By Meredith Carey, Condé Nast Traveler
Earlier this month, Airbnb took its in-person Experiences—a mix of classes, cooking demonstrations, tours, and more—and brought them online via Zoom, a video conferencing platform. Now, you can have a virtual date night thanks to tango lessons with Ana and Jorge in Barcelona, learn how to make movie-quality sound effects from a foley artist in L.A., and get a high-intensity interval training workout in alongside a British Olympic gold medalist. We're rounding up a few Airbnb Experiences that we'd like to try ourselves, spanning four continents and divvied up by interest. Ranging from $4 to $40, there's something for everyone.
Food and drinks
Enjoy a drag show with a side of sangria
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| © Condé Nast Traveler The Drag Taste crew is sheltering together in their home in Lisbon, streaming drag performances and sangria classes online. |
If you haven't seen a Drag Taste show IRL, head over to their Instagram to take a peek at what's in store. While these seven queens can usually be found hosting cooking classes and live Sunday drag brunches in Lisbon, they've combined the two and are bringing their show to the web, all from their shared home. You'll learn to make sangria, yes, but you'll also watch the queens' dance and lip-syncing routines, make a bunch of new internet friends, and have an excuse to dress up for once. (As many previous guests have discovered, this makes for a great virtual birthday party.)
Make your own pasta
Just watching the trailer for Luca and Lorenzo's pasta-making class, hosted from their kitchen and garden on the outskirts of Florence, makes us hungry. The experience walks you through how to make, store, and cook three different types of pasta, as well as ravioli with butter and sage, that you'll enjoy with the class. Along the way, you'll keep the hosts apprised of how your own pasta is coming along, showing the class through Zoom. One previous guest actually took Luca and Lorenzo's course in person—and said that the two-hour online version was just as fun. You will have to make a trip to the grocery store to stock up for this one, but it'll be well worth it.Pour the perfect cup of coffee
More than 300 people have already taken Ricardo's online experience, which provides you with the tools to make a perfect cup of coffee—and learn about the neuroscience behind our concepts of flavor, too. Shared from Ricardo's home in Mexico City, rather than its usual location in his Borola Café, the class prioritizes connection among guests while teaching those who join about the history of coffee and more. Ricardo is a judge for Mexico's national coffee competitions, so you can be sure he knows his stuff.Workouts
Perfect your twerking
Since, for the most part, our exercise these days consists of taking a lap around the block, this bounce and twerk class straight out of New Orleans could do us some good. Mixing Zydeco, second line, and New Orleans bounce dance moves, the class will have you sweating in no time. More than just learning the moves though (and there will be a performed routine at the end), you'll learn about the distinct history of these Louisiana dance steps from Marissa Joseph, also known as Moe Joe. (Beyond workouts, her dance studio is popular for bachelorette parties and more.)Train with an Olympian
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| © Condé Nast Traveler Olympic gold medalist Kate is often joined by her dog Doug during online workouts. |
It may sound intimidating, but when you see Olympic gold medalist and rower Kate in her living room, on her yoga mat, with her dog Doug, it puts it in perspective. Olympians—they're just like us (at least for now). Streamed from Reading, England, the high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session will get you moving in your living room, focusing on upper body strength and cardio. There's a stretching section at the end as well and, don't worry, you will get to see her gold medal.
Dance the night away
While you can't necessarily go dancing these days, it doesn't mean you can't dance. Perfect for a date night, this course is hosted by Jorge and Ana, two Argentine tango dancers in Barcelona, and teaches the basic step and fundamentals of tango dancing. You'll need to make sure you have enough room to show your body head to toe in the video conference, so the professionals can adjust your form. Since the classes are small (capped at 10 people), you'll get plenty of personalized attention.Soundscapes
Meditate with a Buddhist monk
Osaka–based monk Kuniatsu has hosted more than 4,000 Airbnb guests for his in-person guided meditations over the years and now—when we need the soothing effects of the practice most—he's offering group sessions online. You'll start with 20 minutes of chanting, followed by 10 minutes of breathing, and your session will close out with storytime and answered questions about Buddhism, meditation, and more from Kuniatsu.Learn the art of foley
There could not be a more different Airbnb experience to a guided meditation than a masterclass in foley, those recorded sound effects you likely don't even notice when you're watching a movie. Host Adam will take you on a tour of his L.A. home recording studio where he's recorded sound effects that were included in Jumanji: The Next Level, The Good Doctor, Lost, Orange Is the New Black, and more. Then, you'll get to try it out for yourself, crunching celery to mimic broken bones and creating the perfect bag of chips crunch. It'll be loud, that's for sure.Join a tango concert
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| © Condé Nast Traveler Enjoy a tango concert from Kevin, left, and MarÃa, not pictured, from their home in Buenos Aires. |
The tango is back, but this time you get to sit back and enjoy it. Hosts MarÃa and Kevin know how to put on a show; the Grammy-nominated tango singer and Californian harmonica player, respectively, walk you through the history of tango music in this experience, complete with a few live performances. Broadcast from their home in Buenos Aires's most colorful neighborhood, La Boca, the duo calls their experience “part cocktail party, part history lesson, part live concert.” After watching the duo's Tiny Desk concert from NPR, we're sold.
