Don & Diana’s Favorites
After years of exploring the globe together, we’ve personally tested and vetted these travel tools and platforms. These are the exact resources we rely on for every trip — and we’re excited to share them with you!
🌍 Welcome to Don & Diana’s Favorites
If you’ve been following Don & Diana’s Travels for a while, you know we don’t recommend anything we wouldn’t use ourselves. This page is our curated collection of the best travel tools, booking platforms, and services that have made our adventures smoother, smarter, and more memorable.
Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway or a months-long international journey, these platforms cover everything — hotels, tours, transportation, travel insurance, and staying connected on the road. We’ve broken down what each one does and why we love it, so you can make the best choice for your next trip.
📌 Check back often! We regularly add new resources and update our recommendations as we discover new travel gems. The world of travel is always evolving, and so is this page.
Don & Diana’s Trusted Travel Partners
Viator is hands-down our favorite platform for finding incredible things to do at every destination we visit. With over 300,000 experiences available across the globe — from skip-the-line museum tickets and private city tours to cooking classes, sunset cruises, helicopter rides, and day trips — Viator truly has something for every type of traveler.
What sets Viator apart is the depth of real traveler reviews and the ease of comparing options side by side. You can browse by destination, category, price, and duration, then book with confidence knowing you’re working with vetted local operators. Whether you’re a first-timer in Paris or a seasoned explorer in Southeast Asia, Viator helps you experience every destination like a true insider. It’s one of the very first sites we visit when planning any trip.
🌐 Explore ViatorHotels.com is one of the world’s leading accommodation booking platforms, offering an enormous selection of properties ranging from budget-friendly hostels to five-star luxury resorts. With over a million properties in more than 200 countries and territories, you’re almost guaranteed to find the perfect place to stay — no matter your destination or travel style.
We love Hotels.com for its intuitive search filters, transparent pricing, and the One Key rewards program, which lets you earn and redeem across Hotels.com, Expedia, and Vrbo. Their “book now, pay later” flexibility is a bonus too, making it easy to lock in great rates without committing your credit card immediately.
🏨 Browse Hotels.comBooking.com is one of the most comprehensive travel booking platforms on the planet, with listings for hotels, apartments, villas, hostels, guesthouses, and everything in between. With millions of properties available worldwide and a massive inventory of free cancellation options, Booking.com gives you incredible flexibility and peace of mind.
We frequently use Booking.com for international trips because of its currency flexibility, multilingual support, and detailed guest reviews. The Genius loyalty program unlocks discounts and perks at select properties — a nice bonus for frequent travelers. Whether you’re planning months in advance or booking a last-minute room, Booking.com is always worth a look.
🛎️ Visit Booking.comTripadvisor is the world’s largest travel platform and the first place we check when researching any destination. With hundreds of millions of honest traveler reviews covering hotels, restaurants, attractions, and local experiences, Tripadvisor gives you the real story before you ever arrive. It’s an indispensable resource for planning — and even more valuable once you’re on the ground.
Beyond reviews, Tripadvisor also lets you book hotels, restaurants, and tours directly through the platform. We love using their restaurant finder to discover hidden local gems wherever we travel. The Tripadvisor Plus membership can also unlock additional savings on hotels and experiences. If research is your travel superpower, this is your HQ.
⭐ Explore TripadvisorTravel insurance is something no traveler should leave home without — and VisitorsCoverage is one of the best places to find it. VisitorsCoverage is a leading online marketplace that helps travelers compare and purchase travel health insurance and visitor insurance plans from a wide range of trusted providers. Whether you need coverage for a weekend domestic trip or a multi-month international adventure, they have plans to fit your needs and budget.
What we appreciate most is how easy VisitorsCoverage makes comparing policy details side by side — deductibles, coverage limits, pre-existing condition exclusions, and more — all in plain language. In all of our travels, having proper travel insurance has saved us more than once. Don’t let medical bills or trip cancellations ruin your adventure. Get covered before you go.
🛡️ Get Travel Insurance12GO is the go-to platform for booking trains, buses, ferries, flights, and private transfers across Asia and select destinations beyond. If you’ve ever tried to navigate transportation in countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Indonesia, or India, you know how complex it can get. 12GO takes all that complexity and puts it into one easy-to-use search engine.
We’ve personally used 12GO to book overnight sleeper trains in Southeast Asia, cross-country buses, and island-hopping ferries — all without the frustration of figuring out local booking systems. The platform shows real-time availability, prices across operators, and user reviews for each service. If Asia is on your travel radar, 12GO belongs in your planning toolkit.
🚆 Book with 12GOStaying connected while traveling internationally used to mean paying sky-high roaming fees or scrambling for a local SIM card at every new destination. Yesim changes all of that with their global eSIM service — a virtual SIM card that works in over 150 countries and lets you get mobile data the moment you land, without swapping physical SIM cards.
The Yesim app makes setup incredibly simple. Just download the app, purchase a data plan for your destination, and activate it — no hunting for a phone shop, no language barriers, no roaming shock. We’ve found Yesim to be a game-changer for staying connected for navigation, messaging, and sharing those travel photos in real time. A must-have for any modern traveler with an eSIM-compatible device.
📱 Try Yesim eSIMStart with the “Why” Before the “Where”
Before you book anything, get crystal clear on what kind of trip you actually want. Are you craving rest and relaxation, cultural immersion, outdoor adventure, or a foodie expedition? Knowing your travel purpose helps you choose the right destination, accommodation type, and pace — and prevents that common traveler’s regret of booking a packed itinerary when you really needed a beach hammock. Purpose-driven trips are almost always the most satisfying.
Book Accommodations and Major Experiences Early
The best hotels, tours, and experiences in popular destinations fill up fast — especially during peak seasons, holidays, and major local events. Once you’ve settled on your dates and destination, lock in your accommodations and any must-do tours or activities as early as possible. Use platforms like Booking.com or Hotels.com for free-cancellation options so you can still adjust if your plans change. Early bird really does get the best rooms.
Compare Prices Across Multiple Platforms
No single booking platform has the best price on every property or experience. Spend a few minutes comparing the same hotel or tour across Hotels.com, Booking.com, Tripadvisor, and the property’s own website. You’d be surprised how much prices can vary for the identical room or experience. Also check if booking directly with the hotel offers any perks — like free breakfast, room upgrades, or flexible check-in — that third-party platforms don’t include.
Never Skip Travel Insurance
We say this from personal experience: travel insurance has saved us thousands of dollars and enormous headaches over the years. Medical emergencies abroad can be devastating without coverage, and trip cancellations due to illness, weather, or family emergencies happen more often than anyone expects. Use a service like VisitorsCoverage to compare plans and find one that covers your specific trip type, destination, and needs. The cost of a good policy is almost always worth every penny.
Plan Connectivity Before You Leave Home
Nothing derails a trip faster than arriving in a new country and having no way to pull up your hotel address, navigate public transport, or message your family. Set up your international data solution before you fly — whether that’s an eSIM through Yesim, an international plan with your carrier, or a local SIM card strategy. Staying connected also means you can take advantage of last-minute deals, check reviews on the fly, and share your adventures in real time without the roaming bill surprise at the end of the month.
📋 Important Disclaimer
Full Disclaimer & Liability Release
General Information Only: The information provided on this page and throughout DonAndDianasTravels.com is intended for general informational and entertainment purposes only. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, we make no representations or warranties of any kind — express or implied — about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or availability of any information, products, services, or related graphics referenced on this page.
Affiliate Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. Don & Diana’s Travels participates in affiliate marketing programs, which means we may earn a commission when you click through our links and make a purchase or booking. This comes at no additional cost to you. We only recommend products and services we genuinely believe in and have researched; however, the inclusion of any affiliate link does not constitute an endorsement of specific products or outcomes.
Third-Party Services: The platforms featured on this page — including but not limited to Viator, Hotels.com, Booking.com, Tripadvisor, VisitorsCoverage, 12GO, and Yesim — are independent third-party companies. Don & Diana’s Travels has no control over the operation, policies, pricing, availability, or quality of any of these services. We are not responsible for any errors, omissions, interruptions, delays, defects, or any other issues arising from the use of these third-party platforms.
No Guarantee of Results: Travel experiences are highly personal and subjective. Our recommendations reflect our own opinions and experiences, and results may vary significantly from traveler to traveler based on destination, timing, personal preferences, and individual circumstances. Don & Diana’s Travels makes no guarantee that any recommended product, service, or platform will meet your expectations or produce any particular outcome.
Travel Insurance: The mention of VisitorsCoverage or any insurance-related service on this page does not constitute professional insurance advice. We strongly encourage all travelers to carefully read the full terms, conditions, exclusions, and coverage limits of any insurance policy before purchasing. We are not licensed insurance agents or advisors.
Limitation of Liability: To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Don & Diana’s Travels, its owners, operators, contributors, and affiliates shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or exemplary damages arising out of or in connection with your use of this page, any linked third-party services, or any travel experiences booked through our recommendations. This includes but is not limited to: loss of money, loss of data, personal injury, property damage, travel disruptions, or any other losses or damages of any nature.
Prices and Availability: All prices, availability, and program details referenced or implied on this page are subject to change without notice. We do not guarantee that any price, deal, or promotional offer mentioned will be available at the time of your booking. Always verify current pricing and availability directly with the respective service provider.
Your Responsibility: By using the information and links on this page, you acknowledge that you are doing so at your own risk and that you are solely responsible for your travel decisions, bookings, and experiences. Don & Diana’s Travels encourages all travelers to conduct their own research, read all terms and conditions, and exercise personal judgment when making travel arrangements.
Updates to This Page: We reserve the right to update, modify, or remove any content, links, or recommendations on this page at any time without prior notice. The presence of a link or recommendation does not imply a permanent endorsement.
If you have any questions about our recommendations or affiliate partnerships, please feel free to contact us through DonAndDianasTravels.com. Thank you for trusting us with your travel planning — we genuinely appreciate your support and hope these resources help make your next adventure truly unforgettable.