Coffee making, magic and more: We tried Airbnb's new online experiences

During the past two weeks, I have met several people from across the globe. My favourite was Kuniatsu Suzuki - a delightfully funny Japanese Buddhist monk with whom I spent a few minutes meditating.

I also made a perfectly balanced cup of coffee with 11 other people from places as far away as Jamaica, Indonesia, Japan, Dubai, Canada and Germany, and learnt a magic trick or two.

And why not? Lockdown is the perfect time to put your tap shoes on for some Irish dancing, master the tricks of making Chinese steamed buns or learn about the secret jazz clubs of Amsterdam. You can even unleash your inner vixen with a Burlesque class or attend a family art adventure with a penguin conservationist in Cape Town.

These are just some of the offerings from Airbnb Online Experiences, a virtual twist on Airbnb Experiences which was launched in 2016 to offer travellers the opportunity to join a local for a tour or workshop and immerse themselves in their destination.

At a time when the travel industry is experiencing a slump, this innovation allows hosts to continue earning an income and provides people with the opportunity to connect with others and travel virtually.

"Human connection is at the core of what we do," says Catherine Po

well, head of Airbnb Experiences. "With so many people needing to stay indoors, we want to provide an opportunity for our hosts to connect with our global community of guests in the only way possible right now, online."

When booking, participants are sent a link to Zoom, the platform on which the experiences take place. With more than 90 classes to choose from - and more being added weekly - there is an experience for every age and every budget. Prices range from R25 to R1,480 per person, with the average being R250, according to the website.

Participating in classes around the world means dealing with different time zones. However, you can search for experiences based on the time of day that suits you, so you don't have to get up at 3am to make sangria with a few fabulous drag queens - but the option is there if you've lost all track of time anyway.

I have missed going to classes to pick up new skills and couldn't limit myself to trying just one. I've done three now and am contemplating a fourth.

The experiences are usually about an hour long, making them perfect for a mini-break from the monotony of lockdown.

The thing I enjoyed most across all my experiences is the sliver of optimism that runs through them, bringing light to the otherwise dreary situation we all find ourselves in.

COFFEE MASTERCLASS

Price: R60 pp, 1 hour

Have you always wondered how much water you should be using per scoop of coffee or how fine you should be grinding your beans? If so, this is the perfect place to ask.

Whether you need a pick-me-up, tips for making the best coffee while stuck at home or just love coffee, you will definitely learn a thing or two during a masterclass with Ricardo Lopez, pictured. As a judge in Mexico's national coffee competitions and the owner of a speciality coffee shop in Mexico City, he proudly holds the title of professional coffee taster.

Lopez starts out by teaching you about your palate, flavour and balance in an interactive way, unpacking what it is that makes a cup of coffee good. One tip I learnt - among several - is that using a medium-body roast is better than using a dark roast, as the latter is more likely to taste bitter.

Using this knowledge as the basis of your understanding of coffee, he then explains, step by step, how to brew the perfect cup. Honestly, the coffee I made after the class was the best I've made at home so far.

MEDITATION WITH A JAPANESE BUDDHIST MONK

Price: R180 pp, 1 hour

Buddhist monk Kuniatsu Suzuki has been a monk for almost 20 years. With the touch of humour that make his classes such fun, he describes himself as a "freelance monk".

He's been doing guided meditations for Airbnb guests for the past five years and now welcomes participants from across the world to join him for meditation all the way from Japan. I was online at 7.30am for my class - but there were later options.

Suzuki guides participants through two types of meditation - a chanting mantra for 20 minutes and a 10-minute breathing meditation.

As a novice, I found my thoughts wandering. I relived my last visit to Nan Hua Temple in Bronkhorstpruit and found myself wondering whether or not I could pull off a book pitch along the lines of Eat, Pray, Love and secure funding to learn the nuances of meditation in Tibet.

But, all in all, I found the hour and 15 minutes I spent online with Suzuki refreshing. It even inspired me to do 20 minutes of beginner's yoga and, so far, nothing else in lockdown has done that.

SECRETS OF MAGIC

Price: R360 pp, 1.5 hours

Martin Rees is a Guinness world record-holding magician. In fact, he doesn't just hold one record, he holds four: Most Magic Tricks on a Skydive (11), Most Magic Tricks in a Wind Tunnel (eight), Most Magic Tricks Blindfolded in One Minute (24) and Most Playing Cards Identified in One Minute (18). He's also a pretty nice guy.

Rees attempted these records to raise funds and awareness for Spread a Smile, a London-based organisation that provides entertainment for children in hospital - something he says has helped him discover the true value of magic.

He has been performing since the age of 12, and his class is a great online experience for both magic enthusiasts and children.

At the end of 90 minutes, participants should have three tricks up their sleeves.

One is a card trick. One is making a coin "disappear" and the third is a trick using toilet paper - the "gold dust" of our time, as he says. In this trick you put a torn block of toilet paper "back together" again.

During the class I managed to successfully complete two of them and I am now practising in secret, refining my skills to maybe pull off a cool party trick or two once lockdown is over.