AirBnB Experience | Naples

Whilst in Naples (courtesy of AirBnB), I was invited to try one of AirBnB’s Experience’s. There is an array of opportunities to do something unique whilst away lead by a local in the city you are staying.

See, try or go somewhere you wouldn’t normally, wouldn’t think of or didn’t even know you wanted to do. If I hadn’t of picked Raffaele's Historical Naples; Origins & Cults Tour, I would not have gained a completely new perspective of Naples, it’s hidden secrets, it’s struggles, it’s pride (those from Naples call themselves Napoletans not Italian) I definitely wouldn’t have visited a cafe dedicated to Maradona (they do do a rocket fuel espresso, I couldn’t sleep that night!)! But I wouldn’t have noticed or even known to look for the Banksy. Did you know there’s a Banksy in Naples? It’s been preserved by two shop owners who used their own money to place it behind protective glass. I wouldn’t have noticed the Roman column propping up a shop. Or the 900 year old tower that was rebuilt from odds and ends of Roman structures including one of only three in the world of the Roman's early version of a Chess Board (a square grid carved into the stone, this one is slowly having the graffiti removed).

I wouldn’t have seen the greek letters, just behind the Christmas Bricabrac on one of the stalls in a busy street. I wouldn’t have ventured to the front of a church to see preserved layering of Greek, Roman, Mosaiced walkways. This perfectly preserved layering of how the Greeks & Roman's just built directly on top of each other was revealed when the church was bombed in the second world war.

I definitely wouldn’t have ventured into all the churches, particularly one that had a wedding going on at the time but my goodness look at the ceiling. I wouldn’t have noticed the different styles, Baroque, Renaissance or known there are 477 churches in Naples or 52 Saints.

Raffaele is an Official Tour Guide for Naples, he has the badge, he pays the taxes, he is an archaeologist by day, he lived in London for 2 years, he worked on the HMS Belfast, he has ‘done digs’ in and around Naples his knowledge is mind blowing, his love of Naples evident. Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed wandering around Naples, capturing street scenes, views and staircases, this tour gave me an insight, understanding and awe for this rough round the edges, proud and historical city. I highly, highly recommend booking this tour if you come to Naples but do consider looking at AirBnB's experiences when you are booking your next holiday.

My trip and experience was paid for by AirBNB, this blog post was not part of the agreement, I genuinely enjoyed this experience and wanted to share it with you. All thoughts are my own.