able to rent them month-to-month (1 to 3 months at a time).

Tip

Check these out first if renting in Thailand! Mansions in Thailand are a perfect place to start if you rent for 1 month or longer. 

-> rent them month-to-month
->no contract required.

Nha Nghi / Kach San (in Vietnam only)

These are Vietnamese words that you will see on building signs implying that they are local-style hotels.

Note

Upon walk-in, these hotels can be booked for hourly rates of 1-2 hours.  They have hourly rates, because private space is less common in Vietnam.  Couples will spend personal alone time together at these hotels.

Recommendation:  Do feel free to see the room and checkout the place before committing to booking or renting monthly here.  You cannot judge the book by it’s cover – some of these places have very nice rooms.  But, you will often times be dealing with local staff and a language barrier as these places target local customers.

Serviced Apartment

“Serviced” means housing that comes with everything. Here you can expect (1) a completely furnished apartment and kitchen; (2) room cleaning & bed sheet changes a couple of times a week; (3) staff will do your laundry; (4) amenities such as a gym, swimming pool, rooftop, and lounge spaces; and (5) on-site food & drink available.

A for rent sign for a serviced apartment in Cambodia. The pricing at this building starts at four hundred US dollars per month. On the sign, there are pictures of the room, kitchen, gym, sauna, and pool. This is a fully furnished rental.
A for rent sign for a serviced apartment in Vietnam. The sign includes a phone number an address.
A fully furnished hotel room in Southeast Asia. The image shows a queen-sized bed with all sheets, a small table, split-duct airconditioning unit, and the bathroom door in the background. Decoration includes a 3 foot tall plant, an abstract picture in frame, and recessed lighting behind the bed.
The kitchen area of a fully furnished hotel room in Southeast Asia. The image shows a toaster microwave, refrigerator, hot water kettle, stove and ventilation, and storage drawers with utensiles and pots & pans inside.
The bathroom of a fully furnished hotel room in Southeast Asia. The image shows a "wet bathroom", which is the style in Southeast Asia in which there is no divider between the shower and sink & toilet. The flooring is tile, and water from the shower can splash anywhere within the bathroom.
A furnished one bedroom apartment that is rented monthly in Southeast Asia. This image is of the family room eqiupped with a small leather couch, small coffee table, and a window along the wall to the side. In front of the window is a desk with a chair with a laptop and coffee mug on it. A split-duct airconditioning unit above the window. The floor is tile, which is very common in Southeast Asia.
An image showing a television on an entertainment center located in the family room of a furnished one bedroom apartment that is rented monthly in Southeast Asia. The floor is tile, which is very common in Southeast Asia.
An image showing part of the kitchen in a furnished one bedroom apartment that is rented monthly in Southeast Asia. The kitchen is it's own, separate, room. In this kitchen area few things furnished by the apartment complex including a water boiling kettle, cups, a tray, and a hair dryer.
Viewing a sunset from a rooftop infinity swimming pool in Southeast Asia. High rises can be seen between the pool and the sunset, since this takes place in a large, densely populated, city in Southeast Asia.
An image showing rooms on two floors of amenities at an apartment complex. The top floor is a gym, and the bottom floor is a room for office, business, and study-related activities with tables (two small and one large conference table), chairs, and small cubicles (four). Both rooms have glass walls at the entrance, so it is easy to see what is inside.
A small cubicle providing private space to work at. Located in a room for office, business, and study-related activities with tables, chairs, and small cubicles. This image show a laptop on a small round desk surrounded by five feet tall walls for privacy. It also has a bench seat built into the wall structure. The edge of a conference table with roller chairs can be seen just beyond the cubicle.
A table and chair to work at with a laptop. Plants and small trees surround the table, and provide shade. It is located on a rooftop of an apartment in Southeast Asia.
Three chairs inside a apartment rooftop swimming pool in Southeast Asia. The pool faces a view with no buildings in it's way. In the background are a few high rise buildings and tree tops of trees below.
An apartment rooftop swimming pool in Southeast Asia. High rises can be seen to the side of the pool. The pool faces a view with no buildings in it's way.

Condo

These are very similar to serviced apartments, but they are owned by individuals.

The owners choose to live in them, or rent them out to longer-term renters.

An image taken in a park at a Vin Home complex in Saigon (aka Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam. The park is surrounded by condo high rises. There is a group of three females sitting on a mat in the park. Nearby them is a palm tree. The park is well maintained.

Airbnb is not welcomed in these buildings, since residents do not appreciate strangers coming in & out of the apartment next door to them. Whether Airbnb is allowed or not is up to the condo management’s policy and/or the governing country’s laws. Signs saying “No Airbnb allowed here” are frequently posted in the lobbies of these buildings.

House

There are plenty of houses on the market to rent, but usually for a minimum length of 6 months to 1 year.

A small modern house in Southeast Asia, representative of a common home building style. It is made of concrete, has a covered front porch, and a gravel driveway.
A traditional wooden house in Southeast Asia. The home is a stilt house, meaning it is elevated off of the ground. However, the bottom section, which traditionally is just for storage, has been converted to a living space. The bottom has had walls constructed using brick and concrete. A front door was also added to the bottom converted half. The gravel makes up the entire driveway and front lawn area.
A modern concrete four story home in Southeast Asia with a small grass lawn and various plants. This home is located on a small corner lot. The second and third floors each have a balcony with doors and windows. The fourth floor is half inside, and half a rooftop without covering for rain and sunlight.

Sizes range from 1 bedroom or more with single to multiple floors. They may or may not be furnished, just depends. Privacy is best here, in a home.

And, prices are very competitive. For the same price you can get a much bigger and nicer house than you can for a similarly priced apartment.

Villa

Our definition of a villa, is a fancier and more expensive house. We think of the word “architecture” when we think of a villa – a place that is a piece of art that you live in.

Holiday Home

This is a fun concept – a house that is rented out by the day, usually for larger gatherings of family and/or friends.

Explore Topics