Nobody likes to leave their dog behind when the family goes on vacation, and the mental image of those sad, disappointed eyes looking at you in disbelief at being left behind does take a bit of the fun out of the trip. My heart aches just thinking about it! Thankfully, there are other dog lovers out there who are willing to let you bring your pet into their home.

For those of us who love spending time on the water, houseboats really are the perfect solution, not only for living, but for vacationing as well. All over the world, you can find houseboats to rent that offer every comfort of a hotel, with the added bonus of ever changing scenery and your choice of where to go next. For an exotic and adventurous vacation, give houseboating in Africa a try.

Renting a home is a great, affordable option for a vacation, especially if you have a large family, or are traveling with a big group of friends. Just check online and you will see that you can rent a beautiful apartment in the nicest part of Manhattan for $500/person/week (or less). Try finding a hotel room for that price! Here are a few more ideas to make your vacation even more affordable.

Hotel rooms are all well and good, but are they fun? Not really. How about vacationing in a tree house, underwater or perhaps in a giant shoe? Here are some unusual accommodation choices around the world.

Renting a private home for your vacation is a great way to stretch your budget. And in my opinion, it's much more fun than staying in a hotel. You get the chance to experience local life on a whole different level, and really get the feel for what living in that part of the world is all about. However, there are a few things to consider before settling on a house and area.

The Baltic might not be the first place that comes to mind when considering a luxury yacht charter vacation, but during the short Scandinavian summer, it's a magical place with warm breezes and almost 24 hours of daylight.

Gotland, the largest island in the Baltic, lies almost equidistant from the Swedish east coast and the Baltic state of Latvia. This beautiful island, surprisingly unknown to foreigners, is a favorite vacation destination among Swedes.

It's difficult to find areas not overly developed for tourists these days. As soon as one is discovered, the world finds out about it and before long, it has lost its charm. Fortunately, there are still a few places that are untouched by mass tourism, where you have a chance to experience local life to the fullest. The Lakshadweep islands, off the Malabar Coast in Kerala, India, is one of those places.

The French island of Corsica, 110 miles south of the Riviera and just north of Sardinia is an exceptional choice for a luxury yacht charter vacation. With a mountainous, dramatic landscape and 620 miles of coastline surrounded by clear water in all shades of blue, the surprisingly uncrowded Corsica has it all.

The South Pacific is truly the stuff dreams are made of. Palm-fringed beaches with soft white sand, azure, incredibly clear water, tranquil aquamarine lagoons with fish in amazing colors, volcanic islands with flower-scented breezes and overwater bungalows - simply paradise on earth.