I was planning a backpacking trip with my mother for two months across Europe. Since, I was on a shoestring budget, I was scouting around for ideas to save and pinch every penny. That is when a friend suggested, “Why don’t you try couchsurfing.com? It is the largest volunteer-based worldwide hospitality network connecting travelers with members of local communities, who offer free accommodation and advice.”
I checked out the website that night. It seemed like a great way to save an awful lot of money that we would have otherwise ended up spending on expensive yet shoddy hotels in shoddier locations. I immediately signed up and paid up the 5 dollars that was required as a reference check.
The idea sounded exciting but my Indian cynicism of foreigners and travelers set in. I called up my friend who has been a member of the couchsurfing project for last two years. He assured me, “Most of the members are verified and have references and feedback from other members on their profile page. Even if you do not want to stay over, you can ask them to share with you some local insights over a cup of coffee.”
That set me at peace. I started scanning the profiles and restricted my e-mail requests only to female members. “Hallelujah! I received quick and positive responses.”
That led to me to check other similar websites such as globalfreeloaders.com J but with names like that I decided to stick to couchsurfing.com
Unfortunately we had to drop our Europe plans. Instead, we decided to tour South-East Asia. The hotels in that part of the world are not too expensive, so we decided to just meet up with some members in a few places over coffee. Learning about the local culture, economics and customs from these members was a whole new experience. Some also got us to experience the local flavor by taking us on a tour of the city.
In Yogyakarta, we met a member who explained how the Indonesian natural resources had been drained by foreign companies, as a result of a local corrupt Government. In Kuala Lumpur, a member took us to the best place in town to savor the local delicacies - Nasi Goreng and Nasi Kampuk and then dropped us back to our hotel in ChinaTown in his BMW. In Bangkok, a member explained the local politics and issues to us. In Vietnam, a member spent an entire day explaining the history of Saigon, and the recent strides that the country has made. In Singapore, a member took us on the romantic river cruise and accompanied us the next day to the shopping zones, driving hard bargains on our behalf.
When I was back in Delhi, I said to myself, “Travelling is a passion. Most times people are not able to travel due to budget constraints. I have a spare room. So why not make good use of it by letting couchsurfers stay over.”
I have turned into an avid couchsurfer. So far, I have had females from Europe, US and South America stay over. The interactions with these members has opened a whole new window of experiences for me. I get to learn so much about the culture and economies of their native places. I get important instructions from these people in the art of traveling and making friends. I get to hear exciting, adventurous tales of visits to far and exotic places. Besides, I also get to visit some historical monuments and famous joints in Delhi that otherwise in the busyness of Delhi life tend to get ignored.
A close friend of mine is immigrating to UK sometime soon. He has been anxious about finding a decent, budget accommodation in London, and is full of frivolous questions like, “What kind of business suits to buy? Should I buy only black and grey? Should I buy Oxford shoes? Should I buy the train pass?” I directed him to couchsurfing.com. Nowadays, he spends quite a few hours everyday chatting with Londoners on couchsurfing.com getting the answers he desperately seeks.
I am definitely looking forward to staying with a few couchsurfers on my next international trip. The experience is unparalleled especially if you are a travel addict like me.
