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The travel plans I planned to make in 2020 have faded, as although airlines have slowly resumed flights, it is still too risky to fly for pleasure. That is why I was absolutely delighted to try different “Airbnb online experiences”.
“Online Experiences” is Airbnb’s answer to alternative travel, where it enables people to access the “travel” experiences of hosts around the world via the Internet. This new feature allows you to connect with hosts from more than 30 different countries. The hosts themselves can also earn income during the pandemic, as some of them generally earn their income through tourism.
I chose three different Airbnb experiences, so it could not only make up for the lack of traveling for an entire year (shivering at that thought), but it would potentially be like traveling to half the world in a week. These were my chosen experiences:
# 1: guided meditation with sleepy sheep
My first experience was at 11pm on a Tuesday. I had a lot of thoughts in my head that day. I was thrilled by the experience, but usually at 11 p.m. M. I would have been very nervous in bed scrolling through Twitter like it was a bedtime story.
However, I installed my laptop, sat in my desk chair, and looked through the Airbnb confirmation email they sent me after confirming my reservation.
Airbnb automatically sends you an email with ‘Airbnb Online Experience’ information, including the correct date and time that matches your own time zone, provided you have booked the experience using your own account and have updated your location at your profile . In addition to that, you have the opportunity to change or cancel your reservation, just in case.
You also get the Zoom link where you’ll need to click at least 5 minutes before the actual experience begins. The email indicates that you will need an Internet connection and the ability to stream audio and video to participate. In my experience, looking back, you should also have your own headphones so that the sound is not repeated in the group.
Beccy, the host, also sent me a list of things to bring to participate in the experience, including a ‘sense of humor’, a ‘soft toy or blanket’, a fun fact about sheep, your pet, or a favorite animal , and a pen and paper. I almost overlooked this list, so I advise you to check your email thoroughly after booking your own experience.
If you join in time, you can chat with the host and other guests who have joined you. I really liked that I was not only able to speak to Beccy in Scotland, but also speak to other people around the world, from the UK to the United States to Japan. Beccy then brought his camera to show us his farm and nearby sheep and chickens.
He had a soft voice and featured peaceful landscapes and adorable sheep throughout the experience. He also asked us to stroke a fluffy toy or blanket to imitate stroking the sheep. Luckily for me, I was wearing a sheep jacket.
Beccy also gave each guest their own Scottish names. They gave me the name Deveron MacHamish, named after a Scotch whiskey and one of the sheep, Hamish. I also met Hamish himself online. However, things like a pen and paper, and the fun fact about her pet that she advised us to bring before the experience weren’t really used.
The last part of the experience itself was a very satisfying meditation session for your daughter, which ended with live images of her sleepy sheep. The experience ended around 12 a.m. and I went to bed right away. Meditation helped me to have a calmer mind and I didn’t even need to scroll through Twitter this time.
# 2: learn to cook Mexican sauces
The next morning, I had to prepare for the salsa preparation class that started at 9 am. I had ordered my ingredients beforehand, including chili peppers (I chose red, but they said any kind of hot pepper), red tomatoes, a mango (or any sweet fruit), garlic, onion, and a list of other ingredients you can make with or without .
It didn’t have some of the ingredients like tomatillos, which are not native to Malaysia, avocado, and peanuts, but the email itself mentions some alternatives. You don’t even have to worry if you don’t have the right herbs, or even if you prefer to watch the experience with a snack and drink by your side.
After setting up my stations like cutting board area, places to put ingredients, pots and pans, kitchen utensils, and placing my laptop nearby, I entered the Zoom link via confirmation email and Natalia and some others greeted me immediately. guests who attended the same class.
This experience had a different feeling, mainly because it was more active due to the kitchen, but Natalia brought an energetic atmosphere. He first made sure that each of the guests had the ingredients and tools before starting, and gave us different alternative options if we didn’t have the ingredient or tool.
I thought that a Mexican “sauce” is the one that has chopped tomato and onion with a little coriander that you would get with tacos. My editor pointed out that “salsa” is actually the Spanish word for salsa. I also did not prepare for the fact that we will make three sauces, not one, and that two of them require heat to cook the vegetables.
Although a little intimidated, Natalia was patient and took the time to go through each step of the cooking process, making sure each guest was up to date before going on to the next step. Before I knew it, I made three different delicious dishes from scratch, and had a blast! Pro-tip: Get some corn chips along with the ingredients so you can dip them in these sauces when you’re done.
# 3: The Secret of Seattle’s Missing Hill
This last experience had the wildest moment of all the others. I had to get up at 3.30 in the morning for this virtual tour of Seattle with David as host. A few days earlier, he contacted the entire group via Airbnb (you can access messages faster by downloading the Airbnb app) to say hello and ask what drew us to the experience. Subsequently, I felt closer to the group knowing their answers and making them learn mine.
To be honest, I had different expectations when it came to this experience. Seeing “virtual walk” in the information on the experience page excited me, wondering if it would be David who would take us to his neighborhood in the United States for a short walk.
However, it was more like a presentation inside, but it showed us around Seattle through images and maps. His attraction was more historically and geographically, as he explained how a mountainous Seattle became flat as people rolled off the hills to add more residential and commercial areas.
I probably would have been more attentive to the facts if it wasn’t 3.30 in the morning where I was (it would be 12.30 in Seattle), but I still enjoyed learning the subject. Mainly I enjoyed how passionate and knowledgeable David was on the subject. We discovered that Davis was a member of the Atlas Obscura community and an award-winning author of many Seattle-related books.
But then there is the Zoom problem
What I didn’t like about the whole experience was that I had to download Zoom. We have reported many times about how insecure the video conferencing platform is, how your Windows Zoom credentials are vulnerable to attackers and other privacy related issues.
However, there are three things you can actively do to stay safe when using Zoom. The security tips were given to us by VMware Carbon Black’s chief cyber security strategist Tom Kellermann:
What I noticed is that you don’t need to download Zoom to attend these experiences either. In fact, after clicking the Zoom link in your email, you will be directed to a Zoom room where you can choose an option to access the meeting through the website instead of through a downloaded app. But be careful, as that option is shown in small print.
While you can be more secure by accessing your experiences in a web browser, accessing the web browser will not allow you to change different camera views, just as you could if you access experiences with the application. You may lose better views, but ultimately it will keep you more secure from potential privacy threats.
Worth it?
The Guided Meditation experience with Sleepy Sheep cost RM34 / class, the Learn to Cook Mexican Salsas experience was RM52 / class and The Secret of Seattle’s Disappearing Hill experience cost only RM18 / class. (Prices at the time of filming)
I don’t know them all, but I thought these experiences were affordable, since they can ‘travel’ online to a distant place and get to know their culture and experiences so intimately. You could try to argue with me saying that RM52 is a bit too much for a class, considering that I still have to get my own ingredients, but that learning a type of cuisine that is not local to us is rare to find in Malaysia.
For the experience in Mexico, it is organized by a professional and authentic Mexican chef who studied at the National School of Mexican Gastronomy and who had already received guests in his kitchen in Mexico City.
Even if you compare this to other cooking classes offered here in Malaysia, RM52 / class is not unreasonable at all. Of course, these prices may include ingredients, but the vegetables I bought for the salsa class are pretty basic, and the prices aren’t that high. Being an online class, you also don’t need to spend money on gas or parking.
For RM52, you can still feel like you’re in Mexico because of the smells when you cook and the music that plays while you cook. So I would say it is a robbery.
For the sheep meditation experience, paying RM34 to spend time with sheep can be a bargain, depending on how much you enjoy looking at the sheep. The meditation aspect paid off too, especially if you need a little help concentrating.
You can get the same kind of experience by watching sheep videos on YouTube and learning to meditate, but you would lose the personal touch that an experience like this offers. Without the intimacy between the host and the guests, you also wouldn’t feel like you’ve traveled and met people from all over the world. The experience even ran out the last time I reviewed it, but it might come back, so keep checking!
For Seattle, RM18 for an Airbnb experience is on the cheaper side. However, I would feel that the experience would have been more fun if I didn’t have to get up so early. Still, I would spend less than if I spent money on a two-quarter pound burger.
Prices for other experiences range from RM15 over Lisbon to RM287, where you can design your own shoes and they can send them to you for free. I also noted that experience prices may increase if they become more popular, and prices may also vary on different booking dates.
I recommend?
If you haven’t figured it out by reading my perspective yet, I love talking to people, even people I don’t really know. I miss that aspect of traveling and when I go out in general. While it’s not the same as meeting people in real life and learning new experiences in a different country, it scratches a little itch that I’ve had since the announcement of the Movement Control Order.
Do you know that feeling of indescribable joy you get when you video chat with your friends during these moments, and how does your mood instantly increase after a long time working alone from home? That was me all week. Despite the late nights and super early mornings, you forget that you are awake at a godless hour for a while to enjoy being with people.
If you’re a little shy, you can still enjoy these Airbnb experiences. You can book a session together with other guests from around the world and the attention doesn’t have to be on you if you don’t want to. You will be close to other guests who are in the same boat. But if that’s not your cup of tea, going to these to learn a new skill might not be the best way, as the experiences are quite social despite the limitations of your internet connection.
How to register for an “Online Experience”
Click here to see the different Airbnb experiences and choose one. I recommend cooking ones, but if you’re a more fitness fanatic, there are plenty of fitness-related experiences, including some led by Olympic athletes!
After that, read the page description to make sure it’s what you want. Click “view dates” and choose the class that suits your day and schedule. Make sure you are registered and registered on Airbnb, and choose your preferred country and currency before choosing your experience.
Then fill in your payment details and confirm your purchase. Soon, you will receive an email notification and a notification in your Airbnb app (Android, iOS) on your phone (you don’t need to download the app, but it will make communication much faster). In the email, you will receive additional information, including the Zoom link, and things to bring if necessary.
In short, it is a joy for someone who loses the aspect of traveling and meeting new people during the COVID-19 pandemic, and enjoys the idea of being able to do it safely in the comfort of my own home. However, while it scratches that itch, it will never really replace being there, no matter how much you save on travel fares with Airbnb’s new feature.
Still, it’s good to know that you now have options. Just be sure to stay safe by choosing to watch the experience in the web browser version of Zoom if you’re not interested in using the app – that is, if you don’t mind the lack of views from multiple cameras.
You can also check out this video below I made about Airbnb experiences, and give me a thank you below if you tried to make one. Did it live up to your expectations?
