Mouss on me
There I was, sitting out in the garden in my Airbnb-rented home in Pornic, France, taking in the cool breeze coming off the Atlantic Ocean. There’s a bit of sunshine trying to break through the clouds. The house cat, Mouss, is on my lap. He knows where the most comfortable spot in the house is.
It hadn’t been easy finding a place that would take seven people in the little village of Sainte-Marie, a 30-minute walk from the sea port of Pornic in Pays de la Loire.
Walking distance to the beach: A key attraction. That and wifi.
We wanted a place where our group could be under one roof and where we could feel at home for seven days. Our stay also happened to be over the busiest August weekend in France.
I am usually a last-minute booker but for this trip, I knew I had to plan in advance. Seven people to organize, all coming from different directions, and the purpose was to attend a wedding party and so we couldn’t miss that engagement for sure.
I tried several websites – booking.com was the first site – but there weren’t a lot of hotels where we wanted to be. We tried some European vacation rental sites but again, couldn’t find what we wanted.
Airbnb had the widest range of possibles but, in the end, we chose the house where Mouss lived because not only did it look nice, was close to the beach and had Mouss as an added attraction but it had wifi. Six Asians travelling together – no wifi, die. 
I contacted the host, he had one condition – that we look after the house cat, we agreed on a price – he made an offer through Airbnb and I paid up. Quick and easy. The Airbnb app is also a joy to use – chat, book, share, discover, all in one.
Sam, the host, and I then started communicating – this was two months prior to arrival – and by the time, we arrived, we felt like friends. He offered to pick me up from the train station and when we met, he, his wife and two children were there to welcome us and show us round the house. He’s obviously an experienced host – there’s a manual to explain everything from how to use the washing machine, central heating, the kitchen to feeding the cat.
This is his primary home and he’s somehow managed to organise his life so that his family goes on vacation at the same time as he lets out his house.
We loved the house and the fact that it had their things in it made it feel even more like home, strangely enough. Children’s toys, a piano, bicycles, a table tennis table, a barbecue set and of course, Mouss who clearly rules the house. 
There are many who believe that Asians will not take to staying in other people’s homes or let out their homes to strangers but I think this is changing. As with anything new, it takes time for it to take hold and when it does, well, it does.
In April this year, Airbnb said that year to date, it had recorded a total of 50,000 nights booked from Singapore and in 2013, the number of Airbnb searches from Singapore jumped 200% on the previous year. Regional destinations were high on Singapore travellers’ agenda, with three out of the top five hailing from Asia. Seoul came out tops, followed by Paris, London, Tokyo and Taipei.
When we left, it was with the unspoken understanding that we would leave the house as we found it. We left something extra – a gift from Singapore and a sketch of Mouss for his daughters.
Just as you would do with any friend whose home you had borrowed for a while.
