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Karjat Diaries: How an Airbnb Scam Ruined My Trip

After Ganpati Visarjan, we decided to go somewhere but weren’t sure where, as we wanted to travel on a budget. We settled on Karjat for a day or two, but it turned out to be just okay, and both of us ended up falling ill.

Early morning on September 19th, we headed to Swargate Bus Stand in Pune and decided to catch a bus to Karjat. Since there were no direct buses, we planned to go to Panvel or Kalamboli and then take a train or another bus to Karjat, as it was nearby. Around 7 a.m., we found a bus and began our journey. By 10 a.m., we reached Panvel, where we discovered the next bus to Karjat wouldn’t arrive until 11 a.m. With nothing else to do, we passed the time listening to music. Finally, around 1 p.m., we arrived at the Karjat bus stand, only to find that the Airbnb we booked was actually 25 km away! We were shocked because the listing showed it was close, as posted by the owner. Since we’d already paid and couldn’t cancel, we had no choice but to go.

We contacted the host, who arranged an auto for us, but the one-way fare was 600-800 rupees! Still, we agreed. Along the way, we stopped to pick up some groceries and packed lunch, as we hadn’t eaten yet. The journey from Karjat to Damni took nearly an hour due to the distance, narrow roads, and poor conditions. Upon checking in, we discovered we had to buy our own drinking water since there was no purified water available. The expenses just kept adding up, which was frustrating. We asked the caretaker to get us bottled water, which cost us 30 rupees per bottle. The place had no network, frequent power outages, unreliable Wi-Fi, and no nearby medical or grocery stores or restaurants.

We quickly fell asleep on the first day, exhausted from all the travel.

The next day, around 11 a.m., they asked us to switch rooms because someone else had booked the one we were in. Despite arriving first, we had no choice but to move. The caretaker helped us find another room, but it reeked of dust and was full of insects. Even after cleaning, the dust made us sick. The bedsheets, blankets, and pillows were so musty that we couldn’t stop sneezing, regretting our decision to come here.

After we returned home, we decided to write a review. But the owner called, pleading with us to edit or delete it, saying that similar reviews had previously caused Airbnb to delist their property. We tried explaining our experience, but they continued to plead, so we eventually removed the review. It was upsetting that they expected us to overlook issues like the misleading location, lack of basic amenities, and cleanliness.

If you ever consider visiting this place, bring your own vehicle, and proceed at your own risk—I wouldn’t recommend it.

Xoxo ❤️ 

Gujjugirl



#badairbnbexperience #whentravelgoeswrong #travelindia #karjat #karjathills #karjatdiaries worst airbnb experience in karjat

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