Travel from Home: 7 Amazing Airbnb Online Experiences [Part II]
To be honest, this quarantine has finally started to get to me. I guess this is probably how most people have been feeling all alone. But I managed to avoid feeling too antsy until 2 months in!
As a traveler, it’s hard not knowing when I’m going to be able to explore again. And I totally recognize that not being able to travel may be a small price to pay compared to what some other people are going thru. And I definitely feel lucky to be in the position I’m in (albeit antsy just the same!)
As a result, virtual travel has really become a big part of my routine and day to day life. It’s been a way for me to quell my desire to travel – by still exploring other cultures, meeting new people, and keeping the wander dream alive.
Here are 6 fantastic Airbnb Experiences from hosts around the world to make you think, excite your tastebuds, work up a sweat, and ease your mind in these trying times.
The Secret Behind Ladyboys
Thailand is one of my favorite countries and I remember being fascinated by the ladyboy dance shows when I visited. So when I saw Petz’s The Secret Behind Ladyboys, I knew I had to sign up.
The experience was led by Petz (a straight man) and began with a discussion about the country’s transgender community. He shared a few Thai phrases as we chatted about gender identity, and then introduced us to Khun Jah. Khun Jah is a 51-year-old transgender woman. She grew up before it was accepted to be transgender and shared her story to becoming the woman she is today.
Khun Jah spoke in Thai with Petz translated for her. And was super open to answering any and all questions the group had. It was a very enlightening way to spend the evening and I enjoyed the group dynamic as well. Petz did a good job of making it feel like a discussion and including everyone. That’s sometimes tough to do in a Zoom environment!
If you’re a fan of Thailand or just want to try an off-the-wall experience and learn something totally foreign, make sure to check out this experience.
Dance Like a K-Pop Star
I’m just going to start off by saying that I am an atrocious dancer. My brain just isn’t wired to remember choreography. And yet I love to dance and move.
I’ve made my peace that I’m never going to be talented at dancing, but somehow that hasn’t stopped me from participating in as many dance classes as I can. Generally I choose follow-dance style classes (like Zumba), but every once in a while I work up the courage to try a choreographed dance. When I saw Airbnb’s Dance Like a K-Pop Star, I decided to brave the class.
I had never really heard a K-pop song until Black Pink made their Coachella debut last year and brought the house down. I found their music incredibly catchy & listened to the album a while after that. So I knew the music had potential to be catchy and fun and that seemed good enough for me in quarantine!
Fanxy Studio is in Seoul and teaches 1 hour beginners k pop dancing classes. You start off watching a k pop dance and then the instructor teaches you the moves bit by bit, slowly. By the end you are putting it all together and dancing to the music at full speed.
I was just as bad as I would have expected, but that didn’t stop me from having a blast in the class. The song was super poppy and energetic. The dance cute and fun. And the hour passed by incredibly quickly! I’d highly recommend this class to anyone who enjoys dancing or is just looking to do something a bit different in quarantine, while getting a nice little workout in!
Learn to Make Argentinian Empanadas
One of my favorite parts of travel is getting to sample all the unique local cuisine. So these are naturally some of my favorite virtual experiences to partake in. I’ve always been a fan of empanadas. So I thought the Learn to Make Argentinian Empanadas experience seemed like the perfect way to spend an evening.
The experience had two hosts, Pilar and Alejandro, who live in Medellin but Alejandro is from Argentina. Alejandro led the empanada making in Spanish and Pilar translated. This sometimes slowed the pace of the course, but they were a really cute duo!
Alejandro took us through making the dough, kneading and shaping the empanadas. He showed us about 5 different shapes of empanadas. I proved rather unskilled though so most of mine ended up all looking the same lol. We then had the option to bake or fry the empanadas (we did a bit of both to compare). They tasted pretty similar but I think I liked the fried a bit more.
We also learned how to make the famous chimichurri sauce that empanadas are traditionally eaten with.
Our empanadas and chimichurri were good, although I definitely think needed a bit more work. But I think I know how to tweak them next time to be A++
Heal Stress Thru Art Therapy
I think we are all a little bit stressed with the current state of affairs in the world. So I thought Valentina’s Heal Stress Thru Art Therapy sounded like the perfect way to spend an afternoon.
I was the only person in the class so it was essentially a private session. She started off having me share a little bit about how I was doing and then had me draw how I currently felt.
I am not an artist by a long shot. I sat staring at the paper for a minute and then finally drew myself with swirled (crazed) eyes and a rigid angry mouth. I had just had a squabble with my boyfriend (over something silly), but I was feeling the frustration of getting in each other’s personal space while we both tried to work.
She then had me lean back and took me on a guided journey, almost like a meditation. Where I was transported to somewhere I felt most at peace, safe, and happy. After about 10 minutes, she had me open my eyes and draw the place I went.
My image this time was much happier, and far more detailed. There was something incredibly relaxing to taking an hour out of my day to check in with myself and draw. I can see why those adult coloring books made a comeback a few years ago. I definitely need to utilize this trick in the future when feeling stressed!
Easy Balinese Vegetarian Home Cooking
This next one was a no brainer for me. I love Southeast Asia – the people, the culture, the most all – the food! Plus I’m a vegetarian and am ALL about easy. So a class called Easy Balinese Vegetarian Home Cooking sounded made for me.
It was run by a husband / wife team, Ngurah and Ayu – who were fantastic hosts! Ayu handled the cooking aspect of the class, while Ngurah helped grind food – as well as took us on a tour of their home for a little added Balinese culture.
We started out making gado-gado – a veggie smorgasbord with a delicious peanut sauce for dipping. It was so yummy and I totally filled up on the first course lol.
Next up we made corn fritters….I’m not usually big on fried food – but these were very tasty. I even tried one the next day and it still tasted pretty good.
But my favorite part of the class was learning to make nasi goreng (or Balinese fried rice)! I have always loved fried rice but never known how to make it. It’s surprisingly simple and something that I will definitely be making again in the future. It’s funny because I don’t really like rice (or eggs for that matter) – EXCEPT fried rice with a fried egg on top lol! I ate the leftovers for the next two days – just made a fresh fried egg - and it tasted amazing.
Meet the Dogs of Chernobyl
My final experience for the week was Meet the Dogs of Chernobyl. Honestly I had no idea what to expect with this one. It was one of the first experiences I booked because the title intrigued me, but I wasn’t able to get a booking for a full month. Well the day finally arrived and I’m glad to say I was very pleasantly surprised.
Our host, Lucas, took us around the exteriors of the Chernobyl power plant – sharing a bit of the history and introducing us to the dogs that now live there. They are the descendants of the pets whose owners were evacuated in 1986 when the explosion happened. They are wild dogs without owners now….and there were over 1000 of them several years ago.
Lucas started a foundation to care for the dogs (including providing vaccination & sterilization services), so the numbers have declined to about 600 now. They have also helped many puppies find forever homes in the US and Canada!
It was an interesting lens from which to discuss the nuclear disaster and one that was full of furry friends and playful energy. I had to wake up at 6am PST to do the tour, but it turned out to be totally worth it! It was a nice way to start the morning – bringing a smile to my face for the rest of the day.
Follow a Plague Doctor Thru Prague
My last experience for the week, Follow a Plague Doctor Thru Prague, took place at 10pm on Sunday night. And I was so tired, I almost thought about skipping it. But I’m very happy I didn’t. Our host, David, was fantastic and really put a lot of thought and effort into the tour.
He hired a videographer to film him on the streets of Prague at night - and then verbally shares the story of what it was like to be alive during the 18th century, immersing you in the history of pneumonic and bubonic plagues.
The entire experience was very well planned and included a ton of interesting info. Not to mention, the subject matter feels particularly relevant given the current state of the world. There were many parallels between the quarantines back then and now.
David did a great job of keeping things conversational and getting the group to actively participate. All in all, I’d highly recommend this tour (despite the late timing) - definitely worth staying awake for!
Well I hope these experiences sparked your interest and that you decide to try some of them. If you do, please be sure to let me know! I’d love to know what you think!
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