This was our first time using AirBNB and it was an interesting experience. I wanted to share some of our thoughts in the hopes that they are informative to anyone considering staying with Emma.

Emma was extremely helpful during our entire stay. One day we lost both power and water due to the weather and she left us candles, torches, extra blankets and lighters for the stove. She knew all the best places to see, eat, explore and relax. She also offered us use of her internet, bike and lifts when she was available. The DVD collection was good (especially during all the rain).

Unfortunately the weather we experienced was horrible with one sunny day out of 5. This lead to hundreds of bugs (ants, mozzies, cockroaches, spiders, moths) seeking refuge in our room. Ants especially all over the toilet making it unusable in one instance. Despite our diligence in keeping all surfaces clean, you just can't escape them. I can't stand bugs inhabiting the space where I live, but if you're more bug friendly then you shouldn't have an issue. The other was mosquitoes because of the humidity and I came home covered head to toe in mosquito bites (although my boyfriend had none- I guess they just love me.)

We did not plan to do any washing, so Emma's rules didn't bother us, but the washing machine is located in the studio apartment, and when we were out Emma would come in to use it. Additionally on the sunny day we had, we came home to find the garage door (as it is a converted garage) and sliding door wide open. Our initial thought was we had been broken into, and we had definitely locked the door before we went out. It turns out Emma wanted to air out the room. Despite the good intentions we felt it was a major breach of our privacy. While the rates are cheaper than some hotels, we were still paying for use of the room and expected complete privacy. Personally this made me very uncomfortable. As well as the extra geckos and cockroaches that were able to sneak in while it was open.

The other thing I want to mention (which may or may not bother some) is that Emma monitors very closely your water usage. Any shower longer than 5 minutes and you will get a text. When paying over $100 a night for a room, my expectation is to have a certain freedom. Especially when the weather is wet, hot, humid and sticky.

In retrospect, we may not have been the most suitable people to stay with Emma. I am posting this information as it was details we did not have when considering staying and if we knew, we may have made a different choice. Overall it wasn't the relaxing holiday we wanted, but it was an interesting adventure and we do thank Emma for having us.