My all-time top 5 Airbnbs, ranked: a penthouse with a terrace over Porto, a dome in the woods and a lakeside house near Mont Tremblant, a cozy cabin in Vermont, and my #1, a tiny cabin with a pool hanging over the ocean in Ilhabela, Brazil.
#1 · Ilhabela, Brazil | Cliffside cabin with a pool over the ocean
🏨 Housing
Ilhabela, São Paulo, Brazil
In first place, we're going to my home country Brazil, for this tiny cabin in Ilhabela.
• Ilhabela is a small island with some of the most beautiful beaches in the southeast of Brazil
• It's totally disconnected from the world, hanging on a cliff right above the ocean
• The cabin interior is super simple, but this balcony with a pool hanging by the ocean was one of the most incredible things we ever did
• You can have some wine, chill in the pool, cook a great meal on the barbecue, and then just chill and disconnect for as long as you need
• The island itself is really nice: great local restaurants and stores to explore, and great hiking all around it
#2 · Mont Tremblant, Canada | Lakeside house on a frozen lake
🏨 Housing
Chertsey, Canada
Back in Canada for this lakeside house, really one of the most special trips we ever took.
• There's a huge lake behind the house that gets completely frozen in the winter. Some of the houses had the snow scraped off and you could go ice skating on the lake
• The house itself is one of the nicest Airbnbs I've ever seen
• The kitchen is awesome: if you like to cook, there's everything you need for a great meal
• There's also a jacuzzi and a sunroom where you can drink some wine and read
• Super close to the Mont Tremblant ski area, so it's great for a ski trip
• We'd definitely love to go back, especially in the summer so we can enjoy the lake
Vermont, USA
This spot in Vermont is just a few hours away from NYC.
• The apartment is so cozy: there's a fireplace, a full kitchen, and huge windows to see the trees
• Outside there's a grill and a fire pit. We had a great time cooking some steak and sitting down to read by the fire
• If you need to get away from the city, this is an absolutely awesome spot
Québec, Canada (under 2h from Montreal)
A dome in the middle of the woods, less than a 2h drive from Montreal.
• The pictures speak for themselves, but this is a really magical spot
• There's a fireplace, a jacuzzi and a grill, and you're completely isolated from the world
• We went in the winter, and sitting in the jacuzzi with the snow falling outside was an incredible experience
• It's also super close to the Mont Tremblant ski area, so it's a great spot to stay during a ski trip
#5 · Porto, Portugal | Penthouse with a terrace over the city
🏨 Housing
Porto, Portugal (across from Mercado do Bolhão)
A penthouse apartment in Porto.
• It was for a family trip: a huge 3-bedroom apartment
• Right across the street from Mercado do Bolhão, a market where you can buy bread, cheese, olive oil and much more
• The apartment itself was great, but the highlight is the terrace overlooking the city of Porto
• Coming back from a long day of walking around and opening a bottle of wine on the terrace was one of the best moments of the trip
