Our Airbnb..

We all know different types of accommodations, such as hotels, Airbnb, guesthouses, boutique hotels, hostels, motels, apartments, B&Bs, villas, etc. The two of us often rent a hotel room, an Airbnb, or a hostel. We rented Airbnb for the first time some time ago in Zagreb during the winter season (Christmas), so we were a little more nervous.

We rented it downtown, and everything was great the first day. The next day, when we were heading back to the Airbnb from brunch, we noticed that the street was more isolated, quiet, and away from all the other things going on in the square, and of course we were "catcalled", which unfortunately we can deal with. We get to our Airbnb and we're there for a while, then we decide to go back downtown, and we walk through the door and a little distance from the entrance, we immediately see that there's a man behind us and all our instincts are that it's not going to be good. The man started talking to us, and we both tried to back away and walk towards the center.

He asked question after question, which became very personal, and one of the biggest red flags was whether we were traveling alone or staying here - personal questions that you usually don't ask a stranger. We decided to get away from him as soon as possible and start backing away, but then he starts screaming aggressively and confidently moves towards us, after which one of us goes numb and starts shaking. Thank God, an elderly couple walks by and asks us if we're okay, and that's when the man runs off.

We knew that it would not be pleasant for us to stay here for five days, and the possibility that we would run into him again or that he would approach us again was becoming more and more real. We immediately contacted the owner of the Airbnb and explained the current situation. Luckily for us, he was very understandable and kind-hearted to pay us back 80% of the amount paid. Later, we immediately searched for a nearby hotel and booked a room for the next day.

This is not to say that everyone will have this experience with Airbnb - so the moral of the story is to trust your intuition, be aware of your surroundings, and never share personal information with strangers.

Till next time. :)