She may be busy with her new project Leila, but Huma Qureshi insists she will still carve out time for a quick holiday. The Bollywood actor who visits at least two to three new places a year, says travelling is “a very important part of who she is”. “It's the only way to expand your creativity, talent and art. It opens up your mind.”
But luxury is not what Huma seeks on a holiday. It's the small, personal stories that make her travels memorable. “I like places with character and history. I don't want buffet breakfasts and blow-drys. I like to pick up local ingredients and cook my own breakfast.”
An Airbnb is, therefore, her preferred place of stay during international trips. “Hotel rooms can be so impersonal. Everything is so standardised. A property can be the same in Goa, Dubai and Singapore,” Huma says. “I want to eat local and travel local. I want to absorb the culture and an Airbnb allows you to do that.”
Huma's most memorable Airbnb experience was at a home close to the Spanish Steps in Rome. “The house had a rooftop that offered panoramic views of the city. You could hear the church bells. It was beautiful.” It helps that an Airbnb also works out cheaper. “In London, I found a three-story home with a garden in the same amount I would pay for a tiny hotel room. And yet, you get the full luxury experience.”
The Bollywood actor who mostly travels solo also feels “safe and secure” in an Airbnb. “Moreover, in a world where everyone is so fearful of each other, Airbnb brings different communities closer. It fosters a sense of friendship and harmony. It's definitely not the same as living in a hotel,” she says.