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Review : Airbnb rental in Phalaborwa – South Africa

Review : Airbnb rental in Phalaborwa – South Africa

Note9.4/10

Hotel
Airbnb Phalaborwa
Country
South Africa
City
Phalaborwa
Room Type
Home
Points Per Night
17,500 Scotia Rewards points
Hotel brand
Home rental
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Our Airbnb rental in Phalaborwa, South Africa

Booking

In the Phalaborwa area, there are no properties accessible with hotel points. So we headed to the Airbnb platform to find a three nights rental.

Generally, when I make a reservation on Airbnb, I am first interested in « Superhosts, » i.e. trusted hosts who have received excellent feedback from other travellers.

Here, Desiree is one of the « Superhosts » of Phalaborwa, and so it is with all confidence that I rented her accommodation: Delightful cottage 4km from Kruger National Park.

Her accommodation was perfectly suited to our needs with five beds: travelling as a couple, with our two children and accompanied by my mother from France. In the photos, the accommodation looked very charming; and it was even better in reality!

Knowing that it’s possible to apply travel points to an Airbnb rental, our $530 CA$ rental will be paid in full this way!

For this one, we used approximately 53,000 Scotia Rewards points obtained with the Scotiabank American Express® Card Gold.

Sponsored
Annual fee
$120
Our valuation
$500
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$500Total$500Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
Up to 50,000 points
Ends Nov 1, 2026
Apply Now

on Scotiabank's website

The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card offers an excellent welcome bonus.

Until November 1, 2026, you can earn up to 50,000 bonus Scene+ points, broken down as follows:

  • 30,000 Scene+ points by charging $2,000 in purchases to the card within the first 3 months
  • 20,000 Scene+ points by making $7,500 in purchases on the card in the first year

This represents a value of up to $500 for travel (including Airbnb).

With the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card, you earn 6 points per dollar spent at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, Voilà by Sobeys, Voilà par IGA, Voilà by Safeway, Chalo! grocery stores. FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, IGA West, Les Marchés Tradition, Rachelle Béry and Co-Op.

Also, you earn 5 points per dollar for:

  • Grocery stores
  • Restaurants
  • Entertainment centers

And 3 points per dollar on gas, transit and streaming services purchases.

You can redeem your points on travel purchases (flights, hotels, all-inclusive and even Airbnb). You can also use your points as cash back rewards with Scene+.

The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card also offers no foreign transaction fees, excellent insurance for your travel or purchases, concierge service, exclusive American Express benefits like the Front of the Line program.

Annual fee

Primary card$120
Additional card$29

Annual income required

Individual$12,000
Household$12,000

Conversion fees

0%

Earning rate

  • 6xWith the partner brand
  • 5xGroceries
  • 5xEntertainment
  • 5xRestaurants
  • 3xStreaming
  • 3xTransit
  • 3xGas & EV
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,460
2nd Year Value$461

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days
Travel medical (65+)Up to $1,000,000 / 3 days
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $1,500
Delayed BaggageUp to $1,000
Lost BaggageUp to $1,000
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $1,000
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 1 years
Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $65,000 / 48 days

The arrival

Desiree greeted us for our arrival. The communication was perfect through the Airbnb app – then later through Whatsapp – and she even allowed us to arrive at 11 am.

Review : Airbnb rental in Phalaborwa - South Africa - 06

The Airbnb rental is a house adjacent to her property.

Review : Airbnb rental in Phalaborwa - South Africa - 02

We had our secure parking space as well as our private entrance through a charming tree-covered path.

Review : Airbnb rental in Phalaborwa - South Africa - 07

Inside the accommodation, everything looks new! The kitchen is fully equipped with all appliances (as well as a washing machine/dryer).

Review : Airbnb rental in Phalaborwa - South Africa - 08
Review : Airbnb rental in Phalaborwa - South Africa - 09

Two sofas-beds are in the living room as well as another single bed. The air conditioning is present throughout the house (but we didn’t use it).

Review : Airbnb rental in Phalaborwa - South Africa - 12
Review : Airbnb rental in Phalaborwa - South Africa - 15

A bathroom with a shower and toilet is adjacent.

Review : Airbnb rental in Phalaborwa - South Africa - 16

Also, there is a closed room with a very comfortable double bed, with its bathroom with a bathtub and toilet.

Review : Airbnb rental in Phalaborwa - South Africa - 14
Review : Airbnb rental in Phalaborwa - South Africa - 17

Desiree had taken care to provide many hygiene products and towels. As well as high-quality bed linens.

Review : Airbnb rental in Phalaborwa - South Africa - 13

As a welcome gift, Desiree had arranged:

  • Chocolates
  • Local cookies
  • A bottle of Amarula
  • A fruit basket
  • A very detailed guide to Kruger Park

And in the evening, accompanied by her husband, she brought us a hot dish for dinner! Just WoW!

Review : Airbnb rental in Phalaborwa - South Africa - 11
Review : Airbnb rental in Phalaborwa - South Africa - 10

She also introduced us to her son, who wants to become a guide for Kruger Park. He knows absolutely everything you need to know about the Park and has given us many indications, including the best roads to see as many animals as possible.

On our three days on-site, we decided to stay a day at home to enjoy the pool (after three days of rain and two days spent browsing the Kruger Park).

We didn’t take advantage of it, but you can use the Barbecue and terrace located on the other side of the pool.

Review : Airbnb rental in Phalaborwa - South Africa - 05

There is a small garden at the back of the house where our children enjoyed playing hide and seek.

Review : Airbnb rental in Phalaborwa - South Africa - 04

And a fully private terrace is facing the pool.

Review : Airbnb rental in Phalaborwa - South Africa - 03

How to pay for an Airbnb rental with points

With three main loyalty programs, you can:

  • get many travel points through credit cards
  • apply these travel points to Airbnb rentals

The three programs are:

These three loyalty programs are the simplest to use:

  1. you book your Airbnb rental with a credit card linked to the program
  2. you apply your loyalty points as a credit statement to the expense charged on your credit card account
  3. you get your rental for free (or at a significantly reduced price depending on the number of points used)!

Credit card offers

Each of these 3 loyalty programs issues one or more credit cards offering À la carte Travel points.

Here is our selection:

Scotia Rewards credit cards

The Scotia Rewards program offers 5 cards for earning travel points:

Our credit card selection
Credit cardAnnual feeWelcome offer
Annual fee$120Welcome offer
Up to 50,000 pointsEnds Nov 1, 2026
Apply Now
Annual fee$150Welcome offer
Up to 35,000 pointsEnds Nov 1, 2026
Apply Now
Annual fee$399Welcome offer
Up to 100,000 pointsEnds Nov 1, 2026
Apply Now
Annual fee$0Welcome offer
Up to 10,000 pointsEnds Nov 1, 2026
Apply Now

To book an Airbnb rental, our favorite Scotia Rewards cards are..:

These two cards have the main advantage of not charging any conversion fees for transactions made in foreign currency! That’s a saving of 2.5% on every purchase!

Besides, they offer benefits for travellers (6 free visits per year to airport lounges for the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +*, a tremendous concierge service for Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card)as well as excellent insurance.

It will be straightforward to use bonus points on an Airbnb rental!

Our favourite card is the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card, earning 5 points per dollar in categories such as grocery stores, restaurants and bars, home food delivery services and entertainment purchases (cinema, theatres, shows).

Find out more in this article about the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card.

Sponsored
Annual fee
$120
Our valuation
$500
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$500Total$500Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
Up to 50,000 points
Ends Nov 1, 2026
Apply Now

on Scotiabank's website

The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card offers an excellent welcome bonus.

Until November 1, 2026, you can earn up to 50,000 bonus Scene+ points, broken down as follows:

  • 30,000 Scene+ points by charging $2,000 in purchases to the card within the first 3 months
  • 20,000 Scene+ points by making $7,500 in purchases on the card in the first year

This represents a value of up to $500 for travel (including Airbnb).

With the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card, you earn 6 points per dollar spent at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, Voilà by Sobeys, Voilà par IGA, Voilà by Safeway, Chalo! grocery stores. FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, IGA West, Les Marchés Tradition, Rachelle Béry and Co-Op.

Also, you earn 5 points per dollar for:

  • Grocery stores
  • Restaurants
  • Entertainment centers

And 3 points per dollar on gas, transit and streaming services purchases.

You can redeem your points on travel purchases (flights, hotels, all-inclusive and even Airbnb). You can also use your points as cash back rewards with Scene+.

The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card also offers no foreign transaction fees, excellent insurance for your travel or purchases, concierge service, exclusive American Express benefits like the Front of the Line program.

Annual fee

Primary card$120
Additional card$29

Annual income required

Individual$12,000
Household$12,000

Conversion fees

0%

Earning rate

  • 6xWith the partner brand
  • 5xGroceries
  • 5xEntertainment
  • 5xRestaurants
  • 3xStreaming
  • 3xTransit
  • 3xGas & EV
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,460
2nd Year Value$461

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days
Travel medical (65+)Up to $1,000,000 / 3 days
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $1,500
Delayed BaggageUp to $1,000
Lost BaggageUp to $1,000
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $1,000
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 1 years
Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $65,000 / 48 days

American Express Membership Rewards Cards

American Express Membership Rewards program has six cards earning travel points

Our credit card selection
Credit cardAnnual feeWelcome offer
Annual fee$199Welcome offer
Up to 70,000 points
Apply Now
Annual fee$799Welcome offer
Up to 120,000 points
Apply Now
Annual fee$250Welcome offer
Up to 60,000 points
Apply Now
Annual fee$191.88Welcome offer
Up to 15,000 points
Apply Now
Annual fee$799Welcome offer
Up to 100,000 points
Apply Now

To book an Airbnb rental, our favorite American Express Membership Rewards card was :

This card earns 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar in categories such as grocery stores, convenience stores, restaurants and bars, and home food delivery services.

So it’s easy to earn many Membership Rewards points! Find out more in this article about the American Express Cobalt Card.

Annual fee
$191.88
Our valuation
$255
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$255Total$255Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
Up to 15,000 points
Apply Now

on American Express's website

Apply with confidence — no impact on your credit scoreApply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).

The American Express Cobalt® Card is the best credit card from American Express, whether you want points for travel or cash back.

American Express Cobalt® Card welcome offer

The welcome bonus is paid out monthly over your first 12 months. You earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for each monthly billing period in which you charge $750 in net purchases to your card, in any category (1X, 2X, 3X or 5X). That adds up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points over the year, a welcome offer we value at $255.

Earning the full bonus means $9,000 in net purchases spread across 12 monthly billing periods. This offer rewards steady monthly spending rather than one large purchase.

You can use these points as statement credits on everyday or travel purchases, at the same rate either way: 1,000 points = $10.

You can also transfer them to Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways and Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors. With the full welcome bonus, that is a choice between:

  • 15,000 Aeroplan points
  • 15,000 Avios points
  • 15,000 Flying Blue Miles
  • 18,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

If hotel points are what you are after, our ultimate guide to Marriott Bonvoy and our complete map of Marriott Bonvoy hotels by category show what those points can actually buy.

American Express Cobalt® Card benefits

Here is what the card gives you, starting with the benefits cardholders use most.

  • 5X points on eligible eats and drinks in Canada: groceries, restaurants and bars, home food delivery and convenience stores. A spend cap applies.
  • 3X points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
  • 2X points on eligible gas, public transit and ride sharing purchases in Canada.
  • 1 additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings made through American Express Travel Online.
  • 1X point per dollar on everything else, with no category restrictions.
  • Points that hold the same value either way: 1,000 points = $10 as a statement credit, or a 1:1 transfer to several airline and hotel loyalty programs.
  • No minimum income requirement, as with every American Express Canada card.
  • Additional cards at no extra cost: the first and every other supplementary card is $0.
  • The Hotel Collection: a room upgrade when available, 12pm check-in and late check-out when available, and up to $100 USD in hotel credit on amenities charged to the room for a stay of two or more consecutive nights, booked through American Express Travel.
  • Front Of The Line® presale and reserved tickets for concerts and theatre performances, plus offers and events curated for cardmembers through Amex Experiences.
  • A soft credit check before you apply: you can see whether you will be approved with no impact to your credit score. This applies to American Express personal card applications.

To see how it compares with the rest of the line-up, read our round-up of the best credit cards from American Express in Canada.

The 5X categories and where they apply

The 5X rate is the reason most people carry this card. In Canada it covers four kinds of merchants:

  • Groceries: Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, Safeway, Whole Foods.
  • Restaurants and bars: sit-down meals, takeout and drinks.
  • Home food delivery.
  • Convenience stores: Couche-Tard, 7-Eleven.

The 2X rate covers gas stations such as Esso, Shell and Petro-Canada, along with public transit and ride sharing.

With the American Express Cobalt® Card, you earn between 1 and 5 points per dollar:

Category Points per dollar
Grocery (Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, etc.) 5
Home food delivery 5
Restaurants and bars 5
Convenience stores 5
Streaming services 3
Service station 2
Transport 2
Travel 1
Other 1

That works out to a 1 to 5% return on those purchases. For example, if you spend $1,000 per month across groceries, restaurants and food delivery, you earn $50 back per month, or $600 per year from that category alone. Transfer the points to a program such as Aeroplan instead and the return can be higher.

You can also stack these categories with the hundreds of stores that offer 5x points.

American Express Cobalt® Card insurance coverage

The card comes with a broad insurance package. The amounts below are the coverage limits; conditions, age limits and exclusions are set out in the certificate of insurance linked in the Insurance section above.

Travel insurance

  • Emergency medical: up to $5,000,000 for the first 15 days of a trip.
  • Travel accident: accidental death and dismemberment of up to $250,000 for you, your spouse and dependent children under age 23 when travelling on a common carrier (plane, train, bus or ship) and the tickets are charged to your card. Supplementary cardholders and their families are covered too.
  • Flight delay: up to $500 for necessary hotel, meal and sundry expenses bought within 48 hours when you are delayed or denied boarding for four hours or more and no other transportation is available. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and delayed baggage coverage.
  • Delayed baggage: up to $500 for essential clothing and sundries bought within four days when your outbound luggage is delayed six hours or more. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and flight delay coverage.
  • Lost or stolen baggage: up to $500 per occurrence for all insured persons combined, for checked or carry-on baggage and personal effects in transit, when the airline tickets are charged to your card. Within that limit, jewellery is capped at $300 per occurrence and golf clubs, including golf bags, at $250 per occurrence.
  • Hotel and motel burglary: up to $500 against the loss of most personal items if your hotel or motel is burglarized, when the stay is charged to your card.

Rental car insurance

Theft and damage coverage is included for a rental car with an MSRP, for its model year, of up to $85,000 excluding all taxes, for rentals of up to 48 days. To use it, decline the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) or any similar option from the rental company and charge the full rental to your card. There is no cost for this coverage, and it replaces the daily insurance the rental company charges, usually $16 to $23 per day.

Mobile device insurance

Your device is covered for up to $1,000 per occurrence when it is charged to the card, for up to two years from the date of purchase. The payout is based on the depreciated value of the device, which falls by 2% of the purchase price for every completed month, less a 10% deductible. Theft and accidental damage coverage starts on the 91st day after purchase, because the first 90 days are covered by purchase protection.

Purchase protection and extended warranty

Eligible items charged to your card are insured against accidental physical damage or theft for 90 days from the purchase date, up to $1,000 per occurrence for all items combined. The card also extends the original manufacturer’s warranty by up to one additional year on eligible items, with indemnification limited to $10,000 per insured item and $25,000 per Cardmember per policy year for all items combined.

American Express Cobalt® Card fees

  • Card fee: $15.99 per month, which equals $191.88 per year, for residents outside Quebec. Quebec residents are billed $191.88 per year.
  • Additional cards: $0.
  • Purchase interest rate: 21.99%.
  • Cash advance interest rate: 21.99%.
  • Foreign transaction fee: 2.5%.
  • Minimum income required: none.

Because the fee is billed monthly rather than in one annual charge, you can stop and restart the cost in step with how much you are actually using the card.

Annual fee

Primary card$191.88
Additional card$0

Annual income required

Individual$0
Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 5xRestaurants
  • 5xGroceries
  • 5xConvenience
  • 3xStreaming
  • 2xTransit
  • 2xGas & EV
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,828
2nd Year Value$799

Transfer partners

  • AeroplanAirline
  • British Airways ClubAirline
  • Cathay Asia MilesAirline
  • Etihad GuestAirline
  • Flying BlueAirline
  • Hilton HonorsHotel
  • Marriott BonvoyHotel

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Lost BaggageUp to $500
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $500
Travel AccidentUp to $250,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionUp to $1,000 / 90 days
Extended Warranty+1 years
Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 2 years
Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days

Cards offering HSBC Rewards points

The HSBC Rewards program has two cards earning travel points:

To book an Airbnb rental, our favourite HSBC Rewards card will be the HSBC World Elite® Mastercard®.

This credit card does not charge any conversion fees for foreign currency transactions! That’s a saving of 2.5% on every purchase!

Besides, it offers many benefits such as a $100 annual travel credit, unlimited Wi-Fi access to Boingo, a 10% rebate for hotel bookings on Expedia and Agoda and excellent insurance.

To redeem HSBC Rewards points on an Airbnb rental, you will need to have at least 25,000 HSBC points (or $125 in travel credit).

Find out more in this article about the HSBC World Elite Mastercard.

Our featured card

Featured
Annual fee
$120
Our valuation
$990
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$990Total$990Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
Up to 110,000 points
Ends Sep 22, 2026
Apply Now

on American Express's website

Apply with confidence — no impact on your credit scoreApply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).

The Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card is the best credit card in Canada for free hotel nights.

New Cardmembers can earn up to 110,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points with the current offer:

  • Earn 80,000 points after you spend $6,000 on your Card in your first 6 months of Cardmembership.
  • Plus, earn 30,000 points by making a purchase during your 15th month of Cardmembership.

This offer ends on September 22, 2026. The annual fee is $120, and there is no annual fee on Additional Cards, so you can add a partner or a family member at no extra cost.

Every year after your first Card anniversary, you receive an Annual Free Night Award good for a redemption of up to 35,000 points at eligible hotels and resorts worldwide. At a valuation of 0.9 cents per Marriott Bonvoy point, that certificate is worth roughly $315, which on its own more than covers the $120 annual fee. That is the main reason to keep this Card year after year instead of cancelling it.

To get the most out of the certificate, aim it at a night that would otherwise price close to the 35,000 point ceiling.

The Card also gives you 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year and automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status. Those credits count toward the next Elite tier, so you begin every year 15 nights ahead of where you would otherwise start.

You move up to Gold Elite status automatically when you reach $30,000 in purchases on the Card in a year, or when you combine 10 qualifying paid nights within one calendar year with the 15 Elite Night Credits from your Card.

Marriott Bonvoy points are generally valued at 0.9 cents each. On that basis, the 110,000 point welcome offer is worth about $990, and an Annual Free Night Award used at its full 35,000 point ceiling is worth about $315.

Marriott Bonvoy points pull their weight on free nights rather than on gift cards or merchandise, which is why this Card should be judged on the hotel stays it produces.

You earn 5 points per dollar on eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels and 2 points per dollar on all other purchases. Points can be redeemed for free nights with no blackout dates at more than 7,000 hotels around the world.

The Card carries a solid package of coverages: $500,000 travel accident insurance, flight delay, baggage delay, lost or stolen baggage and hotel or motel burglary at $500 each, car rental theft and damage up to $85,000 for rentals of up to 48 days, Purchase Protection for 90 days and a one year Extended Warranty.

Two things to plan around: the 2.5% foreign transaction fee on purchases made in a foreign currency, and the 21.99% purchase interest rate, which makes this a Card to pay in full every month. Like all American Express Canada Cards, no minimum income is published for this Card, and you can see whether you would be approved before you apply, with no impact on your credit score.

Annual fee

Primary card$120
Additional card$0

Annual income required

Individual$0
Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 5xMarriott Bonvoy hotels
  • 2xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,437
2nd Year Value$312

Travel insurance

Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Lost BaggageUp to $500
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $500
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days

Our editorial integrity

Our reviews and rankings are based on an objective assessment. Advertisers do not influence our content. We may receive compensation through some links; our analysis and opinions remain independent.