Here is the official answer to your question. Check this out.
https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=911&top=5
Regarding your travel, should you inform ircc or not, I'll suggest you to call ircc client support centre (1-888-242-2100), you'll get a clear answer and
peace of mind while spending your time back home.
Unfortunately it is NOT that simple for those who move abroad (even if they pretend to just be "traveling" abroad) while they have a citizenship application pending.
The IRCC webpage minimally addresses the logistical risks. And makes no mention of the increased risk of RQ-related processing.
The OP here has been part of other discussions here about the RISKS involved in doing this. There are many topics here discussing the risks. The risks are real. They vary depending on the particular circumstances.
Many do this without a problem. I do not mean to suggest that it is not feasible.
But many others stumble. Some fall. How it will go for a particular individual will depend on that individual's particular situation, with lots of potential variables.
In the meantime, the OP's main question is really whether or not to inform IRCC about a change in residential address. Or whether an applicant can give IRCC a residential address that is NOT where the applicant actually lives (such as the address of a close family member or a trusted friend).
This has been answered multiple times. The OP references what only some have said, and those responses largely ignore the applicant's promise (in the signature box on the application) to update IRCC if any information in the application changes.
Of course the help centre is not going to explain to applicants how to get away with not informing IRCC, truthfully, of a change in address, so as to avoid the risk of delays in processing the application. And applicants are not likely to ask the question that way.
In any event, trying to be clear, the help centre is good for simple, straight-forward questions regarding very specific things. It is NOT a good source for answering questions that are at all complicated, that require interpretation, or that involve applying rules to facts (except the obvious). The latter is especially problematic . . . since applicants tend to ask questions structured to avoid answers they do not want to hear. Like asking "do I need to inform IRCC if I travel abroad while the application is pending?" when the real situation will amount to the applicant moving and residing abroad.
So let's be honest: the OP could contact the help centre and ask the simple question: "do I need to inform IRCC if I change my home address?" No need to even mention whether that is moving across town, to another town, to another province, or abroad. But the answer to that question is obvious, and the OP probably knows what it is. Probably not what the OP wants to hear, because that answer likely elevates the risk of delays.
