As I fasten two sides of a banana leaf which holds in place a mixture of tuna, tomatoes, shallots, and garlic, I hear Made telling my travel companions, “We offer bananas and cigarettes to the spirits.” And while I watch the black and white sticky rice boil in a vessel along with palm sugar and pandan leaf, I hear her voice again, this time laced with mild sarcasm, “The inheritance of parents in a family in Bali is generally held by the eldest son or the youngest son, women are left out.” Finally, the spread is ready, and we move to the dining area to relish the fruits of our labour. This trip with Airbnb is all about getting a taste of Bali’s local life and culture, and discovering some hidden gems. Goa Gajah temple, also known as the Elephant Cave. The meandering stone pathways are populated with plants and flowers of diverse colours. The kitchen is open on three sides and is set in a traditional Balinese compound, next to the family temple and four to five other structures that function as meeting places and living chambers-in Bali, the house is not divided into rooms but structures according to their functions. First stop: Ubad Ubud, a traditional Balinese cooking class, hosted by a very sweet woman named Made, in her house in Tengkulak Village near Ubud. We, a group of journalists and content creators from around the world, are in Bali with Airbnb. Chop, pound, hiss, sizzle-I try to find a rhythm to this cooking orchestra. I mop the sweat on my forehead and continue chopping the chayote from the corner of my eye, I can see my Airbnb mates Aiden and Maddie (a travel creator couple from North Queensland), Belinda (a travel writer from Australia), and about 20 others doing the same. Ubud Palace was the official residence of the royal family of Ubud