Planning to couchsurf this summer holiday? Keen to open up your bachelor pad to European trekkers? Experienced city couchsurfers share invaluable tips to make you a pro
City-based entrepreneur Mulchand Dedhia created a profile on Couchsurfing.com back in 2010 but became active on the social networking platform — that annually supports four million surfers — only in 2012. Since then, the avid traveller has ticked off Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Poland, Amsterdam, France and Austria from his bucket list.
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For each visit, he used the help of the portal to find that perfect couch and a host who would act as his local guide. "In Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam), I ended up spending a day more because of host who helped me explore the city like a resident," says 30-year-old Dedhia, who will share his experiences at a travel meet-up, Around The World In A Backpack, this Saturday.
Also read: 6 points plan to pull off a budget trip
Mulchand Dedhia with his host Zsuzsa Bakonyi at a restaurant in Budapest
Hosted by Dedhia and friend, Rodrigo Canelas from Portugal — who is also the founder of Tribe In Action, a community supporting long-term travellers — the event’s main attraction is a talk by Emily Zanier, a French travel blogger who has visited 65 countries and attended 100 events, including the Olympics, for free. "The idea is to inspire people to travel. Couchsurfing will be a part of it too," informs Dedhia, who has hosted 45 couchsurfers at his studio apartment in Bandra.
Why couchsurfing works
Though not a new trend, couchsurfing remains a go-to option for many travellers, even in times of cheap accommodations on portals such as Airbnb. Dedhia reasons, "You might want to book a hotel if you are looking for a three-day stay. Couch-surfing works wonders if you are keen to travel for a longer duration or if you’re on a budget because it’s completely free. Plus, you get an opportunity to make lifelong connections." He cites an instance: "Recently, Zsuzsa Bakonyi, a Hungarian lady who had hosted me during my travel to Budapest, couchsurfed at my place for 15 days.
I ended up conducting a photography workshop with her because we share a common interest, and even made money out of it."
On: March 5, 6 pm
At: Radio Bar, ground floor, Hotel New Castle, Linking Road, next to Satguru, Bandra (W).
Entry: Free and open to all
Smart tips
>> Study a host’s profile before sending the request. Read the testimonials too.
>> Do not expect five-star treatment and don’t misuse the property just because the stay is free.
>> Allow the host to show you around.
>> Avoid accepting requests from travellers with incomplete profiles. Also, crosscheck their social networking profiles via Google.
>> Often, people use couchsurfing as a pitstop when they have connecting flights. That’s not the objective of the experience.
I hosted a traveller from Curaçao. Until then I hadn’t heard of the country
Couchsurfer: Frazan Kotwal
Couch count: Hamburg, Gothenburg, Berlin, Prague, Verona, Milan, Barcelona and Vienna among others
As an Opera singer, 23-year-old Kotwal has lived out of a suitcase and has couched in most parts of Eastern Europe for the last few years.
Frazan Kotwal with Bulgarian friends in their traditional attire
He observes, “It’s difficult to get a couch in bigger cities during peak season but in smaller towns, people are more welcoming. A host in Bulgaria invited me to his 2,000-metre high mountain cabin, 50 kms away from the capital, Sofia. I trekked a mountain and stayed there for four nights. It was surreal.”
Having hosted surfers too, he shares, “Once I hosted a traveller from Curaçao. Until then I hadn’t even heard of the country. It was a learning experience.”
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