Planning to explore the world but concerned about the cost? Now, besides the low cost airlines, the virtual network of friends across the globe has made traveling very affordable for all.
Several networking websites like Wayn, Travelers point, Travbuddy.com and Couch surfing not only makes traveling easier and cheaper, but also helps travelers make new friends everyplace they go.
Couch Surfing, for instance, helps people find hosts in places, they are planning to visit. Having a presence in more than 230 countries and over 10,000 members in India alone, the project offers people great opportunity to not just to be guests or host travelers, but also be buddies for tea or drink.” It (Couch Surfing) is a great channel to make friends on a global platform and know multi-cultures, besides offering an opportunity to explore the world at low cost. t is always nice to expect people from all corners of the world and show them your town,” says Varun, a regular at Couch Surfing dot com.
He explains that Couch Surfing is a totally new concept in today’s promising world with its groundbreaking inventive trends.
Couch Surfing may sound like some random extreme sport, but it is an international non-profit network that connects travelers with locals around the world; it has been active since 2004.
The basic idea behind this system was to make people from all corners of the world come together for cultural exchange, friendship, and learning experiences. Today, over a million people who might have otherwise never met are able to share hospitality and cultural understanding.
The brain behind Couch Surfing was Casey Fenton, who conceived the project in 2000. According to Fenton, the idea arose after finding an inexpensive flight from Boston to Iceland. Rather than stay at a hostel, Fenton randomly emailed 1500 students from the University of Iceland asking if he could stay. Fenton received more than fifty offers of accommodation. On the return flight to Boston he began to develop the ideas that would lay foundation for the entire project.
Vinod Chauhan, another frequent user of the website, says: “The website is safe because proper verification of the users is carried out. It is a great experience to expect someone from overseas and explain to them all about your country, culture and city."
Couch Surfer’s initial focus was on hosting and surfing which was only limited to staying with a local as a guest in their home. The project alongside these core experiences now facilitates a growing array of activities and events.
These exchanges are a unique form of cultural interaction. Hosts have the opportunity to meet people from all over the world without leaving home. For, at the end what matters is that travelers are able to participate in the local life of the places they visit.
