The quirkiest AirBnB properties from around the world include a windmill, an old bus and a giant shell
The home owners' rental website has a number of bizarre properties on its books. Travellers can choose to stay in a mud hut in Portland, a lighthouse in Massachusetts and a yurt in Mongolia
Ever dreamt of sleeping among the birds’ nests, waking up in a mountain yurt to a cup of steaming yak’s milk or dozing off to the humming of a windmill’s sails?
For those travellers with a proper sense of adventure, the spread of AirBnB to the furthest corners of the earth means that people can now experience what it’s like to live in some of the most unique properties around the world.
Whether it’s a lighthouse in Massachusetts or a mud hut in Oregon, tourists can now pay to spend a few nights in a home that is the polar opposite to their own.
So in case you fancy something different for your 2017 holiday, we’ve round up some of the quirkiest offerings from the rentals website…
A bubble bed in a French forest
For those who don’t mind sacrificing a few comforts in order to be at one with nature – this tiny tent in the sky contains just one bed that measures 2.4m wide.
For £104 a night, guests can sleep in this suspended from the trees in Fondettes, central France.
Obviously there is no room for a kitchen but the owners will provide breakfast and picnics on request.
An artist’s oasis in the California desert
The ultimate rental property for tile enthusiasts (yes, they really do exist) – this two-bedroom is the life’s work of mosaic artist Perry Hoffman, who has spent the last decade creating this art installation which also doubles as a house.
He has used thousands of mosaic glass, hand fused glass, Mexican ceramic, bric-a-brac and broken tiles to create his masterpiece, which sits in Mojave desert near Joshua Tree.
Guests can stay at the property for £142 a night.
The giant seashell house in Mexico
Unsurprisingly, two architects own this quirky property on the Mexican island of Isla Mujeres in the Caribbean Sea.
Eduardo Ocampo built the for his famous artist brother after becoming influenced by the mountains of sea shells found on the local beaches.
For £243 a night, four guests can stay at the property in a private gated development, which has its own pool.
A mud hut in Oregon
Portland in Oregon can get some scorching temperatures in the middle of summer, so this might not be such a bad idea for anyone visiting the US city.
The candle-lit property, which was built in the private backyard of a family home, has served as a home school, a sauna and a sanctuary in past lives, but is now available as a holiday let.
For £61 a night, two people can sleep on the futon in the building, which overlooks the St John’s bridge.
The old hippy bus in New Orleans
Do you feel like you missed your calling as a sixties hippy? Well this in New Orleans is the perfect place to act out that fantasy.
The crumbling machine was lived in for four years by a special relief worker who travelled to the city after Hurricane Katrina and transformed the bus into the bohemian home it is today.
For £76 a night, up to six people can share the bus, complete with kitchenette, which is housed in the back garden of a New Orleans local.
The lighthouse in Massachusetts
There is no beating the sea view from this e in the village of Pocasset in Cape Cod, just a few feet from the Atlantic Ocean.
Formerly a US Coast Guard Lighthouse, the light tower still stands attached by a breezeway to a fully functional three-bedroom keeper's home, with 360 degree views from the lantern room.
For £407 a night, up to eight people can stay in the property, with access to a private beach.
The windmill near Amsterdam
Surely there isn’t a more authentic Dutch experience than a stay in a windmill.
This , built in 1874, is just a few miles from the city of Amsterdam and the owner will even show you how to work the machinery.
From £216 a night, six people can stay in the three-bedroom property.
The treehouse in Italy
For a proper bird’s eye view, there is no better place to sleep than this in San Salvatore Monferrato, Alessandria.
The property is built in a huge 18,000 square-metre garden, with panoramic views of the surrounding hills, a solarium and a swimming pool.
From £121 a night, two guests can stay in the property, which comes with access to the neighbouring mansion.
The Mongolian yurt
For a truly otherworldly experience, you can’t possibly beat a stay in a with a nomadic Mongolian family.
The guests will stay in the yurt with the owners, who own a small farm that contains 50 black yaks and three horses.
From £40 a night, two people can stay in the traditional home that comes with a typical Mongolian breakfast.
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