Affiliate Disclosure

The short version: some links on this site earn me a commission. It never costs you extra, and it never decides what I recommend.

The Travel Manual participates in affiliate programs operated by Agoda and Klook (and may join similar programs in the future). When you book a hotel, tour, or ticket through one of these links, I earn a small commission from the platform — at no additional cost to you. The price you pay is identical to booking directly.

This disclosure follows the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s guidelines on endorsements (16 CFR Part 255), and plain honesty.

How this actually works here

• I only link to places I’ve been. Every hotel in an affiliate link is one I paid for and slept in; every activity is one I actually did. If a stay was disappointing, the review says so — affiliate link or not.
• Commissions don’t set the verdict. You’ll find guides on this site that tell you to skip a bookable attraction entirely. The recommendation comes first; the link is attached afterward if a booking platform happens to carry the place.
• Posts are labeled. Any guide containing affiliate links carries a Transparency Note near the top of the article.
• No sponsored placements disguised as reviews. If content is ever sponsored or hosted, it is labeled as such explicitly. As of the last update of this page, hotels and experiences reviewed on this site were paid for out of my own pocket.

What the commissions fund is simple: fuel (well — electricity), ferry tickets, museum admissions, and the next 60,000 kilometers of field research.

Questions about this policy? Reach me via the Contact page.