Live Like a Local While Traveling
Living like a local is my favourite way to travel the world for free!
Traveling can be life changing. Truly experiencing different countries and cultures by living like a local, was incredibly eye opening for me.
The best part of traveling slowly and volunteering overseas is to live like a local.
I despise experiencing a country from the hotel pool only and love nothing more than to really immerse myself into the culture and local life.
I want to get to know the people! Their habits, their food, their markets and supermarkets, and what living in their area truly looks like. That’s hard to experience if you are traveling from backpackers to backpackers, or only stay in fancy hotels.
I’ve lived locally in South Africa, The Philippines, Australia, Macau and Singapore as well as Bali!
Here are all my tips and tricks for you to live like a local!
Be a Traveler, Not a Tourist!
Below are 10 ways to help you live like a local in different parts of the world.
This list includes cheaper accommodations, transportation, different socializing sources
and ways to work in a community while traveling.
01 AirBNB
I lived with locals via Air BNB in Africa, Singapore, The Philippines, Hong Kong, Macau, Australia and Vietnam.
There are more than 2 Million listings available, including castles, tree houses and boats.
If you don’t have an account yet, you’ll get a free $35 for your first trip via this link: Giveme$35
02 Couchsurfing
As a couch surfer, you share your home and life with other couch surfers, making travel truly a social experience.
I have been a bit skeptical about couch surfing, as there are a lot of single guys happy to host female travellers – which is personally not my cup of tea.
I DID use couch surfing three times with well-chosen hosts and had wonderful experiences staying with a family of a pastor and a 77 year old lovely host – completely free.
03 Home Stay Finder & Other Home Stay Websites
Check out www.Homestayfinder.com and www.Homestay.com for home stays around the world!
There are 1000’s of families all over the world that are looking to host travellers like you. You choose the place you want to go, and then go through the list of people who are looking for travellers to stay with them. It will have a description about what type of person they are looking for and the amount that it will cost. Most people have reviews from past travellers too.
This is a great way to travel, meet new people, get to know an area, and all for a cheaper price then a hotel would be.
04 Trusted HouseSitters
www.TrustedHousesitters.com is the largest house and pet-sitter website in the world, followed by a whole bunch of similar platforms.
Stay for free at local homes, taking care of the premises while the owners are overseas.
05 Share a Ride
Accommodation isn’t the only way you can save money as a traveller. There are plenty of apps for cheaper alternatives then renting a car.
Car Sharing with BlaBlaCar in Europe
This app connects drivers that have empty seats with travellers in need of a ride.
Uber
Uber is found in a lot of locations now (over 500 cities). With just one tap, a car will come to you. It will give you details about your driver before you even meet them.
06 Eat With A Local
EatWith is a meal-sharing app which connects tourists and locals willing to cook for them for a fee. Great way to socialize and meet others well aboard.
It’s available in 150 countries.
Shop at the Local Markets
07 MeetUp
Meet locals for drinks, dinner, movies, and concerts wherever you are. Truly live like a local and get to know the area and the people with this app.
08 Bulungula Lodge in South Africa
This is a remote community on the Wild Coast in South Africa. They welcome travellers in shared accommodation.
Daily private tours through the village will give you an incredible insight into the rural African life without running water or electricity. You support the local community with your stay! https://www.bulungula.com
09 Workaway and HelpX
There are websites that are built for travelers to find volunteering in exchange for accomodation and food while they are traveling around. Who doesn’t want to spend less while traveling? Plus, it is a great way to experience all sorts of jobs in different communities and meet new people. I have listed a few below with their membership fee price:
www.workaway.info – Work for free accommodation and food {fee: $29/year}
www.helpx.net – Help Exchange for free accommodation and food {fee: 20€/2 years)
www.volunteersbase.com – {no membership fee!}
10 Live on a Boat in The Philippines
Tao Expedition on the Philippines offers a 5-day boat trip on a traditional Banka with overnight stays on stunning islands of Palawan in simple beach huts. Visit the locals living on the islands or share stories and experiences with the Filipino crew!
This was one of the best trips of my life!