Wanderlust — Full-Stack Accommodation Booking Platform
Wanderlust is a full-stack accommodation booking platform inspired by Airbnb. I built this project to practice end-to-end system design, authentication, and real-world CRUD workflows in a single cohesive application.
Instead of focusing on isolated features, my goal was to build a complete booking flow that connects users, listings, images, and reservations.
Problem I Observed
Most tutorials focus on individual concepts such as authentication, CRUD operations, or image uploads in isolation. I wanted a project that combined all these pieces into a realistic, production-style workflow.
What I Built
Wanderlust includes the following core functionality:
- User authentication and session handling
- Listing creation and management with image uploads
- Map-based listing search
- Booking and reservation flow
- Admin-style interface for managing listings
Tech Stack
- Backend: Node.js, Express
- Database: MongoDB, Mongoose
- Templating: EJS (server-side rendering)
- Media Storage: Cloudinary
Architecture & Design
The application is structured using an MVC architecture, separating routing, business logic, and data models for better maintainability.
MongoDB schemas were designed to handle relationships between users, listings, and bookings, ensuring data consistency throughout the booking process.
Challenges & Solutions
- Database schema design → carefully modeled relationships between listings and bookings
- Multiple image uploads → integrated Cloudinary for reliable image storage
- Server-side validation → ensured data integrity and secure form handling
- UI simplicity → kept the interface clean and responsive across devices
Results
- End-to-end booking workflow implemented successfully
- Improved understanding of full-stack application flow
- Practical experience with authentication and data modeling
- A realistic project simulating real-world booking systems
What I Learned
This project helped me strengthen my skills in:
- Full-stack application development
- Database modeling and relationships
- Authentication and session management
- Designing complete user workflows
- Building maintainable MVC-based applications
Links
- GitHub: https://github.com/Noobod/Wanderlust