Dare To Share

The attraction of finding unique experiences while travelling is an increasingly important factor to those on holiday. World wanderers don’t want to do the same things as everyone else, and the challenge of staking out new ground is only getting bigger as more travellers hit the road. And sometimes there is painful sticker shock associated with trying new experiences – anyone for a charter helicopter flight?

Travel Courier’s western editor, Ted Davis reports in this week’s digital edition that a new travel booking service called I Like Local covers a lot of those bases. Local experiences are often the most authentic and memorable, found through an interaction with those who live and work in a chosen destination. I Like Local is offering access to those kinds of products and programs on a share or “peer-to-peer” basis.

“The act of sharing has morphed from an occasional act of generosity into an everyday essential,” says I Like Local founder Sanne Meijboom, who is based in Hong Kong. (The company is registered in the Netherlands).

This is now revolutionizing the way we travel, she said, quoting a CNN article that indicated “the sharing economy, particularly peer-to-peer rentals and experiences, is gaining popularity at warp speed.”

This especially serves travellers who are craving authentic experiences at bargain rates, or even for free. The company offers access to guided bicycle treks in Vietnam, hands-on culinary classes in Nepal, field and farm work in Thailand and volunteer experiences teaching and building schools in India, to name a few.

Some of them, like one week volunteering to teach English in Cambodia, or teaching English in a village in West Java, require work participation by the traveller, and can be had at little or no cost. The Cambodia gig is free to the traveller and includes a home stay and meals.

For the full story, check out this week’s digital edition of Travel Courier by clicking here.