In an effort to continue to support black travel related content, I decided to take another little journey in virtual travel. This time highlighting exclusively black hosts, showcasing black history & culture from around the world.

As we all strive to become better allies to our black friends and community members, I want to do what I can to keep the conversation alive and educate myself. I feel like our voices are finally being heard and we need to work together to keep the momentum going! Awareness is the first step in creating change.

We are in a time where learning and re-learning is crucial….and even though we can’t physically travel very far these days, we can still virtually travel to open our minds thru educational experiences. As well as support black entrepreneurs who are sharing their passions with the world.

So I haven’t done ALL of these tours yet, but I will make sure to mention which ones I have taken.

1. Black Austin Tours

Black Austin Tours was the one non-Airbnb tour I went on virtually – and it actually ended up being a private tour which was kind of cool and interesting. It was led by Javier, a smart, well-spoken black man who grew up in Austin and can trace his family back 200 years in the Austin area. Crazy! He shared the history of black Americans through the lens of his family story. It was a very interesting talk and I got to revisited lot of moments I learned about in Texas History (I grew up in Austin), but put in a whole new context – and through the lens of race.

All in all, it was a fantastic 90 minutes and I would highly recommend everyone check out! This is a great way to learn a bit about black history, without even leaving your couch.

2. Kenyan Home Cooking Class

We visited Kenya 6 months ago, but we didn’t get a chance to do a cooking class. So Josephine’s Kenyan Home Cooking Class was a special treat! Josie lives in Nairobi and teaches two menus depending on which day of the week you sign up for. We made curry, chapati, and ugali. The class was made up of just two guests – my father and myself. But again, that was kind of nice because my dad loves to cook and had a zillion questions haha.

Josephine shared a bit about general cooking in Kenya, and then we dived into making the curry. I am vegetarian so I stuck with a veggie version. It ended up being SO good. I even learned to appreciate ugali more than I did when I visited Kenya in real life (it doesn’t really taste like anything adds some nice texture when served with the curry). And the chapati was delicious as well. I would definitey make all of these again! (I ate the curry leftovers for like a week!)

3. Bounce & Twerk Class

This next one had me laughing from start to finish – New Orleans Bounce and Twerk with MoJoe. I took the class with a bachelorette party so energy was high and MoeJoe was the perfect host to celebrate with. She taught us how to shake our butts – really making the cheeks move. We were all over the room….on the wall, on the floor, etc. I don’t expect to get a huge workout during these experiences, but I actually worked up a bit of a sweat.

And don’t worry if you aren’t a good dancer or can’t learn choreography to save your life. It’s all very simple stuff. If you’re looking for a good time and a few laughs, do yourself a favor and sign up for this class!!

4. A Lesson in Aparteid

So this next one I actually did a few weeks ago, but it felt like the perfect experience to include as we’re discussing black history. In many ways, the black plight in South Africa mirrors the one in our own country. Richard, the host of Lessons in Aparteid, is a black man who grew up in District 6. He has worked with disadvantaged communities throughout Cape Town and now helps educate travelers on the lingering social, economic, and political ramifications of apartheid.

Richard intertwined his personal stories and experiences with the historical facts – in what made for a very educational and informative session.

5. Propagating Plants with Hilton Carter

So I haven’t tried Propagating Plants with Hilton Carter yet because I have the least green thumb of any person you’ve ever met. But it comes highly reviewed on Airbnb. In case you aren’t familiar with the term propagation – it refers to the process of growing new plants from seeds, cuttings, or other plant parts.

In the experience, black host, Hilton, walks guests through how to propagate indoor houseplants – everything from going over different types of plants and how to cut them, best vessels to put plants in, how often and how much water to give them, etc. Reviews speak to how amazing, informative, and passionate Hilton is – and how the experience took much of the mystery out of propagation. Sounds like a winner to me!

6. Life Lessons From My Olympic Journey

In Life Lessons From My Olympic Journey, host Lauren shares her experiences as a 2018 Olympic medalist and 2020 World Champion in bobsledding. While many Olympians begin their training at a very young age, Lauren was 30 before she really got started. She traded in the office life for a bobsled helmet and things came together in a mere three and a half years. If you’re ever wanted to ditch the 9-5 life, this may be just the experience for you!

As Lauren shares her personal story, she walks guests through goal setting and how to use mindset and motivation to overcome adversity. And her stories and methods clearly strike a chord, as evidenced by the stellar reviews. Lauren is dubbed throughout as a superb storyteller and true inspiration.

7. LGBTQ Culture & Nightlife

Aisha is a black Londoner and a passionate member of the LGBTQ community. Through her LGBTQ Culture & Nightlife virtual tour, she shares various stories from queer kings and queens of the past to what the experience is truly like for members of the community today.

To make matters even better, profits actually go towards helping the LGBTQ community – so you can feel good about your money spent here for more reasons than one! Clearly the experience is a popular one, as I was only able to nab a spot 6 weeks from when I booked. I’m really looking forward to connecting with other likeminded individuals and learning more about London’s queer scene.

Well I hope some of these tours piqued your interest and that you consider signing up and supporting a black entrepreneur – and get a glimpse into their unique purview. As always if you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing! xo

Virtual Travel Experiences with Black Entrepreneurs