Vacation is a time to try something new, unique, and out of your normal routine. For some people, this is travelling to a country they have never been before. For others, it is purposefully trying foods they cannot get at home. Another way to make your vacation more adventurous is seeking out unique accommodations and experiences for your stay.
Along with normal, in the city housing accommodations and experiences, Airbnb also offers quite the selection of unique housing and experience options for those people that are seeking more adventure from their vacation. By booking through Airbnb, you are sure to find a vast array of interesting places to live and things to do while you are there.
Airbnb is a leading provider of housing accommodations, ranging from quick, vacation style living quarters to longer stays for those seeking a change of scenery. Airbnb also provides access and information to experiences you can have in whichever city you are staying in. Keep reading for the five most unique AirBnB experiences in the US.
How Is Airbnb Unique?
First, let us start with the uniqueness of Airbnb itself. Starting out as an online platform to make it easier to rent out properties for short periods of time, Airbnb has grown to include so much more than just housing.
At its start, Airbnb made it possible for a person leaving their house for a couple of weeks to rent it out for people looking for a cheaper place to stay. This platform revolutionized the vacation industry and made it possible for people to bring their favorite hobbies, such as cooking, with them on vacation.
After making major changes to the way people travel, Airbnb took it a step further and added additional material on their platform: experiences. Booking experiences through AirBnB makes it possible for you to book your housing and entertainment, all in the same spot. It’s ideal for those that love to plan ahead!
AirBnB has also added a completely virtual experience to their platform. Visit the world’s most amazing places from the comfort of your living room. To learn more about the how AirBnB online experiences work, check out that article.
Not only did this platform open up the lesser known parts of cities to tourists, it also made it possible for average people living in the city to share their expertise and cool hobbies with tourists looking to learn about the true nature of the city they’re visiting.
What Makes an Airbnb Experience Unique
Anyone can book a tour or sightseeing excursion for their upcoming trip with a simple internet search. However, an Airbnb Experience is more unique than the average group tour
While the average tour might help you see the city, an Airbnb experience helps you see the lives and culture of the people living in the city. Regular city dwellers help teach tourists games, activities, and/or food that the average inhabitant enjoys.
If you are in Asia, you can find a local offering classes to learn how to play Mahjong. If you are on an island, someone could offer classes on how to survive on just coconuts. Engaging in the experience is one of many key tips for doing an AirBnB experience.
With a long list of unique experiences, you can find in your chosen vacation spot, your vacation will go from seeing a lot of buildings to experiencing life as a local would. You can truly become like a local with your newly acquired knowledge.
The 5 Most Unique Airbnb Experiences in the U.S.
While all of the experiences you can find on Airbnb are unique, some of these experiences are truly once in a lifetime opportunities. Below is a list of the 5 most unique Airbnb experiences that you can find in the U.S.
Wood Carving in Salem, Oregon
Oregon is quickly becoming a tourist destination because of it’s natural beauty and endless opportunities for adventure. Wood carving is an activity that blends art and nature, two things that are at the heart of Oregon’s culture and lifestyle.
Oregon is also home to a vast diversity of ecosystems, including miles and miles of trees. With access to these woods, Salem locals have taken up a variety of extracurriculars related to wood. Harvesting the earth’s natural and sustainable resources and turning them into a beautiful work of art is quintessential Oregon.
Taught by a father and son duo, a party of up to six people can come together and spend roughly four hours learning how to carve wood. The actual wood carving involves some heavy duty machinery, such as chainsaws, so a safety presentation at the beginning is a must.
For $250, you will not only learn how to carve a bear out of wood, you’ll be taught essential woodworking lessons that you can take with you and apply as a hobby once you get back home.
Eating Fire in Los Angeles
That’s right, a brave, well trained soul in Los Angeles actually teaches people how to eat fire (Airbnb). The practice of eating fire is actually a performing arts form commonly done by street performers and circus performers.
Fire eating actually originated in India but had spread across the world by the 1880s as it is a very entertaining and awe-inspiring practice. Since Los Angeles is one of the major melting pot cities for culture and tourists, it is possible to learn this art form without travelling across the world.
The practice of eating fire as well as a variety of other body burning techniques is taught by Cat and can accommodate up to six guests at a time. Because this activity can be very dangerous if not done properly, obviously.
The session starts off with some instruction in a warehouse, followed by actually practicing the techniques out on the street. The best part is that at $45, it is a relatively cheap activity that comes with major bragging rights when you show it to your friends after arriving home from vacation.
Wolf Interactions in Seattle
If you’re a lover of animals and also love taking a walk on the wild side, then this experience is for you (Airbnb). Just an hour and a half outside of Seattle, Washington lies a small reserve for exotic animals. The main attraction of the reserve is their small pack of around ten wolves, two of which are trained enough that you will be able to go in and pet them.
Ashley, the guide for the experience, has been working with wolves and wolf pups in one way or another since she was 12. With a passion for spreading knowledge about wildlife and everything’s place in the web of life, she shares the opportunity to pet wolves and watch them run around in their natural habitat.
The tour starts at $200 dollars for two hours, including some time to interact with the wolves. The tour includes snacks and beverages as well as an in-depth discussion on wolves and what predatory habits are true or just myth.
Imagine being able to go home and tell your friends that you got a chance to pet a wolf! Grab a group of up to eight people and come make friends with a wolf. You must be 18 years old or older for this experience.
Macrame Weaving Experience in Yucca Valley, California
For those looking for a hands-on experience that results in souvenirs to take home, this macrame session (Airbnb) could be just what you’re looking for. Macrame is a form of craft that uses knots to produce textiles, usually decorative ones that can be hanged, such as a wall decoration. It is somewhat similar in appearance to knitting when finished.
Macrame can be traced all the way back to the time of Babylon. Since its inception, the technique has spread across the world, first from the Arab world to Europe, then to Asia and the new world.
The craft was popular among sailors at sea, who would then sell the pieces they made when they got to port.
Alison, the experience host, will help a group of up to eight people to make a twelve inch macrame wall hanging that they can take with them and display in their own houses. At $80 a person, the activity is rather family friendly.
The best part is that you will obtain a skill that has been used for centuries and bring that skill back with you. The session lasts for three hours and snacks and drinks are provided before you get to making a masterpiece with knots.
Treasure Hunting in The Adirondacks
Are you down for an epic treasure hunt (Airbnb), or are you a huge fan of history? Then this activity is for you. This experience will have you using a metal detector to hunt for old artifacts buried in the mountain.
The Adirondack mountain range has been populated for thousands of years and as such, is full of all kinds of artifacts and treasures, ranging from jewels and old coins to common items of their times, such as kitchen ware.
For this activity, Brendan will start the activity by taking time to explain how to correctly use the metal detector and how to know what parts of the mountain you should look at to find buried treasure.
This activity is cleared with local laws and regulations, so whatever treasures you find while hunting is yours to keep. After roughly three and a half ours hunting for lost treasures, the activity will come to an end.
At this point, Brendan will show you how to properly care for the artifacts you find. You are allowed to keep whatever you find during the activity. The whole affair can have four people present with $150 per person as a price tag. However, getting to take a precious historic artifact home is definitely worth the chance.
How Would I Go About Starting My Own Unique Experience
As evidenced by the list above, there are all kinds of out there experiences you can find on Airbnb. From eating fire to finding hidden jewels, you can find people to teach you a unique skill or give you a unique experience.
However, the fun does not have to end on vacation. You too can offer visitors to your hometown an opportunity to have a unique experience.
Making a unique experience happen is not difficult. All that is required is your expertise in an area and having the courage to offer it to the world. If you have those few things, you might be ready to host an Airbnb experience.
You can teach things as simple as early morning yoga to something more culturally sensitive to where you are from, like making bread the old fashioned way at historic sights. Everyone has a unique skill they can share with the world. To get your own experience out there, hop onto Airbnb and fill out their application for an experience.
Considering becoming a host on Airbnb? Check out our comprehensive guide to becoming a host on Airbnb, where you’ll find valuable tips and step-by-step instructions to get started and create a successful listing.
Final Thoughts
Airbnb offers travelers both the opportunity to explore new kinds of housing accommodations and new experiences to be had where they are visiting. Many of these experiences found on Airbnb are one of a kind and give you a deeper look into the place you are visiting. Just remember, while on vacation, adventure and explore to your heart’s content