5 Reasons to LOVE Airbnb Experiences

I think I’ve talked about my love for Airbnb experiences on my Instagram before. But I thought I should put together a more formal explanation for why I love this latest offering from Airbnb so much - and why you too should be using them whenever you travel.

It’s funny because I was never a big user of Airbnb for accommodations. A bit more lately. But in the past 5 years, I probably could count on one hand my number of stays.

But all that changed when Airbnb Experiences came on the scene.

In case you aren't familiar with Airbnb Experiences. They are activities, tours and experiences that hosts provide in their respective cities. For example, in Penang, Malaysia right now I can find cooking classes, street food walks, hikes in the national park, bike rides thru the countryside, history tours, street art explorations, and more.

Being a newer offering, not all cities a wide variety of choices YET, but more and more are being added all the time. And in hotter tourist destinations, you will find hundreds of tours/activities!

It’s a way to interact with locals in a more authentic way.
How often do you travel to a far away place, only to find yourself interacting with a lot of the same types of people you hang out with at home? This is not to say there is anything wrong with hanging out with Aussies, Brits, etc. (they’re great & play a role in your experience) but if you’re in Vietnam - don’t you want to meet some actual Vietnamese people? Airbnb experiences offers you a way to get to know locals in a more personal, intimate setting. When one-on-one (or in a small group) with the host, I’ve often found myself going deeper into what it’s like to really live in the city you’re in….from the food to the culture to the religion, customs, and more. The hosts can share things that they may not be able to if working for a big tour company that needs to be more protective of tourism. Things that you wouldn’t know from a history book or a news article. And by the end of [a good] Airbnb experience, I often times feel like I have a new friend.
It feels less touristy
I love learning the history of a place but I absolutely hate big tour groups. Nothing is less fun to me than being solo on a giant bus tour, being shuffled from point A to point B. Despite being surrounded by people, it has a way of making you feel even lonelier than ever when you’re traveling on your own. I found myself on a tour where I had to follow around a man waving a selfie stick with a flag on it in the air to corral the big group. I wanted to die. Airbnb experiences are essentially the opposite of this. They are low key, they don’t cause a scene. Often times there isn't even a set agenda, it’s more spontaneous depending on the “client” (or friend lol)’s interests when they arrive. They often don't cover the main tourist sites, and if they do, there is usually a unique angle (such as touring the city’s street art with an art historian or cooking lesson in the home of a real chef).
The experiences are more unique & special.
The sorts of things you can find on Airbnb Experiences, often aren’t available anywhere else. You can’t walk down the street in your tourist destination and book this sort of things from a tourism agency. It’s not the sort of tour that 15 different agencies offer the exact same itinerary for (and it doesn’t really matter which company you go with). The itineraries are clearly planned out with a lot of thought and personal experience. The hosts share stories, memories and tidbits that help you really get to know the city in a way that you remember long after your time there ends. Many times I’ve walked away from an Airbnb experience feeling amazed & grateful at truly unique the day was.
It’s a great way to make friends (especially when traveling solo!)
Even if you love traveling on your own, you always eventually start to crave human connection. Hostels are great for creating a fun, social environment, but they are pretty youthful in nature. When you are looking for something social, but a little more mature, Airbnb is the perfect place to go to. Sometimes I’ve signed up for an experience just because the reviews of the individual seem great and I’d like a friend in a particular city! So while I think Airbnb Experiences are great for everyone, they are especially useful and special to solo travelers.
Quick & easy way to plan your trip - all in one place!
When I plan trips now, one of the first things I do is peruse Airbnb experiences to see how I might want to build my itinerary and what activities I’d like to do. It makes it so easy to put together a schedule for your time in a destination without having to go to a bunch of different sites/apps. If you’re planning to use it to book accommodations it makes it even simpler too! All in one convenient location!

One thing I will say though is that you need to keep an eye out for tour companies posing as Airbnb Experiences. I think Airbnb is trying to police this, but I’ve wound up on a few big tours booked thru Airbnb because I didn’t read the reviews closely. I always try to make sure my review speaks to this, so someone won’t make the same mistake as me!

The good news is, I have had way more great experiences than so-so or negative ones. I tell all my friends to use Airbnb Experiences, andI’ll tell you the same!

XOXO

Lauren

(Not being paid by Airbnb, although I wish!)

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