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!
