When most people think of camping, they envisage fresh air, nature and adventures in the great outdoors.
But this Airbnb listing takes camping to a whole new place… indoors.
For $55 a night, thrifty travellers can camp out inside a Chinese woman’s home in Sydney.
The cheap offering, just a stone’s throw from the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, sees visitors stay inside a small blue and silver tent in someone’s living room.
The cosy stay, offered online by a woman called Grace, not only offers a tent to sleep in but also provides free WiFi and use of the kitchen and bathroom.
A tent erected in the living room of a Sydney woman’s one bedroom apartment (pictured) offers a cheap and quirky way for visitors to experience CBD living
The listing describes the pop-up accommodation as: ‘COZY Indoor Camping-Near Bus Stop & Station’,
Neatly positioned directly under the kitchen’s breakfast bar, the tent gets ‘good sunlight and ventilation’, features a ‘light proof’ layer on its zipped up door and comes complete with a queen sized blow-up mattress.
Guests are required to put down a $727 deposit to secure themselves a spot inside the ‘conveniently located’ canvas, and pay a $6 cleaning fee on their departure.
While the Chinese woman’s indoor ‘glamping’ option may seem a bizarre choice for some, reviews are brimming with positive messages from satisfied customers.
Advertiser Grace lists her quaint two metre squared nylon shelter: ‘COZY Indoor Camping’ option, close to public-Near Bus Stop & Station’, and also offers free WiFi
Guests are required to put down a $900 deposit to secure themselves a spot inside the ‘conveniently located’ shack, and pay an $8 cleaning fee on their departure
Several have raved about their stay, with positive memories posted in reviews on the tent’s Airbnb advertisement.
But others were left feeling underwhelmed, complaining the accommodation had not been clearly advertised and provided inadequate utilities.
A total of 27 people have taken advantage of the ‘cheap, comfortable and warm’ indoor camping option, leaving Grace with an impressive overall five star rating.
Grace describes herself an avid traveler who enjoys making new friends
For $55 a night, thrifty travellers can camp out inside a Chinese woman’s home in Sydney’s Homebush
A particularly tall visitor had trouble fitting inside the tent, but said his stay was otherwise pleasant.
‘The stay in the tent was comfy, although I nearly didn’t fit because I’m almost 2m, so most people won’t notice,’ Airbnb user Kevin wrote.
Others praised the location of the apartment for its convenient positioning and credited Grace for her accommodating and helpful manner.
The host makes sure to mention that furniture is arranged differently to what’s shown in the ad’s pictures
Several visitors have raved about their stay on the small piece of living room floor space
Visitors have full use of the unit’s amenities, including a bathroom with a shower and bathtub (pictured)
Multiple positive memories have been posted in reviews on the tent’s Airbnb advertisement
‘Grace’s tent was everything I was looking for. Cheap, comfortable and warm. On top of this she was a great host, fun to talk to and very helpful. I’d highly recommend staying at her place,’ one of the impressed patrons said.
The ‘camping pavilion’ setup left one guest less than impressed, prompting the disgruntled Airbnb user to break his booking ahead of schedule.
‘Host should describe more about the term: “Indoor Camping” and remove: “Private room,’ Minh, who stayed in July wrote.
Several guests praised the location of the apartment for its convenient positioning and credited Grace for her accommodating and helpful manner
‘I have misunderstanding about these term and think that I book a private room; but finally get a camping pavilion in the living room. Private room will be charge more. Furthermore, the place is quite far from the city center and take time to get there. The only best thing is near the DFO so I can go to shopping easily.’
Grace defended her claims in the tent’s advertisement, explaining the ‘private room’ terminology was an error on Airbnb’s part and wasn’t one she could personally alter.
‘The private room in Chinese is private space which is not shared space for accommodation even it’s in the living room. That’s a confusion caused by Airbnb not me. My policy is very flexible,’ she responded.
The ‘camping pavilion’ setup left one guest less than impressed, but Grace said the terminology used was an Airbnb error