My first experience with Airbnb!

Before you even ask, no I wasn’t paid to write this article. It was just such an interesting experience that I am seriously considering using this accommodation method semi-permanently. Let’s be very honest. As I am typing this and I know I sound almost stupid for saying this, but Airbnb isn’t something that is unheard of. However, as I don’t get to travel very often (due to commitments), I haven’t exactly had the chance to try out this cool way of accommodation.

That opportunity however, came when my husband and I decided to make a weekend trip to Singapore to try out some of their escape games. I would’ve thought that we would stay in a hotel, but then, my husband noticed that an Airbnb was a LOT cheaper than a hotel room. And since we were only going for a short while, we knew that a hotel was just a shower and a bed. We wanted to make the most out of our time in Singapore.

For those of you who aren’t too sure what Airbnb is, Airbnb is basically a website for people to list, find and rent lodging. Users can be categorized as hosts and guests. There are different types of accommodation. Hosts can even rent out lodgings for up to months, or choose to host guests who are traveling for just a couple of days. You can rent a small bedroom from a house that a host lives in, or rent a whole bungalow depending on your budget.

Screenshot of the Airbnb website

So my husband logged on to the website and the mobile app and found us a quaint little place in Woodleigh Park. Our host’s name was Rick and he was such a nice person. We didn’t get to meet him when we first checked out our room though. He was busy at work. But his house helper let us in, and we were totally amazed.

Our room was part of a small little apartment in Woodleigh Park. The building has been around for about 80 years now. It really reminded me of the home I used to live in back in Taiping when I would visit my grandaunty’s home. The studio we were given was an annexe private room with an ensuite bathroom and private access to the room. There is a shared kitchen and living room which we didn’t really use since we spent most of our time outdoors anyway.

Screenshots of the photos of our accommodation

Although breakfast was part of the accommodation, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. We looked around town for a great dimsum place so we didn’t really partake in the breakfast. This apartment was a less than 5 minutes walk away from the Woodleigh MRT station. Since we were in Singapore, their MRT system is really one of the best I’ve ever seen. Everywhere is walkable around Singapore. We got our MRT card from a kiosk in the airport. And we topped up once only. That card (approximately $ 22 worth) lasted us the entire trip with about $6 remaining.

Singapore is definitely a place I would recommend as a place for a good weekend escape. There’s also a lot to do and discover there. For example, when we were there, we didn’t get to visit the Artscience Museum which is currently (until 14 February 2016) showing The Collider exhibition. This exhibition displays the Large Hadron Collider. This exhibition just sounds incredibly amazing and I would’ve loved to pay it a visit. Maybe sometime soon I will make a trip back!

Singapore is one of those places that I see myself visiting every now and again, now that I’ve realized the convenience and the fact that it’s a country that is closest to Malaysia. Now if only the currency would go down…

#blogmasday4 (so sorry I missed day 1-3!!! Will try and catch up soon!)

Love you lots,
DancerGal Sheryl!