If you're like me whose travel plans have all been cancelled due to 2020, hopefully this post will motivate you to pack your bags and aim for somewhere closer. As we all adapt to the new normal, local getaway maybe the best chance that we have at unplugging and restoring our work-life balance. If you live in the Bay Area, coastal escape or a retreat in the redwoods is often accessible within an hour drive away! With that said, planning a vacation with social distancing in mind is still the most important. That's why I prefer to stay at a rental house where there's little to none human interaction.

Over the past weeks, most of my tabs on Chrome have been dominated by Airbnb listings and my wish-list for Bay Area staycation has grown from a sad list of 3 to now 20! Being someone who's still paranoid about traveling due to Covid, I always make sure to pick listings that follow Airbnb's enhanced cleaning protocol, which according to their website is "a rigorous set of cleaning standards developed by Airbnb with leading health and hospitality experts for the times of COVID-19 and beyond."

If this is your first time booking Airbnb, use this link to get $65 off of your first trip!

Here's my top 10 Airbnbs in and around the Bay Area that's perfect for a quick getaway especially during Covid time!

Ukiah Hilltop Retreat in Award-winning House | Ukiah, CA

4 guests · 2 bedrooms · 4 beds · 2 baths
Distance from SF: 2+ hours
Price: $240/night

I've had the experience of staying at this hidden gem last year and I can definitely attest that it's one of THE BEST Airbnb stays you'll find in the Bay Area! More about this Airbnb will come at a later post (hopefully!). 

Award-winning ocean view luxury master suite | Tiburon, CA

2 guests · 1 bedroom · 1 bed · 1 bath
Distance from SF: 30mins
Price: $485/night

Unique Sculptured House with Private Beach Access | La Selva Beach, CA

2 guests · 1 bedroom · 1 bed · 1 bath
Distance from SF: 1.5 hours
Price: $521/night

The Cobb Haus | Cobb, CA

2 guests · 1 bedroom · 1 bed · 1 bath
Distance from SF: 2+ hours
Price: $118/night

Oceanfront cottage w/deck, stunning 180-degree views & 7.5 acres | Elk, CA

4 guests · 2 bedrooms · 3 beds · 1 bath
Distance from SF: 3 hours
Price: $283/night

Gorgeously styled bungalow overlooking Bodega Harbor | Bodega Bay, CA

4 guests · 2 bedrooms · 2 beds · 2 baths
Distance from SF: 1.5 hours
Price: $206/night

Nestled in Nature | Forestville, CA

4 guests · 2 bedrooms · 3 beds · 1 bath
Distance from SF: 1.5 hours
Price: $298/night

Casa Azul - Midcentury Chalet in Blue Lake Springs | Arnold, CA

6 guests · 3 bedrooms · 3 beds · 2 baths
Distance from SF: 2.5 hours
Price: $157/night

Adorable A-Frame in Blue Lake Springs | Arnold, CA

4 guests · 1 bedroom · 2 beds · 1 bath
Distance from SF: 2.5 hours
Price: $142/night

Enchanting Garden Getaway, Inverness Seaside Village

2 guests · 1 bedroom · 1 bed · 1 bath
Distance from SF: 1+ hour
Price: $261/night

Luxurious architectural gem w/ ocean & golf views | Sea Ranch, CA

6 guests · 3 bedrooms · 3 beds · 2 baths
Distance from SF: 2.5 hours
Price: $429/night

Peaceful Treehouse with Ocean View | Aptos, CA

6 guests · 3 bedrooms · 3 beds · 1 bath
Distance from SF: 1.5 hours
Price: $765/night

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I’ve been to L.A many times mostly for Disney park visits in Anaheim but didn’t get to explore the city as much. So on President’s Day weekend, I booked a flight to L.A for a three-days getaway and did a little sightseeing. Some highlights, if you’d like to see..

Staycation is my favorite kind of vacation because it requires little effort of getting there so our actual vacation time is maximized.

After years of living in the Bay Area, my go-to staycation destination have always been either up North (Napa area) or down South (Carmel area). When a coworker told me that there’s a great hotel only 40mins away from my house, I had to check it out. Here are some photos from my weekend stay at Rosewood Cordevalle, if you’d like to see..


Photos don’t do the lobby justice. It’s so much nicer in person.






The room that we stayed at was nearly as big as my apartment and offered incredible views. It has a fireplace, a butlers bar in the entry and ample room in the closet.





The bathroom has one big tub next to the window, a small vanity area and double sinks. I could live in this bathroom!




The bedroom’s patio doors open up to terraces with lawn chairs that are perfect for getting some sun and enjoying breakfast and coffee in the morning.






Rosewood Cordevalle is a great staycation spot if you’re looking for a quiet oasis away from the buzzing Silicon Valley.

As part of my Japan series, I will be showing highlights from my past trip to Japan with my family over the period of two weeks at the end of 2018. We visited Hokkaido, Kyoto and Tokyo. You can find highlights of Hokkaido and Kyoto on my previous posts.


It’s so hard to unpack Tokyo even after just being there for a short three days so I’m going to highlight some of my favorite moments from Tokyo..

Shibuya crossings - a perfect mess
At first glance, everything seemed to be in complete chaos but to my surprise, people were moving in perfect synchronization. Shibuya Crossings was to me the exact representation of what Tokyo is, so freakin hectic and chaotic but yet things just work perfectly.



We were overwhelmed with the amount of food options that Tokyo had to offer so we just randomly walked into an Okonomiyaki place on our first day. It’s really hard to have a bad meal in Japan!



Had to visit Disney Store in Japan because all their items are way cuter than the US ones. Also, they have an obsession over Duffy and they kawaiiiii.


One afternoon, after all of us were done with our shopping, we hung out at Cafe Comme Ca for an afternoon snack. I still remember how good this fruit tart tastes till this date.



Saw the crowd at Takeshita Street (Harajuku) and turned away
After we got to Harajuku, all of us were shocked by the amount of crowd we saw at Takeshita Street. We hesitated for a while but I knew from the look of everyone’s faces, none of us really wanted to go in. So we quickly took some photos of the sign and walked to Omotesando area instead.




How cool is this ceiling design at Tokyu Plaza?


I was fascinated by all the storefronts design in Tokyo so I took plenty of photos.







Had tea while surrounded by the prettiest flowers
A friend recommended Aoyama Flower Market so we came in early one day and managed to get a table when they opened. From the decor to the food presentation, everything about this place just screams ‘Instagrammable’.





Such a great business idea for florist? Somebody should start one in the Bay Area!






Strolling in and around Omotesando
On our last day, we went back to Omotesando and spent the entire afternoon there. Is this where all the cool people shop in Tokyo?




We also stopped by a couple of coffee spots in the area and my favorite was Café Kitsuné.




Our trip to Tokyo, though short, was a memorable one for all of us and we will definitely be back for a longer stay next time!


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As part of my Japan Series, I will be sharing some highlights from our brief 3-days trip to Kyoto last year.. if you’d like to see.