Bees are pretty interesting creatures (except of course if you’re allergic to them) especially if you think about their role in our ecosystem. A lot of plants, including wild ones, rely on these insects for pollination and they are a large contributor to our biodiversity. While they will not be extinct anytime soon, a lot of cities are inadvertently driving them out of their spaces. If you want to spend a day or weekend surrounded by the creatures, you can now go to Southern Italy and book a property especially created for that.
Designer: Davide Tagliabue
Cutely called Air Bee & Bee (and listed on Air BnB), the house, or more specifically, the self-standing room, is located on an olive farm in a village called Grottole. The room fits two people, and the house itself has an exterior that looks like a honeycomb. But aside from just having a bee theme, there are actually nine apiaries or beehive boxes surrounding you. There’s even one of those boxes hanging from the ceiling near your bed. So if you’re a bit scared of bees, then this is definitely not somewhere you should go to.
You won’t get stung by bees though as these apiaries are netted. The beehive only houses the room where you can sleep in or hang out in. To go to the bathroom, you have to go to a separate cottage nearby, where you have an outhouse and a private bathroom. The house has no electricity, but you’ll get solar-powered LED lights, a cooler bag so you can store your food, and you’ll have the sound of the bees to keep you company.
To give you the complete bee experience, the owner, who is also the beekeeper, will give you lessons about the importance of bees. You will also be served breakfast that includes homemade biscuits, ricotta strawberries, and of course, honey made from the local bees. The accommodation was actually built through a crowdfunding campaign and the help of 25 volunteers. The goal, aside from having a cool Air BnB listing, is to spread more awareness about bees.
If you’re going to Italy and want to experience this beehive, you can book it at $145 per night. All proceeds will go to local bee conservation projects. Just expect a “100% rural” stay at the house and of course, spend some time with all those bees.
