This past month, I have had the good fortune of being hosted in three amazing homes, via Airbnb.
In Lagos, we stayed at Casa Trigoso, owned by the fantastic Maria. We were there for 9 nights and it was a perfect location for us to relax and do some work.
In Faro, we stayed with Karen at her lovely place in Sítio dos Gorjões; had amazing meals and conversations.
In Cambridge where I needed a base as I conducted some research, I stayed with Simon & Helena at a charming apartment / art studio on Barton Road
My experiences with Airbnb have been very positive, and with the tight budget I normally have with traveling, I feel almost fortunate to be able to let into the homes of these fascinating individuals, all with such interesting stories to tell and lives to share.
Cambridge outtakes
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I am so tempted by Airbnb — I love that you could get to meet new and interesting people, have an off-the-beaten-path experience, and fit in with a small budget. But I suspect that I would get an axe murderer. Is there a way round that fear? Do they vet their hosts in any way?
Hey Fionnuala. There is a way round that fear! I’m not the most trusting of sorts so it did take a while before diving in. Airbnb has a good system of verification. All hosts are reviewed and their profiles validated. You are only allowed to review after you’ve stayed in a location, hence, fake reviews are not possible. The reviews others give about a location and the host can tell you a little about the possibilities of the host being an axe murderer. Also, after you’ve made a tentative reservation, if through correspondences with your host you feel uncomfortable or you are spooked out, you can cancel your reservation and tell Airbnb you are spooked.
Similarly, guests are reviewed by hosts. I think reputational capital is important in this game – it keeps Airbnb going and thriving.
Thank you. I might investigate it the next time I’m travelling with someone — just to be safe while I dip my toe in the water!