Welcome Beyond Introduces the Five Hottest Vacation Properties for 2013

Welcome Beyond, a website promoting only truly original boutique hotels and vacation rentals worldwide, is starting off the new travel season with its top five must-stay places of 2013, featuring a Gippsland shack, a Cape Town guesthouse, a farm on Mount Etna, a Mexican tree house with a Jacuzzi as well as a sandy-floored beach house in Portugal.

New at Welcome Beyond is Walkerville Shack, a vacation rental set on five acres of grounds close to the Prom Coast. The rustic yet charming shack has an open plan living area and a Japanese bathhouse featuring a hot tub. The outdoor shower, dining area and the hammock allow for the perfect finale after a long day at the beach. Guests might even get a glimpse of a koala, wombat or parrot sitting in the trees around the shack. Wilson Promontory National Park is only a 30-minute drive away and the nearby city of Foster sells mouth-watering Gippsland natural beef and locally caught fish. The best thing to do, however, recaps nurse and owner Fleur is to: "Chill out, kick back, and get naked!"

Blackheath Lodge, also new member at Welcome Beyond, is a boutique guest house comprising twelve elegant rooms with an eclectic mix of contemporary, colonial and Victorian style interiors. It is located in Sea Point, the heart of Cape Town, close to world-class restaurants and the Atlantic Ocean. The lodge is known for its exclusive 24 hours service: "We believe in treating guests how we would expect to be treated and ensure that everyone gets to personally experience Cape Town." states Antony, the owner.