Withlocals.com

Withlocals is a brilliant website set up to help travellers and locals in the Asia region. I was recently contacted by the owners and it's my pleasure to do this special post dedicated to their project.

The website basically offers locals the chance to earn some extra money by doing what they naturally do - host a dinner or lead an activity with a local. Money goes straight into their hands, from the tourist. Tourists can get a more local touch to their trips and learn a lot about traditions and culture.

Here is a word from the owner of the site:

Get Local: great travel initiative in Asia!

"Have you ever heard tourist talking about their amazing trips? You will hear that the most memorable travel experience often was the one with the ‘local touch’. Apparently, in this era of large connections, booking a mass-organized tour is not on top of a travellers bucket list anymore. People from all over the world are more interested in one-to-one connections, like ‘having dinner in a local family’s home’ or ‘exploring the many faces of Penang island’.

This is why I was taken by the concept of Withlocals, an organization which connects travellers and locals from all over the world, through food and experiences. Locals can offer tours, workshops and even home dinner experiences directly to tourists. They use the principles of the sharing economy, by enabling people to earn a sustainable income by doing something they are already passionate about. This brings me to their vision: everybody is good at something, which is exactly what tourism in the 21st century should be about!

Withlocals.com gives you the opportunity to explore a city in a whole new way. You can book home dining experiences, activities and tours in Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Thailand. For instance, Deffrey offers a great cycling tour in ‘One of the World heritage Zones’ (Penang) and Casey is willing to take you for a healthy evening run, followed by a dinner with a local in Kuala Lumpur. There are many options to choose from in Malaysia!

For locals: They can earn some extra money in a creative and fun way by simply doing something they do daily. Also, locals can meet new cultures and teach tourists about their own culture. For tourists: It is the ideal way to explore a culture up-close. You will discover non-touristic places off the beaten track!

It seems like a cool project to try out ourselves sometime! Definitely worth checking out the site to see what kind of options there are to become a host or a guest."

Spend a few moments to check out the website Withlocals.com, and next time you're travelling around Asia, you might want to consider getting involved in a more 'local' experience!